Daytona 500 2026 Grand Marshal is Nate Bargatze
Nate Bargatze was named Grand Marshal a week after Kurt Russell was tapped for pace-car duties at the 2026 Daytona 500.
- The 68th Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday, February 15, 2026.
- The forecast for the Daytona 500 shows a 55% chance of rain with cloudy and windy conditions.
- Weather for the qualifying and duel races earlier in the week appears mostly clear with low chances of precipitation.
The 2026 Daytona 500 date now sits firmly within the 10-day forecast.
And with the Cook Out Clash — and the challenging weather that came with it — in the rearview mirror, all NASCAR attention turns to Daytona International Speedway. Speedweek kicks off with Cup Series qualifying Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Of course, the 68th Great American Race will serve as the week’s grand finale Sunday, Feb. 15. The green flag will drop shortly after 2:30 p.m.
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So what does the latest forecast look like for those two days, plus Thursday’s Duels, Friday’s Truck Series race and Saturday’s ARCA and O’Reilly Auto Parts events? Here’s what AccuWeather predicts.
AccuWeather forecast for Daytona 500
Wednesday, Feb. 11: Comfortable with times of clouds and sun. A high temperature of 75 degrees and a low of 51. 8% chance of precipitation.
Thursday, Feb. 12: Comfortable with times of clouds and sun. A high temperature of 73 degrees and a low of 54. 8% chance of precipitation.
Friday, Feb. 13: Mostly sunny. A high temperature of 73 degrees and a low of 57. 13% chance of precipitation.
Saturday, Feb. 14: Mostly cloudy. A high temperature of 72 degrees and a low of 50. 25% chance of precipitation.
Sunday, Feb. 15: Cloudy and windy with a couple of morning showers followed by a little rain in the afternoon. A high temperature of 67 degrees and a low of 49. 55% chance of precipitation.
Monday, Feb. 16: A blend of sun and clouds. A high temperature of 71 degrees and a low of 54. 1% chance of precipitation.
