For many NASCAR fans, Daytona Speedweeks used to be a month-long tradition of celebrating sports cars, stock cars, and even motorcycles before heading into the Great American Race. Fans piled into RVs and camped out for days, turning the infield into a city of diehards. Families passed down stories of Earnhardt’s triumph and heartbreak, of Petty’s dominance, of “The Big One” that changes everything in a split second. But when the NFL decided to go from 16 to 17 games in 2021, the Speedweeks had to be fragmented largely affecting the Daytona experience.

This move led to Daytona’s 24-hour race shifting to January, creating a two-week break between that event and Daytona 500 week. With the NFL eyeing an 18-game season which would be part of an ideal scenario, according to their commissioner Roger Goodell,  the league now threatens to disrupt the holy grail of NASCAR even more.

The NFL has “continuously floated the idea of expanding the schedule,” potentially pushing the Super Bowl to Presidents Day weekend — which is traditionally when the Daytona 500 runs. The race has been held on President’s Day weekend for 52 of its 67 runnings, including an over four-decade stretch from 1968 to 2011 and from 2018 to the present. But now, instead of watching stock cars roar past the checkered flag at 200 mph, fans could soon find themselves glued to yet another Sunday of pigskin drama—trading restrictor plates for red zone plays and the roar of engines for the roar of the crowd at the Super Bowl.

This year’s Super Bowl 59 broke viewership records, attracting an unbelievable 127.7 million combined TV and streaming audience. In the meantime, the Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s highest-rated race, but even at its peak in the previous decade (13.3 million viewers in 2015), it can’t compare to the NFL’s figures. Despite all this, NASCAR won’t be bullied into submission.

So what does NASCAR and “The Great American Race” are looking to do to avoid a conflict with the nation’s largest sporting event? “We’re keeping tabs on it, for sure,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s senior vice president of racing development and strategy.

“(And) having a lot of conversations with our partners, have a couple of conversations with the NFL as well. We’re going to be talking about next year’s date this weekend and (there are) not really any big changes, which I think is going to be helpful. But long term, it is something that we’re mindful of because we don’t want to go up against the Super Bowl,” he added.

The Daytona 500 has sold out for ten years running, and this year will see no exception. The race has a record-breaking $30 million purse, demonstrating that the prestige and popularity of the event haven’t diminished. But with the NFL considering schedule expansions, the potential for a direct Super Bowl vs Daytona 500 conflict presents a major issue.

In the build-up to the Super Bowl, the Washington Post reported that the NFL owners hope to add another game to the schedule in the next 2-3 years. However, in two years, the current 17-game schedule will result in a President’s Day weekend Super Bowl and NASCAR will be keen to avoid a scenario where they will be going head to head against it.

Kennedy and NASCAR officials have already had strategic conversations regarding possible scheduling options.  “We’ve talked about: do you go the weekend before? Do we keep it the weekend after? I think we lean toward the latter of trying to come out of the Super Bowl and go to the Daytona 500. So, we’ll stay close to them because it has an impact on this date.”

Top Comment by probowler

Shouldn’t be a problem if the NFL was smart and play the Superbowl on Saturday night instead of Sunday night....more

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This strategy holds water. NASCAR has long taken Super Bowl weekend as a breather before redirecting all attention toward its premier event. The strategy provides supporters with a smooth transition from one giant sporting extravaganza to another, and momentum remains at a high. Coming out of the Super Bowl and going straight into Daytona is something that has worked for both NASCAR and TV partner Fox Sports. But if the Super Bowl does relocate, does NASCAR relocate alongside it?

Moving the Daytona 500 even one week later will impact NASCAR’s traditional calendar. They will have to fit in Fox’s portion of the season from President’s Day until Memorial Day weekend when Amazon Prime takes over for the Coca-Cola 600. Then there are other dates like having the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend, which NASCAR typically uses to open the playoffs.

Hence, Kennedy and NASCAR are considering the whole picture, “But then, as you think of the season in totality, you talk about off weeks when we end FOX and start Amazon and the other broadcast partners. We have to be mindful of that as well,” Kennedy added.

In spite of the huge viewership deficit, NASCAR is not about to back down. Rather, they are remaining proactive, closely collaborating with broadcast partners such as FOX, Amazon, and TNT to position the sport in the best possible way.

This year’s Daytona 500 broadcast reached 190 countries in 26 languages, proving that the sport’s appeal extends far beyond U.S. borders. As the NFL grows, NASCAR’s intransigence is a testament to its own tradition and fanbase.

The Daytona 500 is not merely a race; it’s a pillar of motorsport history. For many years, Daytona’s 24-hour race kicked off Speedweeks. The following weekend was the ARCA race, the Clash, and Daytona 500 qualifying. On Sunday night of that weekend, fans would participate in a bowling tournament for charity. Next week practice was scheduled and many fans would also head to the New Smyrna Speedway each night to watch the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.

After four days of stock car racing at the 2.5-mile track, we finally headed to the Daytona 500. Next on the agenda after a week’s break was motorcycle racing and Bike Week. But over the years, these traditions diminished and when the NFL extended its schedule, it moved Daytona’s 24-hour race to January, creating a two-week break between that event and Daytona 500 week.

As the NFL once again looks to bring a massive change in NASCAR’s tradition, the organization is looking to hold firm and leverage every advantage they can get, including their strong partnership with FOX.

FOX’s Record Daytona 500 Ad sales give NASCAR a strong hand in NFL scheduling battle

While NASCAR has wrestled with sagging TV viewing, there’s one place it’s showing itself to be stronger than ever: advertising sales.

FOX Sports has already sold out its ad inventory for the 2025 Daytona 500 earlier than ever, with all of its slots booked by December—a definite indication that big brands still perceive tremendous value in the event. With 30-second commercials priced at a premium of $500,000, the network has taken advantage of robust advertiser demand, partly driven by the buzz surrounding Super Bowl LIV.

Brian Herbst, NASCAR’s EVP and chief media & revenue officer, emphasized that the sport has “commercial momentum in its favor”, with brands eager to align with the Daytona 500’s prestige. Big-name advertisers like Chipotle, Airbnb, Meta, Toyota, Chevy, and Chili’s are all on board, with Toyota rolling out a special “Big 3” campaign featuring Joe Gibbs Racing, 23XI, and Legacy Motor Club.

To generate maximum revenue, FOX has increased its usage of double-box commercials three-fold, all while keeping commercials on the air without detracting from on-track fan attendance. This innovation pleased sponsors and maintained the fan experience—something NASCAR will have to have as it copes with possible scheduling conflicts over the NFL’s proposed Presidents Day weekend move of the Super Bowl.

With record ad revenue providing NASCAR with more negotiating power, the league now has leverage to stand firm. The Daytona 500 is doing just fine financially, and if anything, it’s the NFL that should be afraid of treading on NASCAR’s Crown Jewel event.