NASCAR and the NFL are on a collision course, and it’s not on the racetrack. With the NFL’s inevitable move to an 18-game regular season, the Super Bowl is expected to be pushed back a week, landing directly on the same day as the Daytona 500. That’s a scheduling nightmare NASCAR is desperate to avoid.
The Daytona 500 is the biggest event on the NASCAR calendar, the Super Bowl of stock car racing. But if the actual Super Bowl falls on the same day, NASCAR would lose a massive chunk of its viewership to the NFL. The league has been gradually expanding its schedule for years, and an 18-game season seems like the next logical step. If that happens, the Super Bowl would shift to the third Sunday in February—the same day the green flag waves at Daytona.
NASCAR executives are already exploring ways to prevent this from happening. The easiest solution? Move the Daytona 500 up a week. That would keep it in February but avoid direct competition with the biggest game in sports. However, that presents logistical challenges, including adjusting Speedweeks and teams’ preparations.
Another option is to push the Daytona 500 deeper into February, but that would conflict with other scheduling elements, including West Coast races. NASCAR could also consider shifting the race to Saturday, but that would be a drastic change for an event steeped in Sunday tradition.
The reality is that NASCAR doesn’t have many choices. Going head-to-head with the Super Bowl would be disastrous for ratings and sponsorship exposure. Even hardcore racing fans would struggle to justify missing the NFL’s biggest game. NASCAR has to act fast, because if the NFL makes the 18-game season official, the clock starts ticking.
This scheduling conflict isn’t just about one race—it’s about the future of how NASCAR positions its biggest event. If they don’t find a solution, the Daytona 500 could be overshadowed in a way that hurts its prestige for years to come.
