CNN
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A packed audience and millions of at-home viewers will be tuned in on Sunday as 41 competitors strive for victory in NASCAR’s most prestigious event, the Daytona 500.

The Daytona International Speedway in Florida, with its 2.5-mile stretch, is anticipated to witness strategic bump-drafting, slingshot overtakes, and potentially significant crashes among Cup Series drivers.

Here’s everything you need to know as the race approaches. Broadcast coverage kicks off at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Although rain tires have been used in previous Cup Series events on wet tracks, Daytona’s steeply banked corners—rising three stories high—usually prevent safe high-speed racing under wet conditions, and the forecast predicts rain for Sunday.

There is a 60% likelihood of afternoon showers, though weather conditions are expected to improve as nightfall approaches.

In the event of a rain delay, Daytona’s lighting system allows for night racing, though the track may require 1-2 hours for drying after rain subsides.

To maximize lap completion, NASCAR has adjusted the race start time to 2 p.m. ET, an hour earlier than originally planned.

Similar to baseball, a NASCAR race is deemed official once it has reached the halfway mark (100 of 200 laps). Should the race not resume before this point on Sunday, it will continue on Monday when clearer skies are expected. If rain interrupts the race after lap 101, the leading driver at the time of the delay will be declared the winner.

Chase Briscoe, making his debut with the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, clinched the pole position in qualifying on Wednesday with an average lap speed of 182.745 mph. Last year’s Daytona 500 winner, Austin Cindric, secured the second spot.

The rest of the starting grid was determined through two 60-lap heat races called Duels, held on Thursday. Drivers in the first race received odd-numbered starting spots, while even-numbered positions were allocated based on the outcome of the second race.

Bubba Wallace, racing for 23XI Racing, co-owned by NBA star Michael Jordan, triumphed in the first Duel and will start from third position on Sunday. Last year’s victor, William Byron, finished in second place and will roll off in fifth.

In a thrilling finish to the second Duel, Erik Jones appeared to edge out Cindric at the finish line as a multi-car crash unfolded behind them. However, because Cindric was slightly ahead when the caution flag was waved, he was awarded the victory. Since Cindric had already secured a front row position, Jones will start fourth on Sunday.

Other popular drivers and their starting positions include:

Making his NASCAR Cup debut this Sunday will be Helio Castroneves, a four-time winner of the Indy 500 and a familiar figure to fans of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

Castroneves will be starting from 41st, the last position, in the No. 91 Chevrolet due to receiving an Open Exemption Provisional—a new opportunity in NASCAR allowing drivers from other racing series to take part in a one-time event. The Brazilian racer placed 39th in the initial qualifying and encountered a crash in the first Duel, leading to his last-place start for the 500.

“I’ve gained so much experience,” he explained following his exit from the Duel on Thursday. “I truly enjoy this experience. It’s unfortunate we have to rely on the provisional; that wasn’t our intention, but it’s a learning process.”

Castroneves isn’t the only prominent figure appearing at Daytona; former Cup champions Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr., both of whom have stepped away from full-time racing, have qualified and will start in the 39th and 40th positions, respectively.