Firecracker 400

Lore & Background

The race was first held on July 4, 1959, as the Firecracker 250, a 100-lap, 250-mile race. In 1963, the race was expanded to 160 laps, for a distance of 400 miles, and became known as the Firecracker 400. The race was named the Firecracker 250 because it would be held on the United States' Independence Day. The winner of the inaugural race received the Marshall Teague Memorial trophy. From 1959 to 1987, the race was always scheduled for July 4, regardless of the day of the week. Beginning in 1988, the race was moved to the first Saturday of July (that nearest to July 4). In 1985, the race became known as the Pepsi Firecracker 400, when PepsiCo became the event's first title sponsor. In 1989, the 'Firecracker' moniker was dropped, and the race was known simply as the Pepsi 400 through 2007.

Reader's Guide

The race consists of 160 laps, 400 miles (640 km). From 1959 to 1997, the race was scheduled to begin in the morning (10:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. eastern). The 1997 race was the final time the 400 was scheduled to begin in the morning and run during the daytime. Since 2002, the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Winn-Dixie 250 race is held on Friday night. Ryan Preece is the defending winner of the race, having won it in 2026.

Did You Know?

• In 1974, David Pearson won his third straight Firecracker race by using a slingshot pass on Richard Petty on the final lap.
• The 1974 race featured the only tie in NASCAR history, a dead heat for third place between Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough.
• In 1987, the race was the final race at Daytona without restrictor plates.