DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Ryan Blaney begins defense of his Cup Series championship on Sunday, and that is just one of the storylines as NASCAR drops the green flag on the NASCAR season this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

Despite his 2023 title, Blaney has never won a Daytona 500 in nine previous races. He is trying to become the sixth driver to follow a championship with a Daytona 500 victory the next season and the last since Dale Jarrett in 2000. Blaney was the runner-up twice, losing to Kurt Busch in 2017 and Denny Hamlin in 2020.

One of his main competitors will be Team Penske teammate Joey Logano, who was the 2002 Cup Series champion and holds the pole position for Sunday’s race. The driver who starts the race from the pole has only gone on to win the race seven times, and two drivers have done it twice — Cale Yarborough in 1968 and 1984 and Bill Elliott in 1985 and 1987.

“We (he and Blaney) can lead as peers together,” Logano said. “There’s not one above the other. It seems like we’re pretty comparable drivers and strong in different areas, which is good, and I think leading Penske together, we can do that.”

“This is all about the team. I’d like to take credit, but I can’t. Superspeedway qualifying is 100% the car,” said Logano, who won the first Daytona 500 pole for Team Penske. “Finally, someone else wins the pole.”

Elliott’s son, Chase, is recovering from shoulder surgery but made the Daytona 500 field. He will start the race from the No. 5 spot and also will be shooting for his first 500 title. His best finish so far was in 2021 as runner-up to Michael McDowell, who is in the front row next to Blaney to start. Elliott is coming off a winless season marred by injury and a one-race suspension in the worst statistical year among his eight full Cup Series seasons driving for Hendrick Motorsports, a team that won its last 500 in 2014 with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“I want to win and want to put up big numbers like everyone does,” Chase Elliott said. “But for me right now and our team, truthfully, the goal of mine is just being competitive on a weekly basis, just consistently be a contender. That’s all I’ve ever been after because I am a believer if you are a consistent contender each week, and if you are someone who shows up and has opportunities to win each week, you will get your share and be a car and driver that doesn’t surprise anyone with their results.”

On the other end of the spectrum is Jimmie Johnson, who has won two Daytona 500s but barely made the field for his 21st time in the race. He is the co-owner of Legacy Motor Club but still races, at least partially, to help promote his team.

“I think I’m identifying with the fact that there’s a lot more riding on my performance in the car these days than when I was a full-time driver,” Johnson said. “Not only my own personal goals of being a driver, but what’s going on as being a team owner, trying to help grow a race team. There’s a lot more weight on it.”

The storyline that will affect the most drivers, however, is the weather. Many of the recent races have been delayed, sometimes for hours, because of rain, and meteorologists on Friday forecasted periods of rain both Saturday and Sunday because of an area of low pressure developing along a front headed toward Central Florida. The ARCA race already was moved up to Friday night to try to head off weather concerns.

The Daytona 500 is “The Great American Race” that starts the NASCAR season every year, but it is not the only race this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. It is the culmination of Speedweeks, which brings together NASCAR Craftsman Truck, ARCA, Xfinity and Cup Series races at the same location on the same weekend.

Sunday’s race is sold out, but tickets remain for other races and race-related events. Here is the schedule for the weekend:

Friday

• ARCA Menards Series qualifying, 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time

• NASCAR Craftman Truck Series qualifying, 3 p.m. ET

• NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, 4:35 p.m. ET

• NASCAR Cup Series practice, 5:35 p.m. ET

• NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250 race, 7:30 ET

• ARCA Menards Series Daytona Arca 200, 10:30 p.m. ET

Saturday

• NASCAR Cup Series final practice, 10:30 a.m.

• NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, 11:30 a.m. ET

• NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300, 5 p.m. ET

 Sunday

• NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500, 2:30 p.m. ET

In addition, multiple events throughout the weekend will feature drivers and other Daytona 500 personalities between the races for spectators.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.