The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will fly into Daytona Beach Thursday, Feb. 12, as they prepare to roar over Daytona International Speedway just before the start of the Daytona 500 Sunday.
And you might see the six-aircraft Air Force demonstration team practicing in the area in the days leading up to the big race.
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When will Thunderbirds arrive for the Daytona 500?
The Thunderbirds are due to land at Daytona International Airport around 4:30 p.m., Feb. 12, so you can expect to see the jets flying around in the area from 4 to 4:15 p.m., according to a team spokesman.
The team of F-16 fighter pilots and support personnel have scheduled practices at 8 a.m. and noon Friday, Feb. 13, and at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14.
2 Daytona 500 drivers expected to ride with the Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds also plan to give a couple of Daytona 500 drivers rides in an F-16 fighter jet in the days before the race: John Hunter Nemechek and Connor Zilisch, according to a spokesperson for the Thunderbirds.
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Nemechek, 28, drives the number 42 Toyota with the Legacy Motor Club team. He is the son of former O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Champion Joe Nemechek, according to NASCAR.com. John Hunter Nemechek twice finished in the top five during the 2025 NASCAR Cup series. He was also the regular season champion of the 2021 truck series.
The United States Air Force Thunderbirds fly over the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.
Zilisch drives the Number 88 Chevrolet with the Trackhouse Racing team.
Zilisch, 19, will start his NASCAR Cup series rookie season at the Daytona 500 but he has been moving up the racing ladder at a high speed, according to a story by News-Journal reporter Ken Willis.
Zilisch was one of the drivers in the No. 31 Cadillac of Action Express Racing team, which finished second last month in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona 500 to welcome Air Force Thunderbirds for military flyover
