Sports NASCAR’s Daytona 500 on FOX has a selected qualifying format. It isn’t basically top-of-the-line to bag.
Together with to the sophisticated qualifying procedures is a novel rule that could well perchance also add (but doesn’t guarantee) a 41st car to what — in most modern years — has normally been a 40-car subject.
We’ll attempt to smash every thing down here on how the subject is determined for the Feb. 16 travel at Daytona World Speedway.
How does Daytona 500 qualifying work? — The 36 drivers of chartered autos are within the travel. Right here is the list of drivers: AJ Allmendinger, Christopher Bell, Josh Berry, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Fling Briscoe, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Cole Custer, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Fling Elliott, Ty Gibbs, Todd Gilliland, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Denny Hamlin, Riley Herbst, Carson Hocevar, Erik Jones, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek, Ryan Preece, Tyler Reddick, Zane Smith, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Daniel Suarez, Shane van Gisbergen, Bubba Wallace and Cody Ware.
— The leisure spots are then filled by the non-chartered launch autos. There are nine launch drivers entered: Anthony Alfredo, Justin Allgaier, Helio Castroneves, Jimmie Johnson, Corey LaJoie, B.J. McLeod, Chandler Smith, Martin Truex Jr. and JJ Yeley.
The launch drivers carry out their spots in two methods. They are able to both earn in by being the top likely-finishing launch driver in their qualifying travel on Thursday. Or if they don’t advance thru their qualifying travel, they might be able to earn in by being surely one of the discontinue-two launch autos (no longer including those that evolved thru the qualifying travel) in single-car qualifying on Wednesday.
— Castroneves is an launch car but is locked into the subject thru a novel rule for 2025 that allows for NASCAR to award a attach to a driver who has elite credentials and would additionally enhance the selling and marketing of the tournament. His Trackhouse Racing team was as soon as basically top-of-the-line one to be aware sooner than the closing date for this particular provisional, so he was as soon as basically top-of-the-line one practical as by NASCAR to receive it.
However there’s a get. If he makes spend of the provisional, his team gets no prize money for the tournament. So he hopes to qualify his system in naturally. If he qualifies naturally as an launch car, then this will likely be a 40-car subject and 5 launch autos will miss the travel. If he doesn’t qualify naturally and makes spend of the provisional, then this will likely be a 41-car subject and 4 launch autos will miss the travel.
— On Wednesday evening, single-car qualifying was as soon as held. Fling Briscoe obtained the pole for the Daytona 500 and Austin Cindric clinched a attach on the front row. Truex and Johnson locked themselves into the Daytona 500 subject because the 2 quickest launch autos — because they might be able to repeatedly fall assist on their time if they don’t advance thru the races on Thursday evening.
— Two, 150-mile (60-lap) races on Thursday evening will pick the beginning lineup, as effectively as catch the remaining two spots within the subject. The 36 charter groups will likely be split evenly amongst those two races basically based fully on their Wednesday evening qualifying velocity (the first travel having those first, third, fifth, and many others, and the second travel having those second, fourth, sixth and many others). The nine launch autos are split — Truex, Allgaier, Castroneves, Chandler Smith and Yeley within the first travel; Johnson, LaJoie, Alfredo and McLeod within the second travel — basically based fully on their qualifying velocity within the identical fashion. All autos will line up basically based fully on their qualifying velocity.
— The pinnacle-finishing launch driver in every of the Thursday evening races earns a attach within the Daytona 500 subject. Of the seven launch drivers who then stay, the 2 with basically top-of-the-line qualifying velocity from Wednesday evening additionally earn it. If Castroneves is no longer a fashion of launch drivers who earns a attach, he’ll earn the 41st and ultimate attach within the subject (and 4 launch drivers will fail to qualify for the travel). If he is a fashion of four drivers, then this will likely be a 40-car subject (and 5 launch drivers will fail to qualify for the travel).
So here are the scenarios for every of the launch drivers:
— Truex and Johnson: They’re within the Daytona 500 because they might be able to fall assist on velocity.
— Allgaier: He is in if he is the discontinue launch driver in his duel. If Truex is the discontinue launch driver within the first duel or if Johnson is the discontinue launch driver in his duel, Allgaier gets in.
— LaJoie: He is in if he is the discontinue launch driver in his duel. If Truex or Allgaier is the discontinue launch driver within the first duel AND Johnson is the discontinue launch driver within the second duel, LaJoie gets in.
— Castroneves: He is within the travel, both because the discontinue launch driver in his duel or with the provisional.
— Chandler Smith, Yeley, Alfredo and McLeod must earn because the discontinue launch driver in their duel to earn the Daytona 500.
— The outcomes of the first travel will pick the inner row for Rows 2 thru 19 and the outcomes of the second travel will pick the launch air for Rows 2 thru 19. The 2 launch drivers who earn the travel basically based fully on qualifying velocity will launch in Row 20 (spots 39 and 40). If Castroneves gets in with the provisional, he would launch 41st.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports actions. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Seaside) News-Journal. Apply him on Twitter @ bobpockrass .
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