(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)
By Aaron Bearden
With the fun spectacle that was the Busch Light Clash complete, the time has now come for NASCAR’s biggest race – the Daytona 500.
The NASCAR Cup Series’ season-opening points race is set to be contested on Sunday, but cars will be on track for the first time on Tuesday.
Daytona will kick off a stretch of 37 races across 38 weekends for NASCAR’s top tour. But before things get underway in Daytona Beach, here’s everything you need to know.
Daytona 500 Schedule
(All times are ET)
Tuesday, Feb. 15
5:05 – 5:55 p.m. – Cup practice (FS1, MRN Radio)
6:35 – 7:25 p.m. – Cup practice (FS1, MRN Radio)
Wednesday,. Feb. 16
8:05 p.m. – Cup qualifying (FS1, MRN Radio)
Thursday, Feb. 17
4:05 – 4:55 p.m. – ARCA Menards Series practice (Untelevised, timing on ARCARacing.com)
5:05-5:35 p..m. – Camping World Truck Series practice (FS1)
7:00 p.m. – Cup Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races (FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Friday, Feb. 18
1:30 p.m. – ARCA qualifying (Untelevised, timing on ARCARacing.com)
3:00 p.m. – Truck qualifying (FS1)
4:35 – 5:25 p.m. – Xfinity practice (FS1)
5:35 – 6:25 p.m. – Cup practice (FS1, MRN)
7:30 p.m. – Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Saturday, Feb. 19
10:30 – 11:20 a.m. – Cup final practice (FS2 / FS1 at 11 a.m., MRN Radio)
11:30 a.m. – Xfinity qualifying (FS1)
1:30 p.m. – ARCA Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire (FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
5:00 p.m. – Xfinity Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 (FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Sunday, Feb. 20
2:30 p.m. – Cup Daytona 500 (FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Resources
- NASCAR Race Center (General race coverage – scoring, commentary, etc.)
- NASCAR Scanner (Live in-car audio)
- NASCAR Drive (Live in-car cameras)
- Aaron’s Twitter Lists (Pick any list to follow tweets from accounts relevant to it – i.e. teams, drivers, etc.)
- The Weather Forecast (To watch for rain)
Race Format
The Daytona 500 is a unique race in the scope of the NASCAR season, both in the importance of the event and how the field is set.
Like in every race this year, qualifying is scheduled to take place. This is a return to relative normalcy for NASCAR after two years of pandemic-adjusted formats to set the grid. There will be two rounds of single-car qualifying for the Truck, Xfinity and Cup races, with the top-12 qualifiers advancing tot eh last round and securing a chance to qualify for the pole.
For Xfinity and Trucks, that will be what sets the field. But in the case of the Cup Series, the final starting grid will be determined by a pair of qualifying races on Thursday.
Only the front row will be locked in during Cup qualifying on Wednesday. Everyone else will see their fates determined by the Bluegreen Vacations Duel races. The field will be split up by even and odd qualifying positions and thrust into two 60-lap, 150-mile races, with the finishing results used to determine the full 40-car field.
For the six non-chartered entries, a mixture of qualifying and the duels will determine whether they make the field or not. The top-finishing driver among the group from each Duel will be locked into Sunday’s race, with the final two spots going to the drivers with the best qualifying times.
The group battling for the four spots includes:
- Formula 1 World Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve, competing for series newcomers Team Hezeberg in the No. 27 Ford.
- Kaz Grala, attempting to make his second Daytona 500 in the No. 50 Chevrolet for The Money Team Racing, which lists boxing great Floyd Mayweather as a co-owner.
- A returning Greg Biffle, who has finished as high as second in the Great American Race and will try to make the field in the No. 44 Chevrolet for NY Racing.
- Cup veteran J.J. Yeley, trying to make his seventh Daytona 500 start in Motorsports Business Management’s No. 55 Ford.
- Timmy Hill, piloting MBM’s sister No. 66 Ford.
- Noah Gragson, returning for another attempt to make the race with Beard Motorsports in the No. 62 Chevrolet.
With the starting lineup set, the Cup Series field will take to Daytona International Speedway on Sunday to contest the Daytona 500. The race will be 200 laps totaling 500 miles, with opening stages of 65 laps apiece and a final 70-lap third stage.
Overtime rules will remain the same as in recent years. Should a late caution arise and push the race to the end of the scheduled distance under yellow, NASCAR will attempt to provide a two-lap green-flag run. Additional attempts will be staged until the leader takes the white flag. Should a crash occur then, the race will be deemed complete and the leader at the time of caution will be declared the winner.
Entry List
There are 42 total entries for this year’s Daytona 500, meaning two teams will fail to make the race.
| Entry | No. | Driver | Organization | Mfg. |
| 1 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 2 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford |
| 3 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 4 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 5 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 6 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 7 | 7 | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | 8 | Tyler Reddick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 9 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 10 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 11 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 12 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford |
| 13 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 14 | 15 | Ryan Preece | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 15 | 16 | AJ Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 16 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 17 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 18 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 19 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 20 | 21 | Harrison Burton | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 21 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford |
| 22 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 23 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 24 | 27 | Jacques Villeneuve* | Team Hezeberg | Ford |
| 25 | 31 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 26 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 27 | 38 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 28 | 41 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
| 29 | 42 | Ty Dillon | Petty GMS Racing | Chevrolet |
| 30 | 43 | Erik Jones | Petty GMS Racing | Chevrolet |
| 31 | 44 | Greg Biffle* | NY Racing Team | Chevrolet |
| 32 | 45 | Kurt Busch | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 33 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daughterty Racing | Chevrolet |
| 34 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 35 | 50 | Kaz Grala* | TMT Racing | Chevrolet |
| 36 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Ford |
| 37 | 55 | JJ Yeley* | Motorsports Business Management | Toyota |
| 38 | 62 | Noah Gragson* | Beard Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 39 | 66 | Timmy Hill* | Motorsports Business Management | Toyota |
| 40 | 77 | Landon Cassill | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 41 | 78 | BJ McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports | Ford |
| 42 | 99 | Daniel Suarez | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
*Driver must qualify through the Duels
Questions
The Daytona 500 is the kickoff for the traditional NASCAR season, so it never fails to inspire some questions and drive early discussions heading into the year.
There are a few key questions going into this year’s Great American Race:
1) How will the Next Gen car perform?
NASCAR held a preseason test of its new cars at Daytona in January, where it determined that it will utilize an engine-output target of 510 horsepower and a seven-inch rear spoiler at Daytona, Talladega Superspeedway and the re-profiled Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The test was largely met with optimism from the competitors and sanctioning body.
“Now granted, there’s no trophy. There’s no points. There’s no money on the line. So I think the level of intensity when they come back will be ratcheted up significantly,” NASCAR senior vice president of racing innovation John Probst said at the time. “But I think that if you look at what the cars were able to do as far as spreading out, grouping back up, moving around, definitely three-wide a couple times, I feel like we’re in a really good spot, put on a pretty good show February here in the 500.”
Now that money, points and, most importantly, the legacy of becoming a Daytona 500 champion, will all be on the line, it’ll be interesting to see how the new cars perform.
2) How will the field balance risk and reward?
Of course, performance alone isn’t the only concern surrounding the Next Gen car. The logistics surrounding the machines for teams also means that there’s trepidation over the potential for major setbacks in Daytona.
With the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to limit the availability of many resources the Cup Series field has collectively found itself with a limited allotment of Next Gen cars heading into the 2022 season, making for a tense run through the opening stretch of the year.
Mixed with the inherent risk of one of Daytona’s signature massive pileups – known infamously as The Big One – that tension will force teams to weigh risk and reward when they take to the 2.5-mile oval this week.
Daytona itself has even adapted to the car shortage, making a one-off call not to display the race-winning car for the next year in the Motorsports Hall of Fame. The car will remain in Daytona overnight and be utilized for Monday morning’s Celebration Breakfast before being returned to the team’s race shop. NASCAR will then run a scan of the car and create a wrap to place on one of the Next Gen prototypes used in testing.
In the end, any driver with a genuine chance to win the Daytona 500 will probably feel the calling to go for broke. But in the week leading up to the race, and even perhaps the first two stages of the race itself, don’t be surprised if there’s more trepidation than usual.
3) How will new teams/pairings shake out?
The Daytona 500 is often the first time fans of the sport are exposed to some of the changing teams and drivers. This year will be no different, with a host of changes to adjust to, both large and subtle.
One of the most immediate changes is the lack of Chip Ganassi Racing in the field. The organization made its way out of NASCAR at the end of 2021, selling its NASCAR assets to Trackhouse Racing. Former drivers Ross Chastain (Trackhouse) and Kurt Busch (23XI Racing) have each moved on to expanding new teams from 2021.
Former champion Brad Keselowski will take some adjustments to spot. While the 2012 Cup Series title-winner is still in the Ford stable, he’s shifted from Team Penske’s iconic No. 2 Ford to another recognizable car – the No. 6 Ford.
Keselowski will drive for RFK Racing, the team formerly known as Roush Fenway Racing, after accepting a move that gives him an ownership stake in the team. He’ll take the place of exiting veteran Ryan Newman, who has no ride for the year and expects to compete on short tracks. Chris Buescher will remain in the team’s No. 17 Ford.
The biggest new team is TMT Racing, which sees boxing great Floyd Mayweather enter the ownership ranks as a co-owner. Greg Biffle will make a part-time return with NY Racing Team.
Kaulig Racing is now running full-time at the Cup level, fielding former Xfinity Series regular Justin Haley full-time in the No. 31 Chevrolet while splitting the No. 16 Chevrolet between AJ Allmendinger, Noah Gragson and Daniel Hemric. Allmendinger will compete for the team in Daytona.
Richard Petty Motorsports has become Petty GMS Racing, expanding to two cars with GMS Racing entering the fold. Erik Jones will remain in the signature No. 43 Chevrolet, with Ty Dillon returning to Cup in the No. 42.
Harrison Burton is in the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing in place of now-Truck Series driver Matt DiBenedetto. Austin Cindric will step up to Cup as Keselowski’s replacement for Team Penske. Todd Gilliland is stepping up from the Truck Series to compete for Front Row Motorsports in the No. 38 Ford. Landon Cassill will be in the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports.
Throw in a host of crew chief changes and a few other personnel shifts, too. There will be plenty of changes to adjust to starting this week. Thankfully, there will be 37 races in 38 weekends to sort all of them out.
4) Will any big stars finally add a Daytona 500 win to their legacy?
Daytona can be a fickle beast, even to some of the sport’s biggest names.
Dale Earnhardt famously spent 20 years of trying and frustration to win the Daytona 500, even while dominating many of the track’s other races. Drivers like Tony Stewart, Mark Martin and the brothers Bobby and Terry Labonte never won the race at all. Meanwhile others like Michael Waltrip, Derrike Cope and, most recently, Michael McDowell, have shifted their legacies altogether by winning the event.
There are a host of champions and stars of NASCAR’s modern era that have yet to hoist up the Harley J. Earl Trophy as Daytona 500 champions. They include:
- Two time Cup champion Kyle Busch (winless in 16 starts)
- 2017 title-winner Martin Truex Jr. (winless in 17 starts)
- 2012 champ Brad Keselowski (winless in 12 starts)
- Defending champion Kyle Larson (winless in eight starts)
- 2020 champion Chase Elliott (winless in six starts)
Of the group, Busch, Truex and Elliott have all finished second in the past. Keselowski’s best run to date is third, while Larson’s is seventh. But Larson was also leading in the final stages in the 2017 race won by Kurt Busch when he ran out of fuel.
5) Will anyone care about the number change?
After a few years of rumors, discussions and even a test in the 2020 All-Star Race, NASCAR and its teams have finally made the decision to shift the side numbers on its cars forward heading into 2022.
Every car in the field will have the numbers moved up, sitting just behind the front tires in a move that opens up space for improved sponsor integration on the side of the cars.
This is a subtle move, but one that’s instantly noticeable when you see the cars on-track. Some schemes have already incorporated the changes well, while others may look a note strange as teams and sponsors sort out the deals and designs for the new space.
In the greater scheme of changes to come in recent years, this is a small shift. But it’s bound to cause some discussion as the new look is displayed in the sport’s biggest race.
We’ll all adjust over time. It just may take a bit of getting used to in the short-term.
What about Xfinity and Trucks?
NASCAR’s second and third tours will also commence their 2022 campaigns this weekend. Compared to Cup, these series will largely run with the status quo. Numbers will be in similar places, the vehicles are mostly the same and the schedule won’t shift much from 2021.
Trucks will compete on Friday, with Xfinity following on Saturday after the ARCA Menards Series. Fields will be set by single-car qualifying on the day of each race. No qualifying races will be held.
There are 47 cars on the Xfinity Series entry list, with 38 making the field. The Truck entry list has 42 entries, with 36 making the show.
Is there anything else going on?
Longtime motorsports fans know that the festivities at Daytona are only a portion of the racing going on in Florida during Speedweeks.
From dirt tours like the World of Outlaws, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and All Star Circuit of Champions through New Smyrna Speedway’s World Series of Asphalt, there are a litany of short track options during the week at tracks including New Smyrna, East Bay Raceway Park and Volusia Speedway Park.
If you have DirtVision or FloRacing, give them a look at night. You’ll probably see some racing on from somewhere in the Sunshine State.
