Daytona 500 qualifying format: How qualifying times, duel races set lineup for NASCAR's top race
The NASCAR Cup Series will hit the track at Daytona International Speedway for the first time in 2024 this week in Wednesday's Daytona 500 qualifying that sets the front row for Sunday's race.
There are two days' worth of events to set the field, including Wednesday's single-car qualifying and Thursday's duel races.
The format, a longtime way to set up the 500 field, gives every team a chance to race into the field for one of 40 starting spots.
Here are the details of the unique format of setting the lineup for the Daytona 500:
Daytona 500 pole qualifying sets the front row
The format: Every car gets a single-lap run in the first round. The top 10 after the first round will advance to the second round, where the 10 drivers will again make a single-lap run for the pole.
The front row will lock into those spots in the Daytona 500 starting lineup. The rest of the field's running order will make up the lineup for Thursday's duel races. Drivers who finished qualifying in 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc. will run in the first duel, while the even-numbered finishers in qualifying will make up the second duel lineup.
Duel races set the rest of the field
The results of the first duel will set the inside of each row behind the locked-in front row. The second duel results will set the outside of each row behind the first row. The 36 chartered drivers are guaranteed a spot in the 500 lineup.
A reminder: NASCAR gives out stage points for the top-10 finishers in each duel race. The winners will get 10 points, the second-place finishers will get nine points, etc. The big difference between the duel races and regular stages in Cup races is there will not be a playoff point earned to the winners.
There are six non-chartered cars in the entry list for four spots. How will they be sorted out during Daytona 500 qualifying and the duels?
The two fastest non-chartered cars in Wednesday's qualifying will lock into the field. The other two spots will be filled by the top non-chartered car in each duel race on Thursday. If the top running non-chartered car during a duel race is already locked into the field via Wednesday's qualifying, the next-highest running non-chartered car will lock into the field.
Two race teams will miss the field and go home after Thursday's duels.
The six drivers that need to make the field via qualifying: Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan, BJ McLeod Kaz Grala, Anthony Alfredo and an unannounced driver in the No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet.
Daytona 500 pole winners
Since 2000
2023: Alex Bowman
2022: Kyle Larson
2021: Alex Bowman
2020: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2019: William Byron
2018: Alex Bowman
2017: Chase Elliott
2016: Chase Elliott
2015: Jeff Gordon
2014: Austin Dillon
2013: Danica Patrick
2012: Carl Edwards
2011: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2010: Mark Martin
2009: Martin Truex Jr.
2008: Jimmie Johnson
2007: David Gilliland
2006: Jeff Burton
2005: Dale Jarrett
2004: Greg Biffle
2003: Jeff Green
2002: Jimmie Johnson
2001: Bill Elliott
2000: Dale Jarrett
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Daytona 500 qualifying format: How duel races set lineup for NASCAR's top race