Forty cars are poised to ignite the adrenaline of the most fervent motorsports enthusiasts as they take the green flag for the highly anticipated Daytona 500 on Monday afternoon.
This premier event, eagerly awaited by fans across the United States, was postponed from Sunday due to rain, marking the annual debut of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
The starting lineup for the 2024 Daytona 500 is as follows:
* – starts from the rear of the field
The qualifying sessions leading up to the Daytona 500 showcased exhilarating performances and notable achievements. Joey Logano secured Team Penske’s inaugural pole position in the 500, clocking a blistering lap time of 49.465 seconds at an impressive speed of 181.947 miles per hour.
This remarkable feat put an end to Chevrolet’s 11-year domination in time trials at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, marking Ford’s 13th Daytona 500 pole position.
However, for some drivers, the road to securing a spot in the prestigious event proved to be a challenging endeavor. During Thursday night’s Duel races, B.J. McLeod and J.J. Yeley narrowly missed qualifying for the 500, while the Toyotas driven by Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell emerged victorious in their respective races.
The starting positions for the Daytona 500 are determined by the finishing positions in the Duel races. Notably, seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and 25-year-old Kaz Grala showcased remarkable resilience as they battled their way into the event through the demanding draft of Daytona Speedway.
Several drivers faced setbacks during qualifying, necessitating the use of backup cars and relegating them to the rear of the field for the start of the race. Among them are defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Kyle Busch, Noah Gragson, and Daniel Hemric, who have had to contend with repairs to their primary cars.
Kaz Grala faced additional challenges as he prepares to start from the rear following an engine change prompted by a mis-shift during his qualifying lap, a testament to the unforgiving nature of high-stakes racing.
In the midst of the fervor surrounding the event, Chris Buescher, after qualifying, hurried back to North Carolina to be with his wife, Emma, for the birth of their second child. He is set to return to the track and take up his starting position on Monday.
As anticipation mounts for the rescheduled Daytona 500, attention turns to the weather forecast. Following the disappointment of rain postponing both the Daytona 500 and the Xfinity Series 300-miler, Monday’s forecast offers a more optimistic outlook.
The Xfinity race is slated to commence at 11 am, with rain chances diminishing to 16%. However, some track drying may be necessary as rain is expected until sunrise, although sunny intervals are forecasted from 9 am onward, despite cooler temperatures reaching highs of 59°F.
For the 4 pm start time of the Daytona 500, the likelihood of rain drops significantly to just 4%, accompanied by a moderate northerly breeze of 14 mph, which could influence the strategic drafting maneuvers characteristic of Daytona Speedway.