The American Nascar series begins its 2021 season with the classic, the “Daytona 500”.
Setting the starting grid for the “Daytona 500” is unlike any other Cup Series race.
The process begins with qualifying one car at a time on the track Wednesday night and continues in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway.
Each team on the “500 Miles” entry list will have the opportunity to take a timed lap during qualifying.
The two fastest cars in qualifying on the 2.5-mile track will form the front row of Sunday’s race.
The remainder of the 500 Miles starting lineup is determined by the Thursday night matchup.
Chevrolet has won the last eight Pole Positions of the Daytona 500, dating back to Danica Patrick in 2013.
The most recent pole winner was Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
One unique aspect of this year’s qualifying is that it will take place at night.
The single-car qualifying on Wednesday will establish the front row for the Daytona 500. The Duels will determine the majority of the rest of the lineup.
For the start of the Daytona 500, Duel 1 finalists will line up on the inside row in the order of their Duel finish.
Meanwhile, Duel 2 finalists will line up in the outer row in the order of their Duel ending.
There are two separate Duel races on Thursday night, each lasting 60 laps or 150 miles.
The lineup for the Duels is set in Wednesday’s single-car qualifying.
Those who finish with odd numbers in the single car rating will line up in Duel 1, while those who finish with even numbers will line up in Duel 2.
There are 36 teams that are guaranteed their spot to compete in the Daytona 500.
Open teams will fill the remaining four spots to complete 40.
At least 44 cars are expected to be on the entry list, so there could be at least eight teams competing for the last four spots.
The fastest open team in each matchup race will win entry to the Daytona 500.
The two open teams with the fastest single-car qualifying times that did not qualify through the Duels will occupy the bottom two spots in the 40-car field.
The top 10 finishers in each of the Duels will earn points. The first-place driver in each race will earn 10 points, the second-place driver nine points, and so on until the tenth-place driver will earn one point.
On Sunday the “Daytona 500” will be run at 5.30 pm (Argentine time) and it will be the starting point for a new season of the most popular category in the US.
