How To Make The Daytona 500 Field
Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is
unlike any other qualifying procedure in
auto racing. Drivers have two chances to
qualify for the season-opening race, as
opposed to the one qualifying session
format used at other races.
The first chance: Daytona 500
Qualifying, which will be held Saturday,
Feb. 6.
The second chance: The Gatorade
Duel at Daytona, two 150-mile qualifying
races held on Thursday, Feb. 11.
Below is a breakdown of the
Daytona 500 qualifying procedure:
Daytona 500 Qualifying Day
• Each team may run two laps
with the fast lap counting as a
qualifying time. The two fastest
qualifiers are “locked into” the front
row for the Daytona 500. Those are the
race’s only guaranteed positions coming
out of qualifying day.
• The Gatorade Duel at
Daytona, two 150-mile qualifying races,
determine starting positions for the
Daytona 500 beyond the front row. In the
event of cancellation, the field will be
set according to the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series Rule Book.
Gatorade Duel
• The highest-ranked 35
teams in final 2009 car owner points
will be assigned to Gatorade Duel races
based on those points. Teams with
odd-numbered owner points positions will
compete in the first Gatorade Duel race;
even-numbered owners will compete in the
second.
• The only exception is that
the fastest qualifier from Daytona 500
qualifying will start on the pole in the
first Gatorade Duel race and the second
fastest qualifier will start on the pole
in the second, regardless of 2009 car
owner points.
• Teams who failed to finish
in the top 35 of the 2009 owner points
will be assigned to a Gatorade Duel race
based on qualifying times. The fastest
qualifying team goes to the first Duel;
the second-fastest next to the second,
etc., alternating through the remaining
entries.
• Starting positions for the
Gatorade Duel races are based on
qualifying times.
Daytona 500 Lineup
• The two fastest qualifiers
are locked into the front row.
• Finishing positions in the
Gatorade Duel races will determine the
other starting positions in the Daytona
500.
• The top two “non-top 35”
teams in each Duel race will earn a spot
in the Daytona 500.
• Based on their finish in
the first Duel race, the highest-ranked
35 in 2009 car owner points plus the two
highest finishing non-top 35 teams will
be lined up on the inside row
(odd-number starting positions).
• Based on their finish in
the second Duel race, the eligible
highest ranked 35 plus the two highest
finishing non-top 35 teams will be lined
up on the outside row (even-number
starting positions).
• The remaining positions
will be filled based on qualifying.
-If one or both teams on the front
row are not top-35 teams, the number of
teams that get in based on time are
reduced accordingly.
• The 43rd starting position
will be assigned to any owner who has
the most recent eligible past NASCAR
Sprint Cup champion who did not make the
race by any other method providing the
driver competed in the 2009 NASCAR
Sprint Cup season. If the 43rd position
remains unused it will be assigned to
the next highest qualifying time.
The bottom line, regarding who
gets locked in the Daytona 500 field:
– The top two qualifiers from
Sunday.
– The remaining top 35
guaranteed starters.
– Four drivers from the
Gatorade Duel at Daytona (two non-top
35s from each race)
– Remaining drivers not in
through the above methods can fall back
on Sunday’s qualifying times or being a
past champion.