NASCAR driver is going to miss the 2023 Daytona 500

With over 40 cars on the entry list for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500, someone will miss the race.

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to begin with the 65th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 19, with single-car qualifying scheduled for Wednesday, February 15 and Bluegreen Vacations Duels qualifying races scheduled to take place on Thursday February 16.

A total of 40 cars will qualify for the 200-lap race on the Daytona Beach, Fla., four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023 kilometer) oval, including the 36 charter cars and four of the non-charter cars.

With more than 40 cars on the entry list for this year’s Great American Race – more specifically, more than four unchartered entries on the entry list – that means someone will be trying to qualify for the race. but will ultimately fail to do so.

So far, there are five confirmed non-charter NASCAR Cup Series entries for the Daytona 500.

These five cars are Ford No. TBD Front Row Motorsports, Chevrolet No. 13 Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet No. 62 Beard Motorsports, Toyota No. 67 23XI Racing and Chevrolet No. 84 Legacy Motor Club.

Ford Front Row Motorsports is expected to be driven by Zane Smith, #13 Chevrolet is expected to be driven by Chandler Smith, #62 Chevrolet is expected to be driven by Austin Hill, #67 Toyota is expected to be driven by will be driven by Travis Pastrana , and Chevrolet No. 84 is expected to be driven by Jimmie Johnson.

At least one of these pilots will ultimately not have the chance to participate in the season opener. This number could increase further, as more cars may still be added to the entry list before it becomes official.

Two of the four drivers who lock themselves in will do so by finishing the single-seater qualifying session in the top two of the speed table (among non-chartered entries).

The other two will lock themselves in by finishing in the best position among the drivers of the non-chartered entries in their respective Duel qualifying races (one driver from the first race and another from the second).

In the event that a driver technically locks out twice, his second place goes to the next fastest driver in the single-seater qualifying session (again, among non-chartered entries), not necessarily the second-best finisher in his race Duel.