The Daytona 500 isn’t just another race. It’s the biggest race of the season. So qualifying for starting spots for the Daytona 500 isn’t like any other race, either.
Budweiser Duel at Daytona 2014: Format and starting grid
The Daytona 500 field will be filled after the two Budweiser Duel races on Thursday night.
Jerry Markland
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Sunday, drivers took their traditional qualifying runs, but there was one key difference. At the end of the day, only the top two positions for the Daytona 500 starting grid were set: Austin Dillon on the inside pole and Martin Truex Jr. on the outside, qualifying with speeds of 196.018 mph and 195.852 mph. The other 47 drivers have to earn their positions through their finishes Thursday at the Budweiser Duels (7 p.m., televised on Fox Sports 1), a pair of 60 lap/150 mile races under the lights at Daytona International Speedway.
The field of 49 hopefuls will be split in two, and drivers whose speeds Sunday were good for odd-number finishes will start in the first of the duels, led by Dillon. Drivers with even-number qualifying speeds, led by Truex, will be placed in the second duel, set to begin shortly after the first. (Estimates put this about 8:30 p.m.). The top 15 finishers from each race will fill the next 30 spots in the 43-car field, with other spots going to drivers based on qualifying speeds, owner points and an exception for a former Sprint Cup champion.
Daytona 500: Practice crash sees driver flip on roof
A number of drivers have at least qualified for the 500, though their positions will depend on how they finish on Thursday. Those include Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowler, Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart. Kurt Busch may qualify based on being a past Sprint Cup champion.
Everyone else, including former Daytona champions Trevor Bayne and Jamie McMurray, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne and 2013 Daytona 500 pole-sitter Danica Patrick will also have to race their way in.
Six drivers, including Logano, were forced to the back of their respective races after a crash that sent Parker Kligerman’s car onto its roof during practice Wednesday. Cole Whitt’s team is trying to repair his car rather than go to a backup. He’s currently set to begin on the eighth row of the first race. Another trio of drivers, most including Stewart and Patrick, have to start at the rear of their races after making unapproved engine changes.
Duel 1 (7:22 p.m. ET approx.)
| Row | Inside | Outside |
| 1 | Austin Dillon | Greg Biffle |
| 2 | Ryan Newman | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
| 3 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Marcos Ambros |
| 4 | Aric Almirola | Matt Kenseth |
| 5 | Kasey Kahne | Kyle Busch |
| 6 | Kevin Harvick | AJ Allmendinger |
| 7 | Reed Sorenson | David Gilliland |
| 8 | Cole Whitt | Michael McDowell |
| 9 | Josh Wise | Joe Nemechek |
| 10 | Alex Bowman | Joey Logano |
| 11 | Danica Patrick | Parker Kligerman |
| 12 | Tony Stewart | Brian Vickers |
| 13 | Dave Blaney | -- |
* Bold drivers are locked in to the Daytona 500 field by speed or owner points
Duel 2 (9 p.m. ET approx)
| Row | Inside | Outside |
| 1 | Martin Truex Jr. | Carl Edwards |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | Jeff Gordon |
| 3 | Brian Scott | Jimmie Johnson |
| 4 | Casey Mears | Michael Annett |
| 5 | Clint Bowyer | Denny Hamlin |
| 6 | Kyle Larson | Trevor Bayne |
| 7 | Kurt Busch | Justin Allgaier |
| 8 | Landon Cassill | Michael Waltrip |
| 9 | Eric McClure | Jamie McMurray |
| 10 | David Ragan | Terry Labonte |
| 11 | Morgan Shepherd | Paul Menard |
| 12 | Bobby Labonte | Ryan Truex |
* Bold drivers are locked in to the Daytona 500 field by speed or owner points
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