Image by Kinrade/LAT
Anticipation builds with release of Daytona 500 entry list
The preliminary entry list for the season-opening 62nd Daytona 500 on February 16 was released late Wednesday, with 43 drivers entered. A full field in the NASCAR Cup Series is 40 drivers, which means three drivers will fail to make the main event.
Among those entered in this year's race is Justin Haley for Kaulig Racing, which will attempt to make its first Cup Series race. Haley is the most recent winner at Daytona, scoring the win last July in a rain-shortened race while driving for Spire Motorsports.
Reed Sorenson is entered in the No. 27 Chevrolet for Premium Motorsports. While no longer a full-time driver, David Ragan will compete in the No. 36 Ford for Rick Ware Racing with support from Ragan's previous team, Front Row Motorsports.
Chad Finchum will compete with Motorsports Business Management in the No. 49 Toyota.
Drivers who will have to earn a qualifying spot due to not having a charter are Haley, Sorenson, Finchum, JJ Yeley (Rick Ware Racing), Brendan Gaughan (Beard Motorsports), Timmy Hill (Motorsports Business Management), and Daniel Suarez (Gaunt Brothers Racing).
Two drivers will make their Cup Series debuts in the Daytona 500: Brennan Poole and Christopher Bell. Poole is competing full-time this year with Premium Motorsports while Bell moves into the series with Leavine Family Racing.
Qualifying for the Daytona 500 takes place Sunday, February 9, when the front row is locked in. All other starting spots will be determined in the two Bluegreen Vacation Duel races on Thursday, February 13.
Kelly Crandall
Kelly has been on the NASCAR beat full-time since 2013, and joined RACER as chief NASCAR writer in 2017. Her work has also appeared in NASCAR.com, the NASCAR Illustrated magazine, and NBC Sports. A corporate communications graduate from Central Penn College, Crandall is a two-time George Cunningham Writer of the Year recipient from the National Motorsports Press Association.
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