The Daytona 500 has a qualifying system unlike any other in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The complete field was set with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch winning the Daytona Can-Am Duels last night (2/18).
The front row for the Daytona 500 was set through qualifying runs last Sunday (2/14). Chase Elliot earned the pole position by running the fastest time in qualifying. Matt Kenseth grabbed the second spot in the front row through his runner-up qualifying time.
This is where the Daytona 500’s qualifying is completely different from any other race. The rest of the field for the race Sunday was set last night through the two Can-Am Duels. Duel number one sets the inside row (3, 5, 7, etc.) while the outside row was set in duel two (4, 6, 8, etc.).
Dale Jr. won duel number one for the second year in a row to take the inside spot on row two for the start of the Daytona 500.
Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Kyle Busch won duel number two to earn the outside spot in row two for the start of the race at Daytona International Speedway.
The second duel held bad news for some drivers including Matt Kenseth. Matt was caught in an accident that will force him to go to his back-up car for Sunday. That means he will have to give up his front row spot and move to the back of the field for the start of the Daytona 500.
Here is the complete official line-up for the 58th running of the Daytona 500.
| Pos. | Car | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 24 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2. | 20 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 3. | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 4. | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 5. | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske |
| 6. | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 7. | 21 | Ryan Blaney | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 8. | 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 9. | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 10. | 19 | Carl Edwards | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 11. | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 12. | 95 | Ty Dillon | Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing |
| 13. | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 14. | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 15. | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 16. | 10 | Danica Patrick | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 17. | 34 | Chris Buescher | Front Row Motorsports |
| 18. | 14 | Brian Vickers | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 19. | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 20. | 93 | Matt DiBenedetto | BK Racing |
| 21. | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing |
| 22. | 46 | Michael Annett | HScott Motorsports |
| 23. | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 24. | 38 | Landon Cassill | Front Row Motorsports |
| 25. | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske |
| 26. | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 27. | 7 | Regan Smith | Tommy Baldwin Racing |
| 28. | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing |
| 29. | 23 | David Ragan | BK Racing |
| 30. | 47 | AJ Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 31. | 15 | Clint Bowyer | HScott Motorsports |
| 32. | 13 | Casey Mears | Germain Racing |
| 33. | 32 | Bobby Labonte | Go Green Racing |
| 34. | 43 | Aric Almirola | Richard Petty Motorsports |
| 35. | 44 | Brian Scott | Richard Petty Motorsports |
| 36. | 83 | Michael Waltrip | BK Racing |
| 37. | 27 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing |
| 38. | 31 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing |
| 39. | 59 | Michael McDowell | Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing |
| 40. | 26 | Robert Richardson Jr. | BK Racing |
By: Buck Stevens
