NASCAR: 2020 Busch Clash starting lineup

The starting lineup for the 2020 Busch Clash was determined by a random drawing. A total of 18 NASCAR Cup Series drivers are set to compete in this race.

Before the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season officially gets underway next Sunday, February 16 with the 62nd annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, several drivers will get additional track time in the Busch Clash exhibition race at the track.

A total of 18 drivers are set to compete in this 75-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked superspeedway oval in Daytona Beach, Florida, as all met one of five criteria.

Here are the five criteria.

Won a Busch Pole award in 2019
Won a past Busch Clash and competed full-time in 2019
Won a past Daytona 500 and competed full-time in 2019
Won a past Daytona 500 pole and competed full-time in 2019
Qualified for the 2019 playoffs

In fact, 20 drivers met at least one of these criteria. Here is a list of them (in alphabetical order — not starting order) and how they qualified for it.

NOTE: Numbers in parenthesis correspond to the above list.

Aric Almirola, #10 Stewart Haas Racing Ford (1, 5)
Ryan Blaney, #12 Team Penske Ford (1, 5)
Alex Bowman, #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (4, 5)
Clint Bowyer, #14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (1, 5)
Kurt Busch, #1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (2, 3, 5)
Kyle Busch, #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (1, 2, 5)
William Byron, #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (1, 4, 5)
Austin Dillon,#3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (1, 3, 4)
Chase Elliott, #9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (1, 4, 5)
Denny Hamlin, #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (1, 2, 3, 5)
Kevin Harvick, #4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (1, 2, 3, 5)
Daniel Hemric, N/A (1)
Jimmie Johnson, #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (1, 2, 3, 4)
Erik Jones, #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (5)
Brad Keselowski, #2 Team Penske Ford (1, 2, 5)
Kyle Larson, #42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (1, 5)
Joey Logano, #22 Team Penske Ford (1, 2, 3, 5)
Ryan Newman, #6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford (3, 5)
Daniel Suarez, #96 Gaunt Brothers Racing, Toyota (1)
Martin Truex Jr., #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (4, 5)

The two drivers who will not compete in the race are Daniel Hemric and Daniel Suarez. Hemric no longer has a Cup Series ride after driving for Richard Childress Racing in his rookie season and is instead set to compete part-time for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series.

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Suarez, while he is set to compete for Gaunt Brothers Racing on a full-time basis for the first time this year, is not guaranteed to compete in each of the 36 races on the schedule, as his #96 Toyota does not have a charter.

As a result, his team opted to focus on qualifying for the Daytona 500 itself instead of competing in an exhibition race. After they failed to lock themselves into the race via this afternoon’s single-car qualifying session, they will need to do so in one of the two Bluegreen Vacations Duels this Thursday, so their shift in focus makes sense.

As for the 18 drivers who are slated to compete in the race, their starting positions were determined via a random draw yesterday.

It was Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman who secured the pole position behind the wheel of his #6 Ford. He is set to start alongside Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski in second place in his #2 Ford.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. is set to start as the highest among the Toyota drivers in third place in his #19 Toyota. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyle Larson is set to start as the highest among the Chevrolet drivers in fourth in his #42 Chevrolet.

Here is the full starting lineup for the 2019 Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway.

Rank – Driver – Car, Team, Manufacturer
1 – Ryan Newman – #6, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford
2 – Brad Keselowski – #2, Team Penske, Ford
3 – Martin Truex Jr. – #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
4 – Kyle Larson – #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet
5 – Aric Almirola – #10, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford
6 – Clint Bowyer – #14, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford
7 – William Byron – #24, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
8 – Alex Bowman – #88, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
9 – Kyle Busch – #18, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
10 – Kevin Harvick – #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford
11 – Chase Elliott – #9, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
12 – Erik Jones – #20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
13 – Joey Logano – #22, Team Penske, Ford
14 – Ryan Blaney – #12, Team Penske, Ford
15 – Austin Dillon – #3, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet
16 – Jimmie Johnson – #48, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
17 – Kurt Busch – #1, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet
18 – Denny Hamlin – #11, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota

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The 2020 Busch Clash is scheduled to get underway shortly, with live coverage set to air on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. While this race is an exhibition race, it will serve as the first race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Who will be the first driver to find victory lane in the new year?

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