NASCAR: James Davison’s Cup debut at Talladega rejected

NASCAR has decided not to allow James Davison to make his Cup Series debut at Talladega Superspeedway this Sunday with no practice or qualifying ahead of time.

James Davison had been slated to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Talladega Superspeedway this Sunday, June 21 in the GEICO 500 behind the wheel of the #77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports. He was even on the official entry list for the event.

However, NASCAR has decided not to allow it.

With no practice sessions and no qualifying session before the 188-lap race around the four-turn, 2.66-mile (4.281-kilometer) high-banked oval in Lincoln, Alabama, one of the least forgiving tracks on the schedule, coupled with the changes to the technical rules for the race, Davison will not be permitted to compete in Sunday’s race.

More from NASCAR Cup Series

• NASCAR Cup Series: New team set to compete in 2024
• NASCAR: Surprising name continuously linked to new seat
• NASCAR driver at risk of missing the Daytona 500?
• NASCAR set for rare appearance last seen 13 years ago
• NASCAR team adds third car, names driver for 2024 Daytona 500

Instead, Davison is set to make his Cup Series debut behind the wheel of the #77 Chevrolet next Saturday, June 27 at Pocono Raceway.

“I have been contacted by NASCAR and informed that although I was previously approved to race, they had to reconsider their position on superspeedways, given there won’t be practice or qualifying prior to Sunday’s race at Talladega,” Davison said in a statement released by Spire Motorsports. “I was pumped about the opportunity to take the green flag, but I fully understand and appreciate NASCAR’s position. I’m approved to race next weekend at Pocono and equally thrilled to make my series debut there.”

For this Sunday’s race, B.J. McLeod is instead set to drive the #77 Chevrolet. McLeod had been slated to drive the #78 Chevrolet for his own team, B.J. McLeod Motorsports, so now Garrett Smithley is set to drive this car. Smithley had not been slated to compete at all. With these driver changes, there are still 40 drivers set to compete, making up a full field.

The #77 team is one of the charter teams, and they sit in 33rd place in the owner standings among the 36 charter teams, so they will draw for a starting position between 25th and 36th place, based on NASCAR’s random draw qualifying format.

The randomly drawn starting lineup for the race is set to be revealed on NASCAR Race Hub on Fox Sports 1 at 6:00 p.m. ET this evening. The race is set to be broadcast live from Talladega Superspeedway on Fox beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday.