NASCAR: 2021 Daytona 500 – Live qualifying updates
By Asher Fair
Follow along with our live qualifying updates for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 from Daytona International Speedway.
Just over three months after Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott secured his first career NASCAR Cup Series championship with his victory in the Championship 4 season finale at Phoenix Raceway, live action is set to return this weekend with the 2021 season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
But first, we have to do something that we haven’t done since May of last year: qualify.
That’s right. For the first time since last year’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Cup Series is scheduled to set a starting lineup by actually qualifying on-track.
The post-coronavirus pandemic-hiatus saw NASCAR shift primarily to random draws and then to a new starting lineup formula to set the order for each race.
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For the most part, 2021 should look similar, as there are only seven other races on this year’s schedule for which there is actually scheduled to be a live qualifying session.
Despite no longer being one week before the race itself like it had been, Daytona 500 qualifying is set to be done like usual, first with single-car qualifying today to set the front row and the starting lineups for the Bluegreen Vacations Duels and then with the Bluegreen Vacations Duels tomorrow to set the entire starting lineup for Sunday’s main event.
So who will take the pole position for the 63rd annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway? Follow along with our live qualifying updates to find out.
Qualified
Rank – Driver – Car, Team, Manufacturer – Speed
1st – Alex Bowman – #48, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 191.261
2nd – William Byron – #24, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 190.219
3rd – Aric Almirola – #10, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 190.178
4th – Bubba Wallace – #23, 23XI Racing, Toyota – 189.577
5th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – #47, JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet – 189.565
6th – Kevin Harvick – #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 189.518
7th – Christopher Bell – #20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 189.183
8th – Ryan Preece – #37, JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet – 189.135
9th – Austin Dillon – #3, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet – 188.953
10th – Daniel Suarez – #99, Trackhouse Racing Team, Chevrolet – 188.933
11th – Chase Elliott – #9, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 188.699
11th – Denny Hamlin – #11, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 188.699
13th – David Ragan – #36, Front Row Motorsports, Ford – 188.561
14th – Kurt Busch – #1, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet – 188.513
15th – Kyle Larson – #5, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet – 188.474
16th – Kyle Busch – #18, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 188.363
17th – Matt DiBenedetto – #21, Wood Brothers Racing, Ford – 187.966
18th – Ryan Blaney – #12, Team Penske, Ford – 187.911
19th – Austin Cindric – #33, Team Penske, Ford – 187.891
20th – Kaz Grala – #16, Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet – 187.793
21st – Joey Logano – #22, Team Penske, Ford – 187.723
22nd – Chase Briscoe – #14, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 187.672
23rd – Ryan Newman – #6, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford – 187.656
24th – Ross Chastain – #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet – 187.609
25th – Cole Custer – #41, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford – 187.266
26th – Brad Keselowski – #2, Team Penske, Ford – 187.219
27th – Michael McDowell – #34, Front Row Motorsports, Ford – 187.017
28th – Martin Truex Jr. – #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota – 186.858
29th – Erik Jones – #43, Richard Petty Motorsports, Chevrolet – 186.765
30th – Chris Buescher – #17, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford – 186.455
31st – Tyler Reddick – #8, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet – 186.154
32nd – Anthony Alfredo – #38, Front Row Motorsports, Ford – 185.866
33rd – Ty Dillon – #96, Gaunt Brothers Racing, Toyota – 185.774
34th – Jamie McMurray – #77, Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet – 184.631
35th – Corey LaJoie – #7, Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet – 184.551
36th – Quin Houff – #00, StarCom Racing, Chevrolet – 181.558
37th – Garrett Smithley – #13, MBM Motorsports, Ford – 180.433
38th – B.J. McLeod – #78, Live Fast Motorsports, Chevrolet – 180.054
39th – Timmy Hill – #66, MBM Motorsports, Toyota – 179.942
40th – Cody Ware – #51, Petty Ware Racing, Chevrolet – 179.734
41st – Joey Gase – #53, Rick Ware Racing, Ford – 177.76
42nd – Josh Bilicki – #52, Rick Ware Racing, Ford – 176.727
43rd – Derrike Cope – #15, Rick Ware Racing, Chevrolet – 0
43rd – Noah Gragson – #62, Beard Motorsports, Chevrolet – 0
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The Bluegreen Vacations Duels are set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET tomorrow evening, and the Daytona 500 is set to be broadcast live on Fox beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 14.