NASCAR: One full-time driver won’t compete for points in 2021

B.J. McLeod is listed as ineligible for NASCAR Cup Series points in the 2021 season despite being a full-time driver for Live Fast Motorsports.

Among the three new NASCAR Cup Series teams for the 2021 season, Live Fast Motorsports have garnered the least amount of publicity — by far.

The other two new teams, 23XI Racing and Trackhouse Racing Team, are both co-owned by celebrities. The former is owned by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan while the latter is owned by former driver Justin Marks and musical artist Pitbull.

Live Fast Motorsports is owned by drivers B.J McLeod and Matt Tifft. They are set to run the #78 Ford and have a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing. McLeod is set to drive the #78 Ford throughout the full 36-race season.

However, McLeod will not score any points in the Cup Series this year.

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On the official sheet issued by NASCAR containing the qualifying order for the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, six of the 44 drivers were listed as ineligible for points.

McLeod was one of those six drivers, along with Gaunt Brothers Racing’s Ty Dillon, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric, Beard Motorsports’ Noah Gragson and MBM Motorsports teammates Timmy Hill and Garrett Smithley. However, none of those other drivers are slated to run the full Cup Series schedule.

Dillon declared for Xfinity Series points, and Gaunt Brothers Racing aren’t expected to run the full 2021 Cup Series schedule. Cindric and Gragson compete full-time in the Xfinity Series, and Team Penske’s fourth entry, which Cindric is driving, is not a full-time entry. Beard Motorsports are also not a full-time team.

Finally, MBM Motorsports aren’t lined up to run the entire season this year like they did last year, and both Hill and Smithley are set to compete for points in the Xfinity Series.

So among the full-time Cup Series drivers, of which there are 34 (33 for chartered entries, the other being JTG Daugherty Racing’s Ryan Preece), McLeod is the only one who enters the 2021 season not lined up to score points throughout the season as a result of his eligibility for Xfinity Series points.

The 2021 Cup Series season is scheduled to get underway this Sunday, February 14 with the 63rd annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Fox is set to broadcast this race live beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.

But first, single-car qualifying for this race is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET, prior to tomorrow evening’s Bluegreen Vacations Duels, which are also set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET, to set to the full 40-car starting lineup.