NASCAR: Much anticipated Daytona 500 entry added
By Asher Fair
One more car has officially been added to the entry list for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500, bringing the total to 42.
The Money Team Racing have confirmed that they plan to enter a car for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, bringing the entry total to 42.
After several years of rumors, the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-owned team made their Cup Series debut in last year’s Daytona 500, when Kaz Grala qualified the No. 50 Chevrolet with a last-lap pass in his Bluegreen Vacations Duel race. He finished the Great American Race in 26th place.
The team made three more appearances throughout the season, with Grala behind the wheel at Circuit of the Americas and Charlotte Motor Speedway and IndyCar driver Conor Daly behind the wheel at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
The team’s goal is to run six races throughout the 36-race 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, beginning with the Daytona 500.
No driver has been confirmed by the team for this year’s Daytona 500, but the plan is for Daly to return for select starts this year. With four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves already ruled out, the team are reportedly looking to sign Daly for the season opener.
The Money Team says they will definitely be at Daytona as an open car. Driver TBA. That would be at least six open cars: Johnson CSmith ZSmith AHill Pastrana and then The Money Team car. TBD as far as if NY Racing and Team Hezeberg also field open cars.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 2, 2023
Because the field is capped at 40 cars for the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Daytona Beach, Florida oval, not everybody who attempts to qualify will do so.
The 36 chartered entries are locked in, but the six non-chartered entries are not. Only four of them will qualify, either with their speed in the single-car qualifying session (Wednesday, February 15 at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1) or their result in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels (Thursday, February 16 at 7:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1).
There could still be more non-chartered entries added as well, which would increase the number of cars that ultimately fail to qualify. As a non-chartered entry, the No. 50 Chevrolet is one of the cars not locked into the race.
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The 65th annual running of the Daytona 500 is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 19, with Fox set to provide live coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.