NASCAR: Multiple teams could miss the 2023 Daytona 500

Based on which NASCAR Cup Series teams are fielding non-chartered entries for the Daytona 500, we could see one or more organizations miss the race.

The start of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season is right around the corner, with the 65th annual Daytona 500 officially scheduled to open things up at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 19 (2:30 p.m. ET on Fox).

As is the case for all Cup Series events, the field is capped at 40 cars for this 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval.

So with 42 cars on the entry list (thus far), somebody will be going home from qualifying displeased, as not everybody who attempts to qualify for the race will successfully do so.

The 36 chartered entries are all locked into the race, but the six non-chartered entries are all set to battle for the remaining four spots.

Because some of the non-chartered Daytona 500 entries are being fielded by one-car teams, we could see multiple organizations miss the famed NASCAR Cup Series race.

Four of these non-chartered entries are set to be fielded by teams that already have two cars locked into the race via the charter system.

Chandler Smith is set to drive the No. 13 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing, which already have the No. 16 Chevrolet and the No. 31 Chevrolet locked into the race for A.J. Allmendinger and Justin Haley, respectively.

Zane Smith is set to drive the No. 36 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, which already have the No. 34 Ford and the No. 38 Ford locked into the race for Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland, respectively.

Travis Pastrana is set to drive the No. 67 Toyota for 23XI Racing, which already have the No. 23 Toyota and the No. 45 Toyota locked into the race for Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, respectively.

And Jimmie Johnson is set to drive the No. 84 Chevrolet for Legacy Motor Club, which already have the No. 42 Chevrolet and the No. 43 Chevrolet locked into the race for Noah Gragson and Erik Jones, respectively.

But two of them — and perhaps more, since there are multiple entries that could still be added to the field — are set to be run by single-car teams.

The Money Team Racing are set to field the No. 50 Chevrolet for Conor Daly, and Beard Motorsports are set to field the No. 62 Chevrolet for Austin Hill. Neither one of these two teams is locked into the race via a separate chartered entry.

In fact, both could end up missing the race altogether, should the four full-time two-car teams all successfully make it in with their third entries.

But both could, of course, get in as well.

Two non-chartered entries are set to qualify for the Daytona 500 via their speeds in the single-car qualifying session, which is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 8:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 15.

The other two are set to do so via their results in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels, which are set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 16.

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