NASCAR: Two teams could miss the 2023 Daytona 500

Two NASCAR Cup Series teams fielding non-chartered entries in the Daytona 500 do not have any full-time cars, meaning they could miss the race entirely.

The entry list for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 is set, and it features 42 cars. The field is capped at 40 cars, meaning that two will ultimately be left on the outside looking in after the single-car qualifying session and the Bluegreen Vacations Duels.

The 36 chartered cars are all guaranteed spots in this 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona International Speedway oval, just as they are guaranteed spots in every race on the 36-race 2023 schedule.

That leaves six non-chartered entries to battle for the final four spots. These six cars are all set to be entered by different teams.

Four of those NASCAR Cup Series teams are already locked into the Daytona 500 thanks to their two chartered entries.

Those four teams are Kaulig Racing, which are set to field the No. 13 Chevrolet for Chandler Smith, Front Row Motorsports, which are set to field the No. 36 Ford for Zane Smith, 23XI Racing, which are set to field the No. 67 Toyota for Travis Pastrana, and Legacy Motor Club, which are set to field the No. 84 Chevrolet for Jimmie Johnson.

Kaulig Racing’s full-time entries are the No. 16 Chevrolet for A.J. Allmendinger and the No. 31 Chevrolet for Justin Haley. Front Row Motorsports’ full-time entries are the No. 34 Ford for Michael McDowell and the No. 38 Ford for Todd Gilliland (in most races).

23XI Racing’s full-time entries are the No. 23 Toyota for Bubba Wallace and the No. 45 Toyota for Tyler Reddick. Legacy Motor Club’s full-time entries are the No. 42 Chevrolet for Noah Gragson and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones.

As for the other two teams fielding non-chartered entries, Beard Motorsports and The Money Team Racing, they don’t have any chartered entries and could therefore miss the race entirely.

In fact, both could end up missing out if the four aforementioned non-chartered entries end up being the ones filling the field.

But both could get in as well, and both have rather favorable histories at the Daytona Beach, Florida track.

Beard Motorsports are five for six in their Daytona 500 attempts, only failing to qualify in 2021 with Gragson behind the wheel of the No. 62 Chevrolet. The Money Team Racing are one for one, qualifying last year via a clutch last lap pass in the second Duel race by Kaz Grala behind the wheel of the No. 50 Chevrolet.

The single-car qualifying session is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 15, and it is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 8:15 p.m. ET. The Bluegreen Vacations Duels are scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 16, and they are set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The fastest two non-chartered cars in the single-car qualifying session lock into the field, and the two non-chartered cars that finish highest in their respective Bluegreen Vacations Duel race also lock in.

A driver can technically lock in twice, in which case the spot he earned in the single-car qualifying session would go to the next fastest driver in that session, among the non-chartered entries not already locked in.

Tune in to Fox at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 19 for the live broadcast of the Daytona 500. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don’t miss any of the upcoming action from Daytona International Speedway!