NASCAR: Travis Pastrana could miss the Daytona 500

23XI Racing have entered a third car for Travis Pastrana for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500, but he isn’t locked into the race.

The Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing NASCAR Cup Series team have given RallyCross and motocross legend Travis Pastrana an opportunity to fulfill his dream of competing in the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

For the first time since joining the Cup Series in 2021, 23XI Racing have added a third entry to their lineup for the 65th annual running of the Great American Race.

However, this entry, the No. 67 Toyota, is not locked into the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval.

The 36 chartered entries, including 23XI Racing’s two full-time NASCAR Cup Series cars, are locked into the Daytona 500.

But there are six non-chartered cars on the entry list for the race, which is capped at 40 cars, meaning that multiple drivers will be going home from the Bluegreen Vacations Duels disappointed.

Pastrana is at risk of being one of those drivers.

In addition to his No. 67 Toyota, the non-chartered cars on the entry list for the race include Chandler Smith’s No. 13 Kaulig Chevrolet, Zane Smith’s No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford, Conor Daly’s No. 50 The Money Team Racing Chevrolet, Austin Hill’s No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet, and Jimmie Johnson’s No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet.

The single-car qualifying session, which is scheduled for Wednesday, February 15, is set to lock two non-chartered entries into the field, based on qualifying speed. It is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 8:15 p.m. ET.

The Bluegreen Vacations Duels, which are scheduled for Thursday, February 16, are set to lock two more non-chartered entries into the field. The highest finisher, among the non-chartered entries, in each Duel race is set to lock in. The races are set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.

In the event that a driver technically locks in twice, the spot he earned in the single-car qualifying session will go to whichever driver of a non-chartered entry was next fastest in that session, among those 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. Begin a free trial of FuboTV if you haven’t already done so!