NASCAR: Potential Daytona 500 entry ruled out for 2024?

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway is now less than a week and a half away, and qualifying is set to take place in under a week. Exactly one week from today, the starting lineup for the "Great American Race" is set to be solidified by the Bluegreen Vacations Duels.

There are currently 41 cars on the entry list. With the 36 charter cars locked into the 40-car field, that means there are currently five drivers set to battle for the final four spots in the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval.

As of now, the five non-charter entries include Front Row Motorsports' No. 36 Ford for Kaz Gala, RFK Racing's No. 60 Ford for David Ragan, Beard Motorsports' No. 62 Chevrolet for Anthony Alfredo, Live Fast Motorsports' No. 78 Chevrolet for B.J. McLeod, and Legacy Motor Club's No. 84 Toyota for Jimmie Johnson..

One more Daytona 500 entry?

But according to Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, there will be either five or six non-charter entries going for the final four spots.

As outlined above, five of them have already been confirmed, and the sixth could be a NY Racing Team entry -- not a The Money Team Racing entry.

The Money Team Racing, which beat the odds to qualify for the Daytona 500 in 2022 with Grala and again in 2023 with Conor Daly, plan to begin their 2024 season in the season's third race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 3. Across 2022 and 2023, they have made a total of four non-Daytona 500 starts.

Two of the five (or six) non-charter cars are set to secure their Daytona 500 starting spots in the single-car qualifying session, and two more are set to secure theirs in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels (one each). The Duels will also ultimately determine which driver (or drivers) fail to qualify.

Daytona 500 qualifying is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 8:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 14. The Bluegreen Vacations Duels are set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 15.

The Daytona 500 itself is set to be shown live on Fox beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 18. Begin a free trial of FuboTV if you have not already done so and don't miss any of next week's action from the "World Center of Racing"!