NASCAR team facing key deadline ahead of 2024 Daytona 500

It is officially race week for the 66th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, the first oif 36 points races on the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

The entry list for this 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval is not yet set in stone, but one thing is for sure: somebody on it will be going home without competing in the race.

Just 40 cars can compete in the "Great American Race", and the entry list consists of 41. With the 36 charter cars all locked in, there are effectively five drivers going for four open spots.

And there could still be six.

Front Row Motorsports' No. 36 Ford for Kaz Grala, 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 are the five non-charter cars on the entry list.

While a third consecutive Daytona 500 effort has been ruled out for The Money Team Racing, there is still a chance that NY Racing Team will return to the race for the first time since 2022.

In this case, there would be six drivers going for four spots, leaving two on the outside looking in after Wednesday night's single-car qualifying session (Fox Sports 1, 8:15 p.m. ET) and Thursday night's Bluegreen Vacations Duels (Fox Sports 1, 7:00 p.m. ET) conclude.

But NY Racing Team are running out of time, if they do indeed want to attempt to qualify for the race.

The garage is set to open up on Wednesday, the same day single-car qualifying is set to be held. Any teams looking to add cars to the entry list must do so by then.

Late additions to the Daytona 500 entry list are not uncommon, especially among one-off and part-time teams, but any team adding an entry this late in the game just to make a qualifying attempt will surely be facing an uphill battle to actually qualify for the race.

Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don't miss any of the action from Daytona International Speedway throughout the week! The Daytona 500 itself is set to be broadcast live on Fox beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 18.