NASCAR: Three teams could miss the 2024 Daytona 500

The entry list for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway was released on Monday afternoon, and it consists of 42 drivers.

With only 40 cars able to compete in the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval, two drivers will ultimately fail to qualify. The 36 charter cars are all locked into the race, meaning that there are six drivers vying for the final four spots.

Kaz Grala is set to drive the No. 36 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, David Ragan is set to drive the No. 60 Ford for RFK Racing, Anthony Alfredo is set to drive the No. 62 Chevrolet for Beard Motorsports, B.J. McLeod is set to drive the No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports, and Jimmie Johnson is set to drive the No. 84 Toyota for Legacy Motor Club.

NY Racing Team's No. 44 Chevrolet, the 42nd and final car to be added to the entry list, did not yet have a confirmed driver heading into Wednesday, but it has since been announced that J.J. Yeley is set to drive the car.

Three NASCAR teams could miss Daytona 500

Three of the six teams fielding non-charter entries in this race are also fielding two charter cars that are locked in. Front Row Motorsports also have the No. 34 Ford for Michael McDowell and the No. 38 Ford for Todd Gilliland, RFK Racing also have the No. 6 Ford for Brad Keselowski and the No. 17 Ford for Chris Buescher, and Legacy Motor Club also have the No. 42 Toyota for John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 43 Toyota for Erik Jones.

But three of the teams -- Beard Motorsports, Live Fast Motorsports, and NY Racing Team -- don't have anybody locked in, meaning that they run the risk of missing the race entirely.

All face relatively uphill battles to get into the race. Beard Motorsports failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 last year, Live Fast Motorsports are making their first ever Cup Series race attempt without a charter after three years of being relatively slow with one, and NY Racing Team haven't competed in the series since 2022.

The fastest two non-charter entries in Wednesday's single-car qualifying session (Fox Sports 1, 8:15 p.m. ET) are set to lock into the field. The highest finishing non-charter entry in each of Thursday's two Bluegreen Vacations Duels (Fox Sports 1, 7:00 p.m. ET) are also set to lock into the field.

Should somebody effectively lock in twice, the remaining open spot(s) would go to the next fastest driver(s) from the single-car qualifying session.

Fox is set to provide live coverage of the 66th annual Daytona 500 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 18. Begin a free trial of FuboTV today and don's miss any of the action from Daytona International Speedway throughout the week!