The Daytona 500 is the crown jewel of the stock car racing season. It's also the first event of the racing calendar, setting the stage for so much of what the upcoming year could be.
But before the big show kicks off on Sunday, the field has to be assembled. And unlike many of the races across the Cup Series slate, the "Great American Race" has a qualification process of its own.
That process turns a one-day event into a multi-day spectacle, the perfect precursor to the drama and theatrics of the real thing.
MORE: Watch NASCAR races live with fuboTV (free trial)
It's wild. It's wacky. It's Daytona. Here's how qualifying works at one of NASCAR's biggest events, the Daytona 500.
Daytona 500 qualifying, explained
The Daytona 500 features a unique qualifying format specific to the "Great American Race." The competition starts with single-car qualifying on Wednesday, which pits racers in a race against time beginning at 8:15 p.m. ET.
The two drivers with the fastest lap times will be locked into the front row for Sunday's race, while everyone else will move on to the duels.
What are Daytona Duels?
The remaining entrants will take part in Daytona Duels on Thursday evening, a grueling 60-lap (150 mile) showdown in which racers who placed in odd positions (third, fifth, seventh, etc.) the night before compete in Duel 1 and those who placed in even positions (fourth, sixth, eighth, etc.) feature in Duel 2.
Chartered teams are guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500, meaning 36 drivers are simply competing to figure out where they will start Sunday's race. However, the race features a 40-car field, meaning four non-chartered teams can crack the Big Dance with a strong showing in qualifying.
Those spots will be doled out as follows: the two fastest non-chartered drivers from Wednesday's qualifying round will move onto Sunday. The other non-chartered cars will move onto Duels, with the two fastest open cars from Thursday's event receiving the golden ticket.
Motorsport luminaries like Jimmie Johnson and Travis Pastrana are among the non-chartered drivers taking part in qualification, so the stakes — and pressure — will be sky-high for those hoping to earn a spot on the storied asphalt Sunday.
MORE: Full NASCAR Cup Series race schedule, dates, times and TV for 2023
Daytona Duels 2023 start times
- Pole qualifying: Wednesday, 8:15 p.m. ET
- Duel 1: Thursday, 7 p.m. ET
- Duel 2: Thursday, 8:45 p.m. ET (approx.)
Duel 1 will consist of odd-number finishers (third, fifth, seventh, etc.) from time trials. Conversely, Duel 2 will feature the trial's even-numbered participants (fourth, sixth, eighth, etc.)
Daytona Duels 2023 TV channel
- TV networks: FS1 (U.S.), TSN (Canada)
- Live stream: FoxSports.com, Fox Sports App, fuboTV
FS1 will handle the coverage for Wednesday's qualifying and Thursday's races. Mike Joy (lap-by-lap), Clint Bowyer and Larry McReynolds (race analysts) will be on the call as the Cup Series season approaches its inaugural race of the regular season.
