Statistically, Daytona International Speedway has been the toughest challenge for Kyle Larson in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. His average finishing place of 24.9 in 10 races at Daytona (not including exhibition or qualifying races) is the 26-year-old's worst of all the tracks the series visits, save for his 25th place finish at the Charlotte ROVAL last season.
Larson's quest to conquer the 2.5-mile superspeedway in the 2019 Daytona 500 became that much tougher Sunday morning, when his team had to make a last-minute transmission swap. Because of the change, Larson, who had been slated to start the 61st annual Daytona 500 in 26th, now will need to start from the back of the field.
MORE: Watch the 2019 Daytona 500 live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
In doing his prerace research with teams, @vincewelch noted to me that Kyle Larson team still had a transmission leak this morning. Team confirms it has changed transmission and will start at the rear today. #nascar @NASCARONFOX
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 17, 2019
Jamie McMurray and Casey Mears also will have to start Sunday's Daytona 500 from the back due to a gear change and a transmission change, respectively, according to NASCAR.com. McMurray had been slated to start 16th in what will be his final Cup Series race. Mears was slated to start in last place, anyway.
Larson, though, is considered a NASCAR Cup Series championship contender in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. His relative struggles though this year's speedweeks at Daytona suggest he again might start the season in a tough spot points-wise.
Larson will be glad that Sunday's Daytona 500 will be the last Cup Series race in which cars are equipped with restrictor plates. As part of NASCAR's new aero package for 2019, moving forward, Cup cars in superspeedway (Daytona and Talladega) races will feature only tapered spacers as mechanisms to keep speed under control. NASCAR has been using restrictor plates at the two tracks since 1987.
In 20 career plate races in the Cup Series, Larson has never recorded a top-five finish. At Daytona, he has finished only half of the 10 races he has started.
MORE: NASCAR rule changes for 2019
Daytona 500 starting lineup
* - starting from rear
| Starting | Driver | Car No. |
| 1. | William Byron | 24 |
| 2. | Alex Bowman | 88 |
| 3. | Kevin Harvick | 4 |
| 4. | Joey Logano | 22 |
| 5. | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 17 |
| 6. | Clint Bowyer | 14 |
| 7. | Paul Menard | 21 |
| 8. | Aric Almirola | 10 |
| 9. | Matt DiBenedetto | 95 |
| 10. | Denny Hamlin | 11 |
| 11. | Martin Turex Jr. | 19 |
| 12. | Kurt Busch | 1 |
| 13. | Bubba Wallace | 43 |
| 14. | Ryan Blaney | 12 |
| 15. | Chris Buescher | 37 |
| 16. | Jamie McMurray* | 40 |
| 17. | Jimmie Johnson | 48 |
| 18. | Chase Elliott | 9 |
| 19. | Ryan Newman | 6 |
| 20. | Austin Dillon | 3 |
| 21. | Ryan Preece | 47 |
| 22. | Ty Dillon | 13 |
| 23. | Daniel Suarez | 41 |
| 24. | David Ragan | 38 |
| 25. | Parker Kligerman | 96 |
| 26. | Kyle Larson* | 42 |
| 27. | Landon Cassill | 00 |
| 28. | Erik Jones | 20 |
| 29. | Daniel Hemric | 8 |
| 30. | Brendan Gaughan | 62 |
| 31. | Kyle Busch | 18 |
| 32. | Corey LaJoie | 32 |
| 33. | Matt Tifft | 36 |
| 34. | Michael McDowell | 34 |
| 35. | Brad Keselowski | 2 |
| 36. | Ross Chastain | 15 |
| 37. | Cody Ware | 52 |
| 38. | BJ McLeod | 51 |
| 39. | Tyler Reddick | 31 |
| 40. | Casey Mears* | 27 |