12:53 a.m. With plenty of cars torn up, this grid likely won’t hold, but as of now here’s the full grid for the 2021 Daytona 500. But it seems like both drivers scheduled to be on the front row, Richard Childress Racing teammates Alex Bowman and William Byron, might both be in the back of the field instead. Bowman’s power issues might be enough where he’s forced to replace his engine and start in the back by rule, and Byron’s car got pretty torn up with four to go in Duel 2.
Austin Cindric and Kaz Grala join Ryan Preece and David Ragan as the non-chartered drivers in the race.
12:24 a.m. What a move by Austin Dillon on the last lap, who goes under Bubba Wallace attempting to block in the last straightaway, and he takes the Twin.
Bubba got a tremendous push from Kyle Busch underneath, and Kevin Harvick gave to Dillon on the high side, but it forced Wallace to try and block which just left him exposed. Nothing he could do.
12:22 a.m. We’re going green-white-checker in NASCAR Overtime to finish it. It’s Truex Jr, Wallace, Kyle Busch, Dillon, and Kurt Busch as they take the green.
12:13 a.m. Weird racing after midnight, and we got a big one in a little race! Garrett Smithley comes down off the high line, Brad Keselowski was coming up, and they met in the middle of the infield.
Garrett Smithley colliding with Brad Keselowski takes out Noah Gragson. We wanted bump drama, we're getting bump drama. pic.twitter.com/ntVjf5NsX9
— Vincent Bruins (@VincentJBruins) February 12, 2021
About eight cars are involved, but five appear to be done, including William Byron who was set to be on the outside pole. He’ll likely have to replace his car before the race, so now he’ll start in the back of the field. Ross Chastain is done, Noah Gregson is done, so that means it looks likely Kaz Grala will be in the Daytona 500 as a non-chartered driver as well.
11:57 p.m. Anthony Alfredo has waved the white flag and is behind the wall. The rookie will be at the back of the field on Saturday likely in 38th position. B.J. McLeod was out earlier.
Will be 20 to go and everyone will have fuel when we the green flag drops again.
11:55 p.m. Just ahead of the pit window on Lap 36, we’ve got a wreck! Chase Briscoe either got loose on the high line in two wide, and he slid towards the infield taking Kaz Grala, Anthony Alfredo, and Garrett Smithley with him.
Chase Briscoe goes around a triggers a multi-car crash during Duel at Daytona No. 2! pic.twitter.com/AKvikXnXwe
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 12, 2021
Grala and Smithley are two of the cars trying to transfer in to the race. The third attempting to find a spot, Noah Gregson, is currently in the middle of a long pit stop. It’s going to be whomever survives to get the last spot in the field for the Great American Race.
Harvick, Byron, Blaney, Keselowski, and Truex Jr. come out of the pits 1-2-3-4-5 under caution.
11:15 p.m. We are back. The green flag drops on the (eventually) dry race track and we are under way!
8:50 p.m. We are in a rain delay at Daytona, and it looks like it might not be subsiding soon. We’ll holler once we’re back on the surface, but it does look like they’ll get the race in this evening despite the weather.
8:25 p.m. We now know half the grid for the 2021 Daytona 500. Here it is in order:
1 Alex Bowman
3 Aric Almirola
5 Christopher Bell
7 Ryan Newman
9 Joey Logano
11 Ryan Preece
13 Kyle Larson
15 Daniel Suarez
17 Michael McDowell
19 Jamie McMurray
21 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
23 Matt DiBenedetto
25 Denny Hamlin
27 Cole Custer
29 Tyler Reddick
31 Austin Cindric
33 Erik Jones
35 Quin Houff
37 Cody Ware
39 Josh Bilicki
8:07 p.m. Aric Almirola takes Duel 1! He actually got passed by Joey Logano on the last lap, but a push from the #20 of Christopher Bell got him back in the lead just ahead of the tri-oval, and he flew across the line first for the checkered flag. The driver from Hillsborough High School in Tampa becomes another winner for Tampa Bay this year.
Austin Cindric, despite taking a pit penalty, will end up in the field. While Ryan Preece was the highest-finishing non-chartered driver, he was already qualified from last night’s pole qualifying, therefore Cindric advances to the 500.
7:57 p.m. Good news for Bowman is he’s back on the track even though he’s basically in testing mode right now.
The bad news is Duel 2 looks like it very possibly will be delayed due to weather.
Rain (not seeing lightning) now 10 miles from @DAYTONA - it has slowed on approach - that’s not good when it arrives could stick around it is about 30 min(ish) from the track - continue to monitor with @RaceWeather #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/SaZIPQgiji
— Brian Neudorff (@NASCAR_WXMAN) February 12, 2021
7:45 p.m. Bad news for pole sitter Alex Bowman: He’s blown his engine, and by rule he can’t replace it after this race. His team can work on the car, but they can’t take it out. If it’s totally blown, he won’t be on the grid for the Daytona 500 after winning the pole. Yikes.
It’s just four days until the Super Bowl of stock car racing, and tonight we’ll set the field for the Daytona 500 with a pair of 60 lap races that will determine who are the 40 drivers and where they’ll start.
Alex Bowman will be on the pole on Sunday, and his teammate William Byron will be on the outside of Row 1. But the rest of the field will be determined by the order of finish in tonight’s two races. There are 44 total competitors, and 38 of them know they’re in the field: 36 by the charter system, and two got in on time via pole qualifying, Ryan Preece and David Ragan.
Only one of Austin Cindric, Ty Dillon, and Timmy Hill will advance in Duel 1, and Kaz Grala, Garrett Smithley, and Noah Gragson are fighting for a single spot in Duel 2.
Boogity Boogity Boogity!!
Duel 1
Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 starting lineup
Order | Driver/ Car # | Team |
---|---|---|
Order | Driver/ Car # | Team |
1 | Alex Bowman | No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
2 | Aric Almirola | No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford |
3 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet |
4 | Christopher Bell | No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
5 | Ryan Preece | No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet |
6 | Daniel Suarez | No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet |
7 | Denny Hamlin | No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
8 | Kyle Larson | No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
9 | Matt DiBenedetto | No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford |
10 | Austin Cindric* | No. 33 Team Penske Ford |
11 | Joey Logano | No. 22 Team Penske Ford |
12 | Ryan Newman | No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford |
13 | Cole Custer | No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford |
14 | Michael McDowell | No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
15 | Erik Jones | No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet |
16 | Tyler Reddick | No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
17 | Ty Dillon* | No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota |
18 | Jamie McMurray | No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
19 | Quin Houff | No. 00 StarCom Racing Chevrolet |
20 | Timmy Hill* | No. 66 Motorsports Business Management Ford |
21 | Cody Ware | No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet |
22 | Josh Bilicki | No. 52 Rick Ware Racing Ford |
Duel 2
Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 starting lineup
Order | Driver/ Car # | Team |
---|---|---|
Order | Driver/ Car # | Team |
1 | William Byron | No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
2 | Bubba Wallace | No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota |
3 | Kevin Harvick | No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford |
4 | Austin Dillon | No. 3 Richard Childress Racing |
5 | Chase Elliott | No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
6 | David Ragan | No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
7 | Kurt Busch | No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet |
8 | Kyle Busch | No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
9 | Ryan Blaney | No. 12 Team Penske Ford |
10 | Kaz Grala* | No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
11 | Chase Briscoe | No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford |
12 | Ross Chastain | No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet |
13 | Brad Keselowski | No. 2 Team Penske Ford |
14 | Martin Truex Jr. | No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
15 | Chris Buescher | No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford |
16 | Anthony Alfredo | No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
17 | Corey LaJoie | No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
18 | Garrett Smithley* | No. 13 Motorsports Business Management Ford |
19 | BJ McLeod | No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford |
20 | Joey Gase | No. 53 Rick Ware Racing Ford |
21 | Derrike Cope | No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet |
22 | Noah Gragson* | No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet |