By David Morgan, Associate Editor
It’s that time of the year again.
Two weeks after the season kicked off with the Busch Clash exhibition race at the L.A. Coliseum, the 2023 campaign shifts into high gear with Sunday’s 65th running of the Daytona 500.
The Great American Race has seen many attempt to conquer it, but only a select few have been able to hoist the Harley J. Earl trophy in victory lane at the end of the day. Some go their entire careers without being able to accomplish that feat.
This year’s edition features many storylines, including a few familiar faces in other facets of motorsports looking to make it into the 40-car field, the return of seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick making his final run in the 500 before hanging up the helmet at season’s end, and much more.
The path to the stock car immortality begins on Wednesday night with qualifying to set the front row before the field is whittled down to its 40 starters on Thursday in the Bluegreen Vacation Duels.
Then it’s on to Sunday and the prize that everyone is gunning for. Will we see a new face in Victory Lane this year or will it be one of the grizzled veterans flexing their muscles to make another trip to that hallowed ground?
500 miles will tell the tale.
By the Numbers
What: 65th Annual Daytona 500, NASCAR Cup Series Race No. 1 of 36
Where: Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Florida (Opened: 1959)
TV/Radio: FOX, 2:30 pm ET / MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Channel 90
Track Size: 2.5-mile tri-oval
Banking: 31 degrees in turns, 18 degrees in tri-oval, 6 degrees on straightaways
Race Length: 200 laps, 500 miles
Stage Lengths: First two stages – 60 laps each, Final stage – 80 laps
Pit Road Speed: 55 mph
Pace Car Speed: 70 mph
2022 Daytona 500 Winner: Austin Cindric – No. 2 Team Penske Ford (Started fifth, 21 laps led)
2022 August Daytona Winner: Austin Dillon – No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (Started 21st, 10 laps led)
Track Qualifying Record: Bill Elliott (42.783 seconds, 210.364 mph – 02/15/1987)
Setting the Field
42 cars will roll into Daytona hoping to make the 40-car field for Sunday’s race, but on the first two days of on-track action, there will be two schools of thought among the teams entered.
First, there’s the 36 chartered teams, which have their place in the Daytona 500 secured, so qualifying on Wednesday and the Duels on Thursday…
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