how do the daytona duels work
The Daytona Duels are two short qualifying races that set most of the starting lineup for the Daytona 500, including which “open” (non-charter) cars make the big race.
What the Daytona Duels are
- Two separate races run at Daytona a few days before the Daytona 500.
- Each race is 60 laps / 150 miles in the modern format.
- They’re officially qualifying races: results decide where most drivers line up on the Daytona 500 grid.
How drivers get into each Duel
- First, there’s a single‑car time‑trial qualifying session on Wednesday night. The two fastest drivers from this session are locked into the front row (P1 and P2) for Sunday’s Daytona 500 no matter what happens in the Duels.
- Everyone else from that qualifying session is split into two fields:
- Drivers who qualified in odd‑numbered positions (3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.) go to Duel 1.
* Drivers who qualified in even‑numbered positions (4th, 6th, 8th, etc.) go to Duel 2.
That gives you two grids for Thursday night: one for Duel 1 and one for Duel 2, each roughly half the Daytona 500 entry list.
How the Duels set the Daytona 500 lineup
Think of Duel 1 as deciding the inside row of the Daytona 500 grid, and Duel 2 as deciding the outside row (except for the already‑locked front row).
- The pole winner (fastest in time trials) starts first in the 500 and also starts on pole in Duel 1.
- The second‑fastest qualifier starts second in the 500 and on pole in Duel 2.
- After that:
- Duel 1 finishing order sets the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, etc. starting spots for the Daytona 500.
* Duel 2 finishing order sets the 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, etc. starting spots.
- If a front‑row starter wins their Duel, the next finisher in that Duel slides into the next available grid spot behind them (for example, if the polesitter wins Duel 1, the Duel 1 runner‑up starts 3rd in the 500).
Open cars vs. charter cars
- NASCAR’s field is capped at 40 cars; 36 of those spots belong to full‑time “charter” teams that are essentially guaranteed into the Daytona 500 as long as they attempt to qualify.
- Extra “open” entries (no charter) fight over the remaining spots.
- The two fastest open cars in time trials are automatically locked into the Daytona 500, even before the Duels start.
- In the Duels, the highest‑finishing open car in each race also earns a Daytona 500 starting spot, as long as all the available open slots aren’t already filled by time‑trial locks.
- Practically, that means:
- Some open cars are “safe” on speed before the Duels.
- The remaining open cars must “race their way in” by beating the other open entries in their Duel.
If there are more open cars than available spots, a few will be sent home after the Duels.
Mini example: how a typical year plays out
Wednesday night:
- Driver A: quickest lap → Daytona 500 pole, starts P1 in Duel 1.
- Driver B: second quickest → Daytona 500 P2, starts P1 in Duel 2.
- Open Car X and Open Car Y: the two fastest open entries → locked into the 500 on speed.
Thursday Duels:
- Duel 1: Driver A wins, Open Car Z is top open finisher.
- Duel 2: Driver B finishes 4th, Open Car X is top open finisher but was already locked in on speed, so the next open car in line (by speed) grabs the last open spot.
Result: field of 40 is set, with charter teams filling most of the grid and a handful of open cars getting in via speed or Duel performance.
Quick HTML table: key facts
| Aspect | How it works |
|---|---|
| Number of Duels | Two qualifying races, each 60 laps / 150 miles. | [3][9][1]
| When run | Thursday night of Daytona 500 week, after Wednesday single-car qualifying. | [7][9][1]
| Who is locked in early | Top two overall from time trials (front row) and the two fastest open cars on speed. | [5][9][1]
| Duel 1 field | Drivers who qualified in odd-numbered positions (3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.) plus polesitter. | [7][9]
| Duel 2 field | Drivers who qualified in even-numbered positions (4th, 6th, 8th, etc.) plus outside polesitter. | [7][9]
| What Duel 1 decides | Sets inside row starting spots (3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.) for the Daytona 500 grid. | [3][5][7]
| What Duel 2 decides | Sets outside row starting spots (4th, 6th, 8th, etc.) for the Daytona 500 grid. | [3][5][7]
| Open car stakes | Highest-finishing open car in each Duel (plus some locked on speed) earns a 500 starting spot; others may be eliminated. | [9][1][5]