Daytona 500 2015 Qualifying Format: Group Rules, Schedule and More
Just one week away from the most popular race in NASCAR, the excitement is already teeming in Florida. The Daytona 500 will soon kick off the season, but Speedweeks is an event similar to the week leading up to the Super Bowlโjust for people who like cars going really fast.
Unlike other races throughout the season, the qualifying for the Daytona 500 simply sets the first row and who will make the race. Later in the week, the Budweiser Duels will determine where each driver outside of the top two will start.
Last season, Austin Dillon clinched theย pole position, which marked the second straight year a rookie took the top spot. A pole win by Jeff Gordon, who has won at least one pole in each of the last 22 seasons, would mark the second Daytona 500 pole of his career in his final full season.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Before the qualifying rounds get underway, here's a look at the full schedule and rules for the group format.
Daytona 500 Qualifying Information
Where: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
When: Sunday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Live Stream:ย Fox Sports Go
Qualifying Rules
Similar to last fall at Talladega, NASCAR will roll out the group format to provide more entertainment for the fans. What makes this different is the fact that it's taking place at the Daytona 500, where the format hasn't been touched in its 57-year history.
Sunday's qualifying will be broken up into three rounds.
The first round is divided into two groups after a random draw, with odd-numbered drivers going first, followed by the even-numbered racers. Both groups are allowed five minutes to record their best time. Only the top 24 drivers will advance past this point and will be given a 10-minute break before the second round.
In the next stage, the remaining 24 qualifiers have five minutes to post their best time to make the final round of just 12 drivers. After a seven-minute break, another five-minute round will ensue to decide the first row for the Great American Race. The rest of the starting positions will be determined during the Budweiser Duels.
Denny Hamlin, who finished third last year in the Chase, believes the Daytona 500 has become a series of races. Hamlin voiced his frustrations with the system during the Daytona media day:
"Itโs a bunch of races. It really is. Now that single-car qualifying is gone, youโre probably going to see more wrecks in practice because people are going to be trying that strategy of running a fast lap and seeing what it takes to run that fast lap, so youโre going to have guys running caution speed and real speed all on the same track in a green condition. I donโt know. Somebody is going to make a mistake for sure.
"
The only other time the group format was used at a restrictor-plate track was the aforementioned Talladega race. One of the biggest stories coming out of that qualifying round was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. not making the race.
Several other drivers were close calls.
Hamlin,ย Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick,ย Kyle Busch and Joey Logano all had to take provisional spots in the race based on owner points. Three of those drivers finished in the top four in points, with Harvick winning the Sprint Cup title. Needless to say, it can happen to the best of them.
One driver who will need a solid run to guarantee a spot is Carl Edwards. After moving over toย Joe Gibbs Racing from Roush Fenway Racing, Edwards doesn't have a cushion to rely on. Bob Pockrass of ESPN explained the situation for Edwards:
At this point, 48 different teams have hopes of making the 43-car field. Sunday will weed out some of the weaker teams, but the new format might also cause headaches for championship-caliber crews.
Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
