Daytona 500 2017 Qualifying Format, Group Rules, Schedule and More

The Daytona 500 is an annual institution that marks the official beginning of the NASCAR Cup Series and the unofficial start of spring. In the eyes of many drivers, this is the biggest and most important race. For many fans, there is no greater.

This year's edition of Daytona takes place on February 26, with front-row qualifying being held on Sunday. The second stage of qualifying, the Can-Am Duel races, will take place on Thursday.

Let's examine both stages of qualifying for the Daytona 500, along with some new rules for this year's big race and the hottest storylines heading into qualifiers.

Front-Row Qualifier

When: Sunday, February 19

When: 3:10 p.m. ET

National TV: Fox

Can-Am Duel

When: Thursday, February 23

Time: 7 p.m. ET

National TV: Fox Sports 1

Qualifier Format

The qualifying format for the Daytona 500 is unique and can be a bit confusing. However, the folks at NASCAR's official site have done a pretty good job of breaking down the multi-stage process.

On Sunday, the first two positions in the race—the front row—will be determined via single-car qualifying. There will be two rounds here, with the 12 fastest cars from Round 1 advancing to Round 2. The two fastest cars in the second round will earn the No. 1 and No. 2 spots at Daytona.

The Can-Am Duels also feature two rounds of qualifying, and these will determine slots 3-38 for Daytona. The qualifying cars from the first duel will line up on the inside row in the Daytona 500, while the qualifiers from the second duel will line up on the outside.

The last two spots for the race will be given to the top two open teams from the single-car stage that didn't qualify in the Can-Am Duels.

This will make up the 40-car field for Daytona.

New Race Rules

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

There are some interesting new rules surrounding the Daytona 500 this season. As will be the case with all races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this year, there will be three stages to the race, with points being awarded after each.

Kenny Bruce of NASCAR's website broke down how the point system will work with multiple stages:

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Upon the completion of each of the first two stages, drivers finishing first through 10th will be awarded additional points (10th for first, nine for second, etc.) that will be included in their final total for that race only. Additionally, one point per stage win will be awarded to those drivers qualifying for the 10-race playoff at the end of the season. Race-winning drivers also will earn five bonus points per win to be applied following the completion of the regular season.

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For Daytona, there will be two 60-lap stages, followed by an 80-lap final stage.

According to NASCAR senior vice president Scott Miller, Daytona's stages were specifically set at 40 percent, 40 percent and 60 percent in order to play to the excitement of the race.

"We had to kind of set the stages to where they landed as far away from a fuel window as they possibly could—so the teams could either make it to the stage finish or guaranteed that they would have to stop before they made it to the stage finish so we wouldn't turn these races into fuel-mileage races," Miller explained, per Bob Pockrass of ESPN.com.

Other new rules at Daytona this year affect how cars can be repaired during the race. Cars may no longer go to the garage to fix damage. Instead, they're given a five–minute window to fix problems on the pit road. If repairs take longer than five minutes or require more than six crew members to help fix the vehicle, the car will be pulled from the race.

New body components, such as panels, are not allowed. Cars will be able to visit the repair garage to fix mechanical or electrical issues that were not the result of a collision.

Daytona 500

When: Sunday, February 26

Time: 2 p.m. ET

National TV: Fox

Latest Buzz

Logano Looking Fast

The first qualifying practices are in the books, and Joey Logano appears to have posted the fastest time on the track.

According to Chase Wilhelm of Fox Sports, Logano posted a top speed of 193.116 miles per hour. Aric Almirola was second-fastest at 193.054 mph, while Logano's teammate, Brad Keselowski, finished third.

Earnhardt Jr. Makes Return

Hendrick Motorsports driver and perennial fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been away from the track for some time. He missed the last 18 races of last year's cup series with a concussion and will be racing for the first time since at Daytona if he qualifies.

During qualifying practices, Earnhardt posted the 11th-fastest lap and gained some much-needed confidence. He said the following after the session, per Holly Cain of NASCAR's website:

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It felt good to just get out there and get to work a little bit and be with the guys and see all the familiar faces in the garage, other drivers and team members and so forth. Just trying to put as many laps as I can behind me and get further and further into this deal to where the events from last year become more of a distant memory and don't define me as who I am so much anymore.

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Fans will certainly be glad to see Earnhardt healthy and back on the track this season. With luck, Earnhardt will make his official return on Feb. 26.