The road to the 67th Daytona 500 continues Thursday night with the annual Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona International Speedway. These two 60-lap, 150-mile races will finalize the starting grid for Sunday’s Great American Race, setting the field behind pole winner Chase Briscoe and second-place starter Austin Cindric.

Briscoe, who secured the first Daytona 500 pole for Toyota in Wednesday’s time trials, will lead the 23-car field to the green flag in the first Duel. Cindric, driving the No. 2 Ford for Team Penske, will start second in the second Duel, which will feature 22 cars.

How the Daytona 500 Lineup is Determined

While Briscoe and Cindric’s front-row spots are locked in, the remaining positions will be determined by the finishing order of the Duel races. The inside row (odd-numbered starting spots) will be set by Duel 1 results, while the outside row (even-numbered spots) will be based on Duel 2 results.

The 40-car Daytona 500 field consists of 36 chartered teams, which are guaranteed starting spots, and four open entries. Nine drivers are vying for those final four positions. Two drivers—Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr.—have already locked in their spots based on qualifying speed. The remaining two open spots will go to the highest-finishing open car in each Duel.

Drivers Fighting for Daytona 500 Berths

With only two open spots left, seven drivers will battle for their Daytona 500 dreams Thursday night.

• Duel 1 open cars: Martin Truex Jr., Justin Allgaier, Helio Castroneves, Chandler Smith, JJ Yeley
• Duel 2 open cars: Jimmie Johnson, Corey LaJoie, Anthony Alfredo, BJ McLeod

For NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr., Thursday night will be nerve-wracking as his team, JR Motorsports, attempts to qualify for its first Daytona 500 with Allgaier behind the wheel of the No. 40 Chevrolet.

This year’s 42-car entry list is the biggest since 2015, when 49 drivers attempted to make the race. The increase in entries has brought back a classic Daytona 500 storyline—big names going home. At least two drivers will fail to qualify for Sunday’s race.

Duel 1 Starting Lineup

1. Chase Briscoe (No. 19 Toyota)
2. Ryan Preece (No. 60 Ford)
3. Josh Berry (No. 21 Ford)
4. Austin Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet)
5. Ty Dillon (No. 10 Chevrolet)
6. Zane Smith (No. 38 Ford)
7. Kyle Busch (No. 8 Chevrolet)
8. Chase Elliott (No. 9 Chevrolet)
9. Michael McDowell (No. 71 Chevrolet)
10. AJ Allmendinger (No. 16 Chevrolet)
11. William Byron (No. 24 Chevrolet)
12. Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 Toyota)
13. Ty Gibbs (No. 54 Toyota)
14. Tyler Reddick (No. 45 Toyota)
15. Bubba Wallace (No. 23 Toyota)
16. Justin Haley (No. 7 Chevrolet)
17. Justin Allgaier (No. 40 Chevrolet)
18. Carson Hocevar (No. 77 Chevrolet)
19. Ross Chastain (No. 1 Chevrolet)
20. Helio Castroneves (No. 91 Chevrolet)
21. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47 Chevrolet)
22. Chandler Smith (No. 66 Ford)
23. JJ Yeley (No. 44 Chevrolet)

Duel 2 Starting Lineup

1. Austin Cindric (No. 2 Ford)
2. Joey Logano (No. 22 Ford)
3. Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Toyota)
4. Christopher Bell (No. 20 Toyota)
5. Kyle Larson (No. 5 Chevrolet)
6. Alex Bowman (No. 48 Chevrolet)
7. Todd Gilliland (No. 34 Ford)
8. Brad Keselowski (No. 6 Ford)
9. Chris Buescher (No. 17 Ford)
10. Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Ford)
11. Noah Gragson (No. 4 Ford)
12. Daniel Suarez (No. 99 Chevrolet)
13. Riley Herbst (No. 35 Toyota)
14. Jimmie Johnson (No. 84 Toyota)
15. Shane van Gisbergen (No. 88 Chevrolet)
16. Cole Custer (No. 41 Ford)
17. Corey LaJoie (No. 01 Ford)
18. Erik Jones (No. 43 Chevrolet)
19. John Hunter Nemechek (No. 42 Toyota)
20. Anthony Alfredo (No. 62 Chevrolet)
21. BJ McLeod (No. 78 Chevrolet)
22. Cody Ware (No. 51 Ford)

How to Watch the Duel Races

• Date: Thursday, February 15, 2024
• Start Time: Duel 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET, Duel 2 around 8:15 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1
• Streaming: Fox Sports app

Final Thoughts

With open drivers battling for limited spots, new rules shaking up strategies, and the potential for big-name casualties, Thursday’s Duel races are must-watch action. When the checkered flag waves, the 40-car field for Sunday’s Daytona 500 will finally be set.

Who will race their way into the Great American Race? And who will be left watching from the sidelines? The answers come Thursday night under the lights at Daytona.

Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images