DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - For the first time, the Daytona 500 pole will be set by group qualifying Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.
With speeds in Saturday’s practice above 200 mph, this could make the first time the Daytona 500 pole speed tops 200 since 1987 when Bill Elliott went 210.364 mph - before restrictor plates were used.
Here’s how Sunday’s qualifying format will work and who is in each group, which is based on a random draw:
FIRST ROUND
- Two groups of cars, five minutes each
- Seven-minute break between each group
- 24 fastest cars advance to the second round
- 10-minute break before the second round
SECOND ROUND
- Five minutes in length
- 12 fastest cars advance to the final round
- Seven-minute break before the final round
FINAL ROUND
- Five minutes in length
- Fastest lap earns the pole position
- Only pole and second-place positions are set
- Remainder of starting positions will be set primarily in next week’s qualifying races
A random draw Saturday determined the qualifying order. Those drawing an odd number are assigned to the first group in the opening round. The remaining cars will be in the second round.
All four Stewart-Haas Racing cars - Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart - are in the first group. Also in this group are Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano as well as Ryan Blaney, whose Wood Brothers team is aligned with Team Penske.
All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers - Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon - will be in the second group in the opening round.
GROUP 1
Brad Keselowski
Bobby Labonte
Kevin Harvick
JJ Yelled
Denny Hamlin
Brian Scott
Joey Logano
Sam Hornish Jr.
Kurt Busch
Michael Annett
Clint Bowyer
Trevor Bayne
Justin Allgaier
Greg Biffle
Mike Wallace
Cole Whitt
Casey Mears
David Gilliland
David Ragan
Jeb Burton
Ryan Blaney
Danica Patrick
Reed Sorenson
Tony Stewart
Austin Dillon
GROUP 2
Paul Menard
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Matt Kenseth
Ron Hornaday Jr.
Ryan Newman
Alex Bowman
Jamie McMurray
AJ Allmendinger
Johnny Sauter
Jimmie Johnson
Josh Wise
Kasey Kahne
Ty Dillon
Michael Waltrip
Aric Almirola
Kyle Larson
Landon Cassill
Justin Marks
Kyle Busch
Jeff Gordon
Carl Edwards
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Martin Truex Jr.
Michael McDowell
