(UPDATE Feb 2013: The format of qualifying below is from the 2012 season. I've added the process for qualifying for the 2013 season over on my parent site. The qualifying process is slightly different this year! Check out Qualifying for the 2013 Daytona 500 at this site's parent website, Brusimm.com.)
It seems right.
Daytona starts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with the 'Shootout at Daytona,' (on Feb 18, 2012). That's just a fun event for fans. After that race, we then have pole qualifying, followed by the 2 Gatorade Duels (Feb 23, 2012) to set the field for the Daytona 500, which takes place on Feb. 26, 2012 on FOX, at 1 p.m. ET.
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Qualifying Format for the Daytona 500
Unlike most races where everyone usually takes one day to compete in timed lap trials, teams have to fight for their starting position within the Daytona 500.
On Daytona 500 Qualifying Day, each team runs two laps, using the fastest lap as their qualifying time. The two teams that set the fastest two times, become the front row starters for the Daytona 500.
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Gatorade Duels
After qualifying, are the Gatorade Duels, which are two 150-mile qualifying races.
The top-35 in owners points from last year are placed in the field*, where teams with odd-numbered owner points are assigned to the first race, even numbered points, the other qualifying race.
The fields are further filled out with teams outside last year's top-35 in owners points, based on their qualifying day performance.
*Pole position for these races are given to the two cars that snagged the front row in qualifying. Then the fields are allocated in their respective starting grid via the competitors qualifying speeds.
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The two Gatorade Duel races (held on the same day) determines the order of starting positions for the Daytona 500 behind the front row.
Obviously, the top-35 in owners points are guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500, but have to fight it out for their starting position in the race. That leaves 8 starting spots.
In EACH DUEL, only two teams that weren't in the top-35 points from last year will get into the race from their on-track performance here. That leaves 4 spots to be filled in the starting grid for the D500.
Of those 4 spots, 3 are filled via qualifying efforts from the first day, and the last position in the field is
"assigned to any car owner who has the most recent eligible past NASCAR Sprint Cup champion who did not make the 500 field by any other method providing the driver competed in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. If the 43rd position remains unused it will be assigned to the next highest qualifying time."
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I hope that all makes sense, and for those who didn't understand all the brouhaha about Danica Patrick and the hat trick used to buy owner points, now, does it all seem to make more sense why they did that? All business entities involved, Stewart-Haas Racing and GoDaddy, wanted to make sure that she got into the race and left no stone unturned in that endeavor. (Huh, the Patrick Hat-Trick. Sounds catchy!)
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Bottom line, here's who gets locked into the Daytona 500 field:
– The top-two qualifiers from Sunday.
– The remaining top-35 guaranteed starters.
– Four drivers from the Gatorade Duel at Daytona (two non-top 35 from each race)
– Remaining drivers not making the field through the above methods can fall back on Sunday's qualifying times or being a past champion.
Source: NASCAR Media supplied info page... thank god. My brain would have been so muddled... oh wait, it is each year any way!
Regardless of how the qualifying works, what this all means is that there is a great prequel of a show with various events that fans can start to soak in the NASCAR racing environment, and is a great build up to the Daytona 500! Hoo ya!
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