The 60th Annual Daytona 500 is coming in hot and the starting lineup is set. After a series of qualifying events including the Can-Am Duels, which set the starting line-up for most of the field, we now know where each driver will start the Great American Race.
The top two starting positions, held by pole-sitter Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin, were secured by qualifying based on the fastest speeds. The rest of the field raced in one of two 150-mile Can-Am Duels at the Daytona International Speedway.
Young drivers dominated both Duels with Ryan Blaney winning the first 60-lap shootout and Chase Elliott, who is now racing behind the wheel of his Hall of Fame dad Bill Elliott’s No. 9 car, winning the second race. New Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver Alex Bowman started Duel 1 from the number one position but finished in 14th. Veteran driver Denny Hamlin started Duel 2 from the first position and crossed the finish line in 9th. There were several drivers who did not finish Duel 1 or 2 including Brad Keselowski, David Gilliland, William Byron, Jimmie Johnson, Aric Almirola, Matt DiBenedetto, Kyle Larson, and Mark Thompson. With the exception of the latter, these drivers were involved in accidents which will more than likely result in the teams using backup cars for the Daytona 500. Thompson had to head to the garage during the race and did not return.
The 2018 Daytona 500 will take place Sunday, February 18, at 2:30 p.m. EST at the Daytona International Speedway, the “World Center of Racing.” The race can be seen live on Fox Network television. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will also broadcast play-by-play action of the 200-lap / 500-mile race around the 2.5-mile tri-oval.