NASCAR: One driver still omitted from 2024 Daytona 500 list
Front Row Motorsports announced earlier this week that they are set to field a third entry, the No. 36 Ford, for Kaz Grala in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
Because the No. 36 Ford is not a charter entry, Grala is not locked into the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval; he must lock in either via the single-car qualifying session or the Bluegreen Vacations Duels during the week leading up to the "Great American Race".
The 36 charter entries are locked into the field, and four non-charter entries are also able to compete, as the field size is capped at 40 cars. The No. 36 Ford is one of five non-charter entries, ensuring that somebody wont get in.
The other four are the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford for David Ragan, the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet for Anthony Alfredo, the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet for B.J. McLeod, and the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota for Jimmie Johnson.
FanDuel Sportsbook, which is offering fans an instant $150 bonus just for placing a single $$5 bet on any driver, recently published odds for the 2024 Daytona 500.
Team Penske's Ryan Blaney is listed as the favorite at +900, but this list only features 39 of the 40 confirmed drivers, as Grala is still not included.
It is likely that Grala will be listed as a longshot once FanDuel eventually adds him to the list. He does have two Daytona 500 starts to his name, and Front Row Motorsports did win the race just three years ago, so he will probably be listed closer to +10000 than +20000.
It is also worth noting that while there are 41 confirmed entries for the Daytona 500 thus far, there are still just 40 confirmed drivers. Rick Ware Racing's No. 15 Ford, which is one of the 36 charter cars, does not yet have a driver for the race.
Whoever that driver ends up being will be locked into the race, due to the car's charter. Riley Herbst drove it to a 10th place finish last year, and he has been rumored as a possibility again this time around.
Single-car qualifying for the 66th annual Daytona 500 is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 14, and the Bluegreen Vacations Duels are scheduled to set the full starting lineup on Thursday, February 15, with live coverage set for Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET. The race itself is set to be shown live on Fox from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 18. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss it!
