Getty Kevin Harvick prepares for qualifying at Daytona International Speedway.
The Cup Series drivers will head to Daytona International Speedway in February to start the 2023 season with a Crown Jewel event. Though they will first have to deal with a significant change.
According to the current schedule of events, the first time the drivers hit the track to prepare for the Daytona 500 will be on Wednesday, February 15, when they take part in single-car qualifying. They will not have any practice time prior to setting their best two laps at the superspeedway. Instead, they will just climb into their stock cars and head out.
The first practice, per the schedule, will take place on Thursday, February 16. The drivers will have one session before they compete in the Bluegreen Vacation Duels. They will then have two more practice sessions before the Great American Race. One will be on Friday, February 17, and the second will be on Saturday, February 18.
One important thing to note is that these schedules are tentative. NASCAR could ultimately decide to add a practice session ahead of single-car qualifying. If so, this update will come closer to the start of the season.
This Change Will Add Some Intrigue Entering 2023
GettyDenny Hamlin watches qualifying at Daytona International Speedway.
Without the benefit of practice, the teams will have to ensure that their setups are the best they can possibly be before the start of qualifying. There will be no opportunities to make adjustments while pursuing the best lap time.
This will create some intrigue considering the number of potential open teams that will be fighting for the final four spots in the starting lineup. There are likely to be more entries than spots, so this first qualifying session will be the best opportunity for some of them to race into the Daytona 500 with the best lap.
There are already three confirmed entries. Petty GMS will have a Chevrolet for Jimmie Johnson, Front Row Motorsports will have a Ford for Zane Smith, and Beard Motorsports will have a Chevrolet for Austin Hill.
There are multiple other teams that will likely attempt to secure a spot in the Daytona 500. Team Hezeberg, NY Racing, TMT Racing, Team Stange, and Germany’s 3F Racing are all potential options.
TMT Racing, in particular, acknowledged to TobyChristie.com that there have been talks with four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves about a potential deal for the Daytona 500.
3F Racing is an interesting case. The team told Motorsport.com that the current plan is to make its season debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway. However, the Daytona 500 remains an option if a sponsor emerges.
Hendrick Motorsports Will Pursue Another Strong Outing
GettyHendrick Motorsports has numerous Daytona 500 Pole Awards.
The lack of qualifying will certainly serve as an obstacle for some teams. However, there will still be one to watch heading toward the season-opening event.
Hendrick Motorsports has achieved success during previous Daytona 500 qualifying sessions. A fitting example is in 2015 when Jeff Gordon won the pole and Jimmie Johnson joined him on the front row. This trend continued in 2016 as rookie Chase Elliott won the pole.
Hendrick Motorsports took over the front row once again in 2017 when Elliott won the pole for the second consecutive season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined him on the front row. One year later, Alex Bowman won the pole for the season-opening event.
The Hendrick Motorsports run continued with William Byron (pole) and Bowman lining up on the front row. JTG Daugherty Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the pole for the 2020 Daytona 500, but Bowman joined him on the front row.
In 2021, Bowman won the pole for the second time while Byron made his own return to the front row as he started second overall. In 2022, Kyle Larson won the pole while Bowman secured a spot on the front row next to him.
Will Bowman and the other Hendrick Motorsports drivers contend for the pole again in 2023? It is likely based on the previous seasons. Though the lack of a pre-qualifying practice session could shake up the starting order.