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Daytona 500 qualifying explained
Step 1: Qualifying day / Feb. 11, 2 p.m. ET on FOX
The front row will be locked into the Daytona 500 as will the top 35 teams in 2006 owner points, part of the season-long procedure for guaranteeing a starting spot to the top 35 teams in owner points. The teams in the top 35 that had odd finishing positions in 2006 will be in the first of two 150-mile qualifying races. The even teams will make the second qualifying race.| Daytona 500 Starting Lineup | ||
| Duel Race 1 pole-sitter | Duel Race 2 pole-sitter | |
| Row 1 | 1. David Gilliland | 2. Ricky Rudd |
Step 2: Gatorade Duel 150s / Feb. 15, 2 p.m. ET on SPEED
| Speed Mail Larry McReynolds |
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The rest of the qualifying-race fields — up to 66 cars with 33 in each event — will start based on their qualifying-day speeds. Drivers who weren't in the top 35 in owner points in 2006 will be placed in the qualifying races in order of how they qualified among drivers outside the top 35.
The two highest finishers in the 150-mile races that are not in the top 35 in 2006 owner points will qualify for the Daytona 500.
| Daytona 500 Starting Lineup | ||
| Race 1 results (not including pole-sitter) |
Race 2 results (not including pole-sitter) |
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| Row 2 | 3. Tony Stewart | 4. Kurt Busch |
| Row 3 | 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 6. David Stremme |
| Row 4 | 7. Jeff Burton | 8. Kyle Busch |
| Row 5 | 9. Denny Hamlin | 10. Matt Kenseth |
| Row 6 | 11. Clint Bowyer | 12. J.J. Yeley |
| Row 7 | 13. Martin Truex Jr. | 14. Carl Edwards |
| Row 8 | 15. Michael Waltrip | 16. Ryan Newman |
| Row 9 | 17. Casey Mears | 18. Joe Nemechek |
| Row 10 | 19. Ken Schrader | 20. Tony Raines |
| Row 11 | 21. Jimmie Johnson | 22. Mike Wallace |
| Row 12 | 23. Boris Said | 24. Jamie McMurray |
| Row 13 | 25. Greg Biffle | 26. Mark Martin |
| Row 14 | 27. Bobby Labonte | 28. Kasey Kahne |
| Row 15 | 29. Kyle Petty | 30. Elliott Sadler |
| Row 16 | 31. Jeff Green | 32. Scott Riggs |
| Row 17 | 33. Reed Sorenson | 34. Kevin Harvick |
| Row 18 | 35. David Ragan | 36. Juan Pablo Montoya |
| Row 19 | 37. Dave Blaney | 38. Sterling Marlin |
| Row 20 | 39. Robby Gordon | |
Step 3: Fastest qualifying speeds: Feb. 11
Positions 40 through 42 will be filled by drivers who had the fastest speeds on qualifying day but did not qualify on the front row, weren't in the top 35 in owner points and weren't one of the highest two finishers in each of the 150-mile qualifying races.| Daytona 500 Starting Lineup | ||
| Row 20 | 40. David Reutimann | |
| Row 21 | 41. Johnny Sauter | 42. Jeff Gordon (sent to the back for failing post-Duel inspection) |
Step 4: Champion's provisional/Next fastest qualifier
Position 43 will be filled by a past champion or the next fastest qualifier that isn't in the top 35 in 2006 owner points.| Daytona 500 Starting Lineup | ||
| Row 22 | 43. Dale Jarrett | |
FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 25 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, crew chief and broadcaster. He and his fellow Crew Chief Club members take you behind the wall at www.crewchiefclub.com.
"Larry McReynolds: The Big Picture" is on bookstore shelves now, or you may order your own autographed copy from www.DWStore.com.
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