The 66th running of the Daytona 500 is set for Sunday, Feb. 18 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). And, like any big event, some unique quirks are part of the build-up.

The most notable difference in the “Great American Race” compared to any other on the Cup schedule is how the starting lineup is set. Forty cars will make the Daytona 500 starting grid. Thirty-six teams are guaranteed starting spots thanks to their Charters, leaving only four spots available for Open teams.

The process begins with single-car qualifying on Wednesday, where the two fastest drivers — Joey Logano and Michael McDowell — secured the front-row starting positions for Sunday’s race. Additionally, the two fastest Open cars — Anthony Alfredo and David Ragan — clinched a spot in Sunday’s main event

The remaining results from single car qualifying set the field for the two Bluegreen Vacations Duel races on Thursday. The duel races are 60-lap affairs, the results of which set the lineup for the Daytona 500 itself.

Drivers who are in odd-numbered positions on the speed chart from single-car qualifying make up the starting grid of Duel No. 1, while those who qualify in even-numbered positions make up Duel No. 2 (although NASCAR ensures an even number of Open cars in each race, so there may be slight adjustments). The highest-finishing Open car in each duel advances into the Daytona 500.

The results of Duel No. 1 set the inside row for the 2024 Daytona 500, while the results of Duel No. 2 set the outside row for Sunday’s race.

Below are the starting lineups for tonight's Bluegreen Vacations Duel races.

Official Bluegreen Vacations Duel No. 1 lineup

* denotes Open, non-Charter team

Official Bluegreen Vacations Duel No. 2 lineup

* denotes Open, non-Charter team

The weather forecast for the Daytona 500 has a 70% chance of rain for the morning and early afternoon. The race is scheduled to start around 2:30pm eastern time. It is likely the race will not start on time as the track drying will likely be ongoing at this point. There will be a 30% chance of rain for the late afternoon and evening hours. if the race does in fact get started it could have delays, red flags and possibly be shortened. Highs will be around 60° with lows around 50° Winds will be gusty with a chance for winds gusting to around 25mph out of the north. Should the race get pushed back to Monday there will be a mix of sun and clouds withs highs around 62° with winds gusting to around 20mph out of the north. 

Rowan county Weather will continue to provide updates on the race through the remainder of the week and the weekend.