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42 cars have entered NASCAR’s crown jewel event, guaranteeing that two will go home.
The 36 chartered teams are locked in, leaving the other six to fight for the final four spots in the field through single-car qualifying and the Duel races.
The field consists of eight former NASCAR Cup Series champions, and seven former winners of the 500.
The youngest driver in the field is Ty Gibbs at 20 years (+4 months) and the oldest is Jimmie Johnson at 47 years (+5 months).
Johnson, driving the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet, is among those who will have to fight their way into the main event. The other five in that position have never even started a Daytona 500 before.
They are Chandler Smith in the No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet; Zane Smith in the No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford; Travis Pastrana in the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota; Conor Daly in the No. 50 TMT Racing Chevrolet; a …