NASCAR Weekend Preview Feb. 13-16

The annual preseason festivities have concluded, which means that nothing is now standing in the way between now and full NASCAR racing. The official first full NASCAR weekend starts off this Thursday with the Bluegreen Vacations Duel races to decide the lineup for Sunday’s 62nd Annual Daytona 500. This week, the NASCAR Xfinity and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series also join in on the action at the World Center of Racing in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Below are the entry lists and race times for all three NASCAR National Series as they kick off the first races of the season. They will be updated as information comes out. Full recaps of the driver/team changes over the offseason will be available later in a separate post.

The Bluegreen Vaction Duels determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s Daytona 500. The 43-car field is split into two races. The front row (top-2) qualifiers are locked into those starting positions and will each lead their Duel race to the green flag. The first, third, fifth, etc. qualifiers will participate in the first Duel, while the even-numbered qualifiers (second, fourth, sixth, etc.) will race in the second. The finishing order of the first Duel determines the odd-numbered starting positions from 3rd-37th. The second Duel race determines the even-numbered starting positions 4th-38th.

The 39th and 40th starting positions go to the two “open” teams that were fastest in qualifying. Justin Haley (#16 Kaulig Racing) and Brendan Gaughan (#62 Beard Motorsports) were the two fastest among the seven “open” unchartered teams. The highest finishing unchartered team in each Duel qualifies for the Daytona 500. If Haley or Gaughan race their way in, Reed Sorenson (#27 Premium Motorsports) would qualify based on his qualifying speed. If both Haley and Gaughan race their way in, then Sorenson and Timmy Hill (#66 MBM Motorsports) would be in the Daytona 500 on speed. Daniel Suarez (#96 Gaunt Brothers Racing), JJ Yeley (#54 Rick Ware Racing), and Chad Finchum (#49 MBM Motorsports) must race their way in.

The Top-10 finishers in each Duel race will also receive regular season points, similar to a stage in a normal race, only without any playoff points. The winner of each Duel will receive 10 points, 2nd will earn 9 points, 3rd place earns 7, and so on until 10th place earns 1.

The Bluegreen Vacation Duels are on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7p ET on FS1.

Duel 1 Starting Lineup:

Pos#DriverTeamCarSponsor
188Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevroletValvoline
248Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletAlly
318Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaM&M's
424William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevroletAxalta "Color of the Year"
520Erik JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaDEWALT
64Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RaacingFordBusch Light #PIT4BUSCH
741Cole Custer #Stewart-Haas RacingFordHaas Automation
821Matt DiBenedettoWood Brothers RacingFordMotorcraft/Quick Lane
98Tyler Reddick #Richard Childress RacingChevroletCaterpillar
1042Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevroletCredit One Bank
111Kurt BuschChip Ganassi RacingChevroletMonster Energy
1234Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsFordLove's Travel Stops
1336David RaganRick Ware RacingFordSelect Blinds
1477Ross Chastain (i)Spire MotorsportsChevroletAdventHealth
1513Ty DillonGermain RacingChevroletGEICO
16*62Brendan Gaughan (i)Beard MotorsportsChevroletBeard Motorsports/South Point
17*66Timmy Hill (i)MBM MotorsportsFordRoofClaim.com/VSI Racing
1832Corey LaJoieGO FAS RacingFordRagingBull.com
19*54JJ YeleyRick Ware RacingFord
2015Brennan Poole #Premium MotorsportsChevroletSpartanGo
2152BJ McLeod (i)Rick Ware RacingFord

The Gander RV & Outdoors Series will be starting their season at Daytona for the 21st consecutive season. Last year saw Austin Hill earn his first career win driving the 2018 championship winning truck, the #16 of Hattori Racing Enterprises. Hill returns to the #16 in 2020 where he took the checkered flag four times last year en route to a 5th place points finish. Other returning drivers include series veterans like Johnny Sauter, Brett Moffitt, Ben Rhodes, and now 3-time champion Matt Crafton.

As with most years in the Truck Series recently, the lineup is highlighted by many talented new faces. ARCA Menards Series West series champion Derek Kraus along with team McAnally Hilgemann Racing have expanded to full-time racing for a chase at the Rookie of the Year honors, but they’ll face some tough competition. Kyle Busch Motorsports has an ARCA Menards Series champion of their own in Christian Eckes as well as NASCAR Pinty’s Series winner Raphael Lessard. They’ll be joined later in the year by Chandler Smith, who isn’t old enough to race at speedways like Daytona yet, but does have 7 wins to his name in ARCA competition. Other notable drivers in the ROTY hunt are Tanner Gray, Zane Smith, and Ty Majeski.

The NextEra Energy 250 is on Friday, Feb. 14 at 7:30p ET on FS1.

Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Entry List:

#DriverTeamMakeSponsor
00Angela RuchReaume Brothers RacingChevroletDWF Flooring/Cabinets
2Sheldon CreedGMS RacingChevroletChevy.com/Trench Shoring
02Tate Fogleman #Young's MotorsportsChevroletSolid Rock Carriers
3Jordan AndersonJordan Anderson RacingChevroletK-Seal/Bommarito.com
04Cory RoperRoper RacingFordAlliance Aviation
4Raphael Lessard #Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaJBL
6Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevroletH&H Transport
7Korbin ForristerAll Out MotorsportsToyota50 Egg Music
8John Hunter Nemechek (i)NEMCO MotorsportsFordFire Alarm Services
9Codie RohrbaughCR7 MotorsportsChevroletGCM/CR7 Motorsports
10Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevroletDriven2Honor.org
13Johnny SauterThorSport RacingFordTenda
15Tanner Gray #DGR-CrosleyFordFord/Ford Performance
16Austin HillHattori Racing EnterprisesToyotaUnited Rentals
18Christian Eckes #Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaSafelite AutoGlass
19Derek Kraus #McAnally Hilgemann RacingToyotaSHOCKWAVE
20Spencer BoydYoung's MotorsportsChevroletCuraLife
21Zane Smith #GMS RacingChevroletICON Vehicle Dynamics
22Austin Wayne SelfAM RacingChevroletAM Technical Solutions/GOTEXAN
23Brett MoffittGMS RacingChevroletCMRroofing.com
26Tyler AnkrumGMS RacingChevroletLiuna!
28Bryan DauzatFDNY RacingChevroletFDNY - AMERICAN GENOMICS
30Brennan Poole (i)On Point MotorsportsToyotaSpartan Mosquito
33Jason WhiteReaume Brothers RacingChevroletYour GMC Truck Store
34Josh ReaumeReaume Brothers RacingToyotaMotorsports Safety Grp
38Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFordBlack's Tire
40Ross Chastain (i)Niece MotorsportsChevroletPlan B Sales
44Natalie DeckerNiece MotorsportsChevroletN29 Technologies LLC
45Ty Majeski #Niece MotorsportsChevroletPlan B Sales
49Ray CiccarelliCMI MotorsportsChevroletCMI Motorsports
51Riley Herbst (i)Kyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaMobil 1
52Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyotaHalmar International
56Gus DeanHill MotorsportsChevroletMASHONIT
68Clay GreenfieldClay Greenfield MotorsportsToyotaRackley Roofing
87Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsFordFeeltwing/DAB
88Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFordMold Armor/Menards
96Todd PeckPeck MotorsportsChevroletHolla Vodka
97Jesse Little (i)Diversified Motorsports EnterprisesChevroletTeletrac Navman
98Grant EnfingerThorSport RacingFordChampion/Curb Records
99Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFordFood Lion/Carolina Nut

In the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Cole Custer, Christopher Bell, and champion Tyler Reddick collectively won almost two-thirds of the 33-race schedule. Luckily for the rest of the competition, they have all moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series for 2020. This leaves an opening for new drivers to take over as the new faces of the series. Powerhouse team JR Motorsports remains largely the same with last year’s Daytona winner Michael Annett, series veteran Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, and a fourth team with a rotation of drivers. That fourth team will primarily be shared between Daniel Hemric and Jeb Burton. Hemric, who won Rookie of the Year in Cup last year, will drive the #8 car for a majority of the schedule. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will also run one race later in the year.

Joe Gibbs Racing has two rookies in their lineup this year with Riley Herbst and Harrison Burton. Only Burton has full-time experience at the NASCAR National levels, but both young drivers are filled with talent and potential. With JGR equipment, they will almost surely be in playoff contention. Ross Chastain comes back to full-time Xfinity competition this time with Kaulig Racing, a team that posted two wins in 2019 with two different drivers including Chastain.

The NASCAR Racing Experience 300 is on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2:30p ET on FS1.

Xfinity Series Entry List:

#DriverTeamCarSponsor
0BJ McLeodJD MotorsportsChevroletBTX Global Logistics/Opav
1Michael AnnettJR MotorsportsChevroletAHA/Pilot Flying J
02Brett Moffitt (i)Our MotorsportsChevroletPlan B Sales
4Jesse Little #JD MotorsportsChevroletKSDT/Series Seating
5Matt MillsBJ McLeod MotorsportsToyotaJF Electric
6David StarrJD MotorsportsChevroletWhataburger
7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletBRANDT
07Ray Black IISS Green Light RacingChevroletCDA Tech
08Joe Graf Jr. #SS Green Light RacingChevroletCORE Development Group
8Jeb BurtonJR MotorsportsChevroletLS Tractor
9Noah GragsonJR MotorsportsChevroletTBA
10Ross ChastainKaulig RacingChevroletNutrien Ag Solutions
11Justin HaleyKaulig RacingChevroletLeafFilter Gutter Protection
13Chad FinchumMBM MotorsportsToyotaGarrison Homes
15Robby Lyons IIJD MotorsportsChevroletCSM - Carr & Sons Masonry
16AJ AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevroletEllsworth Advisors
18Riley Herbst #Joe Gibbs RacingToyotaMonster
19Brandon JonesJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaInterstate Batteries
20Harrison Burton #Joe Gibbs RacingToyotaDex Imaging
21Myatt SniderRichard Childress RacingChevroletTaxSlayer
22Austin CindricTeam PenskeFordMoneyLion
25Chris CockrumACG MotorsportsChevroletAdvanced Communications Group
26Colin GarrettSam Hunt RacingToyotaThe Rosie Network
36Alex LabbeDGM RacingChevroletGlobocam/Rousseau
38Jeff GreenRSS RacingChevroletRSS Racing
39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletCMR Roofing
44Tommy Joe MartinsMartins MotorsportsChevroletAAN Adjusters
47Joe Nemechek (i)Mike Harmon RacingChevroletPatriots PAC of America
51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletRepairables.com
52JJ Yeley (i)Means MotorsportsChevroletTBD
61Austin Hill (i)Hattori Racing EnterprisesToyotaAISIN Group
66Timmy HillMBM MotorsportsFordVSI Racing/RoofClaim.com
68Brandon BrownBrandonbilt MotorsportsChevroletLarry's Lemonade
74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingChevroletVeterans 4 Child Rescue
78Vinnie MillerBJ McLeod MotorsportsToyotaUAP.ORG
90Caesar BacarellaDGM RacingChevroletMaxim/Alpha Prime Regimen
92TBADGM RacingChevroletSleep Well/Harkin Construction
93TBARSS RacingChevroeltSci Aps
98Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas RacingFordHighPoint.com
99Josh BilickiBJ McLeod MotorsportsToyotaDITEX Marine/Insurance King

The 62nd Annual Daytona 500 hasn’t taken the green flag yet and already there’s a number of stories headlining Speedweeks. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and JTG Daugherty Racing ended the Hendrick Motorsports streak of five consecutive Daytona 500 Poles. Just the third pole of his career, Stenhouse will lead the field at the start of the Great American Race. He will be joined at the front row by Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, his third consecutive year with that achievement. The rest of the lineup, as explained above, will be decided through Thursday’s Duel races.

Denny Hamlin is the defending Daytona 500 champion after an emotional Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2-3 finish honoring the late JD Gibbs. It triggered the start of a dominant 2019 season for JGR that saw 19 wins in 36 races among 4 drivers, and a series championship. Over the offseason, Joe Gibbs was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020 that also included former Cup champions who drove for Gibbs; Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart. JGR sticks with the same lineup in 2020 but are joined by 16-time Xfinity Series winner and Truck Series champion Christopher Bell through a technical alliance with Leavine Family Racing

The 62nd Annual Daytona 500 is on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2:30p ET on FOX.

Daytona 500 Starting Lineup:

Pos#DriverCarSponsor
147Ricky Stenhouse Jr.ChevroletKroger
288Alex BowmanChevroletValvoline
322Joey LoganoFordShell Pennzoil
424William ByronChevroletAxalta "Color of the Year"
510Aric AlmirolaFordSmithfield
648Jimmie JohnsonChevroletAlly
76Ryan NewmanFordKoch Industries
842Kyle LarsonChevroletCredit One Bank
92Brad KeselowskiFordDiscount Tire
104Kevin HarvickFordBusch Light #PIT4BUSCH
1143Bubba WallaceChevroletUnited States Air Force
1241Cole Custer #FordHaas Automation
133Austin DillonChevroletBass Pro Shops/Tracker OffRoad
1420Erik JonesToyotaDEWALT
1519Martin Truex Jr.ToyotaBass Pro Shops
1621Matt DiBenedettoFordMotorcraft/Quick Lane
1795Christopher Bell #ToyotaProcore
181Kurt BuschChevroletMonster Energy
1917Chris BuescherFordFastenal
2077Ross Chastain (i)ChevroletAdventHealth
2111Denny HamlinToyotaFedEx Express
228Tyler Reddick #ChevroletCaterpillar
2338John Hunter Nemechek #FordCitgard
2413Ty DillonChevroletGEICO
259Chase ElliottChevroletNAPA Auto Parts
2634Michael McDowellFordLove's Travel Stops
2712Ryan BlaneyFordMenards/Peak
2818Kyle BuschToyotaM&M's
2914Clint BowyerFordRush/Mobil 1
3036David RaganFordSelect Blinds
3137Ryan PreeceChevroletCottonelle
32*66Timmy HillFordRoofClaim.com/VSI Racing
33*16Justin Haley (i)ChevroletFraternal Order of Eagles
3415Brennan Poole #ChevroletSpartanGo
3500Quin Houff #ChevroletJacob Companies
3632Corey LaJoieFordRagingBull.com
3751Joey Gase (i)ChevroletEFX Corp.
3852BJ McLeod (i)Ford
39*62Brendan GaughanChevroletBeard Motorsports/South Point
40*27Reed SorensonChevrolet

Author: Tom Bailey

Tom Bailey (@TomBaileyScoop) grew up in the backyard of Chicagoland Speedway, making a passion for all motorsports inevitable. Tom is entering his first full year of racing coverage in 2020 as the owner and founder of InfieldScoop.com. You can contact him at [email protected]

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