Travis Pastrana made the Daytona 500.
For most full-time NASCAR teams, qualifying for the Daytona 500 is a formality. Get out there, run the laps, then start wherever after this week's heat races. The main event is such a different animal from others on the calendar that the starting position doesn't quite matter. For the six one-off entries, though, it's a lot harder. There are 42 cars entered for the race, but NASCAR only lets 40 start.
Jimmie Johnson, on his return to part-time competition after two years in IndyCars, and Travis Pastrana, the motocross/rally/gymkhana/action sports star,The only drivers to lock in starting positions for the 500 were Alex Bowman, who will start on pole, and his Hendrick teammate Kyle Larson, who will start second. The rest of the field's exact starting position will be locked in during the Duel races.
It's not a huge shock that Johnson, now driving for Legacy Motor Club, the team he's a part-owner in, made the field. But Pastrana, who has never driven a Cup car, made a hell of a run to get locked in the show. It does help that he's driving for 23XI, the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, and had Kurt Busch to mentor him, but it's still impressive.
The other four cars vying for the final two spots–Zane Smith, Austin Hill, Chandler Smith, and IndyCar driver Conor Daly–will have to get in based on how they finish in the duel races this week.
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