NASCAR announced two more Daytona 500 entries will drop to the rear of the field for Sunday’s race after parts changes – and one of the teams, the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet squad of Erik Jones, will also start from the rear the following week at the Daytona Road Course.
Jones (engine change; qualified: 31st) and Martin Truex Jr., who drives the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (radiator/oil cooler change; qualified: 26th), join six additional cars moving to the rear.
The No. 43 team violated Rule 20.6.1.2.e (Single Engine Rule) of the NASCAR Rule Book, which states that if a team swaps engines in the primary car after the Duel races, the team is subject to moving to the rear of the field for both the Daytona 500 and the ensuing race. This rule is in place to prevent teams from having an engine only used for qualifying.
MORE: Full Daytona 500 starting lineup
The remaining six cars previously announced incurred damage in Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacation Duel races and will switch to a backup entry.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman is on the Busch Pole. His teammate, William Byron, will officially be credited with a second-place starting position, although he’s among those who will drop to the back after the Thursday night wreck in Duel 2.
MORE: Duel 2 wreck crunches No. 24 of front-row starter Byron
- Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Team Penske Ford (qualified: 24th)
- Kaz Grala, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet (qualified: 40th)
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (qualified: 6th)
- William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (qualified: 2nd)
- Anthony Alfredo, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (qualified: 36th)
- Cole Custer, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (qualified: 27th)
- Ross Chastain, No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (qualified: 34th)
RELATED: 23XI Racing Toyota to start from rear