What Channel Is the Daytona 500 Qualifying on
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The Daytona 500 will kick off the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season and feature a mix of new teams like Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing along with more established units such as Hendrick Motorsports, home to defending series champion Chase Elliott.
This year's Daytona 500, the 63rd running of The Great American Race, is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 14, with a start time of 2:30 p.m. ET. TV coverage will be on FOX, with live streaming on FOX Sports Go and the radio call on MRN.
The Daytona 500 culminates Speedweeks, a full schedule of practice, qualifying and racing that includes action from all three NASCAR national series, as well as the ARCA Menards Series. Below is all you need to know for watching the Daytona 500, NASCAR's crown jewel race:
When is the Daytona 500 in 2021?
- Date: Sunday, Feb. 14
- Start time: 2:30 p.m. ET
- TV channel: FOX
- Live stream: Fox Sports Go
- Radio: MRN
The FOX broadcast will feature a new voice in the booth as former Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer joins NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon and veteran play-by-play announcer Mike Joy. FOX is returning to a three-person booth after one year with a two-man setup following the retirement of Darrell Waltrip.
Bowyer and Gordon developed a rapport during broadcasts of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series last season when NASCAR paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. FOX is looking to bring that banter over to NASCAR broadcasts as anticipation builds for the unpredictable Bowyer's booth debut.
Larry McReynolds, America's favorite crew chief, will continue to provide analysis for the FOX Sports booth from the network's Charlotte studios.
Daytona 500 2021 TV schedule
The Daytona 500 culminates Daytona Speedweeks presented by Advent Health, six days of NASCAR action that starts on Tuesday, Feb. 9 with the Busch Clash at Daytona. The 43rd annual exhibition race will run on the 14-turn, 3.61-mile Daytona Road Course for the first time, and it will start under the lights at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. NASCAR drivers can qualify for the Busch Clash in a number of different ways.
Practices and qualifying sessions will return at Daytona. Last season, practices were canceled and lineups were set first by draw and then by a mathematical formula during the COVID-19 pandemic. This season, there will be practice and qualifying at select events, including the Daytona 500, as NASCAR continues to work with state, local and federal officials to ensure the safety of its competitors and spectators.
Here's a look at the full Cup Series schedule of events for Speedweeks:
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Tuesday, Feb. 9
| Event | Start time | TV channel | Live stream | Radio |
| Busch Clash at Daytona | 7 p.m. ET | FS1 | Fox Sports Go | MRN |
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Wednesday, Feb. 10
| Event | Start time | TV channel | Live stream | Radio |
| First practice | 12:05 p.m. ET | FS1 | Fox Sports Go | N/A |
| Qualifying | 7 p.m. ET | FS1 | Fox Sports Go | MRN |
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Thursday, Feb. 11
| Event | Start time | TV channel | Live stream | Radio |
| Duels at Daytona | 7 p.m. ET | FS1 | Fox Sports Go | MRN |
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Saturday, Feb. 13
| Event | Start time | TV channel | Live stream | Radio |
| Second practice | 9:30 a.m. ET | FS2 | Fox Sports Go | N/A |
| Final practice | 12:05 p.m. ET | FS1 | Fox Sports Go | N/A |
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Sunday, Feb. 14
| Event | Start time | TV channel | Live stream | Radio |
| Daytona 500 | 2:30 p.m. ET | FOX | Fox Sports Go | MRN |
Daytona 500 2021 qualifying
Setting the lineup is different for the Daytona 500 than any other NASCAR national series event. Busch Pole Qualifying, set for 7 p.m. ET Wednesday, Feb. 10, on FS1, will determine the front row for the main event. The two fastest times from single-car qualifying will line up on Row 1 on Sunday for the Daytona 500.
The rest of the lineup will mostly be determined by results of Thursday's Bluegreen Vacations Duels, starting at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. The winner of Duel 1 will line up in Row 2 behind the polesitter, with subsequent finishers in Duel 1 filling the odd-numbered slots throughout the 40-car field.
Meanwhile, the winner of Duel 2 will line up in Row 2 behind the second-fastest car in qualifying, with subsequent Duel 2 finishers filling out the rest of the even-numbered slots. The top Open (non-chartered) cars in Duel 1 and Duel 2 will fill the next slots, with any remaining open spots being filled by the best qualifiers.
All of this will lead to a full lineup for Sunday's Daytona 500 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
Daytona 500 2021 entry list
This Daytona 500 entry list is unofficial and subject to change:
| No. | Driver | Team |
| 00 | Quin Houff | StarCom Racing |
| 1 | Kurt Busch | Chip Gannasi Racing |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske |
| 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 6 | Ryan Newman | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 7 | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports |
| 8 | Tyler Reddick | Richard Childress Racing |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske |
| 14 | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 15 | Derrike Cope | Rick Ware Racing |
| 16* | Kaz Grala | Kaulig Racing |
| 17 | Chris Buescher | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske |
| 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing |
| 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 33* | Austin Cindric | Team Penske |
| 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports |
| 36* | David Ragan | Front Row Motorsports |
| 37* | Ryan Preece | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 38 | Anthony Alfredo | Front Row Motorsports |
| 41 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 42 | Ross Chastain | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 43 | Erik Jones | Richard Petty Motorsports |
| 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 49* | Chad Finchum | MBM Motorsports |
| 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing |
| 52 | Josh Bilicki | Rick Ware Racing |
| 53 | TBD | Rick Ware Racing |
| 62* | Noah Gragson | Beard Oil Motorsports |
| 66* | Timmy Hill | MBM Motorsports |
| 77 | Jamie McMurray | Spire Motorsports |
| 78 | B.J. McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports |
| 96* | Ty Dillon | Gaunt Brothers Racing |
| 99 | Daniel Suarez | Trackhouse Racing Team |
* = Will likely need to race way into Daytona 500
What Channel Is the Daytona 500 Qualifying on
Source: https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2021/01/20/when-is-daytona-500-2021-date-start-time-tv-schedule/