NASCAR team aiming for first Daytona 500 start in five years

As a dedicated NASCAR enthusiast with years of following the sport under my belt, I can’t help but feel a twinge of nostalgia as MBM Motorsports prepares for their return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025. Having been a part of the series since 2020, missing out on the Daytona 500 has always left a void in my heart. But now, with the team aiming for their first appearance in five years, I can’t help but feel hopeful for a successful comeback.

The team’s struggle to qualify for the “Great American Race” in recent years is well documented, but this time around, they have their sights set on the No. 66 Ford making an appearance at Daytona International Speedway. With up to ten open cars vying for the final four spots in the 40-car field, it’s going to be a fierce battle – one that I’m eagerly anticipating.

I remember vividly Timmy Hill qualifying for the race back in 2020 and finishing in 27th place after a late DNF. Those were exciting times, and I can only imagine the adrenaline rush that the team must be feeling as they prepare for this upcoming season.

As a fan, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that MBM Motorsports will make it into the 2025 Daytona 500. The single-car qualifying session and the Bluegreen Vacations Duel races promise to be nail-biting events, and I can hardly wait to see how it all unfolds.

And as a final thought, let me just say that if MBM Motorsports were to win the Daytona 500, I wouldn’t be surprised if they started selling tickets for the victory lap in advance – there would be so many fans clamoring to get a piece of the action!

MBM Motorsports skipped the entire NASCAR Cup Series in 2023, but they came back for 13 races in 2024, starting from the March race held at Circuit of the Americas. They chose not to participate in the qualifying round for the season-opening Daytona 500 that took place at Daytona International Speedway.

Since 2020, the team owned by Carl Long hasn’t participated in the “Great American Race.” However, they did compete on a full-time basis within the series without a charter during that year. Timmy Hill managed to qualify for the race and was ranked 27th before retiring late from the competition.

In 2021, neither Hill nor Garrett Smithley managed to make it to the race with MBM Motorsports. Interestingly enough, in 2022, teammates Hill and J.J. Yeley were the only ones among them who didn’t qualify for a race.

MBM Motorsports aiming for first Daytona 500 in five years

The team hasn’t announced the driver for next month’s 200-lap race at the Daytona Beach, Florida oval yet, but they are preparing to enter the No. 66 Ford in the competition. Their aim is to participate in approximately 20 out of the 36 races scheduled for 2025.

To compete in the Daytona 500, an unchartered racing team must either achieve a high enough speed during individual time trials or secure a position through the results of one of the two Bluegreen Vacations Duel races.

As reported by Jayski, it’s possible that up to ten unassigned vehicles might compete for the remaining four spots in the 40-car lineup; however, the thirty-six cars with guaranteed spots have already been secured.

In simpler terms, the two quickest cars in the one-on-one qualifying round automatically secure their spots, and so do the top performers from the subsequent races called “Duel” races. If a driver manages to qualify twice (once in the single-car session and once in a Duel race), this priority is given to the spot earned in the Duel race. In case of another qualification by the same driver in the single-car session, the next fastest car from that round would then secure its spot.

2025’s Daytona 500 qualifying round will happen on Wednesday, February 12. The two Bluegreen Vacations Duel races are set for Thursday, February 13 at 7:00 PM Eastern Time (airing on Fox). Lastly, the main event, the 67th Daytona 500, is scheduled for Sunday, February 16 at 2:30 PM Eastern Time (also on Fox).

2024-12-31 15:02

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