RFK Racing Strategic Move: RFK Racing unveiled its strategy for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series with an expansion to three cars set for the Daytona 500 kick-off in mid-February at Daytona International Speedway.
The No. 60 Ford joins their lineup, and veteran driver David Ragan is slated to qualify this car. Last year marked Ragan’s first Cup Series season without any starts since 2005.
However, the No. 60 Ford, unlike RFK Racing’s chartered entries (No. 6 for Brad Keselowski and No. 17 for Chris Buescher), isn’t automatically locked into the 200-lap Daytona 500.
With 36 chartered entries guaranteed, only four spots remain for non-chartered cars. Presently, the No. 60 Ford is one of two non-chartered cars, but that’s likely to shift as the event nears in early December.
The Daytona 500 qualifying process is unique, with more than four non-chartered entries vying for final spots, a scenario that keeps at least one car out, making the race day lineup anything but straightforward.
Non-chartered cars have two avenues to qualify: via a single-car qualifying session or the Bluegreen Vacations Duels races.
The two fastest non-chartered cars in the single-car session secure spots, while the highest-finishing non-chartered cars in each Duel also qualify. If a car secures two spots, the second one goes to the next fastest non-chartered car from the single-car session.
For non-chartered cars, starting positions are determined differently. Those qualifying on speed start at the back (39th and 40th), while those making it via the Duels start based on Duel race finishes.
Among the 36 chartered cars, the top two from single-car qualifying don’t fret over the Duels, as they secure the front row spots.
It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see teams like 23XI Racing, Kaulig Racing, or Legacy Motor Club field additional entries, potentially pushing the list past 40. There’s also anticipation for one-offs like Beard Motorsports entering the mix.
Another non-chartered car on the Daytona 500 list is Live Fast Motorsports’ No. 78 Chevrolet, steered by team co-owner B.J. McLeod. While they’re on the list, neither McLeod nor Ragan is officially locked into the race.
The No. 78 Chevrolet was a chartered entry for three years, but the team sold its charter to Spire Motorsports for about $40 million. They’ll still race partially in 2024, starting at Daytona.
Spire Motorsports now holds three charters instead of two: No. 7 for Corey LaJoie, No. 77 for rookie Carson Hocevar, and the newly added No. 71 for rookie Zane Smith from Trackhouse Racing Team. All three are locked into the Daytona 500.
ALSO READ: David Ragan Returns for Daytona 500: RFK Racing’s #Stage60 Initiative
Our Reader’s Queries
Who owns RFK Racing?
Brad Keselowski became a driver and co-owner of the team in 2021, taking the wheel of the No. 6 Ford Mustang in the NCS. The team underwent a rebranding to Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (RFK) to reflect the addition of Keselowski’s ownership. This brought together three legendary names in the racing world – Jack Roush, John Henry (Fenway), and Brad Keselowski.
What is RFK Racing stand for?
The RFK Racing Team boasts an impressive record of eight driver’s championships and 324 victories. Some of the most notable drivers to have raced under the RFK Racing banner include Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and currently Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher. With such a talented roster of drivers, it’s no wonder that the RFK Racing Team has achieved such great success.
What Nascar team is RFK Racing?
Originally known as Roush Racing, the team underwent a name change in 2007 to Roush Fenway Racing when John W. Henry and the Fenway Sports Group became co-owners. In 2022, the team was renamed RFK Racing after Brad Keselowski joined as a co-owner.