Guide to the Gatorade Duels

Are you befuddled by NASCAR's bizarre qualifying format for the Daytona 500? Well fret not, as we have everything you need to know about how the field will come to be set after Thursday's qualifying races.

For starters, 39 drivers are already locked into the field, though only the front row starting positions are actually set. There are 15 drivers vying for the four remaining starting spots.

Daytona 500 starting lineup

The front-row for the Daytona 500 is already locked in based on Feb. 6 qualifying runs.

Based on their finishing order in Duel 1, top 35 drivers plus the two highest non-top 35 drivers will be lined up in odd-number starting positions (3-5-7--39) for the 500. Based on their finishing order in Duel 2, top 35 drivers plus the two highest finishing non-top 35 drivers will get even-number starting positions (4-6-8--38).

The final four spots in the field are filled by the fastest remaining non-top 35 qualifiers from Feb. 6, with the exception of the 43rd position, which would be assigned to an eligible past champion (if needed). Should there not be an eligible past champion, the position will be assigned to the next fastest non-top 35 qualifier not in the field.

Transfer-eligible drivers

Drivers not in the top 35 of owner points (including those already locked into the field based on Feb. 6 qualifying or by the past champion's provisional) are eligible for the two transfer spots in each qualifier. It's the so-called race within the race.

Duel 1 non-top 35 drivers Driver No. Make Qual. speed Bill Elliott 21 Ford 190.573 Joe Nemechek 87 Toyota 189.709 Michael Waltrip 51 Toyota 189.454 Reed Sorenson 32 Toyota 188.391 Max Papis 13 Toyota 188.198 Jeff Fuller 97 Toyota 187.363 Terry Cook 46 Dodge 187.056 Michael McDowell 55 Toyota 185.924 Kirk Shelmerdine 27 Toyota 184.407

Duel 2 non-top 35 drivers Driver No. Make Qual. speed Scott Speed 82 Toyota 189.958 Bobby Labonte (PC) 71 Chevrolet 189.665 Mike Bliss 36 Chevrolet 189.052 Casey Mears 90 Chevrolet 188.300 David Gilliland 49 Toyota 187.766 Aric Almirola 09 Chevrolet 187.278 Dave Blaney 66 Toyota 186.254 Derrike Cope 75 Dodge 185.040 Mike Wallace 92 Dodge 182.678 Norm Benning 57 Chevrolet 180.607

• Bill Elliott and Joe Nemechek from Duel 1 and Scott Speed from Duel 2 are already locked into the Daytona 500 since they were the three fastest non-top 35 qualifiers. Bobby Labonte (Duel 2) is the driver eligible for the past champion's provisional, however, he is also the fourth-fastest non-top 35 qualifier. Without finishing in a transfer spot, none of these four drivers are slated to start better than 40th.
• There are several ways for Michael Waltrip (Duel 1), Mike Bliss (Duel 2), Reed Sorenson (Duel 1) and Casey Mears (Duel 2) to make the Daytona 500 field. The easiest way, of course, is for each driver to finish in one of the two transfer spots in his qualifying race. Barring that ...

	Waltrip: He will make the Daytona 500 based on his speed from qualifying if ... Elliott, Speed, Nemechek or B. Labonte finish in a transfer spot in either qualifying race
	Bliss: He will make the Daytona 500 based on his speed from qualifying if ... The two transfer spots in Duel 1 are filled by Elliott, Nemechek or Waltrip OR At least one of the two transfer spots in Duel 1 is filled by Elliott, Nemechek or Waltrip AND at least one of the two transfer spots in Duel 2 is filled by Speed or B. Labonte OR The two transfer spots in Duel 2 are filled by Speed and B. Labonte
	Sorenson: He will make the Daytona 500 based on his speed from qualifying if ... The two transfer spots in Duel 1 are filled by Elliott, Nemechek or Waltrip AND at least one of the two transfer spots in Duel 2 is filled Speed, B. Labonte or Bliss OR At least one of the two transfer spots in Duel 1 is filled by Elliott, Nemechek or Waltrip AND the two transfer spots in Duel 2 are filled by Speed, B. Labonte or Bliss
	Mears: He will make the Daytona 500 based on his speed from Sunday's qualifying if ... The two transfer spots in Duel 1 are filled by Elliott, Nemechek, Waltrip or Sorenson AND the two transfer spots in Duel 2 are filled by Speed, B. Labonte or Bliss

• All other non-top 35 drivers must finish in one of the two transfer spots in his qualifying race to earn a starting spot in the Daytona 500.

Locked into field (Top 35 owner points)

These drivers are locked into the Daytona 500 by virtue of NASCAR's top 35 owner rule.

Duel 1 top 35 drivers No. Driver Make Owner 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet Teresa Earnhardt 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Mary Hendrick 6 David Ragan Ford John Henry 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota J.D. Gibbs 16 Greg Biffle Ford Jack Roush 18 Kyle Busch Toyota Joe Gibbs 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet Rick Hendrick 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Richard Childress 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Richard Childress 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Richard Childress 34 John Andretti Ford Bob Jenkins 37 Travis Kvapil Ford Doug Yates 38 Robert Richardson Ford Doug Yates 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet Tony Stewart 43 AJ Allmendinger Ford Richard Petty 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Jeff Gordon 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Richard Childress 99 Carl Edwards Ford Jack Roush

Duel 2 top 35 drivers No. Driver Make Owner 00 David Reutimann Toyota Rob Kauffman 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Walter Czarnecki 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Robby Gordon 9 Kasey Kahne Ford George Gillett Jr. 12 Brad Keselowski Dodge Roger Penske 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Margaret Haas 17 Matt Kenseth Ford John Henry 19 Elliott Sadler Ford George Gillett Jr. 20 Joey Logano Toyota Joe Gibbs 26 Boris Said Ford Bill Jenkins 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chevrolet Chip Ganassi 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Tad Geschickter 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota Michael Waltrip 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge Roger Penske 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Dietrich Mateschitz 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Rick Hendrick 98 Paul Menard Ford George Gillett Jr.