The 2021 Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course will have Ryan Blaney and his No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang start on pole position following a random draw and with a new season of NASCAR competition hours away from commencing.
The lineup was determined based on a random draw, which occurred on Daytona International Speedway’s Facebook page on Monday, February 8.
This year’s exhibition event will be the first on Daytona’s road-course layout, with the event to run on 35 laps and divided into two stages. The first stage will conclude on Lap 15 with the final 20 laps to occur in the second stage.
Blaney, who is set to enter his sixth full-time season in the Cup Series, will be making his fourth career start in the Clash. In his previous three Clash starts, he has finished in the top 10 in all starts with a best result of fourth place (twice: 2018 and 2019).
Alex Bowman, who is set to make his first start in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after replacing the retired seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, will start alongside Blaney on the front row. Denny Hamlin, the reigning three-time Daytona 500 champion and three-time Clash winner, will start in third place followed by Brad Keselowski and William Byron.
Tyler Reddick will start in sixth place alongside Chase Elliott, the reigning Cup Series champion. Rounding out the top-10 starting grid are Cole Custer, the reigning Cup Rookie of the Year; Erik Jones, the reigning Clash winner; and Joey Logano, a former winner of the Clash and the Daytona 500.
Rounding out the 21-car starting grid are Ryan Newman, Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, Ty Dillon, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Aric Almirola.
All 21 competitors met the eligibility criteria to participate in the event: 2020 Busch Pole Award winners, former winners of the Busch Clash, former Daytona 500 champions, former Daytona 500 pole winners (all as full-time Cup competitors), 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff competitors, 2020 Cup race winners and 2020 Cup stage winners.
The 2021 Busch Clash at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course will occur on Tuesday, February 9, at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.
