The Situation: Following Final Practice/Qualifying, the field is set. The Top 20 are locked in. The remaining 18 cars must fight for only TWO transfer spots in the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ).
Notable Drivers in LCQ Danger:
Top 20 advance directly to Main Event. 21-38 sent to LCQ. Data provided by NASCAR Statistics (Feb 4, 3:31 PM).
| Pos | Car | Driver | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Kyle Larson | 14.137 | LOCKED IN |
| 2 | 24 | William Byron | 14.141 | LOCKED IN |
| 3 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | 14.146 | LOCKED IN |
| 4 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | 14.147 | LOCKED IN |
| 5 | 20 | Christopher Bell | 14.150 | LOCKED IN |
| 6 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | 14.151 | LOCKED IN |
| 7 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 14.153 | LOCKED IN |
| 8 | 17 | Chris Buescher | 14.167 | LOCKED IN |
| 9 | 1 | Ross Chastain | 14.184 | LOCKED IN |
| 10 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 14.195 | LOCKED IN |
| 11 | 9 | Chase Elliott | 14.198 | LOCKED IN |
| 12 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | 14.204 | LOCKED IN |
| 13 | 8 | Kyle Busch | 14.209 | LOCKED IN |
| 14 | 22 | Joey Logano | 14.211 | LOCKED IN |
| 15 | 3 | Austin Dillon | 14.213 | LOCKED IN |
| 16 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | 14.215 | LOCKED IN |
| 17 | 97 | Shane Van Gisbergen | 14.231 | LOCKED IN |
| 18 | 60 | Ryan Preece | 14.234 | LOCKED IN |
| 19 | 88 | Connor Zilisch | 14.237 | LOCKED IN |
| 20 | 7 | Daniel Suarez | 14.242 | LOCKED IN |
| 21 | 21 | Josh Berry | 14.243 | LCQ |
| 22 | 71 | Michael McDowell | 14.245 | LCQ |
| 23 | 2 | Austin Cindric | 14.263 | LCQ |
| 24 | 6 | Corey LaJoie | 14.272 | LCQ |
| 25 | 48 | Alex Bowman | 14.290 | LCQ |
| 26 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 14.299 | LCQ |
| 27 | 51 | Cody Ware | 14.314 | LCQ |
| 28 | 16 | AJ Allmendinger | 14.323 | LCQ |
| 29 | 41 | Cole Custer | 14.334 | LCQ |
| 30 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | 14.351 | LCQ |
| 31 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | 14.372 | LCQ |
| 32 | 10 | Ty Dillon | 14.392 | LCQ |
| 33 | 4 | Noah Gragson | 14.413 | LCQ |
| 34 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 14.448 | LCQ |
| 35 | 38 | Zane Smith | 14.455 | LCQ |
| 36 | 43 | Erik Jones | 14.493 | LCQ |
| 37 | 66 | Chad Finchum | 14.515 | LCQ |
| 38 | 50 | Burt Myers | 15.024 | LCQ |
The Data: According to the Goodyear Tire Manual, pressure at Bowman Gray builds by 23 PSI during a run. Teams use dry nitrogen because moisture in standard air vaporizes at race temps, violating "Boyle's Law" and causing erratic pressure spikes [Source 168].
The Risk: 11°F lows create a risk of rotors cracking when heated rapidly. Impound Trap: Teams cannot swap cracked rotors between Qualifying and the Race without NASCAR approval. Crew Chief Adam Stevens calls it a "can of worms."
The Setup: HP is up from 670 to 750HP. JGR teams (like Bell and Hamlin) may run left-side tires at single-digit PSI (flat) to maximize contact patch grip in the cold [Source 269].
NASCAR's first weekly track (est. 1949). The 0.25-mile oval wraps around a football field. Fans are so close they can "seemingly reach out and slap cars as they soar by" [Source 107].
Alcohol is NOT sold in the general stands. Beer is only available in the designated "Beer Garden" area near Turn 1 (Must be 21+). Lawn chairs are prohibited [Source 111].
Earplugs: Highly recommended; the stadium acoustics make it "LOUD. Like, LOUD."
Weather: Wintry mix forecast for 8 PM. Dress in layers.