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Daytona 500 2012 Qualifying: Regan Smith Among Last Qualified Racers On Sunday

The 2012 Daytona 500 Qualifying event begins at 11:00 a.m. MT and Denver-based Furniture Row Racing's Regan Smith will be the 29th racer to take part in the event. What this event actually determines is the pole position and the outside pole position for the Daytona 500 next Sunday. The top 35 racers (see below) are all qualified for the race while the 13 after them are vying for three guaranteed spots. For the rest of the qualified field, starting position will be determined by Thursday's Gatorade Duels. Those non-qualified racers will wait for the Duels, as well, for a chance to make it into the race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole in 2011 and Jeff Gordon took the No. 2 spot. Regan Smith finished in 28th place, but he started in fifth place with his performance in the Gatorade Duels.

Here is the order for the 35 qualified drivers:

  1. Paul Menard
  2. Jamie McMurray
  3. Kurt Busch
  4. Casey Mears
  5. Carl Edwards
  6. Joey Logano
  7. Denny Hamlin
  8. Ryan Newman
  9. Greg Biffle
  10. Marcos Ambrose
  11. Tony Stewart
  12. Danica Patrick
  13. Brad Keselowski
  14. Aric Almirola
  15. Bobby Labonte
  16. Jeff Gordon
  17. Jeff Burton
  18. Kevin Harvick
  19. Juan Pablo Montoya
  20. AJ Allmendinger
  21. Elliott Sadler
  22. Kyle Busch
  23. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  24. Jimmie Johnson
  25. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  26. Landon Cassill
  27. Martin Truex Jr.
  28. Matt Kenseth
  29. Regan Smith
  30. Mark Martin
  31. Kasey Kahne
  32. Clint Bowyer
  33. David Reutimann
  34. David Ragan
  35. David Gilliland

And here are those that can pick up one of three spots based on speed:

  1. Joe Nemechek
  2. Trevor Bayne
  3. Michael Waltrip
  4. Kenny Wallace
  5. Dave Blaney
  6. Tony Raines
  7. Mike Wallace
  8. Terry Labonte
  9. Robert Richardson Jr.
  10. JJ Yeley
  11. Robby Gordon
  12. David Stremme
  13. Michael McDowell

For more on the Daytona 500, check out SB Nation NASCAR's extensive coverage.