<Li> 2017 -- present :* Unlike previous years , the starting field for the 2017 Clash will not be a predetermined number of cars ; rather , the field is limited to drivers who meet more exclusive criteria . Only drivers who were 2016 Pole Award winners , former Clash race winners , former Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full - time in 2016 , and drivers who qualified for the 2016 Chase are eligible . It should be noted that in the 2017 Clash , Daniel Suarez was allowed to race since Joe Gibbs Racing already had a car prepared for Carl Edwards who surprisingly retired just a month before the race . </Li>
who gets to race in the daytona clash
drivers who were 2016 Pole Award winners , former Clash race winners , former Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full - time in 2016 , and drivers who qualified for the 2016 Chase