Daytona sees 41 cars entered. The season’s first race, the Daytona 500, had 44 entries.

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Considering the offseason changes wrought by NASCAR, it’s no surprise that fewer cars attempt to make the field each week. The charter system guarantees weekly starting positions for 36 cars. A reduction in field size to 40 cars, down three from previous years, ensured fewer start-and-park teams. In fact, four races went off with 39 cars, less than a full field. That was unheard of before the charter scheme was implemented.

In addition to the Daytona 500, NASCAR had more than 40 cars entered at Richmond, Talladega and Sonoma.

The bigger change was reduction in money headed to teams without charters. With less money on the line, so-called open teams found it prohibitive to run a race car.

So while it’s great that open teams now have a chance to race in all 10 Chase races, just like the chartered teams, it means little in reality. Barring a sudden surge of Team Acme and Joe Racer showing up and stealing a qualifying spot from an industrious open team, most of the season’s usual suspects were going to make the 10 Chase races anyway.

Admittedly, it’s possible an open team could fail to qualify. But with so few entries, that possibility is remote.

For instance, Ryan Blaney drives for Wood Brothers Racing, an open team and defiantly proud of it. Only three teams all season has Blaney qualified in the bottom half of the field. Last week at Sonoma, he started 26th. He lowest starting position: 29th at Richmond.

Blaney is 17th in the Chase standings. Next closest is Cole Whitt of Premium Motorsports, in 35th. It’s quite possible no open team will make the Chase.

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The charter system is great for the big teams and others who raced every week to earn their places among the anointed 36. But for low-budget and admittedly back-marker teams, it has made Sprint Cup competition a losing proposition.

Here are the entries for July 2’s race at Daytona, the Coke Zero 400. Race time is about 7:45 p.m. ET.