Thanks to Wednesday night’s pole qualifying, we know who will start on the front row for the 68th annual Daytona 500. Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch will lead the field for Sunday’s 500-mile race at Daytona International Speedway.
Alongside Busch’s Richard Childress Motorsports Chevrolet will be Chase Briscoe in the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Briscoe missed out by less than two-hundredths of a second to Busch for pole position.
Thursday night in Daytona Beach it was all about sorting out the rest of the order.
Busch led the field in Duel 1 with the starting order for the inside lane on the line from Daytona International Speedway. Ford-powered cars quickly took the lead with Ryan Preece and Chris Buescher pacing the field.
But late contact between Noah Gragson and Casey Mears brought out a caution period, forcing an overtime finish. Another wreck started by Bubba Wallace’s spin meant a jumbled finish led by Joey Logano. The three-time Cup Series champion will line up behind Busch for Sunday’s race.
The second Duel at Daytona was far less eventful. Briscoe held the lead for most of the 60-lap race. The pit stops jumbled the order and Chase Elliott made a late charge past Carson Hocevar for the win. Elliott will start Sunday’s race behind Briscoe.
Here’s the final starting order – and a recap of what happened Thursday from Daytona.
Daytona 500 starting grid
- Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing
- Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
- Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske
- Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports
- Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske
- Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports
- Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing
- Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports
- Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing
- Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports
- John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club
- Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
- Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing
- Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing
- Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports
- Casey Mears, No. 66 Garage 66
- Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports
- Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing
- Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
- Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team
- Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club
- Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing
- Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing
- Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing
- Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports
- Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Legacy Motor Club
- Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing
- Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing
- Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing
- AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing
- Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske
- Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing
- Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports
- William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports
- Justin Allgaier, No. 40 JR Motorsports
- Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing
Daytona Duel 2 update: Chase Elliott ekes out victory
The Hendrick Motorsports driver made it through the field and held the lead into the last lap over Carson Hocevar. Elliott managed to keep Hocevar at bay entering the final turns and didn’t let the Spire Motorsports driver get a run on him to end the race.
Daytona Duel 2 update: Hocevar leads entering final 10-lap stretch
Nine laps remain in Duel 2 at Daytona. After the field made its pit stops, Carson Hocevar emerged as the leader and paces the field from the front ahead of Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Michael McDowell and Tyler Reddick.
Daytona Duel 2 update: Briscoe holding lead ahead of pit stops
As we reach Lap 40, Briscoe continues to hold the lead out front. Hamlin’s dropped back slightly to fifth with Ty Dillon and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as the main challengers to Briscoe at the front.
Daytona Duel 2 update: Briscoe, Hamlin leading the way
We are one-third of the way through the second Daytona Duel of the night and second-place qualifier Chase Briscoe continues to hold the lead. Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson round out the top five.
Daytona Duel 2: Chase Briscoe leads the green flag racing
The second Duel at Daytona is underway from Daytona International Speedway with Briscoe leading after qualifying second.
Daytona Duel 1 update: Joey Logano wins under caution
The Team Penske driver made his way to the front during the big wreck by Wallace and held on for his fourth Duel win. Logano will start from third position on Sunday’s race on the inside track behind polesitter Busch.
Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, John Hunter Nemechek and Brad Keselowski round out the top five of Duel 1. Casey Mears made a last-lap push during the Duel to make it into the Daytona 500 for Garage 66 Ford.
Daytona Duel 1 update: Race heads to overtime after big wreck
With less than 10 laps to go, Bubba Wallace got spun out in his 23XI Racing Toyota and collected multiple cars in the Duel 1 race. The running order looks much different but Fords remain in front with Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney pacing the field ahead of an overtime sprint to the finish.
Daytona Duel 1 update: Mears, Gragson contact brings out caution
Casey Mears and Noah Gragson decided to pit on Lap 46 and made contact entering pit road. Mears locked up his brakes and lost control, spinning into Gragson as the two went to take on fuel. The race is now under caution.
Daytona Duel 1 update: Fords continue to pace the field
Ryan Preece remains in the lead of Duel 1 on Lap 40 ahead of Chris Buescher, Corey LaJoie and Brad Keselowski with the lone pit stop of the race looming.
Daytona Duel 1 update: Preece, Buescher leading the way
A third of the way through the first Duel race, it’s a competition between Ford-powered drivers. Ryan Preece, winner of the Cook Out Clash, currently leads the way over Chris Buescher. Corey LaJoie, Brad Keselowski and John Hunter Nemechek round out the top five.
Daytona Duel 1: Green flag racing is on
The field is roaring around the Daytona International Speedway to determine half of the running order for Sunday’s race with Kyle Busch leading the way.
What are the Duels at Daytona? What to know about unique qualifying
For the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500 uses a unique qualifying format. Things start off with the usual time-based format last night for pole qualifying. From there, everything changes.
The Duels at Daytona use two 60-lap races to set the grid. Duel 1, led by the pole winner from pole qualifying, features the odd-numbered finishers from qualifying. The finishing order from Duel 1 will determine the inside lane order for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Duel 2, led by the second-fastest driver in pole qualifying, includes the even-numbered finishers from the qualifying session. This race’s finishing order determines the outside lane order for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
How to watch the Duels at Daytona: Time, TV channel, live stream
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 12
- Duel 1 Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Duel 2 Time: 8:45 p.m. ET (approximate)
- TV: FS1 (both duel races)
- Streaming: Fubo, FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app
Watch the 2026 Daytona Duels with Fubo
What time do the Duels at Daytona start?
Following an electric night at Daytona 500 qualifying, the Duels at Daytona will get started on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. The Duel 2 race will kick off roughly at 8:45 p.m. ET.
Daytona 500 final qualifying round results
Wednesday night’s Daytona 500 final qualifying round results:
- Kyle Busch (49.006)
- Chase Briscoe (49.023)
- Ryan Preece (49.061)
- Denny Hamlin (49.100)
- Corey Heim (49.148)
- Alex Bowman (49.152)
- Kyle Larson (49.158)
- Chris Buescher (49.184)
- Chase Elliott (49.220)
- Joey Logano (49.275)
Daytona 500 odds
- Ryan Blaney (+1200)
- Joey Logano (+1200)
- William Byron (+1400)
- Denny Hamlin (+1400)
- Austin Cindric, Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch at +1600
Justin Allgaier qualifies for Daytona 500 as open driver
Justin Allgaier locked in a spot for the 2026 Daytona 500 after finishing the first round of qualifying with a time of 49.201. He also bumped Corey LaJoie out of the top 10.
Allgaier was also bumped out of the top 10 moments later after Joey Logano (49.138) jumped into the top 10. Regardless of his placement at the end of the round, Allgaier secured a spot in the Daytona 500 as one of the two fastest non-chartered drivers along with Corey Heim.