Chase Briscoe Grabs Daytona 500 Pole, Helio Castroneves Makes NASCAR Debut
Daytona Beach, FL – Chase Briscoe has secured the coveted pole position for the 67th annual Daytona 500, posting the fastest qualifying time of 49.249 seconds at the iconic Daytona International Speedway.
Briscoe’s impressive run earned him a place on the front row alongside Austin Cindric, who finished qualifying in second place with a time of 49.325 seconds. Together, they will lead the field of 40 drivers in the most prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar.
Daytona Duel Races and Starting Lineup
The full starting lineup for the Daytona 500 will be determined following the two Daytona Duel races on Thursday night. The starting order for the duels is based on Wednesday’s qualifying results, with Briscoe starting first in Duel 1 and Cindric leading Duel 2.
Ryan Preece, who finished third in pole qualifying, will start on the front row of Duel 1, while Joey Logano, who placed fourth, will occupy the same position in Duel 2.
Helio Castroneves Makes NASCAR Debut
Wednesday’s Daytona 500 pole qualifying also marked the NASCAR debut of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves. The legendary open-wheel racer, who is driving for Trackhouse Racing this week, qualified 39th. Castroneves aims to become the first driver to have won the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and the NTT IndyCar Series championship.
NASCAR Legends Participate
Two semi-retired NASCAR champions also took part in Wednesday’s pole qualifying. Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who has won the Daytona 500 twice, qualified 29th driving for Legacy Motor Club, the team he co-owns. Martin Truex Jr., the 2017 Cup champion, qualified 22nd in a one-off deal with Tricon Garage as he seeks his first Daytona 500 victory.
Pole Qualifying Results
Top Two Qualifiers:
- Chase Briscoe, 49.249 seconds
- Austin Cindric, 49.325 seconds
Other Notable Finishers:
- Ryan Preece, 49.405 seconds
- Joey Logano, 49.424 seconds
- Bubba Wallace, 49.466 seconds
- Kyle Larson, 49.477 seconds
- Chris Buescher, 49.544 seconds
How to Watch the Daytona 500
Catch all the action of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 19th, at 2:30 PM ET on FOX.
