Busch and Briscoe Share Daytona 500 Front Row and Duel Drama
Could this finally be Kyle Busch’s year?
Things are heating up ahead of this weekend’s Daytona 500, the official start of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Kyle Busch, who has won just about everything besides a Daytona 500, won the pole. It’s his first Daytona 500 pole, and one step closer to winning the race that has eluded him for over 20 years. He shares the front row with Chase Briscoe, who has earned his share of pole awards since moving to Joe Gibbs Racing last year.
The Daytona 500 is unique in that much of the field is set by the twin 150 mile duel races after qualifying. The duels also serve to give unchartered cars a shot at earning a place on the starting grid. In the first duel, the battle for that open spot was a tight one between Casey Mears, Corey LaJoie, and Chandler Smith. After an early hiccup entering pit road, it seemed like Casey Mears was out of contention. LaJoie and Smith hung around the front, within one or two spots of each other for much of the race.
However, after a pair of accidents wiped out both cars, Mears would finish the best of the open cars as Joey Logano took the checkered flag during an overtime finish. LaJoie in particular looked dejected as he exited his damaged car. He was one lap away from racing on Sunday. Let’s hope he gets more opportunities to show what he can do in quality equipment.
The second duel was much more subdued, with no accidents or cautions. Chase Elliott won, and Anthony Alfredo raced his way in. However, after inspection, he was disqualified for improperly installed cooling hoses. Instead, BJ McLeod will race on Sunday, his first Daytona 500 since 2023. In this case, all of the drama happened off track.
The Daytona 500 is set to start at 2:30 PM this Sunday, but there’s rain in the forecast. There is a decent chance that the race may be delayed and end late. Regardless, it’s the biggest race of the year, and we’re excited to follow another season of the sport we love right here at RacingJunk.
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