On Wednesday, 45 drivers will qualify for the 67th annual Daytona 500. Nine open cars – including Helio Castroneves, who is guaranteed a starting spot even if he does not qualify via qualifying or the duels – will vie for four spots in Sunday’s ‘Great American Race’. Here’s everything you need to know before Daytona 500 qualifying.
Will Chevy dominance continue?
Over the last 12 years, Chevrolet has won 11 of the 12 pole awards for the Daytona 500. Joey Logano broke Chevy’s streak in 2024, but the bowtie brigade will undoubtedly be the favorite to lock out the front row for Sunday’s race. Eight different Chevy drivers have won the Daytona 500 pole over the last 12 years, and a new face could grace the front row this season.
Ford looks to carry speed into the new year
While Logano won the pole for the 2024 Daytona 500, a fellow Ford – Front Row Motorsports’ No. 34 with driver Michael McDowell – won the pole position for the other five superspeedway races, including the Cup Series’ return to Daytona in August. If there’s a manufacturer that can usurp Chevrolet’s position atop the scoring pylon, it’s Ford. McDowell is now with Chevy and Spiee Motorsports, but Front Row’s three cars have a great chance to take his place. The defending pole winner and Cup Series champion in Logano will look to win another Daytona 500 pole, and he may be Ford’s best chance to be the premier manufacturer on the starting grid.
How do open cars stack up?
The aforementioned Castroneves is the only safe open car. The other eight – Corey LaJoie, Justin Allgaier, J.J. Yeley, Martin Truex Jr., Anthony Alfredo, Chandler Smith, B.J. McLeod and Jimmie Johnson – will have to find their way into the race the hard way. The two fastest open cars on Wednesday will be in the Daytona 500 automatically, with the highest-finishing open car in each duel race on Thursday earning the final two spots.
Castroneves’ No. 91, (Trackhouse Racing) Allgaier’s No. 40, (JR Motorsports) and Truex Jr.’s No. 56 (TRICON Garage) will likely be the fastest open cars. Yeley, Alfredo, Smith, McLeod and Johnson will have a tougher road to the 500 in both qualifying on Wednesday and the duel races on Thursday. For the five drivers mentioned, the duel races are likely their best chance of making the show.
Which underdogs can make a push for the pole?
The answer to this question seems somewhat obvious: Front Row Motorsports. Noah Gragson, (No. 4) Todd Gilliland (No. 34) and Zane Smith (No. 38) have the best chance to take down the big dogs of Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports to earn the pole. Michael McDowell took Front Row’s No. 34 to the front row a year ago, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and HYAK Racing won the pole in 2020. Samller teams may not have the raw horsepower and speed of the top teams, but keep an eye on Front Row – and other underdog teams – to spoil the party on Wednesday.
Daytona 500 Qualifying Schedule:
Wednesday – Qualifying: 8:15 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Thursday – Duel 1: 7 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Duel 2: 8:45 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
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