Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe will start first and second, respectively, in the 2026 Daytona 500 after qualifying runs at Daytona International Speedway. Busch earned the pole position with a lap time of 49.006 seconds, reaching speeds of 183.925 MPH during the final qualifying round on Wednesday night.
Busch’s Milestone and Briscoe’s Front-Row Success
This pole position marks Busch’s 35th career NASCAR Cup Series pole and his first since May 2024 at Dover. Briscoe will occupy the outside front row for the second race in a row, demonstrating consistency near the front of the field.
Additional Qualifiers and Upcoming Duel Races
Corey Heim and Justin Allgaier also secured spots among the fastest drivers from open teams, guaranteeing their participation in the Daytona 500. The remainder of the lineup, covering rows two through twenty-one, will be finalized following the 150-mile Duel races on Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway. The top finishing open-team driver in each Duel will also earn a spot in the race.
Daytona 500 Broadcast Details
The Daytona 500 is set to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday and will be broadcast on FOX, drawing attention from NASCAR fans across the country.
