Kyle Busch, driving the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, claimed the pole position for the 68th running of the Daytona 500 with a fastest lap of 49.006 seconds during the second round of qualifying. The 40-year-old driver from Las Vegas, Nevada, led Chevrolet back to the top of the qualifying charts as the manufacturer aims for its fourth straight Daytona 500 championship.
Strong Qualifying Performance and Chevrolet’s Milestone
Busch was the quickest driver in both qualifying rounds, securing Chevrolet’s 32nd pole position in the prestigious event known as the Great American Race. The No. 8 team’s performance highlighted the strength of Richard Childress Racing’s efforts with support from partners such as ECR and Lucas Oil.
Certainly, here on Wednesday night, being able to get my first pole for the DAYTONA 500, that’s pretty special,
said Busch.
I’ve had one other speedway pole down here in Daytona for the summer race. This feels really good for RCR as a group. Everybody from ECR, thanks to Bob (Fisher) and his whole team there.
JR Motorsports Returns with Justin Allgaier
JR Motorsports, making their second appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying for the Daytona 500, saw Justin Allgaier driving the No. 40 Chevrolet finish 14th overall. This result secured one of the two open starting spots on speed for the crown jewel race. The team looks to build on last year’s debut in the top-level NASCAR division.
Upcoming Duels to Finalize Race Lineup
Following the qualifying sessions, the remaining starting positions for the Daytona 500 will be decided through two 60-lap duels held at Daytona. Both duels cover 150 miles each and are scheduled to air on FS1 starting at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 12, along with live broadcasts on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Busch’s Reflections and Team Optimism
Kyle Busch expressed pride in his team’s achievement, noting the significance of both his personal accomplishment and the collaborative efforts of the crew.
This is special for all of us at Richard Childress Racing; for Richard and Jim Pohlman, with it being his first race as the crew chief. Obviously having the opportunity to come down here with fast speedway cars, and I’ve had fast speedway cars with RCR every time we’ve been here. It feels really good to sit on the pole and to have the No. 1 starting spot come Sunday. But we also want the No. 1 finishing position on Sunday.
Thank you to everyone at ECR; Lucas Oil for everything they do for our power; and all of our partners that support this No. 8 Chevrolet team.
Busch also acknowledged lessons learned from previous speedway races, expressing confidence in the team’s preparations for race day.
I think we learned some things last year at a couple of the speedway races. I feel like those guys have really tuned-in on those things that worked. I hope it turns out to be what we all think it should be for speed on Sunday. I’m sure we’ll find a little bit more about it tomorrow.
Significance and Expectations for the Daytona 500
Kyle Busch’s front-row start reinforces Chevrolet’s dominant streak and positions him as a strong contender to capture the coveted win. As the Daytona 500 progresses, all eyes will be on the duels that set the remaining grid and the intense competition that defines this marquee NASCAR event. The team’s focus now shifts to securing not only the pole but also the race victory, aiming to continue Chevrolet’s winning legacy.
