All Ford front row for Daytona 500
For the first time since 2012, the Daytona 500 will feature an all-Ford front row, thanks to Joey Logano and Michael McDowell.
Logano earned the first 500 pole for Team Penske. He ran a lap of 49.465-second lap, averaging 181.947 MPH, upsetting McDowell at the end of qualifying.
Meanwhile, McDowell was just 0.071 seconds from earning his first career pole. However, his second-place effort is Front Row Motorsports’ first front-row qualifying effort since 2019.
This is the first time Ford has had a driver on the front row for the Great American Race since 2012. It is the first time either has started on the front row for the 500.
The rest of the field will be determined in the 150-mile 60-lap Duel races Thursday night.
DUEL 1 LINEUP
- Joey Logano
- Kyle Larson
- Chase Elliott
- Austin Dillon
- Ross Chastain
- Todd Gilliland
- Ryan Preece
- Chris Buescher
- Alex Bowman
- Daniel Suarez
- A.J. Allmendinger
- Josh Berry
- Brad Keselowski
- David Ragan
- Ty Gibbs
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Corey LaJoie
- Jimmie Johnson
- Zane Smith
- John Hunter Nemechek
- J.J. Yeley
DUEL 2 LINEUP
- Michael McDowell
- Austin Cindric
- William Byron
- Kyle Busch
- Harrison Burton
- Riley Herbst
- Chase Briscoe
- Noah Gragson
- Ryan Blaney
- Anthony Alfredo
- Erik Jones
- Daniel Hemric
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Bubba Wallace
- Justin Haley
- Christopher Bell
- Denny Hamlin
- Tyler Reddick
- Carson Hocevar
- BJ McLeod
- Kaz Grala
Grala and McLeod, along with Johnson and Yeley, will have to race their way into the 500 via the Duels.
MORE: Anthony Alfredo and David Ragan Qualify for Daytona 500
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Thursday
- Duel race No. 1: 7 p.m. ET; FS1, MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio; 60 laps
- Duel race No. 2: 8:45 p.m. ET; FS1, MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio; 60 laps
Friday
- Practice: 5:35 p.m. ET; FS1, MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio; 50 minutes
Saturday
- Practice: 10:30 a.m. ET; FS1, MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio; 50 minutes
Sunday
- 66th annual Daytona 500: 2:30 p.m. ET; FOX, MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio; 200 laps (Stages end on laps 65/130/200)
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Dominic Aragon View All
Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.
From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book "All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story" with racer Geoff Bodine.
Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.