Chase Briscoe Takes Pole Position at 67th Daytona 500 on Sunday, Start Time Moved Up Due to Weather

Start of 'The Great American Race' moved up to 1:30 p.m. ET

ABOVE VIDEO: Chase Briscoe disrupted Ford’s dominance during qualifying session for the 67th running of the DAYTONA 500, securing the pole position in impressive fashion.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – Chase Briscoe disrupted Ford’s dominance during qualifying session for the 67th running of the DAYTONA 500, securing the pole position in impressive fashion.

Fastest in both rounds of time trials, Briscoe posted a lap time of 49.249 seconds (182.745 mph), earning him the top starting spot for Sunday’s race (1:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). This milestone marks the first time a Toyota driver has secured the pole for the Great American Race. Briscoe edged out 2022 DAYTONA 500 champion Austin Cindric (182.463 mph) by 0.076 seconds to claim the coveted starting position.

With the event’s unique qualifying format, Briscoe, in his debut season with Joe Gibbs Racing, and Cindric are the only drivers locked into their starting spots for Sunday’s race.

“This is an amazing way to start our season,” Briscoe said excitedly after securing his third career pole. “It’s an incredible feeling to kick things off with Toyota and to be the one to deliver them their first pole in this event. Coach Gibbs, the entire JGR team—they put in so much work this offseason, especially focusing on improving at superspeedways. This means a lot.”

The rest of the starting field will be determined in Thursday night’s Duel at Daytona qualifying races. However, Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson have already secured spots in the race after posting the fastest qualifying times among nine unchartered drivers. Truex qualified 22nd overall, while Johnson secured the 29th spot.

“It’s a huge relief,” said Truex, who is piloting the first TRICON Garage entry in the Cup Series. “You never know what can happen in the Duels—things can get crazy, and anything from pit road mishaps to on-track incidents could jeopardize your chances. The team worked tirelessly on this car, and I’m grateful we could lay down a solid lap.”

Johnson, driving the No. 84 Toyota for Legacy Motor Club, echoed similar sentiments.

“Last year’s Duels were nerve-wracking for me, so I’m glad I don’t have to go through that again,” Johnson remarked. “I respect the process, but I don’t envy the guys who still have to race their way in.”

In the final qualifying round, Ford drivers dominated positions two through five, with Cindric, Ryan Preece, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, and Josh Berry filling those slots. Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon (driving the fastest Chevrolet), Christopher Bell, Ty Dillon, and Kyle Larson rounded out the top 10.

Briscoe will start on the pole for Thursday’s first Duel, while Cindric will lead the field in the second qualifying race. Preece will start second in Duel 1, with Logano lining up on the outside front row in Duel 2. Drivers who qualified in odd-numbered positions will compete in Duel 1, while even-numbered qualifiers will participate in Duel 2. The highest-finishing unchartered driver in each Duel will advance to the DAYTONA 500.

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – DAYTONA 500Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Florida – Wednesday, February 12, 2025

1. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 182.745 mph.2. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford, 182.463 mph.3. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford, 182.426 mph.

4. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 182.341 mph.

5. (21) Josh Berry, Ford, 182.275 mph.

6. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 182.138 mph.

7. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 182.024 mph.

8. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 181.947 mph.

9. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 181.943 mph.

10. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 181.737 mph.

11. (38) Zane Smith, Ford, 181.800 mph.

12. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 181.796 mph.

13. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 181.792 mph.

14. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 181.690 mph.

15. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 181.679 mph.

16. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 181.653 mph.

17. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 181.558 mph.

18. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 181.550 mph.

19. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 181.393 mph.

20. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 181.342 mph.

21. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, 181.320 mph.

22. (56) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 181.302 mph.

23. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford, 181.232 mph.

24. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 181.105 mph.

25. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 180.934 mph.

26. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 180.926 mph.

27. (35) Riley Herbst #, Toyota, 180.832 mph.

28. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 180.785 mph.

29. (84) Jimmie Johnson, Toyota, 180.785 mph.

30. (88) Shane Van Gisbergen #, Chevrolet, 180.763 mph.

31. (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 180.632 mph.

32. (41) Cole Custer, Ford, 180.614 mph.

33. (40) Justin Allgaier(i), Chevrolet, 180.495 mph.

34. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 180.487 mph.

35. (01) Corey LaJoie, Ford, 180.437 mph.

36. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota, 180.317 mph.

37. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 180.011 mph.

38. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 179.910 mph.

39. (91) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 179.752 mph.

40. (62) Anthony Alfredo(i), Chevrolet, 179.677 mph.

41. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 179.469 mph.

42. (66) Chandler Smith(i), Ford, 178.745 mph.

43. (78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 177.774 mph.

44. (44) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet, 176.280 mph.

45. (51) Cody Ware, Ford, 173.628 mph.

Due to inclement weather forecasts for the Daytona Beach area on Sunday, NASCAR has announced that the DAYTONA 500 will begin an hour earlier than originally scheduled, now set for 1:30 p.m. ET.

Fans attending the event should take note of adjusted opening times: gates and hospitality areas will now open at 9 a.m. ET, with the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone opening at 8:30 a.m. ET. Parking lots will be accessible from 6 a.m. ET.

Daytona International Speedway is urging attendees to arrive early due to heightened security measures, which may result in extended wait times at entry gates. Traffic conditions may also be unpredictable, so fans are advised to allow extra time for potential delays.

Despite the schedule changes, fans will still be treated to a pre-race performance by Pitbull and a spectacular flyover by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds following the National Anthem.

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