NASCAR News: Logano and Elliott win America 250 Qualifying Duels

Daytona Beach, Fla. — Under the lights at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday night, February 12, 2026, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott delivered masterclass performances to win the America 250 Florida Duels, the final qualifying races for the 68th running of the Daytona 500.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Logano took Duel 1 in dramatic fashion under caution, while Elliott powered to victory in a cleaner but equally intense Duel 2. The results locked in the majority of the starting lineup for Sunday’s marquee event, setting up what promises to be one of the most unpredictable Great American Races in recent memory.

Duel 1: Chaos, Crashes, and a Veteran’s Grit

The first 60-lap Duel was pure Daytona drama from the drop of the green flag. A massive multicar wreck on Lap 57—triggered when Bubba Wallace spun after contact with Austin Dillon—collected William Byron (the two-time defending Daytona 500 champion), Chris Buescher, and open-car hopeful Chandler Smith. Byron’s night ended early in the melee, a bitter pill for the Hendrick Motorsports star seeking a historic three-peat.

As the field regrouped for an overtime restart, the intensity peaked on the final lap. Corey LaJoie spun in the pack coming off Turn 2, slamming the wall and collecting A.J. Allmendinger and Ross Chastain in a chain-reaction crash. The caution flew as the leaders crossed the stripe, handing the win to Logano in the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford.

Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney surged to second on the outside line, with Austin Dillon third, Brad Keselowski fourth, and John Hunter Nemechek fifth. But the real story was further back: Open-car driver Casey Mears, in the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford, threaded through the wreckage like a man possessed, finishing eighth to clinch one of the final spots in Sunday’s field.

“It was probably a little bit of the power of prayer,” a beaming Mears said post-race. “There’s a lot of that going on in the car. I had an issue on pit road… but I stayed on the gas no matter what. When I saw him spinning, I missed the first guy, then hit somebody square. I knew it didn’t tear up the car too much. All the guys started going nuts on the radio.”

For Logano, it was his fourth career Duel win and a statement that his Ford Mustang has the speed to contend for a second Daytona 500 trophy.

“Just a lot of teamwork all the way through,” Logano said. “My teammate Ryan Blaney being committed and working together. It’s nice when everything works out the way it’s supposed to. Great to see this yellow and red Ford Mustang back in Victory Lane.”

Duel 2: Elliott Holds Off the Chevy Armada

The second Duel was a showcase of clean, high-speed pack racing until the closing stages. Chase Elliott, in the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, methodically worked his way forward and took the lead with six laps to go. He fended off a determined charge from Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar and his own Hendrick teammate Kyle Larson to secure the win—his third career Duel victory.

Hocevar crossed the line second, Larson third, Michael McDowell fourth, and Christopher Bell fifth. The race stayed green the entire way, a stark contrast to the mayhem in Duel 1.

Elliott, who has come agonizingly close to Daytona 500 glory in the past, was thrilled but measured.

“A great way to get the blood pumping for sure on a Thursday night,” he said. “There was a lot going on those last handful of laps… Carson did a great job helping me control those lanes. Nice to get the NAPA Chevy a win. Not a 500, but I’ve been here before. You have to kind of learn to take it a day at a time.”

In a heartfelt moment, open-car driver Anthony Alfredo secured the final Daytona 500 berth with an 18th-place finish in the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet. The emotional 28-year-old fought back tears in Victory Lane.

“This is for the third time,” Alfredo said, choking up. “My career has had a lot of ups and downs. You never know when you’re going to get another shot… My baby girl Everleigh is here. It wouldn’t be possible without Beard Motorsports—a tremendous family-owned, women-owned team.”

The 2026 Daytona 500 Starting Lineup Takes Shape

With Kyle Busch on pole (from Wednesday’s single-car qualifying) and Chase Briscoe alongside him on the front row, the Duels filled in the rest:

Row 1:
1. Kyle Busch (No. 8 Chevrolet)
2. Chase Briscoe (No. 19 Toyota)

Row 2:
3. Joey Logano (No. 22 Ford)
4. Chase Elliott (No. 9 Chevrolet)

Row 3:
5. Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Ford)
6. Carson Hocevar (No. 77 Chevrolet)

And so on, down to Casey Mears (17th) and Anthony Alfredo (18th) locking in the final two spots. Notable absences include Corey LaJoie, Chandler Smith, B.J. McLeod, and J.J. Yeley, who failed to advance.

Eyes on Sunday: Speed, Strategy, and Survival

Logano and Elliott enter the Daytona 500 as favorites in many eyes, but with superspeedway racing, anything can happen. The new Next Gen cars, fresh body configurations, and the ever-present threat of “the big one” mean Sunday’s 200-lap grind will test every driver’s nerve and every team’s preparation.

As Logano put it: “We have a strong race car… We’ll work on some handling pieces, but I feel like we’re pretty close.”

Elliott echoed the sentiment: “We’ll be ready to come to work come Sunday.”

The 2026 Daytona 500 goes green at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 15. Catch it on FOX, with live streaming on HBO Max and radio on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Buckle up—Speedweeks has delivered, and the main event is going to be a classic

Daul Race 1 Results

Average Speed of Race Winner:  153.867 mph.

Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 1 Mins, 25 Secs. Margin of Victory:  Under Caution Seconds.

Caution Flags:  3 for 9 laps.

Lead Changes:  9 among 6 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   K. Busch 0;R. Preece 1-3;A. Dillon 4;J. Nemechek 5-7;A. Dillon 8-9;R. Preece 10-44;C. Custer 45-47;J. Logano 48-49;C. Buescher 50;J. Logano 51-63.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Ryan Preece 2 times for 38 laps; Joey Logano 2 times for 15 laps; Austin Dillon 2 times for 3 laps; Cole Custer 1 time for 3 laps; John Hunter Nemechek 1 time for 3 laps; Chris Buescher 1 time for 1 lap.

Duel Race 2 Results

Average Speed of Race Winner:  183.237 mph.

Time of Race:  0 Hrs, 49 Mins, 7 Secs. Margin of Victory:  .065 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  0 for  laps.

Lead Changes:  12 among 10 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   C. Briscoe 1-31;T. Dillon 32;C. Briscoe 33-39;T. Dillon 40-41;M. McDowell 42-44;*. Alfredo(i) 45;C. Zilisch # 46;R. Herbst 47;*. Allgaier(i) 48-49;T. Reddick 50;C. Elliott 51;C. Hocevar 52;C. Elliott 53-60.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Chase Briscoe 2 times for 38 laps; Chase Elliott 2 times for 9 laps; Ty Dillon 2 times for 3 laps; Michael McDowell 1 time for 3 laps; * Justin Allgaier(i) 1 time for 2 laps; Tyler Reddick 1 time for 1 lap; * Anthony Alfredo(i) 1 time for 1 lap; Riley Herbst 1 time for 1 lap; Carson Hocevar 1 time for 1 lap; Connor Zilisch # 1 time for 1 lap.