NASCAR News: Kyle Busch wins pole for 2026 Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After two decades of close calls and heartbreak at NASCAR’s biggest stage, Kyle Busch (pictured) finally broke through on Wednesday night with a sensational pole lap. The 40-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada, native was the fastest driver in both rounds – laying down a blistering lap of 49.006 seconds in Round Two of qualifying to drive Chevrolet to its series-leading 32nd pole win in the “Great American Race”.

The two-time Cup Series champion turned a blistering lap of 183.651 mph (49.006 seconds) in the final round of single-car qualifying at Daytona International Speedway to earn the pole for the 2026 Daytona 500. It marked his first career pole in the Great American Race after 21 attempts.

Busch, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, edged out Chase Briscoe by a razor-thin 0.017 seconds. Briscoe, who won the pole for last year’s Daytona 500, will start alongside him on the front row in the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. It’s the second consecutive year Briscoe has secured a front-row starting spot.

“It sounds really good right now — being able to qualify on my first pole for the Daytona 500, that’s pretty special,” Busch said afterward. He added with a smile that it would be “really nice doing this interview being number one on Sunday.” The veteran even showed up in custom Olympic-themed racing shoes, adding a personal flair to the moment.

Strong Showing Across the Board

Ryan Preece qualified third in the No. 60 Ford, while Denny Hamlin took fourth in the No. 11 Toyota. Both drivers earned prime starting positions for Thursday night’s Duel races, where the rest of the field will be set.

For the Open entries hoping to qualify on speed alone, Corey Heim delivered a standout performance. The young driver posted the fifth-fastest time overall in the No. 67 Toyota for 23XI Racing, locking himself into Sunday’s race. Justin Allgaier followed in 14th to claim the other guaranteed Open spot.

The remaining six Open drivers — Corey LaJoie, Anthony Alfredo, JJ Yeley, BJ McLeod, Chandler Smith, and Casey Mears — will battle in Thursday’s Duels (7:30 p.m. ET on FS1) for the final two spots in the 500.

A Long-Awaited Milestone for “Rowdy”

Busch enters the 68th running of the Daytona 500 with the longest active winless streak in the event (20 starts). While he has two Cup championships and dozens of wins elsewhere, victory in NASCAR’s crown jewel race has remained elusive.

Securing the pole gives the veteran and his Richard Childress Racing team renewed optimism heading into Speedweeks. The front-row lock also sets up an intriguing matchup with Briscoe, who has quickly become a Daytona specialist.

After an impressive debut in their first-ever NASCAR Cup Series start one year ago, JR Motorsports has made their return to the division for a second bid for a starting position in the crown jewel event. Back behind the wheel of the organization’s No. 40 Chevrolet entry, Justin Allgaier ended the qualifying session 14th overall – an effort that secures one of the two open positions on speed following the evening’s qualifying session.

KYLE BUSCH:“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.

“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.”

What’s Next

The Daytona 500 field will take fuller shape on Thursday with the two Duel races, which determine starting positions for the remaining drivers. Practice and final preparations continue throughout the week, culminating in the green flag on Sunday, February 15.

For Busch, the pole is more than just a starting spot — it’s a long-awaited statement and the best possible launchpad in his quest for that elusive Daytona 500 victory.

2026 Daytona 500 Qualifying Results (top-2 locked in)