Overview
- Busch topped both rounds of single-car qualifying with a 49.006-second lap to earn his first Daytona 500 pole and the 35th Cup Series pole of his career, giving RCR its first 500 pole since 2014.
- Multiple outlets reported Busch’s opening-round 48.932-second lap as the fastest single-car run by the NextGen car at Daytona.
- Open entries Corey Heim (23XI) and Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports) locked into Sunday’s race on speed, with Corey LaJoie missing by 0.004 seconds and now needing to race in through the Duels.
- NASCAR enforced a new 2026 rule by disallowing Noah Gragson’s qualifying time for using his hand to deflect air, placing him at the rear of his Duel starting grid.
- Under the revised qualifying procedure, the two fastest open cars secure spots on time, Jimmie Johnson is already in via the Open Exemption Provisional for a 41-car field, and the Duels at 7 p.m. ET on FS1 will set the remainder of the lineup.