After sharing a heartfelt moment with his daughter, Kyle Busch delivered the performance of his NASCAR career Wednesday night at Daytona International Speedway,
The two-time Cup Series champion posted a blistering 183.651 mph lap to edge out Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe by just 0.064 mph and secure the top starting spot for Sunday’s “Great American Race.”
It’s his first-ever pole position for the Daytona 500.
Kyle Busch Headlines Daytona 500 Qualifying With First Career Pole
For Busch, this pole comes at a critical moment. The 40-year-old driver is winless in his last 93 races and 0-for-20 in the Daytona 500 throughout his career. He’s led 342 laps in the race over the years, more than any driver who has never won it, but the victory has always slipped away.
“Being able to qualify on my first pole for the Daytona 500, that’s pretty special,” said a grinning Busch. “It would be really nice to be doing an interview like this about being No. 1 come Sunday night.”
The pole position gives Busch a legitimate shot at making history. No driver has ever won the Daytona 500 later than their 20th start.
The late Dale Earnhardt accomplished that feat in 1998, winning in his 20th attempt. Busch will make his 21st start on Sunday, meaning he has a chance to break that record.
“It’s a box we’ve got to check,” Busch said. “I’ve come down here a lot of years, and I think I’ve finished in about every position possible. It’d be nice to close out with a victory here in the Daytona 500.”
Team owner Richard Childress, who also owned Earnhardt’s car during that historic 1998 win, was thrilled. “Kyle, we’ve got to get him this 500,” Childress said.
The pole is also a strong start for Busch’s partnership with new crew chief Jim Pohlman, who joined Richard Childress Racing after winning the 2024 Xfinity Series championship with Justin Allgaier.
Chase Briscoe will join Busch on the front row for the second consecutive year. The 31-year-old qualified second in his No. 19 Toyota, continuing Joe Gibbs Racing’s strong superspeedway performance.
“It’s cool for sure to be able to consistently qualify two years in a row now,” Briscoe said. “It’s really a testament to the folks back at JGR. We’ve made so many improvements on our superspeedway program.”
Ryan Preece, last week’s Cook Out Clash winner, qualified third in the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford. Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin took fourth.
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Two drivers locked themselves into the 40-car field through the open qualifying spots. Corey Heim, the 2025 Truck Series champion, will make his Daytona 500 debut driving the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota after advancing to the final qualifying round.
“Just kind of nerve-wracking for sure to say the least,” the 23-year-old Heim said. “So impressed and thank you for 23XI Racing and Toyota coming here with an open car and a fourth team.”
Justin Allgaier claimed the second open spot by just 0.004 seconds over Corey LaJoie. The 2024 Xfinity Series champion will make his second consecutive Daytona 500 start in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
“It is stressful, but that’s the best part about it,” said team owner Earnhardt.
The final two spots in the 40-car field will be determined Thursday night in the Duel qualifying races at 7 p.m. ET on FS1. The starting order for Sunday’s Daytona 500 will also be determined by Thursday’s results.
