Final Field of 41 Set for Daytona 500; Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric Win Duels
What happened at the Duels?
Bubba Wallace, driving the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing, finished first place in the first Duel race and Austin Cindric, driving the No. 2 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Team Penske, won the second Duel race.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 13: Erik Jones (#43 Legacy Motor Club AdventHealth Toyota) appears to win the NASCAR Cup Series Duel 2 at Daytone, but Austin Cindric (#2 Team Penske Discount Tire Ford) ended up winning because of a yellow flag seconds before they crossed the finish line on February 13, 2025, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. (Photo by Michael Bush/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The win in the duel race continued an impressive start to the race week for Cindric, who also came in second with a best lap of 49.325 seconds during Wednesday night’s qualifying races.
Corey LaJoie, driving the No. 1 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing and Justin Allgaier, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports, also both qualified for Sunday’s race.
IndyCar Series star Hélio Castroneves’ hopes of qualifying for the Great American Race without using a special provision were crushed when his car wrecked in a collision that damaged 8 other cars.
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 13: The #91 Wendy’s Chevrolet driven by Helio Castroneves is towed after an on-track incident during the NASCAR Cup Series Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2025, in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
“Unfortunately, we’re going to have to take the provisional,” Castroneves said. “That’s not what we wanted, but we will. And, in the end, we have more to learn.”
New this year, NASCAR has introduced an Open Exemption Provisional rule that grants “world-class drivers” a guaranteed spot in a NASCAR Cup Series race. Four-time Indy 500 winner and three-time Rolex 24 champ Hélio Castroneves, of Trackhouse Racing, applied and secured the opportunity to be the OEP entrant for the Daytona 500.
Even though the provision grants Castroneves the ability to still race, he cannot receive season points and will not be eligible for prize money if he wins the Daytona 500.
OFFICIAL DUEL AT DAYTONA NO. 1 RESULTS
| Finish | Start | Car | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | No. 23 Toyota | Bubba Wallace |
| 2 | 11 | No. 24 Chevrolet | William Byron |
| 3 | 5 | No. 10 Chevrolet | Ty Dillon |
| 4 | 19 | No. 1 Chevrolet | Ross Chastain |
| 5 | 14 | No. 45 Toyota | Tyler Reddick |
| 6 | 10 | No. 16 Chevrolet | AJ Allmendinger |
| 7 | 4 | No. 3 Chevrolet | Austin Dillon |
| 8 | 8 | No. 9 Chevrolet | Chase Elliott |
| 9 | 17 | No. 40 Chevrolet | Justin Allgaier* |
| 10 | 7 | No. 8 Chevrolet | Kyle Busch |
OFFICIAL DUEL AT DAYTONA NO. 2 RESULTS
| Finish | Start | Car | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | No. 2 Ford | Austin Cindric |
| 2 | 18 | No. 43 Toyota | Erik Jones |
| 3 | 9 | No. 17 Ford | Chris Buescher |
| 4 | 3 | No. 11 Toyota | Denny Hamlin |
| 5 | 2 | No. 22 Ford | Joey Logano |
| 6 | 17 | No. 01 Ford | Corey LaJoie* |
| 7 | 7 | No. 34 Ford | Todd Gilliland |
| 8 | 10 | No. 12 Ford | Ryan Blaney |
| 9 | 19 | No. 42 Toyota | John Hunter Nemechek |
| 10 | 4 | No. 20 Toyota | Christopher Bell |
Who’s in?
With the duels complete, the full lineup for Sunday’s Daytona 500 is now set.
Chase Briscoe, in the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, will take the pole position thanks to his performance during Wednesday night’s qualifying races. His best time was 49.249 seconds or 182.745 mph.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 12: Chase Briscoe (#19 Joe Gibbs Racing Bass Pro Shops Toyota) and team celebrating winning the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 12, 2025, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. (Photo by Michael Bush/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Cindric will start second thanks to his Wednesday qualifying performance and will look to continue the positive momentum he took into Thursday’s duel into Sunday’s race.
Wallace will start third thanks to his victory in Thursday’s duel.
OFFICIAL DAYTONA 500 STARTING LINEUP
| STARTING POSITION | CAR | DRIVER | HOW SPOT IS DETERMINED |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No. 19 Toyota | Chase Briscoe | Busch Light Pole winner |
| 2 | No. 2 Ford | Austin Cindric | Second fastest in qualifying |
| 3 | No. 23 Toyota | Bubba Wallace | Duel No. 1 results |
| 4 | No. 43 Toyota | Erik Jones | Duel No. 2 results |
Race Week Schedule
| FRIDAY | |
| 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | FOX8 WGHP Live Stream Show |
