Briscoe, Cindric claim front row for Daytona 500; Thursday night Duels to finalize field

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (WGHP) — The field is coming into focus for the 2025 Daytona 500 as Wednesday night's qualifying races set the front row and confirm two of the four non-chartered drivers who will advance into the race.

This Sunday at 2:30 p.m., the NASCAR series kicks off with the legendary Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

In case you missed it, you can watch FOX8 WGHP’s Kevin Connolly and Danny Harnden's Thursday Daytona livestream show in the video player above.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the 2025 Daytona 500

Who took the front row?

During qualifying races Wednesday night, Chase Briscoe, in the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, was the fastest on both of the one-lap time trials earning him the pole position. 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)

“A great way to start our season,” Briscoe said in a NASCAR report. “Unbelievable way to start off the year. Unbelievable way to start off with Toyota. To be able to be the guy to deliver them the first anything when they’ve already accomplished so much is pretty cool. Can’t thank Coach Gibbs enough, the entire Joe Gibbs Racing organization. The whole offseason, everybody kept telling me the focus was trying to qualify better at superspeedways. That’s something I really struggled at last year. For our 19 group to come here and sit on the pole at the biggest race of the year is pretty special.”

Austin Cindric, in the No. 2 Ford for Team Penske, came in second with a best lap of 49.325 seconds, just 0.076 seconds behind, or 182.463 mph, and will join Briscoe in the front row.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 12: Austin Cindric, driver of the #2 Discount Tire Ford poses with the Front Row trophy after qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 12, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 12: Austin Cindric, driver of the #2 Discount Tire Ford drives during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 12, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Thursday's two Duel races, both 60 laps and 150 miles, will set positions for the rest of the Daytona 500 field. The first Duel will decide the order of the inside rows, and the second Duel will decide the order of the outside rows.

Which non-charter drivers will move forward?

While the holders of the 36 NASCAR Cup Series charters are guaranteed a spot in the race, nine non-chartered drivers are fighting to claim four remaining spots in the Daytona lineup.

Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson claimed two of those four spots on Wednesday night by completing the qualifying races as the top two fastest non-charter cars. Overall, Truex Jr. qualified 22nd and Jimmie Johnson qualified 29th.

The remaining two spots will be filled by the highest-finishing non-charter cars in the two Duel races on Thursday evening. That leaves Anthony Alfredo, Justin Allgaier, Hélio Castroneves, Corey LaJoie, BJ McLeod, Chandler Smith and JJ Yeley duking it out.

That said, Castroneves does have another option even if he doesn't finish as one of the highest-finishing non-charter cars in the Duels.

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.

If he doesn't otherwise qualify, Castroneves can take advantage of the provision and advance directly to the Daytona 500 as a special OEP entrant. This would expand the field to 41 drivers and would have him starting 41st. The downside? He would receive no season points and would be ineligible to receive prize money from the race if he wins. That's why Castroneves aims to secure his spot the old-fashioned way.

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