Qualifying Chaos at Daytona
The evening session, broadcast live on truTV at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, drew 41 entries vying for a spot in the season‑ending race that determines the final Chase positions.
A last‑minute rule change barred teams from taking any practice laps before qualifying, adding a layer of uncertainty that many drivers said heightened the drama.
Pole Position and the Last Spot
Casey Mears claimed pole position with a lap of 41.900 seconds, while Joey Gase and Daniel Dye rounded out the top three, setting the tone for a competitive showdown.
Ryan Blaney secured the final qualifying spot with a score of 1.300, edging out a field that included a surprise non‑qualifier, Gray Gaulding, who missed the cut by a narrow margin.
Drivers emphasized that starting position could be decisive on the 2.5‑mile superspeedway, where aerodynamic drafts and pack racing often dictate the outcome.
With the Coke Zero Sugar 400 looming, the qualifying results promise a tightly contested finale that will decide the last spots in the championship playoffs.