The Duels at Daytona went rubber to pavement tonight, and we are so glad to see it. Between hot laps, wrecks, surprises, and much more, there is a lot to unwrap. Most of all, the Duels set the starting grid for the Daytona 500 this coming Sunday. This is how the grid sets itself, and what it may mean for the field.
Front Row
The front row was set during Qualifying on Wednesday. It puts Kyle Busch in pole position and Chase Briscoe to his outside. Briscoe is now in the front row for the third time at Daytona International Speedway. Busch has one win at Daytona in his career, but still lacks a victory in the big race.
The Top 10
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Row 2 finds Joey Logano after earning the win in Duel No. 1. Chase Elliott will join him after winning a less thrilling, but still very fun Duel No. 2
Row 3 will be a tandem of Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar. They both finished P2 in their Duels.
Row 4 will include. Kyle Larson will join him after he made a late charge in Duel No. 2, falling short, but clean. In Duel No. 2, Austin Dillon gained the row four start. This is no surprise, given his vast success at superspeedways.
Row 5 will round out the top 10 as Brad Keselowski earns the spot in a feel-good finish for the recently injured man for RFK Racing. Former Daytona 500 champion Michael McDowell will join him.
Open Cars Qualifiers
After Wednesday night's qualifying, Corey Heim and Justin Allgaier earned their way into the field. The open cars this week contained a total of eight entries. Only four would make the field. That would make the best of three finishers in each duel would get to race on Sunday.
In Duel No. 1, Casey Mears would put in quite an effort to secure his bid. This comes after a pit road blunder, wrecking lightly with Noah Gragson. Mears would then be involved in a minor wreck on the last lap before recovering and inching to the finish.
In Duel No. 2, Anthony Alfredo would run a dominant effort compared to all other open cars. As of Thursday night, about 90 minutes after the race, Alfredo did not make it past technical inspection. This puts BJ McLeod into the race, with no sponsor on his blacked-out No. 78.
Starting Grid Surprises
Brad Keselowski took his leg injury and walked it off with his impressively branded cane. He would be a part of a nicely performing Ford contingent. Keselowski starts in the 5th row in 9th place.
Shane Van Gisbergen benefited from a late "Big One" style wreck in Duel No. 1. He did not crack into the Top-10, but Van Gisbergen starts strong in 13th place. He is the highest-qualified Trackhouse driver.
Carson Hocevar nearly won Duel No. 2, proving that his new 10-year contract is no bad deal. He will start in row three.
Starting Grid Blunders
William Byron followed up a poor Qualifying session with an awful Duel No. 1. He would wreck mid-race and subsequently, finished 22/23 in that session. The back-to-back defending champion will start in 39th place.
Chris Buescher, much like Byron, would wreck late in Duel No. 1. What was originally a promising run put Buescher towards the back of the pack in 41st place. He may yet be able to climb the field in and get back into the mix on Sunday.
Austin Cindric is known as a threat at all superspeedways. The former Daytona 500 champion would ultimately fall short in Duel No. 2. He will start near the back of the pack.
What to Expect in the Daytona 500
Drafting is key, and regardless of where a racer starts, they can finish in a generous position. Sleepers from the back of the pack may be William Byron, Chris Buescher, and Austin Cindric.
Up towards the front, Kyle Busch appears to have a very strong Chevrolet on the pole. If he races clean, he very well should be in the mix, as should his teammate, Austin Dillon.
The other strongest cars are expected to be Chase Briscoe (P2), as well as Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson. The best superspeedway racers, regardless of position, are Rick Stenhouse Jr., John Hunter Nemechek, and Austin Dillon. They cannot be overlooked.
The Daytona 500 is a wide-open race and perhaps the most entertaining on the entire calendar. Anything can happen, and many things will happen. Be sure to tune in Sunday for the 3:13 PM ET green flag.