Kyle Busch delivered an electrifying performance at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday night, capturing the pole position for the 2026 Daytona 500 after two decades of striving for the feat. This long-awaited breakthrough—the first pole in Busch’s storied career at NASCAR’s signature race—arrives after 21 attempts and sets him up as the lead starter in the iconic Great American Race.
Battling to the Front After Years of Near Misses
In a display of sheer determination and speed, Kyle Busch, piloting the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, clocked a rapid lap at 183.651 mph, completing his qualifying round in 49.006 seconds. This effort was just enough to edge out Chase Briscoe by an extremely narrow margin—0.017 seconds. Briscoe, who held the pole at last year’s event and races for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 19 Toyota, joins Busch on the front row, marking the second year in a row he’s started up front. For Busch, who is known by his nickname “Rowdy,” this achievement is especially significant as it finally grants him the top spot he has long pursued.
During the celebration, Busch made the moment his own, wearing custom Olympic-themed racing shoes and expressing his excitement at having clinched pole position at Daytona for the first time.
Impressive Qualifying Runs Across the Field
Strong performances were evident throughout the rest of qualifying. Ryan Preece grabbed third place in the No. 60 Ford, while Denny Hamlin took fourth behind the wheel of the No. 11 Toyota, setting both up well for the Thursday night Duel races where much of the remaining grid will be set. Among the drivers competing for coveted Open spots, Corey Heim stood out with the fifth-fastest qualifying time in his No. 67 Toyota for 23XI Racing, ensuring his position in Sunday’s lineup. Another Open entry, Justin Allgaier, secured the second automatic qualifying spot with a 14th-place run.
The quest for a starting place isn’t over for Corey LaJoie, Anthony Alfredo, JJ Yeley, BJ McLeod, Chandler Smith, and Casey Mears; these six Open drivers will compete in Thursday night’s Duels for the final two available positions in the Daytona 500.
Finally Reaching a Career Milestone
Despite owning two Cup Series championships and dozens of NASCAR wins, Busch had yet to secure the pole at the Daytona 500 until now, holding the longest active winless streak for the event at 20 previous starts. This achievement revitalizes Busch and the Richard Childress Racing team, infusing their campaign with fresh optimism for the event known as NASCAR’s “crown jewel.” The upcoming faceoff with Briscoe, who has quickly developed a reputation for excellence at Daytona, adds further intrigue to the competition.
“It sounds really good right now—being able to qualify on my first pole for the Daytona 500, that’s pretty special,”
Busch reflected, beaming after his accomplishment.
“It would be really nice doing this interview being number one on Sunday.”
— Kyle Busch, Two-time Cup Series Champion
He went on to credit the collective effort behind the success, saying,
“Feels really good for RCR as a group. Everybody from ECR, thanks to Bob and his whole team there. Thanks to zone Nicotine Pouches being on board for us. Maybe it was the flames that brought us all the speed and heat we needed for tonight. But also Lucas Oil, obviously their fuel treatments and oil treatments, everything that we run in this race car to give us the speed we need to be up front.”
— Kyle Busch, Two-time Cup Series Champion
He concluded with gratitude for the people involved, highlighting,
“Just a valiant effort by everybody here. It would be really nice to be doing an interview like this about being No. 1 come Sunday night.”
— Kyle Busch, Two-time Cup Series Champion
The Road Ahead to NASCAR’s Biggest Race
The field for the Daytona 500 will become fully set on Thursday after the two Duel qualifying races, which finalize starting positions for remaining competitors. Teams and drivers will continue preparations throughout the week as anticipation builds toward the main event, set for Sunday, February 15. For Busch, the Kyle Busch Daytona 500 pole is more than a personal victory—it stands as a testament to perseverance and provides him with his best opportunity yet to claim that first elusive Daytona 500 win. The spotlight now turns to whether this momentum can finally carry him to victory lane in NASCAR’s most storied race.
