DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kyle Busch claimed the pole position for NASCAR’s season-opening Daytona 500, giving the driver with the longest ongoing losing streak in “The Great American Race” a chance at a victory that has eluded him throughout his career.
Busch has yet to score in his 20 attempts at the Daytona 500 and hasn’t started in the top five since 2016, when he was still with Joe Gibbs Racing. That year, he began fourth and finished third, later securing a career-best second place behind then-teammate Denny Hamlin in 2019.
“Kyle, we’ve got to get him this 500,” remarked team owner Richard Childress.
“It feels really good right now — qualifying on my first pole for the Daytona 500 is pretty special,” Busch said, sporting custom-designed Olympic-themed racing shoes at Daytona International Speedway.
He secured the pole on Wednesday night with a lap averaging 183.925 mph in a Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, the team that signed him prior to the 2023 season after his contract with Gibbs ended and he became too costly for most teams.
but, his tenure in the No. 8 car has been challenging for the two-time NASCAR champion. He has won three races since joining RCR, all during his first season, and heads into the Daytona 500 with a 93-race losing streak.
This pole position marks a positive few weeks for Busch and his family: his older brother, Kurt, was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame last month.
“It feels really good for RCR as a team,” Busch expressed. “Everyone put in a valiant effort. It would be amazing to hold an interview like this about being No. 1 come Sunday night.”
RCR last achieved a Daytona 500 pole in 2014 with Austin Dillon, the grandson of team owner Richard Childress, who won the race in 2018.
Chase Briscoe, last year’s pole-sitter, qualified second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.
“It’s a huge deal for me, and I haven’t even checked my phone, but I’m sure [Bass Pro Shops owner] Johnny Morris is already thrilled,” Briscoe said of his sponsor. “He gets really excited for this race. He has called me multiple times this week asking about the car and expressing his excitement. It’s a big deal for him too, and it should be fantastic to be on the front row again come Sunday.”
While 37 drivers were already locked into the race before the time trials, the starting lineup will be finalized after two qualifying races on Thursday night. Of those locked in, 36 are driving chartered cars that guarantee their entry into every race. An extra position has been allotted to seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, under a provisional rule allowing a 41st “world-class driver”.
Johnson, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, finished third last year and stepped away from full-time NASCAR racing after the 2020 season.
There were two spots available for those not already locked in, claimed by Corey Heim for 23XI Racing and Justin Allgaier for JR Motorsports. They recorded the fastest times in the trials.
Heim, last year’s Truck Series champion, will be making his Daytona 500 debut.
“It’s definitely a bit nerve-wracking,” said the 23-year-old from Georgia. “I’m truly grateful to 23XI Racing and Toyota for giving me this opportunity with an open car as a fourth team at 23XI; it’s quite impressive from my perspective. I feel fortunate to be part of this team.”
Allgaier is participating for the fourth time in his career and the second consecutive year while racing for two-time winner Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“It’s a fantastic sport to be a part of, and it’s incredible to come down here and try to qualify,” Earnhardt noted. “It’s stressful, but that’s what makes it so exciting.”
Two spots remain open in the field, which will be determined Thursday night through a pair of 150-mile qualifying races. The highest finisher in each race among the drivers not yet qualified will secure a spot in the Daytona 500.
Those still vying for entry include: Anthony Alfredo, Corey LaJoie, BJ McLeod, Casey Mears, Chandler Smith, and J.J. Yeley. Only two will race on Sunday.
