Gus Dean Inherits ARCA Daytona Pole After Qualifying Disqualifications
Gus Dean will start from the pole for the ARCA Menards Series General Tire 200 at Daytona International Speedway after post-qualifying inspections stripped two drivers of their times. The change reshuffled the front of the field following Friday's qualifying session (ET).
Inspection alters qualifying order
Dean turned a lap of 49. 133 seconds — a speed of 183. 176 mph — and was elevated to the top starting spot after officials disallowed faster laps turned by two competitors for failing height-stick checks. The move makes this Dean's third career series pole and his first pole since 2018. He arrives at the Daytona race with recent success at the track, having scored a victory here in 2024.
Robusto earns a historic front-row result
Isabella Robusto will join Dean on the front row after posting a lap of 49. 191 seconds in qualifying. The front-row starting spot is one of the best Daytona qualifying results for a female driver in recent ARCA history. Robusto's performance continues a string of strong qualifying runs and gives her a solid platform for Saturday's race (ET).
Bollman and Kitzmiller penalized; provisionals dropped to row 17
Jake Bollman had the fastest on-track lap at 49. 122 seconds but lost the time when his car measured low across the height sticks during inspection. Jason Kitzmiller also had his time disallowed for the same infraction. Both drivers took provisionals and will start the race in row 17, a major setback after strong qualifying runs.
Top-10 and notable qualifiers
Daytona regulars and series newcomers filled out the upper spots of the lineup. Daniel Dye qualified third in his return to ARCA competition, with 2012 Daytona pole winner Sean Corr taking fourth. Garrett Mitchell was fifth on the sheet, followed by Derek White in sixth. Rounding out the top 10 were Bobby Earnhardt, Timothy "Mini" Tyrrell, Gio Ruggiero and Robbie Kennealy.
Implications heading into the General Tire 200
With Dean on pole and Robusto alongside him, the opening laps at Daytona could feature aggressive drafting and early attempts to control the field from the front. The disqualifications of Bollman and Kitzmiller reintroduce experienced drivers from deeper in the lineup, which can complicate strategy for those chasing track position. Pit sequence, drafting alliances and caution timing will all play decisive roles in Saturday's running (ET).
What to watch
Watch how the Nitro Motorsports front-row pairing manages the restart and early stages. Keep an eye on Daytona specialists and drivers with recent superspeedway success who can use drafting to advance through the pack. The provisional starters who lost their times are wildcards; both have shown speed and could impact the race as they try to recover positions. Tire wear, margin for error in traffic and the inevitable late-race shuffles will determine which drivers can transform qualifying speed into race-day results.
The General Tire 200 is set for Saturday (ET) at the 2. 5-mile oval, with the lineup now finalized following post-qualifying inspections.
