Daytona 500 lineup: Kyle Busch on pole, Chase Briscoe on the front row for season opener
The 2026 Daytona 500 will roll off at 1: 30 p. m. ET Sunday, Feb. 15, with Kyle Busch starting on the pole and Chase Briscoe alongside him on the front row. The 41-car field opens the Cup Series season at Daytona International Speedway, where the biggest race of the year carries headline-making narratives before a lap is even turned.
Front row and pole storylines
Kyle Busch grabbed the pole, giving him the best starting position he has had in the Daytona 500 after many attempts. Busch, who has yet to win the Great American Race in his career, put down the fastest lap to lead the field to green. He called the pole a special result for his team and said the effort felt rewarding after recent struggles.
Joining Busch on the front row is Chase Briscoe, who returns to a prime starting spot after a strong qualifying effort. Briscoe was last year’s pole sitter and will look to use the front-row position as a platform for a deep run in the season opener. The front row pairing sets up an intriguing dynamic for the initial laps, with both veterans aiming to control the draft and avoid early chaos.
Notable starters and what to watch
The lineup mixes veterans and newer faces across the first several rows. William Byron, a back-to-back Daytona 500 winner in 2024 and 2025, will begin the race at the rear after switching to a backup car. That move reshuffles expectations for one of the favorites and opens the door for aggressive strategy calls early in the race.
Highlights from the top portion of the field include Chase Elliott, Carson Hocevar, Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson nestled among the top six starters. Other names to note in the top 22 are Brad Keselowski, Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek, Christopher Bell, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Berry. The full field blends established Cup contenders with drivers making notable starts or debuts.
The entry list includes a handful of stories beyond starting positions: a return to the 41-car field format with a provisional spot reserved for a marquee returnee, and newcomers who earned their way in through time trials. One rookie slated to make his Daytona 500 debut earned attention for posting one of the fastest laps in time trials, a significant milestone for any driver tackling this event for the first time.
How the grid was finalized and what comes next
Although many competitors were locked into the race ahead of time trials, the final starting order took shape through a mix of single-car qualifying speed and the pair of qualifying races staged the night before. Those on the front rows will be keen to manage the early draft and stay out of the big moments that typically define Daytona’s opening laps.
Teams will spend Saturday night and Sunday morning dialing in race setups and pit strategy, mindful that surviving the first 100 laps largely means staying clean and preserving equipment. With the race set to begin at 1: 30 p. m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 15, the Daytona 500 promises one last sprint of anticipation before the green flag drops on the new Cup season.
