Daytona 500 Qualifying 2026: Time, TV Channel & Live Updates
- DAYTONA BEACH, FL – The rumble of engines has officially begun at Daytona International Speedway as NASCAR drivers prepared for the 68th running of the Daytona 500.
- CT, with Austin Cindric of Team Penske posting the fastest time during earlier practice runs, signaling his potential for a strong showing.
- Among those vying for a spot through qualifying was veteran Jimmie Johnson, holding an open exemption provisional.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – The rumble of engines has officially begun at Daytona International Speedway as NASCAR drivers prepared for the 68th running of the Daytona 500. Wednesday’s qualifying session set the front row for “The Great American Race” and established the starting grid for Thursday evening’s Duels, crucial races that will determine the remaining starting positions for Sunday’s main event.
Qualifying commenced at at 7:15 p.m. CT, with Austin Cindric of Team Penske posting the fastest time during earlier practice runs, signaling his potential for a strong showing. The session wasn’t just about securing a prime starting spot for the 500; it also locked in the two fastest “open” – or non-chartered – cars into the 41-car field.
Among those vying for a spot through qualifying was veteran Jimmie Johnson, holding an open exemption provisional. The pressure was on for Johnson and other drivers without guaranteed starting positions to make the most of their opportunity on the track.
The qualifying results will directly impact the starting lineup for the two Duels races scheduled for Thursday. The pole qualifier will start first in Duel 1, while the second-fastest driver will lead the field in Duel 2. These 60-lap races are more than just preliminary events; they are a critical step in solidifying the full starting grid for the Daytona 500.
A somber note hung over Speedweeks, as the NASCAR community mourned the recent loss of Greg Biffle, a longtime Cup Series driver who passed away in December. Several drivers, including defending champion Kyle Larson, shared memories of Biffle, highlighting his kindness and down-to-earth personality.
“For me it’s just that I don’t really remember getting to compete a whole lot with him, but he was always extremely nice to me outside the car and just so down to earth and just very normal,” Larson said. “He would just stop and come and talk me, or just going to Millbridge as fans, or anywhere that I would see him out and about. On the lake, at the grocery store, or wherever. We lived near each other, so I felt like we ran into each other a lot….”
Daytona 500 Qualifying Entry List
The following drivers are entered in the 2026 Daytona 500 events:
- Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
- Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
- Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
- Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
- Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
- AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
- Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
- Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
- William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
- Chandler Smith, No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford (open, non-chartered entry)
- Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
- Justin Allgaier, No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (open, non-chartered entry)
- Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
- John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
- Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
- JJ Yeley, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet (open, non-chartered entry)
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
- Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
- Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet (open, non-chartered entry)
- Casey Mears, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford (open, non-chartered entry)
- Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota (open, non-chartered entry)
- Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- BJ McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet (open, non-chartered entry)
- Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota (open exemption provisional)
- Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
- Corey Lajoie, No. 99 RFK Racing Ford (open, non-chartered entry)
How to Watch
Fans can catch the Daytona 500 qualifying action live on FS1, with streaming options available through Fubo (a free trial is offered), the FOX Sports app, and NASCAR.com (subscription required). Radio coverage will be provided by MRN and SiriusXM (Channel 90).
The Daytona 500 itself is scheduled for at 2:30 p.m. ET, broadcast nationally on FOX and streamed via the same platforms.