Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Fla.) — Typically, NASCAR drivers scratch their heads after races at drafting tracks, wondering about a questionable move from one of their opponents.
But Thursday after the Duels at Daytona, drivers got out of their cars wondering why they were so out of control as they competed in the pair of 150-mile races — Joey Logano won the first, while Chase Elliott won the second — determining the 2026 Daytona 500 lineup for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series season opener.
“The Daytona 500 could be a total wreck-fest because if you think about the duels, it’s a heat race, and everyone is like, ‘Don’t tear up your car, get what you can out of it, but don’t crash,’” Logano said at his post-race news conference.
“We wrecked a lot of stuff. That’s everyone not racing for the Daytona 500, so … say a prayer. It’s going to be crazy.”
Here are my takeaways from the Daytona 500 qualifying duels:
(Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The final two spots in the Daytona 500 went to Casey Mears in the first duel and BJ McLeod in the second duel. Both drivers had to finish ahead of two other drivers without guaranteed Daytona 500 spots in their duels, but the way McLeod did it was unique.
Anthony Alfredo dominated over McLeod and JJ Yeley in their duel, but Alfredo was disqualified as his car didn’t pass post-race inspection. NASCAR officials said Alfredo had two hoses — a transaxle cooling hose and a driver comfort hose — that were not attached as required following the event. They would have been attached prior (with tape), but they likely came unsealed during the race. Moran said the decision was automatic and up for an appeal.
“[The hose] must be hermetic, must be mounted,” Moran mentioned throughout a information convention the place he confirmed the transaxle cooling hose. “We now have many guidelines, as you all know, that no elements can fall off the automobile for apparent causes. We do not say what the intent is, that these elements must be mounted correctly, and sadly, one piece wasn’t on the proper aspect, and there was additionally one other hose disconnected for driver cooling.”
It did not seem that Mears would get the spot in his duel, however Corey LaJoie was turned on the ultimate lap. Mears, who additionally had harm, was capable of full the ultimate lap forward of each LaJoie and the already-damaged Chandler Smith.
“The entire race, I used to be pondering that was out of our grasp,” Mears mentioned at his post-race information convention. “There’s numerous prayers mentioned, for positive, only for alternative. It opened up, we took benefit of it.”
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2. Corey LaJoie Feels Defeat
LaJoie thought he had a Daytona 500 spot in his grasp, as he ran close to the entrance for many of his race. He was turned by Daniel Suárez, and his bid to place a fourth RFK Racing automobile into the Daytona 500 ended with a visit to the infield medical heart.
“I simply received turned. … I’m actually dejected as a result of I do not know if there’s one other one,” LaJoie advised me and different reporters exterior the care heart. “That is it, until there’s anything. So who is aware of?”
Suárez advised me he was pushed into LaJoie from behind by Shane van Gisbergen: “It was like an accordion impact and any person was going to pay the worth in that accordion impact. And sadly, that was the [No.] 99 [of LaJoie].”
3. Daytona Expertise Issues
Each duels had been received by drivers with loads of expertise. Logano is the 2015 winner of the Daytona 500 and a three-time Cup champion. Elliott, the 2020 Cup champion, has 4 profession wins on drafting tracks however none at Daytona.
(Photograph by James Gilbert/Getty Photos)
However Elliott received possibly an surprising help as Carson Hocevar pushed him onerous and helped him management the lanes to the end.
“I actually owe him an appreciation for simply form of sticking with it, additionally pushing me effectively,” Elliott mentioned throughout his tv interview on the frontstretch after the race. “It is actual straightforward to get folks uncontrolled.”
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4. Crashes or Not, It is Out of Management
Logano mentioned the wreck-filled first duel was the results of automobiles being surprisingly uncontrolled: “I do not know what’s totally different to make the entire discipline that approach. … It is fascinating to see the entire discipline like that.”
The second duel didn’t have any wrecks, and but, the drivers mentioned it felt simply as sketchy.
“That is probably the most I’ve ever seen a Subsequent Gen automobile uncontrolled right here,” Daytona 500 front-row starter Chase Briscoe advised me after the second duel.
“I do not know what’s so totally different this time round, however they are a handful for positive. … Granted, the automobiles ought to drive just a little bit higher [in the 500] simply because you possibly can take these qualifying changes out. However they had been a handful tonight.”
4 ½. What’s Subsequent
(Photograph by Jeff Curry/Getty Photos)
Groups will get 50 minutes of observe Friday and one other 50 minutes Saturday. Anticipate most groups to observe Friday however a number of to sit down out the Saturday session to guard their automobiles.
At the very least three groups will go to back-up automobiles due to crashes within the duels: two-time defending Daytona 500 winner William Byron, Chris Buescher, Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain.
“We’ve received this race with a backup automobile, so I am not tremendous apprehensive about that facet, but it surely does suck that you simply put numerous work into the first, and you aren’t getting to race it,” Byron advised me.
