2026 Daytona 500 Starting Lineup Announced

NASCAR has officially announced the starting lineup for the highly anticipated 2026 Daytona 500. This year’s race will see veteran driver Kyle Busch take the pole position, aiming for his first victory in the season opener of the Cup Series. Chase Briscoe will join him on the front row as the second-place starter.

2026 Daytona 500 Starting Lineup

The second row features two strong contenders: Joey Logano, who secured his position with a win in one of Thursday’s qualifying races, will start third, and Chase Elliott, another powerhouse driver, will start fourth. Both are expected to compete fiercely as the race unfolds.

Row-by-Row Breakdown

• Row 1:
  • Kyle Busch, No. 8 Chevrolet
  • Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota
• Row 2:
  • Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford
  • Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet
• Row 3:
  • Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford
  • Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet
• Row 4:
  • Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet
  • Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet
• Row 5:
  • Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford
  • Michael McDowell, No. 71 Chevrolet
• Row 6:
  • John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Toyota
  • Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota
• Row 7:
  • Shane Van Gisbergen, No. 97 Chevrolet
  • Josh Berry, No. 21 Ford
• Row 8:
  • Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Chevrolet
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Chevrolet
• Row 9:
  • Casey Mears, No. 66 Ford
  • Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Ford
• Row 10:
  • Ryan Preece, No. 60 Ford
  • Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota
• Row 11:
  • Alex Bowman, No. 48 Chevrolet
  • Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota
• Row 12:
  • Cole Custer, No. 41 Chevrolet
  • Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota
• Row 13:
  • Noah Gragson, No. 4 Ford
  • Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota
• Row 14:
  • Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota
  • Riley Herbst, No. 35 Toyota
• Row 15:
  • Corey Heim, No. 67 Toyota
  • Zane Smith, No. 38 Ford
• Row 16:
  • Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Toyota
  • Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Chevrolet
• Row 17:
  • Cody Ware, No. 51 Chevrolet
  • Ty Dillon, No. 10 Chevrolet
• Row 18:
  • AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Chevrolet
  • Austin Cindric, No. 2 Ford
• Row 19:
  • Ross Chastain, No. 1 Chevrolet
  • Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Chevrolet
• Row 20:
  • William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet
  • Justin Allgaier, No. 40 Chevrolet
• Row 21:
  • Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford

Drivers Who Failed to Qualify

• Chandler Smith (No. 36 Ford)
• JJ Yeley (No. 44 Chevrolet)
• BJ McLeod (No. 78 Chevrolet)
• Corey LaJoie (No. 99 Ford)

William Byron, notable for attempting to achieve three consecutive Daytona 500 victories, will start in the 39th position. The race will feature a full field of 41 cars, promising an exhilarating showdown at the iconic Daytona International Speedway.