Joey Logano & Chase Elliott Win Daytona Duels as Daytona 500 Field is Set

The pair of Duel races at Daytona International Speedway came and went Thursday night, with Joey Logano and Chase Elliott each winning respectively. The pair of 150-miles races set the starting lineup for Sunday’s 68th running of the Daytona 500.

In addition to the implications for the Great American Race, the Duels also awarded the first points of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Logano and Elliott are now tied for the points lead with ten apiece, while the rest of the top ten finishers in each race earned one point less for each position further back they finished.

The first two starting spots for Sunday’s race were decided on Wednesday, with Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe saving their spots with the two best qualifying times. Corey Heim and Justin Allgaier also ensured they’d be in the Daytona 500, saving them the pressure of having to perform in the Duels.

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Fighting to Make the Daytona 500

Four drivers came into the night hoping to secure a position in the Daytona 500 field, only to leave in disappointment. Corey LaJoie, Chandler Smith, Anthony Alfredo, and JJ Yeley will not compete on Sunday, having failed to finish the highest of the open entries in their respective Duel races. Casey Mears punched his ticket to the Daytona 500 in the first Duel, while BJ McLeod advanced in the second.

The finish of the first Duel was the more dramatic of the two, ending in a multi-car incident as the field entered the final two corners. Corey LaJoie was just moments away from advancing in the No. 99 Ford for RFK Racing, before a hard push from Daniel Suárez sent him spinning into the outside wall. The wreck collected several other cars, including Ross Chastain and AJ Allmendinger. Mears’ No. 66 Ford was damaged after colliding with Suárez, but he managed to get to the finish line ahead of LaJoie and Smith.

“I figured I’d stay on the gas no matter what happened,” Mears said. “I can’t believe we’re here based on our night and the way that it went.” The No. 66 Ford of MBM Motorsports spent almost the entire race behind both of the two cars it needed to beat. By being in the right place at the right time, Mears was able to seize the moment and convert in a major upset.

Alfredo Out, McLeod In

In the second Duel, Anthony Alfredo was able to keep a generally faster pace than BJ McLeod and JJ Yeley for most of the event. His No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet finished 18th out of 22 cars, with Alfredo wisely avoiding the most intense racing to mitigate the possibility of being collected. For a while, it appeared as though that would be enough for him to move on. Then, NASCAR officials announced his finish was disallowed due to an unfastened transaxle cooling hose.

With Alfredo removed from the Daytona 500 lineup, driver-owner BJ McLeod was suddenly thrust into the field. He had just arrived at post-race inspection to convene with his Live Fast Motorsports team when he learned he hadn’t missed the show after all.

“I don’t at all want to make it through a disqualification like that, but I have proven since we sold our charter in ’23 that when we show up we race to the best of our ability,” McLeod said. “We don’t care about bringing cars home, we don’t care about being clean or anything. We’re here to run as best as we can and push our equipment as hard as we can to get the most out of it and put on a show for the fans that we have and every fan that’s here.”

Closing Out the Wins

For Joey Logano’s win he found himself alone out front when the caution waved on the final lap, ending the race. He had fellow Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney behind him, helping defend a potential run from Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon in third. Chase Elliott had to defend against Carson Hocevar for the win, with his own teammate Kyle Larson working to keep Hocevar from positioning himself for a run at the win. Ultimately cooler heads prevailed and the race ended without incident.

“The well-executed pit stop is what put us in position afterwards to race,” Logano said. “I think the whole field has learned that pushing each other is pretty sketchy. I was thinking about it driving over here. Daytona 500 could be a total wreck-fest.”

Daytona 500 Starting Lineup

1. No. 8 – Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing)
2. No. 19 – Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)
3. No. 22 – Joey Logano (Team Penske)
4. No. 9 – Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)
5. No. 12 – Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)
6. No. 77 – Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)
7. No. 3 – Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)
8. No. 5 – Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
9. No. 6 – Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing)
10. No. 71 – Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports)
11. No. 42 – John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club)
12. No. 20 – Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)
13. No. 97 – Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing)
14. No. 21 – Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)
15. No. 7 – Daniel Suárez (Spire Motorsports)
16. No. 47 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Hyak Motorsports)
17. No. 66 – Casey Mears (MBM Motorsports)
18. No. 34 – Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)
19. No. 60 – Ryan Preece (RFK Racing)
20. No. 54 – Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)
21. No. 48 – Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)
22. No. 11 – Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
23. No. 41 – Cole Custer (Haas Factory Team)
24. No. 43 – Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club)
25. No. 4 – Noah Gragson (Front Row Motorsports)
26. No. 45 – Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)
27. No. 23 – Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)
28. No. 35 – Riley Herbst (23XI Racing)
29. No. 67 – Corey Heim (23XI Racing)
30. No. 38 – Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports)
31. No. 84 – Jimmie Johnson (Legacy Motor Club)
32. No. 88 – Connor Zilisch (Trackhouse Racing)
33. No. 51 – Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing)
34. No. 10 – Ty Dillon (Kaulig Racing)
35. No. 16 – AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing)
36. No. 2 – Austin Cindric (Team Penske)
37. No. 1 – Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)
38. No. 78 – BJ McLeod (Live Fast Motorsports)
39. No. 24 – William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)
40. No. 40 – Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports)
41. No. 17 – Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)