Joey Logano of Team Penske secured the pole position for Sunday’s Daytona 500, topping the speed chart with an average lap speed of 181.947 mph in the final qualifying round.
This marks the first pole for a Ford driver since 2012 (Carl Edwards) and the first for team owner Roger Penske. It’s also Logano’s inaugural Daytona 500 pole and his 29th career pole.
“This victory belongs to the team,” Logano attributed. “The guys have put in tremendous effort on these cars. Super-speedway qualifying is heavily reliant on the car—there’s limited influence from the driver. It’s a significant win for Team Penske, Ford, and our Dark Horse Mustang. Winning the pole is a special moment, especially at this event.”
Logano’s fellow Ford driver, Michael McDowell, representing Front Row Motorsports, secured the second spot on the front row with an average lap speed of 181.686 mph. Kyle Larson followed in third place, the top performer among the Hendrick drivers. Austin Cindric and Chase Elliott completed the top five qualifiers.
The remaining starting positions, apart from Logano and McDowell, will be determined by the results of Thursday night’s twin 150-mile qualifying races.
In the initial round of qualifying, Logano led the pack with an average lap speed of 181.302 mph. Larson and Austin Dillon followed closely in the second and third positions, respectively. Hendrick cars showed strength, with three of their drivers securing spots in the top five.
Notably, Anthony Alfredo and David Ragan secured their spots in the field for Sunday’s race by posting the top two speeds among the unchartered cars. Alfredo is driving for Beard Motorsports, known for its partial schedule, while Ragan is piloting a third entry for RFK Racing.
However, Kaz Grala faced issues with his car and failed to post a speed, while Jimmie Johnson, driving for Legacy Motor Club, ended up 35th and will have to race his way into the Daytona 500 in Thursday night’s qualifying races.
“I had higher expectations, but we’re in a similar position with the other Toyotas,” Johnson commented. “We’ll give it our all tomorrow night and aim to secure our spot in the 500.”