The Duel, which divides drivers among two 60-lap, 150-mile races, determined the full starting lineup for the 67th annual Daytona 500.
Bubba Wallace won Duel No. 1 in the No. 23 Toyota of 23XI Racing, topping defending Daytona 500 winner William Byron on the final lap. With the victory, Wallace secures the No. 3 starting spot in Sunday’s race.
‘I was lucky to have (teammate) Tyler (Reddick) behind me – he did a great job pushing me,’ Wallace said after his win. ‘I appreciate that massive 23XI effort to get us this win. But all-in-all, we’ve got McDonald’s back in victory lane at the Duel. It sets us up really good for Sunday.
‘We will enjoy this little moment right now. I told myself I would do more of – enjoy the little stuff.’
The first Duel was altered by caution flags, with the first one coming on Lap 3 and the second on Lap 14, completely changing the fuel strategy for the race. But none of it phased Wallace, who led a race-high 21 laps.
Duel No. 2 was more mundane for most of the race, no doubt because drivers and teams had witnessed the opener. The first caution arrived at Lap 48 after the entire field had made green-flag pit stops. When the race restarted with just seven laps remaining, Cindric was back where he started – at the front of the field.
Cindric started on the pole in Duel No. 2 after finishing second in Wednesday night’s pole qualifying behind Chase Briscoe. Though he relinquished his Duel lead early to Denny Hamlin, he drove his No. 2 Team Penske Ford back to the front when it mattered.
The final lap of Duel No. 2 came down to a drag race to the finish line after Erik Jones, in the Legacy Motor Club No. 43 Toyota, made a strong move on the outside to challenge Cindric. And while it looked like Jones had edged Cindric by a hair, NASCAR officials had thrown a caution flag a second before the duo crossed the line. After video review, officials determined Cindric was leading when the caution flag flew, making him the winner.
“Obviously a great race for us and a fast Discount Tire Ford Mustang,” Cindric said. “I thought it was super close. I thought I got it, but I think the 43 beat me to the line. But the caution light came out a little earlier, so obviously it was a great result and glad my guys let me race this one tonight to see what we had. Now we can tune on this thing for the 500.’
With the Duel races completed, the lineup is now set for Sunday’s “Great American Race.” Briscoe and Cindric will make up the front row of the starting grid, followed by Wallace and Jones.
For highlights, results and a recap of all the action from Thursday night’s Duel races, see below:
Daytona 500 projected starting lineup
Here is the projected starting lineup for the 2025 Daytona 500, via NASCAR (*-denotes Open, non-Charter team). The Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on Fox.
Austin Cindric wins Daytona Duel No. 2
Following a video review by NASCAR, Team Penske driver Austin Cindric was declared the winner of Duel No. 2 over Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones. Cindric, in the No. 2 Ford, and Jones, in the No. 43 Toyota, took the checkered flag at seemingly the same time, but because a caution flag was thrown less than a second before, NASCAR had to review which driver was leading when the yellow flag waved.
Cindric was already locked into the front row of Sunday’s Daytona 500 after finishing second behind pole winner Chase Briscoe in Wednesday’s pole qualifying. But his win in Duel No. 2 will generate extra regular-season points. With his second-place finish, Jones sewed up the No. 4 starting spot in the 67th annual Daytona 500.
RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher finished third in the No. 17 Ford, Denny Hamlin finished fourth in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano took fifth in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.
Daytona Duel No. 2 results
(Starting position in parentheses)
(1) Austin Cindric, Ford
(18) Erik Jones, Toyota
(9) Chris Buescher, Ford
(3) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
(2) Joey Logano, Ford
(17) Corey LaJoie, Ford
(7) Todd Gilliland, Ford
(10) Ryan Blaney, Ford
(19) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
(4) Christopher Bell, Toyota
(5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
(13) Riley Herbst, Toyota
(20) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet
(15) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
(22) Cody Ware, Ford
(16) Cole Custer, Ford
(21) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet
(11) Noah Gragson, Ford
(14) Jimmie Johnson, Toyota
(8) Brad Keselowski, Ford
(12) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
(6) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
Daytona Duel No. 2 ends in a photo finish
Austin Cindric, who started on the pole in Duel No. 2, and Erik Jones took the checkered flag at nearly the exact same time. But a caution flag was waved just before the cars crossed the line as a multicar crash broke out in the back of the field.
Corey LaJoie, driving part-time in the No. 01 Ford, finished sixth as an open-car to lock himself into the Daytona 500 field.
Daytona Duel No. 2 restarts after crash
The green flag drops with seven laps remaining. Chris Buescher and Austin Cindric restart on the front row.
Caution flag flies after crash on Lap 48
Following green-flag pit stops by all drivers, a multi-car crash broke out on the backstretch near the back of the field. The front of the field began slowing up, setting up an accordian effect further back. Daniel Suarez checked up, causing Alex Bowman to get into the back of his No. 99 Chevrolet. Suarez then spun into Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford. Bowman hit the SAFER barrier in his No. 88 Chevrolet and was unable to make it back to pit road, ending his race.
Ford cars make their pit stops
Following fuel stops for the Chevrolets and Toyotas, the remaining cars – all Fords – came down pit road for fuel, shuffling the field.
Entire inside lane pits for fuel on Lap 45
All of the Chevrolets and Toyotas came down pit road for fuel on Lap 45 of 60, led by Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez. But Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and John Hunter Nemechek were penalized for speeding and will be forced to come down pit road again.
Jimmie Johnson makes an unscheduled pit stop
Two-time Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson, who was running in the top four, radioed his team that he thought he was running out of fuel and came down pit road on his own – a major detriment in a pack-racing track like Daytona International Speedway. Johnson could never catch back up with the field and went a lap down on Lap 39. But the semi-retired seven-time NASCAR champion, who is driving a handful of races in 2025, is already locked into the field for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Jimmie Johnson rockets up the leaderboard
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, driving the No. 84 Toyota for Legacy Motor Club, the team he co-owns, shot up near the front of the pack along with his teammate, Erik Jones, who is pacing the field in his No. 43 Toyota. Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney has also moved into the Top 3.
Denny Hamlin leads Daytona Duel No. 2
Three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin has led 12 of the first 13 laps of Duel No. 2 in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Also in the top six: Kyle Larson, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, Alex Bowman and Chris Buescher
Daytona Duel No. 2 begins
The green flag has dropped on the second of two Daytona 500 Duel races as Austin Cindric leads the field. Cindric will also start on the front row for Sunday’s 67th annual Daytona 500, alongside pole winner Chase Briscoe.
Bubba Wallace wins Daytona Duel No. 1
Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota outdueled William Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet and Ty Dillon’s No. 10 Chevrolet to take the checkered flag in Duel No. 1 at Daytona. With the win, Wallace clinches the third starting spot in Sunday’s Daytona 500. Wallace led six times for 20 laps.
Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain finished fourth in the No. 1 Chevy, and Wallace’s 23XI Racing teammate Tyler Reddick finished fifth in the No. 45 Toyota.
Justin Allgaier raced his way into the Daytona 500 field as an open car after finishing ninth. Allgaier, the defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, is driving the No. 40 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, the team co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller that is making its Daytona 500 debut.
Daytona Duel No. 1 results
(Starting position in parentheses)
(15) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
(11) William Byron, Chevrolet
(5) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
(19) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
(14) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
(10) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
(4) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
(8) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
(17) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet
(7) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
(13) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
(9) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
(2) Ryan Preece, Ford
(3) Josh Berry, Ford
(12) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
(21) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
(23) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet
(18) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
(1) Chase Briscoe, Toyota
(22) Chandler Smith, Ford
(16)Justin Haley, Chevrolet
(20) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet
(6) Zane Smith, Ford
Daytona Duel No. 1 leaders
23XI teammates Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick are both racing in the top-four with 20 laps remaining in Duel No. 1. Also running up front: reigning Daytona 500 champion William Byron and Ryan Preece.
Preece was later shuffled back after getting stuck on his own in the middle lane.
Pole winner Chase Briscoe retires from Duel No. 1
Not wanting to risk his pole-winning No. 19 Toyota, Chase Briscoe and his Joe Gibbs Racing team opted to retire from Duel No. 1 to keep his car from sustaining any damage ahead of the 67th annual Daytona 500. Briscoe is still guaranteed to start on the pole for Sunday’s race.
Helio Castroneves knocked out of Daytona Duel No. 1
Justin Haley got into the back of Chandler Smith, sending his No. 66 Ford hard into the wall on Lap 14 and collecting a number of other cars, including four-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves, who was making his NASCAR debut. Smith and Castroneves were forced to retire from the race with damage, though the IndyCar legend is guaranteed a starting spot in Sunday’s Daytona 500 with a provisional.
Haley also hit the outside wall in the process, while Ty Gibbs, JJ Yeley, and Bubba Wallace also sustained damage.
First caution flag flies in Daytona Duel No. 1
Zane Smith brought out the caution flag on the third lap after hitting the wall and cutting his right front tire in Turn 2. Smith, who was running in the fifth position, managed to make it back to pit road under his own power.
Duel at Daytona No. 1 begins
The green flag has dropped on the first of two Daytona 500 Duel races as Chase Briscoe leads the field. Briscoe will also start on the pole for Sunday’s 67th annual Daytona 500.
Helio Castroneves attempts first NASCAR race
Helio Castroneves, who won the Indy 500 four times in his illustrious open-wheel career, is behind the wheel of a Cup Series car for his first NASCAR race. Castroneves will start 20th of 23 cars in Duel at Daytona No. 1. Should his finishing result not lock him into the Daytona 500 field, Castroneves is guaranteed a provisional starting spot for Sunday’s race but would start last on Sunday.
What time do the Daytona Duel races start?
Duel at Daytona No. 1 is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET. Barring delays, Duel at Daytona No. 2 should begin at 8:45 p.m. ET.
What TV channel is showing the Daytona Duel races?
Fox Sports 1 (FS1) is televising both Daytona Duel races.
Will there be a live stream of the Daytona Duel races?
Both Daytona Duel races can be streamed on FoxSports.com, the Fox Sports app and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
Watch the Daytona Duel races on Fubo
What is the weather forecast for the Daytona Duel races?
The National Weather Service is calling for mostly cloudy skies with temperatures in the low-to-mid 70s Thursday night for the start of Duel No. 1, before dropping into the high 60s for Duel No. 2. There is a slight possibility of showers and thunderstorms before 10 p.m. ET, with the odds of precipitation at 20%.
Daytona duel odds: Top favorites for each race
All odds provided by BetMGM as of Thursday afternoon:
Duel No. 1 odds
Kyle Busch … +650
Chase Elliott … +900
William Byron … +1000
Bubba Wallace … +1200
Chase Briscoe … +1400
Michael McDowell … +1400
Ryan Preece … +1600
Josh Berry … +1600
Ty Gibbs … +1600
Tyler Reddick … +1600
Ross Chastain … +1600
Duel No. 2 odds
Joey Logano … +650
Brad Keselowski … +700
Ryan Blaney … +700
Denny Hamlin … +750
Austin Cindric … +900
Christopher Bell … +1000
Kyle Larson … +1000
Chris Buescher … +1100
Todd Gilliland … +1400
Alex Bowman … +1600
How do the Daytona Duel races work?
The Daytona Duels consist of two 60-lap, 150-mile races that set positions third to 40th on the starting grid for the Daytona 500 – after the top-two finishers in Wednesday’s night pole qualifying locked up the Daytona 500 front row. The winners of the two Duel races will start on the second row of Sunday’s Daytona 500 (if they didn’t already land on the front row in pole qualifying).
The drivers who finished first, third, fifth, etc., in Wednesday’s pole qualifying will race in Duel No. 1, while those who finished second, fourth, sixth, etc., in qualifying will race in Duel No. 2. The finishing order from Duel No. 1 will make up the inside lane for the starting lineup of the Daytona 500, starting with position No. 3. The results of Duel No. 2 will make up the outside lane on the starting grid.
The top finishers in both Daytona Duel races also receive NASCAR Cup Series regular season points.
Who will start first in the Daytona Duel races?
Chase Briscoe posted the top time in Wednesday night’s Daytona 500 pole qualifying, guaranteeing the pole position for both the Daytona 500 and Duel No. 1. Austin Cindric posted the second-fastest time in qualifying and will start on the pole in Duel No. 2 and second in the Daytona 500.
∎ Duel at Daytona No. 1 front row
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
∎ Duel at Daytona No. 2 front row
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Joey Logano. No. 22 Team Penske Ford
What are the starting lineups for the Daytona Duel races?
Duel at Daytona No. 1
(19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota
(60) Ryan Preece, Ford
(21) Josh Berry, Ford
(3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
(10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
(38) Zane Smith, Ford
(8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
(9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
(71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
(16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
(24) William Byron, Chevrolet
(56) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
(54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
(45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
(23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
(7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
(40) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet
(77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
(1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
(91) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet
(47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
(66) Chandler Smith, Ford
(44) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet
Duel at Daytona No. 2
(2) Austin Cindric, Ford
(22) Joey Logano, Ford
(11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
(20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
(5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
(48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
(34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
(6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
(17) Chris Buescher, Ford
(12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
(4) Noah Gragson, Ford
(99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
(35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
(84) Jimmie Johnson, Toyota
(88) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
(41) Cole Custer, Ford
(01) Corey LaJoie, Ford
(43) Erik Jones, Toyota
(42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
(62) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet
(78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet
(51) Cody Ware, Ford
Who won the 2024 Daytona Duel races?
Tyler Reddick won Duel No. 1 last year in the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota. Christopher Bell won Duel No. 2 in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
How to watch the Daytona 500
Date: Sunday, Feb. 16
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Streaming: Fubo, FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app
Location: Daytona International Speedway
Who won last year’s Daytona 500?
William Byron won the 66th annual Daytona 500 to kick off the 2024 season. The 26-year-old edged Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman at the checkered flag. Byron’s win gave team owner Rick Hendrick a record-tying nine Daytona 500 victories, becoming the sixth different driver in the team’s history to win the iconic race.
Which drivers have won the most Daytona 500 races?
*-active driver
Richard Petty … 7
Cale Yarborough … 4
Bobby Allison … 3
Jeff Gordon … 3
*-Denny Hamlin … 3
Dale Jarrett … 3
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