NASCAR qualifying results from Daytona International Speedway
Tonight, the NASCAR Cup Series takes to the 2.5-
mile oval of Daytona International Speedway. It’s Daytona 500, under the lights in Daytona Beach, Florida. It’s the first time NASCAR is running Daytona 500 qualifying at night.
View full Daytona 500 qualifying results below.
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New for 2021, cars have 40 less horsepower than the previous year. Teams are set to qualify with a new Daytona 500 rules package.
Teams will get one lap to set their time. The top 2 qualifiers will lock out the front row for the Daytona 500. The fastest time tonight will be the Daytona 500 polesitter.
Additionally, the top two of the eight open cars (not charter cars) will lock in a starting spot for the Daytona 500.
Beyond the front row, Daytona 500 qualifying will be used to set the starting positions in each of the two Duel races. Finishing positions in the Duels will set the inside and outside rows from the second row on back.
Daytona Beach, Florida is having a power issue just ahead of qualifying. The session is currently delayed as the infield lights have shut off at the track.
Daytona 500
Qualifying – Report
The field has been split into two groups. Each group has their own random draw for who goes out first and last in the group. The times from each group are then combined in the official results.
Group A
Group A features 24 cars. They are the 24 lowest cars in owner points from the last season. They engaged in a random draw to set their order in group A qualifying runs.
Noah Gragson will not take part in qualifying. The team failed inspection three times ahead of qualifying. He’ll now start at the back in his Duel.
Related: NASCAR inspection issues ahead of Daytona 500 Qualifying
Derrike Cope is unable to get his car to start for his qualifying run. NASCAR officials put him on a 5 minute clock but the team was unable to fix the issue. Cope will not set a time tonight.
Bubba Wallace is fastest at the conclusion of Group A. He turned a 47.474.
Ryan Preece and David Ragan have also locked themselves into the Daytona 500. Those are the two fastest non-charter cars.
Group A – Daytona 500 Qualifying: 1. Bubba Wallace (47.474); 2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (47.477); 3. Ryan Preece (47.585); 4. Daniel Suarez (47.636); 5. David Ragan (47.730); 6. Austin Cindric (47.900); 7. Kaz Grala (47.925); 8. Ryan Newman (47.960); 9. Ross Chastain (47.972); 10. Michael McDowell (48.124);
Group B
Group B features the top 20 teams from owner points last year. Their order within the group has been set by random draw.
Hendrick Motorsports has claimed the pole in the last seven Daytona 500 runs.
William Byron is the first car to take to the track in group A. He jumps right to the top of the board, by more than a full tenth of a second.
Chase Elliott, Byron’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate is a full three tenths slower on his run. Byron has likely gone for a trimmed out setup while Elliott has elected for more downforce. This is an impound race, they’ll race the Duels with the same thing they qualify with tonight, for the most part.
Kyle Larson, another Hendrick machine was sparking harder than anyone in the field during his lap. Both the left rear and right rear shot sparks in all corners.
Alex Bowma lap showed domination. The lap for the final Hendrick Motorsports car is a full three tenths ahead of Byron’s. He’s a full half second faster than the 6th place car with only 5 cars remaining is the session.
Alex Bowman will start from the pole position in the Daytona 500! It’s a Hendrick Motorsports lockout as William Byron will complete the front row.
Daytona 500
Qualifying Results
February 10, 2021
Pos | Driver | Time
1. Alex Bowman
47.056
2. William Byron
47.314
3. Aric Almirola
47.314
4. Bubba Wallace
47.474
5. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
47.477
6. Kevin Harvick
47.489
7. Christopher Bell
47.573
8. Ryan Preece
47.585
9. Austin Dillon
47.636
10. Daniel Suarez
47.636
11. Denny Hamlin
47.695
12. Chase Elliott
47.695
13. David Ragan
47.730
14. Kurt Busch
47.742
15. Kyle Larson
47.752
16. Kyle Busch
47.780
17. Matt DiBenedetto
47.881
18. Ryan Blaney
47.895
19. Austin Cindric
47.900
20. Kaz Grala
47.925
21. Joey Logano
47.943
22. Chase Briscoe
47.956
23. Ryan Newman
47.960
24. Ross Chastain
47.972
25. Cole Custer
48.060
26. Brad Keselowski
48.072
27. Michael McDowell
48.124
28. Martin Truex Jr
48.165
29. Erik Jones
48.189
30. Chris Buescher
48.269
31. Tyler Reddick
48.347
32. Anthony Alfredo
48.422
33. Ty Dillon
48.446
34. Jamie McMurray
48.746
35. Corey LaJoie
48.767
36. Quin Houff
49.571
37. Garrett Smithley
49.880
38. BJ McLeod
49.985
39. Timmy Hill
50.016
40. Cody Ware
50.074
41. Joey Gase
50.630
42. Josh Bilicki
50.926
43. Derrick Cope
No Time
44. Noah Gragson
No Time