NASCAR Cup Daytona starting lineup: Ross Chastain wins pole position

Ross Chastain claimed pole position at Daytona International Speedway with a lap time of 48.809s (184.396mph) in the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. Chastain shared the front row with Chris Buescher in the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford, who finished 0.051 seconds behind him. Chastain expressed surprise at securing the pole, stating that he and his team were focused on efficiency and grip with the new package.

Austin Hill started third in his career-best qualifying result, while Chase contenders Ryan Preece and Riley Herbst secured fourth and fifth positions, respectively. The top ten of the field included Shane van Gisbergen, who enters the race with the 16th and final Chase spot, followed by Connor Zilisch, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano, and Kyle Larson.

A total of 41 cars qualified for the event, with five additional cars vying for the final four positions. Casey Mears, Daniel Dye, Joey Gase, and Corey Heim all made the show, with Gase qualifying last but still securing a spot on the grid. Gray Gaulding, who was attempting his first Cup start in three years, failed to qualify, being the highest-qualifying open driver.