Briscoe earns Daytona 500 pole as Truex, Johnson l...

An ‘unbelievable’ method to begin off the yr and season, in response to Chase Briscoe, who rocketed to the highest of the Daytona 500 qualifying charts with a 49.249s lap within the remaining spherical. The celebrated pole is large for Briscoe, however even greater for producer and staff as Toyota has by no means earlier than earned pole place within the Daytona 500 and Joe Gibbs Racing hasn’t taken the highest spot in 500 qualifying since 1998 with Bobby Labonte.

Briscoe’s gorgeous pole run noticed him finest Group Penske’s Austin Cindric, which inevitably ended Ford’s run of 9 consecutive poles at drafting tracks. The Blue Oval did make an announcement, although, taking each spot contained in the top-five — besides first place.

“[It’s] a good way to start out our season,” stated Briscoe, who has two earlier Cup Collection poles. “Unbelievable method to begin off the yr. Unbelievable method to begin off with Toyota. To have the ability to be the man to ship them the primary something once they’ve already achieved a lot is fairly cool … Cannot thank Coach Gibbs sufficient, your entire Joe Gibbs Racing group. The entire low season everyone saved telling me the main focus was making an attempt to qualify higher at superspeedways. That is one thing I actually struggled finally yr. For our 19 group to come back right here and sit on the pole on the largest race of the yr is fairly particular.”

Ryan Preece was third on the time sheets, Joey Logano fourth, Josh Berry fifth, Denny Hamlin sixth, Austin Dillon seventh, Christopher Bell eighth, Ty Dillon ninth, and Kyle Larson tenth.

Two champs lock in

And Toyota’s good evening went far past Briscoe’s pole lap. Of the 9 open drivers, solely two had the chance to lock themselves into the race in Wednesday evening and each had been members of the Toyota camp. It was the 2 former NASCAR Cup champions — Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson — who edged out the remainder of the large open discipline. Of be aware, they had been additionally the one Toyota drivers not but locked into the race. Because the producer trails each Chevrolet and Ford in whole automobile rely, they want all of the allies they’ll get for Sunday.

“Undoubtedly a giant aid,” stated Truex, who will make his twenty first look within the 500 on Sunday. “You by no means know what can occur within the Duels – they’ll get loopy, one thing on pit street can get you in hassle. Nice job to the entire guys – they labored their butts off on this automobile. They had been sweating all afternoon, and by chance, we had been capable of put a very good lap in.”

For Johnson, he was simply pleased that he will not need to undergo the stress of final yr’s try to struggle his method into the five hundred with a last-lap go in his qualifying race.  “What I went by final yr was so horrifying and I’m glad I don’t need to undergo it once more. I actually respect this course of and don’t envy the blokes that need to race their method in. It’s so powerful. I’m very proud of my Toyota. I’m very proud of everyone at Legacy Motor Membership. We’ve received three automobiles right here which can be all fairly quick. It’s a giant enchancment from final yr. We’ve labored onerous within the low season. We’re within the massive present.”

Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Membership Toyota

Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Photographs

Third-fastest of the open entry drivers was Justin Allgaier, in an entry co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. which places him in a stable place to switch on time ought to both Truex or Johnson be the most effective open driver of their respective Duel race. But when that does not occur, Allgaier could have the identical purpose as the remainder of the open discipline — end greater than the remainder and race their method into the five hundred. 

Because it stands, the next open drivers will compete within the Duel 1 race: Truex, Allgaier, Helio Castroneves, and J.J. Yeley. Castroneves can breathe a bit simpler as he can fall again on the Open Exemption Provisional for a assured beginning spot if he fails to race his method in. In Duel 2, the open drivers will probably be as follows: Johnson, Corey LaJoie, Anthony Alfredo, and B.J. McLeod.

The dual 150-mile qualifying races start at 7 p.m. EST Thursday evening the place the complete discipline of drivers will lastly be set. 

Photographs from Daytona 500 – Wednesday