The first race of the 2025 Cup Series season is yet to go down, and Chase Briscoe is already delivering for Joe Gibbs Racing. The new signee secured pole position for the upcoming Daytona 500 by posting a lap of 182.745 miles per hour in the second round of qualifying on Wednesday. Several factors make this achievement historic.
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It is the first Daytona 500 pole for Joe Gibbs Racing since 1998 and the first-ever for Toyota. For Briscoe, it is the third career pole and his first in the Great American Race. Needless to say, energies were running high in the pit road. The driver told Fox Sports, “The whole offseason everybody kept telling me the focus was on trying to qualify better on superspeedways.”
“That’s something they really struggled with last year. For our No. 19 group to come here and sit at the pole for the biggest race of the year is pretty special. So, yeah, can’t believe it.” Briscoe was able to guide his No. 19 Toyota Camry XSE around the 2.5-mile track in 49.249 seconds. If he is to keep this speed on Sunday, victory lane is inevitable.
Chase Briscoe gives Toyota its first Daytona 500 pole. pic.twitter.com/ZH5hOwRnIl
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 13, 2025
He continued thanking his sponsors and quipped, “Unbelievable way to start the season. Hopefully, we can just carry it on now.” Briscoe was the last qualifier of the round. Fords dominated the leaderboard until he zoomed past them all at a blistering pace. Before him, it was Bobby Labonte who gave Joe Gibbs Racing a pole start in the Great American Race.
Where Briscoe’s competitors will be starting
Team Penske’s Austin Cindric will start alongside Briscoe on the front row. He completed his lap in 49.325 seconds. They’ll both start on the pole in the Daytona Duels as well. The open cars of Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson are locked into the race based on time. Two other open cars will try to secure their berths through the Duels.
Justin Allgaier, Corey LaJoie, and Helio Castroneves are among the other open drivers who will fight for the two spots. The rest of the starting order will be decided by the Duels as well. Castroneves will look to race his way into the field. But if he isn’t able to do so, he will expand the field to 41 cars and enter the big race courtesy of the Open Exemption Provisional.
There are huge hopes pinned on Allgaier since he is Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s champion. It is on him to make sure that JR Motorsports gets its first Cup Series start this weekend. The Duels will begin at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday. The Daytona 500 is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
