Daytona 500

NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500: Speedweeks Open With Newly Designed Ford Sweep, Joey Logano Edging Michael McDowell For Pole Position

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Jeff Hawkins
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NASCAR: Cup Practice and Qualifying

Powered by a newly designed Ford, driver Joey Logano blitzed the qualifying field and edged Michael McDowell on Wednesday night to earn the pole for Sunday’s Daytona 500 at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. 

With Speedweeks opening without time for the drivers to take a practice lap, Logano turned a hot lap of 181.947 to earn his first pole for the “Great American Race.”  

McDowell, the 2021 Daytona 500 titleholder, finished 0.071 seconds behind the ‘22 Cup Series champion and will start on the outside of the front row. 

Among the six open entries, Anthony Alfredo and David Ragan earned starting positions for Sunday. The remaining starting grid spots (No. 3-40) will be solidified Thursday night with two Duel races. 

Ford, Toyota Debuts Newly Designed Machines

Two of NASCAR’s three automakers underwent body style redesigns during the offseason. Appearing for the first time as Daytona Speedweeks opened Wednesday with Cup Series qualifying, Ford and Toyota machines showed off their new machines.

The alterations were geared to causing less drag and creating more downforce.

Ford’s version, the Mustang Dark Horse, showed early promise with three of the top four finishers during Wednesday’s qualifying. Following Logano and McDowell, Austin Cindric earned a P4.

Toyota introduced the new Camry XSE, but none of the manufacturers’ pilots placed in the top 10 Wednesday.

Daytona 500 Top 10 Qualifying

Here is a look at the top 10 finishers during Wednesday’s qualifying for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series’ Daytona 500 at Daytona International 500:

Starting Position, Driver, Car No., Team

  • 1, Joey Logano, 22, Team Penske
  • 2, Michael McDowell, 34, Front Row Motorsports
  • 3, Kyle Larson, 5, Hendrick Motorsports
  • 4, Austin Cindric, 2, Team Penske
  • 5, Chase Elliott, 9, Hendrick Motorsports
  • 6, William Byron, 24, Hendrick Motorsports
  • 7, Kevin Harvick, 4, Stewart-Haas Racing
  • 8, Austin Dillon, 3, Richard Childress Racing
  • 9, Ross Chastain, 1, Trackhouse Racing
  • 10, Harrison Burton, 21, Wood Brothers Racing

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Daytona 500 Daytona Speedweeks NASCAR Cup Series NASCAR News and Rumors
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Jeff Hawkins

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12 and 2023). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
View All Posts By Jeff Hawkins

Jeff Hawkins

Twitter Linkedin
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12 and 2023). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
View All Posts By Jeff Hawkins
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