NASCAR live updates: Alex Bowman will start on the pole for the Daytona 500
Tuesday’s Busch Clash provided an entertaining opening to the 2021 NASCAR season with a last-lap pass from third by Kyle Busch for the win. Today, teams are turning their attention to the oval.
Cup practice and qualifying are scheduled to take place today in preparation for the Daytona 500 on Sunday. An hour-long practice session, the first of three for the Cup Series, is scheduled for noon, followed by a qualifying event at 7:30 p.m. to determine the front row for the Daytona 500.
Qualifying will consist of one lap (single car) for each team and the top two Open teams to post the fastest times will advance to the Daytona 500. The other two Open spots will be determined by the best finishes in the Duels. Qualifying will also set the lineup for the Duels, scheduled for tomorrow at 7 p.m. All times are Eastern.
Check back for Speedweeks updates throughout the day and follow the Observer’s NASCAR reporter Alex Andrejev on Twitter at @AndrejevAlex. Have story ideas or tips for the 2021 season? Send them to aandrejev@charlotteobserver.com.
NASCAR Cup qualifying results
| Order | Driver | Car No. | Best Time | Best Speed |
| 1 | Alex Bowman | 48 | 47.056 | 191.261 |
| 2 | William Byron | 24 | 47.314 | 190.219 |
| 3 | Aric Almirola | 10 | 47.324 | 190.178 |
| 4 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 47.474 | 189.577 |
| 5 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | 47.477 | 189.565 |
| 6 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | 47.489 | 189.518 |
| 7 | Christopher Bell | 20 | 47.573 | 189.183 |
| 8 | * Ryan Preece | *37 | 47.585 | 189.135 |
| 9 | Austin Dillon | 3 | 47.631 | 188.953 |
| 10 | Daniel Suárez | 99 | 47.636 | 188.933 |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | 47.695 | 188.699 |
| 12 | Chase Elliott | 9 | 47.695 | 188.699 |
| 13 | * David Ragan | *36 | 47.73 | 188.561 |
| 14 | Kurt Busch | 1 | 47.742 | 188.513 |
| 15 | Kyle Larson | 5 | 47.752 | 188.474 |
| 16 | Kyle Busch | 18 | 47.78 | 188.363 |
| 17 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | 47.881 | 187.966 |
| 18 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | 47.895 | 187.911 |
| 19 | * Austin Cindric(i) | *33 | 47.9 | 187.891 |
| 20 | * Kaz Grala | *16 | 47.925 | 187.793 |
| 21 | Joey Logano | 22 | 47.943 | 187.723 |
| 22 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | 47.956 | 187.672 |
| 23 | Ryan Newman | 6 | 47.96 | 187.656 |
| 24 | Ross Chastain | 42 | 47.972 | 187.609 |
| 25 | Cole Custer | 41 | 48.06 | 187.266 |
| 26 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | 187.266 | 187.219 |
| 27 | Michael McDowell | 34 | 48.124 | 187.017 |
| 28 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | 48.165 | 186.858 |
| 29 | Erik Jones | 43 | 48.189 | 186.765 |
| 30 | Chris Buescher | 17 | 48.269 | 186.455 |
| 31 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | 48.347 | 186.154 |
| 32 | Anthony Alfredo # | 38 | 48.422 | 185.866 |
| 33 | * Ty Dillon(i) | *96 | 48.446 | 185.774 |
| 34 | Jamie McMurray | 77 | 48.746 | 184.631 |
| 35 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | 48.767 | 184.551 |
| 36 | Quin Houff | 0 | 49.571 | 181.558 |
| 37 | * Garrett Smithley(i) | *13 | 49.88 | 180.433 |
| 38 | BJ McLeod(i) | 78 | 49.985 | 180.054 |
| 39 | * Timmy Hill(i) | *66 | 50.016 | 179.942 |
| 40 | Cody Ware | 51 | 50.074 | 179.734 |
| 41 | Joey Gase | 53 | 50.63 | 177.76 |
| 42 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | 50.926 | 176.727 |
| 43 | Derrike Cope | 15 | DNQ | |
| 44 | * Noah Gragson(i) | *62 | DNQ |
NASCAR Cup qualifying highlights
8:40 p.m. FINAL: Alex Bowman posted the fastest qualifying time with a speed of 191.261 mph. He takes the spot from Hendrick teammate Byron. Byron will start in the front row as well. He had the second-fastest time (190.219 mph).
8:31 p.m.: Aric Almirola posts a time just short of pole spot (190.178 mph), bumping Wallace, who posted the best time in practice. Byron is still the one to beat.
8:15 p.m.: William Byron becomes the one to beat with a speed of 190.219. Stenhouse gets bumped and Wallace holds second.
8:09 p.m.: Bubba Wallace passes Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on the leaderbord with speed of 189.577 mph.
7:57 p.m: Derrike Cope will not make a qualifying attempt either. His car did not fire in time for the five minute clock, but Cope’s No. 15 is locked into the race. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. leads the board with a speed of 189.565 mph, but he tells reporters that he doesn’t think his time will stand.
7:40 p.m.: Noah Gragson fails pre-qualifying inspection multiple times, meaning he will start last in his Duel and will not be allowed to make a qualifying lap. Gragson is attempting to enter the Daytona 500 as an Open contender, so he will need to be the best finisher in his Duel to make the Daytona 500 lineup.
7:35 p.m.: Rooftop lights return! NASCAR says five minutes until qualifying begins.
7:20 p.m.: Or no lights? The lights at the track have apparently shut off. This will make racing difficult...
There is a widespread power outage at Daytona International Speedway. According to the Fox Sports broadcast, NASCAR officials are determining whether there is enough light to race. This is the first time qualifying for the Daytona 500 is being held at night.
NASCAR Cup qualifying order
| Order | Driver | Car No. |
| 1 | * Kaz Grala | *16 |
| 2 | Daniel Suárez | 99 |
| 3 | * Ty Dillon(i) | *96 |
| 4 | Quin Houff | 0 |
| 5 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 |
| 6 | * Austin Cindric(i) | *33 |
| 7 | Derrike Cope | 15 |
| 8 | Joey Gase | 53 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | 6 |
| 10 | * David Ragan | *36 |
| 11 | Cody Ware | 51 |
| 12 | Anthony Alfredo # | 38 |
| 13 | Erik Jones | 43 |
| 14 | BJ McLeod(i) | 78 |
| 15 | Ross Chastain | 42 |
| 16 | * Noah Gragson(i) | *62 |
| 17 | * Timmy Hill(i) | *66 |
| 18 | Michael McDowell | 34 |
| 19 | Chris Buescher | 17 |
| 20 | * Garrett Smithley(i) | *13 |
| 21 | Bubba Wallace | 23 |
| 22 | Corey LaJoie | 7 |
| 23 | Josh Bilicki | 52 |
| 24 | * Ryan Preece | *37 |
| 25 | William Byron | 24 |
| 26 | Tyler Reddick | 8 |
| 27 | Denny Hamlin | 11 |
| 28 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 |
| 29 | Jamie McMurray | 77 |
| 30 | Chase Elliott | 9 |
| 31 | Brad Keselowski | 2 |
| 32 | Cole Custer | 41 |
| 33 | Kurt Busch | 1 |
| 34 | Kyle Larson | 5 |
| 35 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 |
| 36 | Aric Almirola | 10 |
| 37 | Austin Dillon | 3 |
| 38 | Alex Bowman | 48 |
| 39 | Kevin Harvick | 4 |
| 40 | Joey Logano | 22 |
| 41 | Ryan Blaney | 12 |
| 42 | Chase Briscoe # | 14 |
| 43 | Kyle Busch | 18 |
| 44 | Christopher Bell | 20 |
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
NASCAR CUP QUALIFYING TONIGHT
▪ When: 7:30-9 p.m.
▪ How to watch/listen: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Wallace posts the fastest time at practice
1 p.m.: Bubba Wallace raced to the top of the speed chart with 23XI Racing, drafting with Joe Gibbs Racing counterparts. He posted the fastest time at 199.747 mph followed by Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell.
— Alex Andrejev
| Order | Driver | Car | Time | Speed | Lap # | Total Laps | -Fastest | -Next |
| 1 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 45.057 | 199.747 | 4 | 20 | ---.--- | ---.--- |
| 2 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | 45.069 | 199.694 | 4 | 19 | -0.012 | -0.012 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | 45.07 | 199.689 | 4 | 20 | -0.013 | -0.001 |
| 4 | Kyle Busch | 18 | 45.084 | 199.627 | 4 | 19 | -0.027 | -0.014 |
| 5 | Christopher Bell | 20 | 45.085 | 199.623 | 4 | 22 | -0.028 | -0.001 |
| 6 | Jamie McMurray | 77 | 45.145 | 199.358 | 8 | 13 | -0.088 | -0.06 |
| 7 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | 45.19 | 199.159 | 8 | 12 | -0.133 | -0.045 |
| 8 | Michael McDowell | 34 | 45.236 | 198.957 | 8 | 14 | -0.179 | -0.046 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | 6 | 45.307 | 198.645 | 4 | 11 | -0.25 | -0.071 |
| 10 | Cole Custer | 41 | 45.387 | 198.295 | 5 | 15 | -0.33 | -0.08 |
| 11 | Erik Jones | 43 | 45.413 | 198.181 | 3 | 8 | -0.356 | -0.026 |
| 12 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | 45.427 | 198.12 | 5 | 11 | -0.37 | -0.014 |
| 13 | Aric Almirola | 10 | 45.489 | 197.85 | 5 | 13 | -0.432 | -0.062 |
| 14 | Chris Buescher | 17 | 45.498 | 197.811 | 5 | 9 | -0.441 | -0.009 |
| 15 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | 45.5 | 197.802 | 5 | 13 | -0.443 | -0.002 |
| 16 | Chase Briscoe # | 14 | 45.516 | 197.733 | 5 | 15 | -0.459 | -0.016 |
| 17 | Joey Logano | 22 | 45.58 | 197.455 | 4 | 9 | -0.523 | -0.064 |
| 18 | Austin Dillon | 3 | 46.237 | 194.649 | 4 | 12 | -1.18 | -0.657 |
| 19 | Ryan Preece | *37 | 46.256 | 194.569 | 2 | 11 | -1.199 | -0.019 |
| 20 | Anthony Alfredo # | 38 | 46.373 | 194.078 | 5 | 10 | -1.316 | -0.117 |
| 21 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | 46.897 | 191.91 | 1 | 6 | -1.84 | -0.524 |
| 22 | Kyle Larson | 5 | 47.279 | 190.359 | 5 | 13 | -2.222 | -0.382 |
| 23 | Alex Bowman | 48 | 47.465 | 189.613 | 6 | 8 | -2.408 | -0.186 |
| 24 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | 47.489 | 189.518 | 1 | 5 | -2.432 | -0.024 |
| 25 | Daniel Suárez | 99 | 47.575 | 189.175 | 2 | 11 | -2.518 | -0.086 |
| 26 | William Byron | 24 | 47.599 | 189.08 | 8 | 8 | -2.542 | -0.024 |
| 27 | Kurt Busch | 1 | 47.602 | 189.068 | 2 | 12 | -2.545 | -0.003 |
| 28 | Ty Dillon(i) | *96 | 47.611 | 189.032 | 1 | 6 | -2.554 | -0.009 |
| 29 | Chase Elliott | 9 | 47.68 | 188.758 | 3 | 11 | -2.623 | -0.069 |
| 30 | Kaz Grala | *16 | 47.781 | 188.359 | 1 | 1 | -2.724 | -0.101 |
| 31 | David Ragan | *36 | 47.803 | 188.273 | 2 | 5 | -2.746 | -0.022 |
| 32 | Austin Cindric(i) | *33 | 47.828 | 188.174 | 7 | 7 | -2.771 | -0.025 |
| 33 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | 47.944 | 187.719 | 12 | 12 | -2.887 | -0.116 |
| 34 | Ross Chastain | 42 | 47.981 | 187.574 | 2 | 10 | -2.924 | -0.037 |
| 35 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | 48.01 | 187.461 | 1 | 8 | -2.953 | -0.029 |
| 36 | Noah Gragson(i) | *62 | 48.318 | 186.266 | 4 | 4 | -3.261 | -0.308 |
| 37 | Garrett Smithley(i) | *13 | 48.35 | 186.143 | 2 | 4 | -3.293 | -0.032 |
| 38 | Timmy Hill(i) | *66 | 48.352 | 186.135 | 2 | 5 | -3.295 | -0.002 |
| 39 | Quin Houff | 0 | 48.37 | 186.066 | 2 | 4 | -3.313 | -0.018 |
| 40 | Derrike Cope | 15 | 48.817 | 184.362 | 7 | 9 | -3.76 | -0.447 |
| 41 | BJ McLeod(i) | 78 | 50.16 | 179.426 | 5 | 5 | -5.103 | -1.343 |
| 42 | Joey Gase | 53 | 50.201 | 179.279 | 5 | 5 | -5.144 | -0.041 |
| 43 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | 50.736 | 177.389 | 3 | 3 | -5.679 | -0.535 |
| 44 | Cody Ware | 51 | 50.821 | 177.092 | 2 | 2 | -5.764 | -0.085 |
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
NASCAR CUP PRACTICE TODAY
▪ When: 12-1 p.m.
▪ How to watch/listen: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Martin Truex Jr. sticking with JGR
11 a.m.: Joe Gibbs Racing announces that it has reached an extended agreement with Martin Truex Jr. to continue driving the team’s No. 19 Toyota in the Cup Series. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but Truex is expected to continue racing for Gibbs through at least the 2022 season.
“I’m happy to get this news out there so we can focus on this season and the future with Joe Gibbs Racing,” Truex said in a statement. “This is where I wanted to be and to continue building on the success we have had together the past two years.”
More on Truex Jr.’s updated contract can be found here.
— Alex Andrejev
WEATHER IN DAYTONA BEACH
The National Weather Service forecasts fog in the morning, with partly cloudy skies and a high near 79 degrees in Daytona Beach, Fla. AccuWeather.com projects a 50% chance of rain in the morning with partly cloudy skies, and a slight chance of rain in the evening.
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 11:05 AM.
