In a thrilling night of high-speed action and heart-stopping finishes, Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric emerged victorious in the Daytona Duels, securing prime starting positions for Sunday’s 67th running of the Daytona 500. Wallace, with a powerful push from teammate Tyler Reddick, surged past defending 500 winner William Byron to claim the win in the first Duel by just 0.082 seconds. Meanwhile, Cindric edged Erik Jones in a photo finish marred by a massive wreck, with NASCAR ruling he held the lead at the moment of caution.
Wallace’s triumph in the No. 23XI Racing Toyota was a long-awaited moment for the driver, who had been chasing a Duel win for years. “I’ve wanted one of these Duel wins for so long. All my buddies got one. I was pissed off. I got one now. I’m good,” Wallace said, relishing his hard-fought victory.
In a historic milestone, Justin Allgaier battled his way into the Daytona 500, marking the first time a JR Motorsports Chevrolet will compete in a NASCAR Cup Series race. With a daring three-wide move in the closing laps, Allgaier secured the final transfer spot in Duel 1, leaving team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. overwhelmed with emotion. “This was rough emotionally, but damn it, it worked out,” Earnhardt Jr. said, his relief evident after an intense fight to make the race.
The second Duel brought even more chaos, as a dramatic multicar crash eliminated several contenders, including Chandler Smith and Helio Castroneves. Smith, running third at the time, miscalculated a move and triggered a violent wreck that sent cars careening into the wall. Castroneves, who took heavy damage, will still start the Daytona 500 on an open exemption, but lamented, “It wasn’t the night that we wanted, but we’ll take the provisional and learn for the race.”
At the front, Cindric’s narrow win was subject to NASCAR’s review, as Erik Jones initially crossed the line ahead but was ruled behind at the moment of caution. “I honestly thought I got him, but I wasn’t going to argue,” Cindric admitted. His victory locks him into the second starting spot for the Great American Race, reinforcing his presence as a serious contender.
The final major battle of the night came in Duel 2, where Corey LaJoie clawed his way into the 500 with a gutsy sixth-place finish. With no full-time ride secured beyond 2025, LaJoie underscored just how much this moment meant: “You forget how special this race is until you have to race for it, when you have to earn it.”
Ty Dillon, Ross Chastain, Reddick, and Chase Elliott rounded out the top finishers in Duel 1, while Chris Buescher, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Todd Gilliland followed Cindric in Duel 2. Meanwhile, Anthony Alfredo and BJ McLeod failed to make the field, their Daytona dreams cut short in heartbreaking fashion.
With post-race inspections confirming the results, Wallace and Cindric officially take their Duel victories, while Allgaier and LaJoie lock into Sunday’s main event. The stage is now set for one of the most anticipated Daytona 500s in recent history—where anything can happen, and the unexpected is always just one lap away.