NASCAR Cup Series stars will hit Daytona International Speedway today - Wednesday, February 11, for qualifying ahead of the 2026 Daytona 500.
Qualifying takes place following Wednesday morning's first practice session of the week and will not only determine Sunday's pole sitter, but also the first two open entries to qualify for the 68th edition of The Great American Race.
A total of 45 cars have entered this year, nine of which are not chartered full-time cars. However, with seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson taking the Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) for the race and guaranteeing himself as the 41st entrant, that leaves eight drivers to fight it out for the remaining four spots, two of which will be locked in tonight.
On top of all of that, today's qualifying session will also determine the starting lineups for Thursday's Daytona Duels - two 75-lap qualifying races that will decide the full starting lineup for Sunday's main event, including the last two open entrants.
In today's single-car qualifying, each driver will complete one lap of Daytona International Speedway to set their times. The top 10 drivers will then advance to a second round of qualifying, where they will set one further timed lap. Whoever is fastest will win the pole, with second place also locking themselves onto the front row for Sunday's main event.
Last year, Joe Gibbs Racing star Chase Briscoe came out on top in Daytona 500 qualifying, beating the likes of Austin Cindric, Ryan Preece and Joey Logano to do so. It will certainly be exciting to see who finishes fastest this time around.
NASCAR RESULTS TODAY: Team Penske star fastest at Daytona 500 as pole battle looms
What time is NASCAR Cup Series qualifying today?
NASCAR Cup Series qualifying for the Daytona 500 takes place today, Wednesday, February 11, with a scheduled start time of 8:15pm ET.
Here is the qualifying start time for your local time zones.
| City (Time Zone) | Qualifying Start Time |
|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC (ET) | 8:15PM |
| New York, NY (ET) | 8:15PM |
| Columbia, SC (ET) | 8:15PM |
| Charleston, WV (ET) | 8:15PM |
| Augusta, ME (ET) | 8:15PM |
| Chicago, IL (CT) | 7:15PM |
| Pierre, SD (CT) | 7:15PM |
| Nashville, TN (CT) | 7:15PM |
| Des Moines, IA (CT) | 7:15PM |
| Montgomery, AL (CT) | 7:15PM |
| Denver, CO (MT) | 6:15PM |
| Salt Lake City, UT (MT) | 6:15PM |
| Albuquerque, NM (MT) | 6:15PM |
| El Paso, TX (MT) | 6:15PM |
| Los Angeles, CA (PT) | 5:15PM |
| Las Vegas, NV (PT) | 5:15PM |
| Seattle, WA (PT) | 5:15PM |
| Portland, OR (PT) | 5:15PM |
| San Francisco, CA (PT) | 5:15PM |
READ MORE: Kyle Busch and Joey Logano are on Wheel of Fortune this week
What TV channel is NASCAR Cup Series qualifying on today?
Wednesday's NASCAR Cup Series qualifying action will be broadcast live on FS1 on TV.
For those who would rather tune in and keep across things via the radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and MRN have the call.
Live stream options
For those NASCAR fans who want to live stream today's qualifying session, there are several options available.
First and foremost, the FOX Sports app is one place you can stream the action. The app is free to download, but you will need to log in with your TV provider details.
As well as being available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the FOX Sports App can also be downloaded in several other places, such as:
- Apple TV
- Roku
- Xbox
- Vizio
- Google Chromecast
- Fire TV
- Android TV
- Samsung Smart TV
Elsewhere, FS1 can also be streamed live on the following platforms:
- DIRECTV Stream
- Fubo
- Hulu + Live TV
- Sling
- YouTube TV
READ MORE: Kyle Busch sets RCR targets ahead of hitting NASCAR free agency
Daytona 500 entry list
Here is the full 45-car NASCAR Cup Series entry list for the 2026 Daytona 500.
| Entry | Driver (Car No.) | Organization | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ross Chastain (1) | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 2 | Austin Cindric (2) | Team Penske | Ford |
| 3 | Austin Dillon (3) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 4 | Noah Gragson (4) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 5 | Kyle Larson (5) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski (6) | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 7 | Daniel Suárez (7) | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Kyle Busch (8) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 9 | Chase Elliott (9) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 10 | Ty Dillon (10) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin (11) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 12 | Ryan Blaney (12) | Team Penske | Ford |
| 13 | AJ Allmendinger (16) | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
| 14 | Chris Buescher (17) | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 15 | Chase Briscoe (19) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 16 | Christopher Bell (20) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 17 | Josh Berry (21) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 18 | Joey Logano (22) | Team Penske | Ford |
| 19 | Bubba Wallace (23) | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 20 | William Byron (24) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 21 | Todd Gilliland (34) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 22 | Riley Herbst (35) | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 23 | Chandler Smith (36) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 24 | Zane Smith (38) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
| 25 | Justin Allgaier (40) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 26 | Cole Custer (41) | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet |
| 27 | John Hunter Nemechek (42) | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota |
| 28 | Erik Jones (43) | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota |
| 29 | JJ Yeley (44) | NY Racing Team | Chevrolet |
| 30 | Tyler Reddick (45) | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 31 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr (47) | Hyak Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 32 | Alex Bowman (48) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 33 | Cody Ware (51) | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet |
| 34 | Ty Gibbs (54) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 35 | Ryan Preece (60) | RFK Racing | Ford |
| 36 | Anthony Alfredo (62) | Beard Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 37 | Casey Mears (66) | Garage 66 | Ford |
| 38 | Corey Heim (67) | 23XI Racing | Toyota |
| 39 | Michael McDowell (71) | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 40 | Carson Hocevar (77) | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 41 | BJ McLeod (78) | Live Fast Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 42 | Jimmie Johnson (84) | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota |
| 43 | Connor Zilisch (88) | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 44 | Shane Van Gisbergen (97) | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet |
| 45 | Corey LaJoie (199) | RFK Racing | Ford |
READ MORE: Brad Keselowski provides huge injury update after Charlotte test
Who was on pole for the 2025 Daytona 500?
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe was on pole for the 2025 Daytona 500 after setting a lap time of 49.249 seconds, which saw him average a speed of 182.745mph.
Which driver has the most Daytona 500 poles?
Bill Elliott (1985, 1986, 1987, 2001), Buddy Baker (1969, 1973, 1979, 1980) and Cale Yarborough (1968, 1970, 1978, 1984) are tied for the most Daytona 500 poles with four each.
Of the active Cup Series drivers, Alex Bowman has the most Daytona 500 poles with three (2018, 2021, 2023).
Who is the youngest ever Daytona 500 pole winner?
Hendrick Motorsports star and 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott was the youngest ever Daytona 500 pole winner in 2016 at the age of 20 years, 2 months, and 24 days.
Who is the oldest ever Daytona 500 pole winner?
Mark Martin is the oldest ever driver to win the Daytona 500 pole, doing so at the age of 52 years, 5 months, and 23 days in 2011.
What is the Daytona International Speedway qualifying record?
Bill Elliott set the qualifying record at Daytona International Speedway during Daytona 500 qualifying in 1987, setting a lap time of 42.782 seconds and an average speed of 210.364mph.
DAYTONA 500 ODDS: Favorites and long shots for Great American Race
