Daytona 500 2019: Starting Order, Top Drivers to Watch in the Duels
Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman had a strong start to Daytona Speedweeks on Sunday, as the duo posted the two fastest lap times during the final round of qualifying to earn front-row starting positions for the Daytona 500.
Byron, who is entering his second season in the Monster Energy Cup Series, earned a Busch Pole Award for the first time in his career. He posted a lap time of 46.319 seconds to edge Bowman, who started on the pole for last year's Daytona 500.
Hendrick Motorsports will have a driver on the pole for the Great American Race for the fifth straight year. Sunday was a strong day for the team overall, as Byron, Bowman, Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott had the four fastest times during the final round of qualifying, respectively.
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But only the front row has been determined for the starting order for the Daytona 500. The rest of the field will be set with the Gander RV Duels at Daytona qualifying races on Thursday night.
Duel 1 Lineup (via NASCAR.com)
1. William Byron
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Daniel Hemric
4. Martin Truex Jr.
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Paul Menard
7. Kyle Busch
8. Kevin Harvick
9. Tyler Reddick
10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
11. Daniel Suarez
12. Chris Buescher
13. Ryan Newman
14. Ryan Truex
15. Ryan Preece
16. Matt Dibenedetto
17. Bubba Wallace
18. Matt Tifft
19. Parker Kligerman
20. Landon Cassill
21. Cody Ware
Duel 1 Drivers to Watch
Jimmie Johnson
A seven-time Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson is already off to a strong start in 2019.
After posting the third-fastest qualifying time on Sunday—which earned him the No. 2 starting spot in the first 150-mile duel race—Johnson went on to win the rain-shortened Advance Auto Parts Clash later in the day. It was Johnson's first competitive outing with new crew chief Kevin Meendering.
Johnson will start on the front row for the first duel race, and it's quite possible he could stay up front for most of the 60-lap race, so the No. 48 car will definitely be one to watch.
Daniel Hemric
After posting the fifth-fastest time during the final round of qualifying, Hemric will now turn his attention to Thursday's duel race. The 28-year-old is entering his first full season in the Cup Series.
The Daytona 500 will be Hemric's third career Cup Series race—he raced at Richmond and Charlotte last year—and a strong starting position could provide a boost to the rookie.
Although Hemric has zero career NASCAR wins, he'll be looking for a strong start while driving the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet.
Ryan Newman
Veteran Ryan Newman will be looking to earn a strong starting spot for the Daytona 500. It is his first season driving the Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 Ford.
Newman finished ninth out of 20 cars in Sunday's Advance Auto Parts Clash, so the extra track time could help the veteran notch a duel win. However, he'll have to find a way to the front of the field, as he starts 13th out of 21 cars in the first duel race.
Although Newman is a past Daytona 500 winner, he has never won a duel race. With a fresh start at a new team, this would be a good chance for Newman to start the 2019 season on the right note.
Duel 2 Lineup (via NASCAR.com)
1. Alex Bowman
2. Chase Elliott
3. Joey Logano
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Austin Dillon
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Erik Jones
8. Ryan Blaney
9. Aric Almirola
10. Kurt Busch
11. David Ragan
12. Michael McDowell
13. Casey Mears
14. Jamie McMurray
15. Brendan Gaughan
16. Kyle Larson
17. Ty Dillon
18. Ross Chastain
19. Corey LaJoie
20. B.J. McLeod
21. Joey Gase
Duel 2 Drivers to Watch
Joey Logano
Coming off his first career Cup Series championship, Joey Logano should have momentum heading into the 2019 season. He had a strong showing during Daytona 500 qualifying, posting the sixth-fastest time of the final round.
Logano won the Daytona 500 in 2015 and the Advance Auto Parts Clash in 2017, so he has had some past success at the track.
There would be no better way for the reigning series champion to start the new season than by winning the second duel race and starting fourth in the Great American Race.
Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon won last year's Daytona 500, but he was winless over the final 35 races of the Cup Series season. Now Dillon will look to get off to a strong start in 2019.
Dillon had the 10th-fastest time during qualifying, so he'll start near the front of the field for the second duel race.
If Dillon also starts near the front of the field for the Great American Race, perhaps he'll go on to become the first driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s since Sterling Marlin in 1994-95.
Kurt Busch
Entering his 19th season as a full-time driver in the Cup Series, Kurt Busch has a new ride for the 2019 season. After spending the past five seasons at Stewart-Haas Racing, Busch will drive the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 1 Chevrolet this season.
Busch will start in the middle of the field for the second duel race, but the veteran has had some early success during Daytona Speedweeks. He avoided a big wreck and finished second in Sunday's Advance Auto Parts Clash.
Busch won the 2017 Daytona 500, so he knows what it takes to come out on top at Daytona.
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