Kyle Larson Claims Daytona 500 Pole as Hendrick Motorsports Dominates Qualifying

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson captured the pole position for the 2026 Daytona 500 on Wednesday night, leading a dominant performance by Hendrick Motorsports in single-car qualifying at Daytona International Speedway. Larson's blistering lap around the 2.5-mile tri-oval superspeedway earned him the coveted starting spot for "The Great American Race," scheduled for Sunday, February 16.

Teammate Alex Bowman qualified second, giving Hendrick Motorsports a complete sweep of the front row for the sport's biggest event. The performance extended Hendrick's remarkable run of success in Daytona 500 qualifying, as the organization has now won seven of the last eight poles for the season-opening spectacle. The dominance underscores the team's engineering prowess and ability to extract maximum speed from their Chevrolet Camaros on NASCAR's fastest track.

Wednesday's qualifying session, which aired on FS1 at 8:15 p.m. ET, featured each driver taking one timed lap around the iconic superspeedway. The top 10 drivers from the first round advanced to a final session to battle for pole position and the front row starting spots. Larson's speed and precision proved unmatched as he delivered the fastest single lap of the night when it mattered most.

The pole position carries significant prestige in NASCAR, particularly at Daytona, where the 500 represents the pinnacle of stock car racing. For Larson, securing the pole adds another achievement to an already stellar career and provides crucial momentum heading into the 2026 season. The defending champion will look to convert his prime starting position into his first Daytona 500 victory, a prize that has eluded him despite his success in other major races.

While Larson and Bowman have locked in the front row, the remainder of the starting grid will be determined by the Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races scheduled for Thursday night. Those twin 150-mile races will set the full field for Sunday's Daytona 500, with drivers jockeying for position and trying to avoid the chaos that often unfolds in the high-speed drafting battles at Daytona.

The 2026 season marks a fresh start for NASCAR's Cup Series, and Larson's qualifying performance serves notice that the defending champion has no intention of relinquishing his crown easily. With Hendrick Motorsports showing such strong early-season form, rivals will need to find answers quickly if they hope to challenge the organization's dominance at Daytona and beyond.