DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Under the lights Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway, America 250 Florida Duel No. 2 brings the second half of NASCAR’s qualifying shuffle in a 60-lap, 150-mile sprint that will fill the outside rows of Sunday’s 68th Daytona 500 field. Following Wednesday’s single-car qualifying — which set the poles for the Great American Race — Duel 2 (green flag approx. 8:45 p.m. ET, FS1 telecast, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) features 23 drivers looking to lock in starting spots, score early Cup points and position themselves for strategy and draft alliances when the big race roars to life Sunday. Duels award regular-season points to the top 10 finishers (10 for the winner, nine for second, and so on) and determine the outside (even-numbered) starting slots for the Daytona 500.
After Duel 1 heavily favored Ford with a gaggle of blue-oval cars lined up in the top half of that race, Duel 2 puts a slightly more mixed field on the track — though don’t be surprised if the horsepower and draft horsepower play a decisive role yet again under the Daytona lights.
America 250 Florida Duel No. 2 starting lineup (23 cars):
- Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota
- Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet
- Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota
- Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota
- Justin Allgaier, No. 40 Chevrolet
- Austin Cindric, No. 2 Ford
- Zane Smith, No. 38 Ford
- Michael McDowell, No. 71 Chevrolet
- Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Chevrolet
- Erik Jones, No. 43 Toyota
- Josh Berry, No. 21 Ford
- Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet
- Riley Herbst, No. 35 Toyota
- Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Ford
- Anthony Alfredo, No. 62 Chevrolet
- Ty Dillon, No. 10 Chevrolet
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Chevrolet
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota
- BJ McLeod, No. 78 Chevrolet
- J.J. Yeley, No. 44 Chevrolet.
The projected lineup is built off qualifying speeds: odd-number qualifiers went to Duel 1, even-number qualifiers make up Duel 2. Completing Daytona 500 positions third through 40th on the grid depends entirely on where these racers finish tonight.
In last year’s Duel No. 2, Austin Cindric squeaked out the win — even though Erik Jones appeared to cross the line first before NASCAR’s review process confirmed Cindric’s victory — earning a coveted outside row starting spot for the 2025 Daytona 500. That kind of drama is vintage Daytona: sometimes it’s drafting horsepower, sometimes photo-finish adjudication, and sometimes just pure… how did that just happen?
Statistically, Duel 2’s mix of Toyotas, Chevrolets and Fords — with Cindric sandwiched eighth and Briscoe leading the pack — makes for an intriguing horsepower puzzle. Toyota’s trio (Briscoe, Hamlin, Gibbs) holds top starting spots, but Ford and Chevrolet hang close enough to form draft lines that could shuffle the order faster than a pit stop on a V8. The mid-race pack dynamics and lane choice will likely matter more than raw qualifying speeds once the field bunches up.
For drivers and crew chiefs alike, tonight’s duel is more than just early season bragging rights. It sets the stage for draft partners in the Daytona 500, earns vital Cup points that can build confidence heading into Martinsville and beyond, and gives non-pole winners a chance to show they’ve got the muscle and minds to navigate superspeedway chess at 190 mph.
With Daytona’s temperamental weather and draft-dependent strategy, expect last-lap alliances and surprise breakaways — plus a healthy dose of humorous “I thought we were lined up!” radio chatter that makes Speedweeks as entertaining off-track as it is on. Through it all, EasySportz will have on-site coverage all weekend long from the track, bringing fans timely updates, driver interviews and expert takeaways from the heart of the pits and garage area.
As engines fire and the green flag drops near 8:45 p.m. Eastern, Duel No. 2 promises to be a blend of precision drafting, calculated risk and maybe even a bit of Daytona magic — exactly why this quirky little qualifying race matters as much as it does.
Check out all EasySportz NHL Content Here
College Football Viewing Guide
