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Gragson, Villeneuve clinch Daytona 500 starting spots

Updated  February 16, 2022 11:57pm EST
Sports
FOX 35 Orlando

Daytona 500: Busch Light Pole Qualifying

The countdown is on for the Great American Race. Drivers were competing for the top spot of the Daytona 500 on Wednesday evening. Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has started 2022 off the way he ended 2021 – out front.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Two drivers for non-chartered teams can breathe with a measure of relief after locking in their Daytona 500 berths with Wednesday’s Busch Light Pole Qualifying. And what a contrast for those two.

Give one starting spot to Noah Gragson, the plucky 23-year-old Xfinity Series regular who pushed the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet into the field with the fastest lap – 33rd overall – among the open teams. The other guaranteed berth went to Team Hezeberg’s Jacques Villeneuve, the 50-year-old Canadian who has a Formula 1 title and Indianapolis 500 win in his trophy case.

Both will race in Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX) for the first time. 

The rest of the 40-car field will be sorted after Thursday’s 60-lap, 150-mile Duel races. 

SEE QUALIFYING RESULTS HERE

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Information taken from NASCAR.