Last November, Kyle Larson capped off a historically dominant season by taking the checkered flag at Phoenix Raceway to earn the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship. With a championship now to his credit, the next frontier for Larson to cross on his path to greatness is to try and win his first Daytona 500. And he'll be starting Lap 1 just where he hopes to be on Lap 200.
In time trial qualifying on Wednesday, Kyle Larson won his first Daytona 500 pole, leading a Hendrick Motorsports sweep of the front row. Alex Bowman will flank Larson to his outside, giving Bowman a record-tying fifth-straight front row start in the Great American Race.
The rest of the starting order was determined through the Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races on Thursday, which were swept by a new power player in RFK Racing. Brad Keselowski won Duel 1 to earn third starting spot, while Chris Buescher will line up alongside him in fourth after winning a dramatic finish to Duel 2.
By virtue of finishing second in Duel 2, defending Daytona 500 champion Michael McDowell will start sixth as he seeks to become the latest driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, and the first to do so for the first two wins of his Cup career since Sterling Marlin did it in 1994 and 1995.
Other past Daytona 500 champions in the field include Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, and Austin Dillon. Logano will have to give up his starting spot and drop to the rear of the field at the start, as a crash on the last lap of his Duel race forced him to a backup car.
Outside of the 36 chartered teams that run the full NASCAR Cup Series season, four drivers earned their way into the Daytona 500 through time trials and the Duels. Noah Gragson and open-wheel racing great Jacques Villeneuve earned spots on their qualifying speeds, while Kaz Grala -- driving for car owner and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather -- and Greg Biffle raced their way in through the Duel.
Here is the complete starting lineup for the 64th annual Daytona 500.
2022 Daytona 500 starting lineup
Row 1
1. #5 - Kyle Larson
2. #48 - Alex Bowman
Row 2
3. #6 - Brad Keselowski
4. #17 - Chris Buescher
Row 3
5. #2 - Austin Cindric (R)
6. #34 - Michael McDowell
Row 4
7. #12 - Ryan Blaney
8. #21 - Harrison Burton (R)
Row 5
9. #14 - Chase Briscoe
10. #18 - Kyle Busch
Row 6
11. #9 - Chase Elliott
12. #20 - Christopher Bell
Row 7
13. #43 - Erik Jones
14. #19 - Martin Truex Jr.
Row 8
15. #8 - Tyler Reddick
16. #23 - Bubba Wallace
Row 9
17. #45 - Kurt Busch
18. #47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Row 10
19. #1 - Ross Chastain
20. #22 - Joey Logano
Row 11
21. #99 - Daniel Suarez
22. #4 - Kevin Harvick
Row 12
23. #24 - William Byron
24. #7 - Corey LaJoie
Row 13
25. #31 - Justin Haley
26. #42 - Ty Dillon
Row 14
27. #77 - Landon Cassill
28. #44 - Greg Biffle
Row 15
29. #38 - Todd Gilliland (R)
30. #11 - Denny Hamlin
Row 16
31. #41 - Cole Custer
32. #51 - Cody Ware
Row 17
33. #16 - Daniel Hemric
34. #15 - David Ragan
Row 18
35. #50 - Kaz Grala
36. #3 - Austin Dillon
Row 19
37. #78 - B.J. McLeod
38. #10 - Aric Almirola
Row 20
39. #62 - Noah Gragson
40. #27 - Jacques Villeneuve
Failed to Qualify: #55 - J.J. Yeley, #66 - Timmy Hill
