Justin Allgaier was the second Open entry driver to secure his place in the field with a qualifying lap time of 49.201 seconds. It marks the second straight year Allgaier will take part in the Daytona 500 driving the No. 40 for JR Motorsports.
Jimmie Johnson, who will be using the Open Exemption Provisional, is also ensured a spot in the Daytona 500 field. For the remaining Open competitors, they’ll battle to earn a spot on the grid in Thursday’s qualifying races.
Noah Gragson initially clocked in with a lap time of 49.504 seconds. However, his effort was disallowed as Gragson placed his left hand over the window net during his run for an aerodynamic advantage. NASCAR instituted a rule ahead of the 2026 season forcing drivers to keep both hands on the steering wheel during qualifying efforts.
The America 250 Duels begin at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, with coverage on FS1, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
-Photo credit: Ricky Martinez/Racing America