Daytona Duel #2

Chase Elliott delivered a masterclass in superspeedway patience, methodically working his way from mid-pack to the front en route to winning the caution-free second Duel at Daytona International Speedway. In stark contrast to the overtime drama of Duel 1, the nightcap ran all 60 laps under green — a testament to the disciplined drafting from the 22-car field. Elliott's decisive moment came on lap 53 when he surged ahead with a bold move low through turns three and four, seizing the lead from Carson Hocevar and holding it through seven pressure-packed closing laps.

Hocevar pushed Elliott hard to the finish but fell 0.065 seconds short at the line, while Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson shadowed the leaders throughout to complete the podium. Michael McDowell and Christopher Bell rounded out the top five. The clean race was marred only by a post-race disqualification: Anthony Alfredo, who finished 18th, failed inspection due to an improperly fastened transmission cooling hose and a disconnected driver cooling hose affecting superspeedway airflow. The DQ elevated BJ McLeod into the final Daytona 500 transfer spot, giving the underdog team a coveted starting position in the Great American Race. Elliott earned 10 championship points and the fourth starting spot for Sunday's Daytona 500.