Kyle Busch claims first career Daytona 500 pole in 21st attempt

FOX 5's Kelly Price interviews Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch checked a major item off his career bucket list Wednesday night, capturing the pole position for the 2026 Daytona 500. FOX 5's Kelly Price talks to him about the accomplishment. 

ATLANTA - Kyle Busch checked a major item off his career bucket list Wednesday night, capturing the pole position for the 2026 Daytona 500. The 40-year-old veteran, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, clocked a blistering lap of 183.651 mph to secure the top spot for Sunday’s "Great American Race."

What we know:

The achievement marks Busch’s first career pole at Daytona and his first top-five start at the track since 2016. He narrowly edged out last year’s pole winner, Chase Briscoe, by a mere 0.064 seconds.

Entering his 21st attempt at the crown jewel event, Busch remains the active driver with the longest losing streak in the Daytona 500. Despite two Cup Series championships and 63 career wins, the Harley J. Earl Trophy has famously eluded him.

"I feel like any time you're able to come out here and accomplish something new in this sport, with me, as accomplished as I am — not trying to toot my own horn, but I feel like I've done just about everything except win a pole at Daytona or win the race at Daytona," Busch said, smiling. "So, I'd love to be able to get both of those accomplished here in 2026, and be done with them, so when we come down here every year, we can all talk about how I've won this race before, and what it would take to get another one."

Winning the pole gives Busch the cleanest possible air for the start of Sunday's race, which he told FOX 5 Sports’ Kelly Price "would mean the world" to finally win. With the first half of his "Daytona Double" complete, the focus now shifts to whether the veteran can finally break his winless streak at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.