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Daytona 500 Shake-Up: Eight Drivers Dropped to the Rear After Duel Carnage

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
February 14, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Daytona 500 Shake-Up: Eight Drivers Dropped to the Rear After Duel Carnage

Feb 13, 2025; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (6), driver Daniel Suarez (99) and driver Alex Bowman (48) wreck during Duel 2 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Daytona Duels on Thursday night lived up to their reputation—chaotic, thrilling, and downright brutal for some of NASCAR’s top stars. As the dust settled, a stack of big-name drivers will now be forced to drop to the rear for Sunday’s Daytona 500, all due to wrecks that required them to move to backup cars.

According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, the following drivers will be starting from the back:

🚨 Drivers Dropping to the Rear at Daytona:
🔹 No. 5 – Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)
🔹 No. 48 – Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)
🔹 No. 99 – Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing)
🔹 No. 88 – Shane van Gisbergen (Kaulig Racing)
🔹 No. 7 – Justin Haley (Rick Ware Racing)
🔹 No. 6 – Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing)
🔹 No. 35 – Riley Herbst (Front Row Motorsports)
🔹 No. 54 – Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)

Larson Leads the Charge from the Back

Perhaps the biggest name on this list is Kyle Larson, who had a spectacular 2024 season but fell short of the Championship 4. He was looking for a strong start to his 2025 campaign, but now, he’ll have to battle his way from the back if he wants to claim his first-ever Daytona 500 victory.

Larson wasn’t alone in his misfortune—his Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman will also start at the rear, adding another hurdle for HMS as they try to capture another Daytona 500 trophy.

SVG Sparks Controversy After Duel Wreck

One of the more controversial names dropping to the rear is Shane van Gisbergen. The three-time Supercars champion is making his full-time Cup Series debut, but his aggressive move in the Daytona Duels caused a massive crash that took out multiple contenders—including Kyle Larson and Riley Herbst.

SVG was looking strong before the wreck, but superspeedway racing is still a learning curve for him. He’ll now have to rebuild trust among the Cup garage while also working his way forward on Sunday.

Can Brad Keselowski Turn This Setback Into Victory?

It’s been a long time since Brad Keselowski won at Daytona, and after Thursday night, he’ll have to fight from the rear to get back to the front. RFK Racing has been steadily improving, and if anyone knows how to survive the chaos and position himself late, it’s Keselowski.

Daniel Suarez, Ty Gibbs Also Facing Uphill Battles

Daniel Suarez and Ty Gibbs were both looking for solid starts to 2025, but wrecks in the Duels mean they’ll have to work harder to crack the top-10 battle at Daytona.

Suarez’s Trackhouse Racing team is still riding the high of signing Shane van Gisbergen, but now both SVG and Suarez will have to navigate from deep in the field. Meanwhile, Gibbs—one of NASCAR’s brightest young stars—will look to shake off the setback and prove he’s ready to contend at The Great American Race.

Daytona 500 Now a Bigger Challenge for These Stars

With eight drivers now forced to start at the rear, the dynamic of Sunday’s race shifts considerably. Expect these big names to be on the move early, trying to climb back into contention.

The Daytona 500 green flag drops at 1:30 PM ET on Sunday, with all eyes on whether one of these rear-starters can pull off the ultimate comeback and make history. Can Larson finally break through? Will Keselowski find redemption? Or will a dark horse rise from the pack?

Buckle up—it’s going to be one wild ride! 🏁🔥

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