Chase Briscoe led a banner night for Toyota in qualifying for the Daytona 500 by winning the pole for NASCAR’s “Great American Race.”

It is the first Daytona 500 pole for Briscoe, who moved to Joe Gibbs Racing this season when Stewart-Haas Racing closed at the end of 2024. His move to the No. 19 gave Toyota its first pole in NASCAR’s biggest race of the season.

“A great way to start our season. Unbelievable way to start off the year. Unbelievable way to start off with Toyota,” said Briscoe. “To be able to be the guy to deliver them the first anything when they’ve already accomplished so much is pretty cool. To think I’m going to start on the front row or on the pole of the ‘Great American Race’ with ultimately the great American brand of (sponsor) Bass Pro Shops is unbelievable. Can’t thank Coach Gibbs enough, the entire Joe Gibbs Racing organization.”

Briscoe’s lap of 182.745 mph held off a slew of Ford challengers. Former Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric qualified second in a Ford for Team Penske, which started from the pole last year with Joey Logano, who closed the year as NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Ford drivers claimed four of the top five spots in time trials, but only Briscoe and Cindric as the front row starters were locked in Wednesday night.

The only other drivers locked in during time trials were Toyota drivers Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr., who were not guaranteed entry but posted speeds fast enough to claim two of the four “open” spots in the race.

The remainder of the starting order is set today in a pair of qualifying races.

NASCAR FILES APPEAL OVER CHARTERS: NASCAR filed a 68-page appeal Wednesday night — roughly one hour before the start of Daytona 500 qualifying — arguing a federal judge erred in recognizing 23XI Motorsports and Front Row Motorsports as chartered teams for 2025 as the two organizations sue over antitrust claims.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina in December issued a preliminary injunction that allowed 23XI and Front Row to receive the same rewards as a chartered team while the lawsuit wades through the court system.

23XI Racing is co-owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, while Front Row Motorsports is owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins.

Last month, Bell denied NASCAR’s motion to dismiss the suit, and also denied NASCAR’s request that the two organizations post a bond to cover any monies they are paid as chartered teams that would have to be returned should 23XI and Front Row lose the lawsuit.

The timing of the appeal — despite it hitting just one hour before time trials begin for Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 — was a coincidence in that Wednesday was a court-ordered deadline.