A handful of laps later, however, was a different story. Chandler Smith attempted a late block on Lap 15 over Justin Haley, sending his car for a spin into the outside wall. That collected others further back, including other open cars needing to race their way into Sunday’s main event.

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves will race in the Daytona 500 as a special 41st driver under a new rule that allows for a “world-class driver” to receive a provisional spot.