No. 2 NASCAR Ford Wins 2025 Duel At Daytona In Photo Finish: Video

As though qualifying on the front row wasn’t enough, Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 NASCAR Ford Mustang Dark Horse, had to outdo the field yet again in the 2025 Duels at Daytona. Starting from the pole in Duel 2, Cindric didn’t let up or back out, and he ultimately crossed the finish line first – winning by just a hair over a Toyota competitor.

The 60-lap qualifying heat was relatively tame throughout its first stages as drivers up front leapfrogged each other. Cindric’s No. 2 NASCAR Ford appeared evenly matched by the No. 43 Toyota TRD Camry of Erik Jones. Then, all hell broke loose in a late-race wreck that took out several cars in the back half of the field, triggering a caution after the white flag had flown.

When the caution lights are turned off after the white flag is shown, the race is considered official. However, Cindric and Jones didn’t let up as they streaked toward the start/finish line. Jones did cross the line first, but the finish was reviewed by NASCAR. Ultimately, officials weighed in favor of Cindric, who was leading at the time the caution lights were triggered.

“I honestly thought I got him, but I wasn’t going to sit there and argue about anything,” said Cindric after the race. “But, yeah, it’s awesome. Glad to put on a great show for the fans here.”

Meanwhile, Corey LaJoie, driver of the No. 01 NASCAR Ford Mustang, raced his way into the Daytona 500, despite not having a fulltime ride lined up in 2025.

“You forget how special this race is, right, (until) you have to race for it, when you have to earn it, because when you’re racing full-time, it’s just the first one of 36,” LaJoie said. “But when it’s the one that you think about for months, it means that much more.”