Chase Elliott suffers brake issues as engines fire at Daytona 500 Duel

Not a great start to the night for Chase Elliott. Just as engines fired, Elliott complained about a squishy brake pedal and drove to his pit. It appears the NASCAR Most Popular Driver won’t have a great starting spot or pit stall for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Chase Elliott was able to rejoin the field prior to the green flag. However, it has to be a bit of a concern to have a brake issue prior to 150 miles on the banks of Daytona.

The Duel races are going to set the field tonight. Justin Allgaier is trying to race JR Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt Jr. into the Daytona 500. A lot to watch tonight.

Here is the No. 9 team going to work on the car.

Not the way that @chaseelliott wanted to start his night. pic.twitter.com/K0hmRBTe4n

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 14, 2025

Good news for Chase Elliott fans, it didn’t take long for the No. 9 car to show speed on the track. Elliott was able to get back to the front of the field quickly in the Duel race with the help of a caution or two.

Before the halfway point, Helio Castroneves was wrecked out of the Duel. Chandler Smith hit the wall hard and took Helio as well as Justin Haley with him in the process. JJ Yeley also had minor damage but was the only car that kept racing.

The Duel races are intense. Even if you aren’t an open car, you’re racing or starting position. There is a lot on the line for every car out there. Starting position maybe doesn’t matter that much in a 500-mile superspeedway race. But pit stall selection will mean a lot.

Chase Elliott benefits from caution flags

The first big wreck of the Daytona 500 week. Chandler Smith slammed into the wall and collected Helio Castroneves in the process. A full moon over tonight’s NASCAR festivities and things are getting spooky already for a few teams.

Helio Castroneves will have to use his Open Exemption Provisional. This means that we are going to have 41 cars in the field for the Daytona 500.

Smith hit the wall hard. Castroneves was involved. Justin Haley was also in this wreck. All three are out of the Duel race. We are just getting started tonight, folks.

For Helio Castroneves and Chandler Smith, this is awful. Smith and his Garage 66 team will not advance to the Daytona 500. Remember that No. 66 car is the entry that Mike Wallace was supposed to race before being denied by NASCAR.

Helio’s misfortune is a bonus for Justin Allgaier. He now holds his fate in his hands. Martin Truex Jr. is already locked into the Daytona 500 on speed, as it runs, Allgaier would advance as the next best open car in this Duel race. JJ Yeley might have something to say about that, though.