From turning wrenches in the garage with his dad, Kenny O’Bryan to working on the 2025 Daytona 500 Pole Winning Car, Owensboro native Alex O’Bryan has climbed the ranks in the racing world.
The now North Carolina resident has spent the last two seasons in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as an interior specialist and tire technician at Joe Gibbs Racing, going to victory lane twice in 2024.
O’Bryan announced in the off-season that he would be moving into the NASCAR Cup Series with Joe Gibbs Racing as tire technician for the No. 19 Toyota of newly hired wheelman, Chase Briscoe.
The No. 19 team caught the garage by surprise on Wednesday night by capturing the pole for Sunday’s Great American Race, the first Daytona 500 pole for Joe Gibbs Racing since 1998.
“The only thing I know how to say is that car was Haulin Ballz-that was what my late friend Nick Harrison would have said,” said O’Bryan.
Austin Cindric qualified in 2nd and will start from the outside of the front row on Sunday.
The rest of the starting lineup will be determined in Thursday evening’s qualifying races.
Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr locked themselves into the field with the top 2 speeds in qualifying for “open cars.”
JJ Yeley and the No. 44 Green River Chevrolet will have to race their way into Sunday’s event.
BS
