DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Aric Almirola won the first Daytona 500 qualifying race Thursday night to put a Ford from flagship Stewart-Haas Racing in the second row of NASCAR’s season-opening spectacular.

Almirola held off a charge from Joey Logano, who pulled alongside Almirola on the final lap of the first 150-mile race at Daytona International Speedway. Christopher Bell waffled briefly on which driver he wanted to push and first seemed to choose Logano before dipping down behind Almirola.

It gave Almirola the shove he needed for his first victory in a qualifying race at Daytona. He led 52 of the 60 laps.