DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Joe Gibbs has made it perfectly clear to his drivers: Even if they win every exhibition race at Daytona International Speedway, it’s the Daytona 500 that matters most.

Gibbs won the Daytona 500 in 1993 with Dale Jarrett, but has failed to get a victory in NASCAR’s biggest race since. When Denny Hamlin won last week’s opening exhibition race, it was a mere consolation prize for Gibbs.

“The 500 is really, really special to him because he hasn’t won it in 23 years,” Hamlin said

The Toyota contingent is typically strong at Daytona, and Matt Kenseth qualified on the front row for Sunday’s season opener.