For the first time in his career Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will start the Daytona 500 from the pole- just days after the driver of the No. 88 AMP Energy Chevy drew the pole for the Budweiser Shootout. He will share the front row with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon.
It’s a solid start to 2011 for Earnhardt, Jr., who over the offseason moved into shop with the No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson (Gordon and fourth Hendrick driver Mark Martin will share the other HMS garage) and acquired new crew chief Steve Letarte. Letarte had been Gordon's crew chief since 2005.
"Last year, we came out of here with a second place finish," Earnhardt Jr. said after his pole win. "It does run you right into Phoenix with a good, confident feeling that you got a good start; you want to maintain, improve. So that's kind of your attitude.
"Whereas if you do have a bad finish in this race, you're behind the eight ball, feeling more pressure, got to make big gains."
Five drivers held the pole before Earnhardt, Jr. qualified- Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard and Gordon. One the pleasant surprises during the session was 19 year old Trevor Bayne, who qualified second to then provisional pole sitter Gordon, and ended the day third.
Daytona drama continued to follow the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin- he was forced to change the motor in his Daytona 500 car after practice on Saturday because of transmission problems, and then during his qualifying attempt his Toyota locked up and sent him into the grass. Hamlin ended the day 44th out of the 48 cars that qualified, and will have to start in the back for his duel race anyway because of the engine change.
Three drivers- Bill Elliott, Joe Nemechek and Travis Kvapil- were able to lock themselves into the field on Sunday, with Terry Labonte also getting in on a past champion’s provisional. Drivers still hoping to make the field during Thursday’s Duels will be Brian Keselowski, JJ Yeley, Andy Lally, Derrike Cope, Dave Blaney, Kevin Conway, Todd Bodine, Michael McDowell, Casey Mears and Michael Waltrip.
This will be the third time in his career that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will start on the front row for the Daytona 500, and his first pole since last year’s Kobalt Tools 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he finished 15th. It’s also the second year in a row that Hendrick Motorsports will occupy the front row, with Mark Martin and Earnhardt, Jr. taking the top two spots in last year’s event.
The Gatorade Duels will be Thursday, February 17 on SPEED beginning at 2 pm Eastern time.
Thanks to SB Nation, Racing Reference and NASCAR.com for the information used in this piece. Photo courtesy of Yahoo.
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