Chase Elliott has put the No. 24 Chevrolet on pole for the 2016 Daytona 500, becoming the youngest-ever Daytona 500 pole-sitter in the process. The achievement also marks the second year in a row with the No. 24 car will start out front at Daytona after Jeff Gordon qualified first overall for the Great American Race in 2015.
Elliott was third-fastest in the first round of qualifying and edged out reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champ Kyle Busch for pole position with a lap of 196.314 mph. Toyota driver Matt Kenseth was second fastest overall with a lap of 196.036 mph followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. with a lap of 195.682 mph. Earnhardt will be joined by Busch in the second row Sunday after the Toyota driver turned in a lap of 195.207 mph.
“This has nothing to do with me, it’s all these guys,” said the 20-year-old Elliott. “Excited to sit on the front row for Sunday.”
Click here for full results from qualifying and here for a full schedule of next weekend’s Daytona 500 festivities.
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