Chase Elliott claimed his second-straight Daytona 500 pole for only his second time running the race by turning in a 46.6631-second lap in the second of two rounds of qualifying on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.
"This is really cool," Elliott said. "This team definitely has a knack for these plate tracks, as they showed with Jeff Gordon and then, last year with here and Talladega. But that stuff doesn't just happen by staying the same, as everybody knows. Everyone is always trying to get better and make their cars better and faster.
"I'm happy to be a part of it and, hopefully, we can run good next Sunday."
Hendrick Motorsports team-mate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., claimed the other Daytona 500 front-row starting spot with a 46.6651-second lap in the second round. The race next weekend will be Earnhardt's first race since the Kentucky Speedway in July last year.
"It feels good," Earnhardt said. "I think the guys are a little bit disappointed. They really wanted to get the pole. I'm disappointed, too, but am absolutely thrilled to have an all-Hendrick Motorsports front row. And we'll work on the balance, practice a lot this week, and make sure it's a good handling car for the race. But it's a good way to start the week."
Elliott's latest Daytona pole is the third-straight Daytona 500 pole for the #24 team and the third-consecutive for crew chief Alan Gustafson. It just so happens, the last crew chief to win three-straight Daytona 500 poles was Elliott's uncle, Ernie Elliott.
Brad Keselowski finished up third, Clint Bowyer was fourth and Martin Truex Jr. was fifth, followed by Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch and Ty Dillon.
The two HMS team-mates are the only two drivers who already know their starting positions for the official season opener, as the rest of the Daytona starting grid will be set after the running of two Can-Am Duel races on Thursday night.
Aside from 36 series regulars who are guaranteed starting spots somewhere on the grid, Brendan Gaughan and Elliott Sadler also know they'll start the race somewhere as a result of being the fastest two among the six drivers racing for open teams. Two of the 42 drivers entered will not make the race.
