Bowman takes Daytona 500 pole
ACES ON BRIDGE
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – New number, new day, new time, same result for Hendrick Motorsports.
Alex Bowman and William Byron swept the front row Wednesday night in qualifying for the Daytona 500, giving Hendrick its 14th pole and sixth in the last seven years. Hendrick’s enginebuilding wing has seven straight poles because it powers Ricky Stenhouse Jr., last year’s pole-winner.
“It doesn’t really have a lot to do with me. It’s a testament to these guys and everybody back at the shop at Hendrick Motorsports,” Bowman said. “They work so hard on these superspeedway cars. They’re beautiful when they get to the race track.”
Bowman posted a lap at 191.261 mph to earn the top starting spot for the second time in his career. It’s the fourth consecutive year Bowman will start from the front row, but he’s got a completely new look this time.
Bowman in the offseason was moved from the No. 88 into the No. 48 vacated by seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.
He inherited sponsor Ally, which has committed to backing Bowman and helping him develop his brand.
“It’s really hard to sit here and be like, ‘I did it and I did this and that and that’s why we are on the front row for four consecutive years,’” Bowman said. “It’s more about the people that make it happen. I floored it, but I’m pretty sure everybody else did, too. I’m just appreciative to have a fast car.”
Bowman drove his Chevrolet more than 1 mph faster than teammate Byron, who qualified second with a lap at 190.219 mph. Only the front row was set Wednesday, the first time Daytona 500 qualifying has been held at night under a condensed Speedweeks schedule.
“You never know which of the four of us is going to have the speed,” Byron said of the four-car Hendrick stable. Chase Elliott was 11th and Kyle Larson 15th to complete Hendrick’s lineup.
The 40-car field is determined through both time trials and a pair of Thursday night qualifying races. NASCAR sold 36 charters that guarantee those owners slots in the field, which leaves eight drivers vying for four “open” spots in the Super Bowl of stock-car racing.
Two spots were earmarked to the fastest “open” cars in time trials. David Ragan and Ryan Preece earned those berths.
Derrike Cope, the 1990 Daytona 500 winner and oldest driver in the field at 62, could not get his car started and did not make a qualifying lap. His car is locked into the race, though, because it has a charter.
Bubba Wallace, fastest in Wednesday’ afternoon’s practice, briefly sat on the pole in his new 23XI Racing entry owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. Byron bumped him first, then Bowman topped Byron. Wallace wound up fourth on his first day in his new car.
Hamlin, who is trying to become the first driver to win three consecutive Daytona 500s, was 12th.
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