NSCS: Jeff Gordon wins Daytona 500 Pole; Hendrick Motorsports Sweeps Front Row

As the clock wound down in the final round of Daytona 500 qualifying, the drivers waited…and waited…and waited. None of the drivers wanted to be the first one off pit road and therefore post the slowest time.

With a minute and five seconds left on the clock, Martin Truex Jr. made the first move, leaving pit road, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray, and the rest of the final 12 drivers. The entire top 12 would make it by just before the clock expired with only a second remaining, leaving it up to one lap to make everything happen. The next time by, the front row would be set for the Daytona 500, and the fields would be set for the Gatorade Duel in Thursday.

In his final Daytona 500, Jeff Gordon will lead the field to the green flag.

“The team at Hendrick Motorsprots always puts a lot of effort into these restrictor plate races,” Gordon commented. “So much in the shop going into these cars. finally with this qualifying format, the driver gets to play a role. With a good car, along with coordinating with the spotter, it’s great. It was nerve wracking as I wanted to go sooner, but then I held up. This is one of the most gratifying gratifying poles that I’ve had at Daytona. Not only because it is my last 500, but because of all the strategy that had to go into winning it.”

Gordon announced pre-season that the 2015 season marks his final full year in the Sprint Cup Series, and stated that he would not make another Daytona 500 start beyond this year. It marks the 78th career pole for the four-time Sprint Cup Series Champion.

“I went to go and then I saw Kenseth and Kyle Busch check up so I stopped and said, ‘I wanted to be behind him’,” Gordon discussed his startegy. “So I just sat and waited…just had enough of a run there.”

He’ll be joined on the front row by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson as this marks the fourth time that HMS has swept the front row.

“I was kind of torn. Because if we would’ve sat there and waited, then I would’ve had the pole with the way the session worked,” Johnson discussed his strategy. “Then once Truex got going, I didn’t know how it’d work if five or six people crossed so I thought I better make it across. Very interesting system to say the least. obviously, the front row is really special.”

The rest of the field will be set by the Budweiser Duels on Thursday, as Daytona 500 qualifying just sets up the line-ups for the Duels.

With how the qualifying format works, beyond the front row, Aric Almirola, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray are locked in via speed. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth are locked in via their points finish last year. Tony Stewart also gets the honor of being locked in due to being the most recent past champion.

Denny Hamlin would post the third quickest lap in the last round, followed by Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. Kasey Kahne qualified sixth, followed by Carl Edwards, Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray and Martin Truex Jr.

Edwards is entered the season with no owner’s point as a result of Joe Gibbs Racing starting a whole new race team. His qualifying effort brings forth a lot of relief.

“This is huge for us,” he added. “Joe Gibbs Racing took a huge chance with a fourth team. We had four or five meetings about how to get in the show and by that time, we should be locked in.”

Many of the drivers expressed their displeasure with the qualifying format, saying that it was ‘ridiculous’.

“I wouldn’t say it was frustrating. The frustrating part is not understanding why we’re doing this,” Ryan Newman commented. “This (qualifying) system makes no sense whatsoever. Everyone I talk to up and down pit road has no idea why we’re doing this.It’s hard to stay on board with NASCAR when nobody knows why we’re doing this. Maybe I need to be sit down and educated about this.”

I like this qualifying format for the non-plate racetracks.