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NASCAR: Is winning the pole for the Daytona 500 pointless?

By Dustin Smith

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 19: Pole winner, Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 NAPA Chevrolet, and Front Row winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, celebrate in Victory Lane after qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 19: Pole winner, Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 NAPA Chevrolet, and Front Row winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, celebrate in Victory Lane after qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images) /
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Unlike at most NASCAR races, winning the pole for the Daytona 500 hasn’t produced many wins. The winner of the pole hasn’t won the race since the year 2000.

When going for the win, the best to be in is, of course, first. However, at a track like Daytona, does being the polesitter mean anything?

Winning the pole to start a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race can mean a bunch of different things for a driver. For starters, you get to have your picture taken to show you were the fastest and you get a nice chunk of money. Of course, you also get to start in the best spot come race day. However, at restrictor plate race tracks, does it really prove anything?

The key to success at Daytona or Talladega is having a car that works well in the draft. Sure, being in front helps. The one thing we have seen in NASCAR is the car with the clean air seems to have the upper hand at most tracks. There is no doubt that the key to success in pack racing is being patient and taking advantage of opportunities as they come.

At 12:15 pm ET on Sunday, February 11th, there will be 40 or more drivers looking to put down the fastest time. However, the big question is whether or not it will matter. As mentioned previously, yes, it is great to go out and win the pole. However, I feel it means little to nothing at Daytona and Talladega.

Why winning the pole on Sunday is pointless

At 12:15 pm ET on Sunday, a single car will go out onto the track. This driver will push his or her car to the limit around the high banks of Daytona. This person and their team will sit and wait as more cars push to have the best time. Finally, the final driver will cross the finish line and we will have our polesitter. However, being the polesitter may not be the best spot to be in on Sunday.

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All things considered, the driver who captures the pole will look to snap a 17-year winless streak from the pole. The last driver to win the Daytona 500 from the pole was Dale Jarrett. He accomplished this feat 18 years ago in the year 2000. Only nine times has a driver won the Daytona 500 from the pole position in 59 tries since the inaugural running of the race in 1959. This means our 2018 polesitter has around a 15% chance of winning the Daytona 500 after starting in the top spot.

Above all, the prestige and excitement that comes from starting from the pole position does come with its consequences. Most notably, of course, is the fact that winning from the pole has not been done since Cup Series rookie William Byron was two years old.

Next: NASCAR: Top 10 drivers of all-time

Do you think winning the pole for the Daytona 500 is pointless? Will the streak of the polesitter not winning be extended to 18 straight Daytona 500 races this season, or will it be snapped?

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