NASCAR: Daytona 500 qualifying results – Alex Bowman takes pole
By Asher Fair
Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman is set to start the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season up front, as he took the pole for the Daytona 500.
In his first race as the full-time driver of the #88 Chevrolet, 24-year-old Alex Bowman is set to pick up where the recently retired 43-year-old Dale Earnhardt Jr. left off, as he took the pole for the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season opener, the Daytona 500.
The 60th annual Daytona 500 is set to take place next Sunday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. For the third straight restrictor plate race dating back to last year’s July Daytona race, the #88 Chevrolet will lead the field to the green flag.
This time, however, Bowman, who drove in 10 races as the replacement for the injured Earnhardt Jr. to close out the 2016 season, is the driver of the famous #88 car as opposed to the 15-time reigning Most Popular Driver Award winner.
More from NASCAR
- NASCAR Cup Series: New team set to compete in 2024
- NASCAR: Will Kevin Harvick’s major record ever be broken?
- NASCAR: Surprising name continuously linked to new seat
- NASCAR driver at risk of missing the Daytona 500?
- NASCAR set for rare appearance last seen 13 years ago
Denny Hamlin, the driver of the #11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, was knocked off of the pole position by Bowman, who was the final driver to drive in the second round of qualifying due to the fact that he was the fastest driver in the first round.
Hamlin, who won the Daytona 500 two years ago, is set to start the race alongside Bowman on the front row, and he rounds out the two starting positions that are officially set in stone for next weekend’s race. The remaining 38 starting positions are set to be determined by this Thursday’s two Can-Am Duels.
Here are the full qualifying results from today’s Daytona 500 qualifying session. As referenced above, only the top two positions are set in stone in terms of drivers’ starting positions for next Sunday’s race.
| Rank | Driver | Car, Team, Engine |
| 1 | Alex Bowman | #88, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | #11, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota |
| 3 | Jimmie Johnson | #48, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet |
| 4 | Kyle Busch | #18, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota |
| 5 | William Byron | #24, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet |
| 6 | Erik Jones | #20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota |
| 7 | Daniel Suarez | #19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota |
| 8 | Kevin Harvick | #4, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford |
| 9 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | #17, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford |
| 10 | Chase Elliott | #9, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet |
| 11 | Joey Logano | #22, Team Penske, Ford |
| 12 | Paul Menard | #21, Wood Brothers Racing, Ford |
| 13 | Aric Almirola | #10, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford |
| 14 | Austin Dillon | #3, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet |
| 15 | Ryan Blaney | #12, Team Penske, Ford |
| 16 | Clint Bowyer | #14, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford |
| 17 | Kurt Busch | #41, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford |
| 18 | Kasey Kahne | #95, Leavine Family Racing, Chevrolet |
| 19 | Brad Keselowski | #2, Team Penske, Ford |
| 20 | Trevor Bayne | #6, Roush Fenway Racing, Ford |
| 21 | Ryan Newman | #31, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet |
| 22 | Kyle Larson | #42, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet |
| 23 | Jamie McMurray | #1, Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet |
| 24 | Michael McDowell | #34, Front Row Motorsports, Ford |
| 25 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | #43, Richard Petty Motorsports, Chevrolet |
| 26 | Martin Truex Jr. | #78, Furniture Row Racing, Toyota |
| 27 | Ty Dillon | #13, Germain Racing, Chevrolet |
| 28 | Danica Patrick | #7, Premium Motorsports, Chevrolet |
| 29 | Chris Buescher | #37, JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet |
| 30 | AJ Allmendinger | #47, JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet |
| 31 | Brendan Gaughan | #62, Beard Motorsports, Chevrolet |
| 32 | Justin Marks | #51, Rick Ware Racing, Chevrolet |
| 33 | Matt DiBenedetto | #32, Go FAS Racing, Ford |
| 34 | D.J. Kennington | #96, Gaunt Brothers Racing, Toyota |
| 35 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | #00, StarCom Racing, Chevrolet |
| 36 | David Gilliland | #92, RBR Enterprises, Ford |
| 37 | Mark Thompson | #66, MBM Motorsports, Ford |
| 38 | Corey Lajoie | #72, TriStar Motorsports, Chevrolet |
| 39 | Gray Gaulding | #23, BK Racing, Toyota |
| 40 | David Ragan | #38, Front Row Motorsports, Ford |
Next: Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time
Be sure to tune into the 60th annual Daytona 500 live at 2:00 pm ET on FOX next Sunday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida to catch the action from the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season opener.