On Sunday evening (UK time) NASCAR’s 62nd Daytona 500 will take place at the great Florida tri-oval, with a fresh face on the front row.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. secured his first pole position at Daytona and a third in NASCAR’s premier division on Sunday, on his first appearance for the JTG Daugherty Chevrolet team following a switch from Roush’s Fords. The 32-year-old set a speed of 194.582mph in 46.253 seconds on his one-lap qualifying run to secure the prestigious top spot. Alex Bowman was the next fastest to take his third consecutive front-row starting position at the 500.
Who will line up behind them and in what order is not yet certain. The rest of the stock car field will only claim their qualifying positions on Thursday, when they take part in the pair of Duel races that form the final grid.
As for Sunday, the main event is motorsport’s very own Super Bowl – and Stenhouse Jr., who has won at Daytona previously but only in the mid-season race held in July, will be giving everything to stay at the head of the draft and race into the 500’s illustrious history books.
Source: Goodwood.com
Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.