James: Chase Elliott won't apologize for beating Dale Earnhardt Jr.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It’s not that he has anything against a sentimental Dale Earnhardt Jr. story, but you’ll have to pardon Chase Elliott if he feels no qualms about ruining it.
That’s his job, and he and crew chief Alan Gustafson did it well Sunday, winning their second consecutive pole for the Daytona 500, this time at the expense of the most important NASCAR story line entering the 2017 season.
Earnhardt, completing the next phase of his comeback from a concussion that cost him half of the 2016 season and jeopardized his career, qualified second and sounded wonderfully back to normal at a track where he often has ruled in winning the Daytona 500 twice. The all-Hendrick Motorsports front row will be secure for the Feb. 26 Daytona 500 as Elliott and Earnhardt, in the unique format to set the grid for the race, are assured their spots while the ensuing 38 slots will be filled by two 150-mile qualifying races Thursday.
“Obviously, Dale is good down here and we all knew he was going to be fast today,” Elliott said. “That’s no surprise. But I don’t really care who it is. I’m not going to feel bad about beating somebody. So it’s cool to share a front row with a teammate, is really the biggest thing I look at with that.”
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The understated Elliott provided a dramatic moment in the staid single-car qualifying format, posting his pole-winning lap of 192.872 mph as the last qualifying driver, immediately after Earnhardt had taken the provisional pole with a lap of 192.864.
Gustafson became the first crew chief to win three Daytona 500 poles consecutively since Elliott’s uncle, Ernie Elliott, with Elliott’s father, 1988 series champion Bill, from 1985-87.
Though Elliott added a new layer to his rich family history Sunday, becoming the first driver to win consecutive Daytona 500 poles since Ken Schrader from 1988-90, it’s no assurance of performance at a track where drafting and position-management is crucial. Possessing a fast car in qualifying is certainly a plus, but it’s rarely been enough alone. Just nine times in 58 previous installments has the Daytona 500 been won from the pole, most recently by Dale Jarrett in 2000, when Elliott was four. Elliott wrecked out early with his pole-winning car last season, underscoring the fragility of the accomplishment.
So he’s not apologizing for seizing it.
“Dale’s a good guy,” he said. “I’m happy to share the front row with him. But I’m happier to beat him. Regardless of who it is, that’s what you’re trying to do.”
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PHOTOS: 2017 Daytona 500 pole qualifying
