Daytona 500 pole winners by year
Rookie Chase Elliott drove the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to the top of the Daytona 500 qualifying leaderboard Sunday, becoming the youngest pole winner in the history of the Great American Race. Elliott joined his father Bill Elliott as a Daytona 500 pole winner
Elliott qualified with a speed of 196.314 mph at Daytona International Speedway, one year after Jeff Gordon drove the No. 24 to the No. 1 qualifying position. Gordon retired from Sprint Cup racing in November after finishing third in the final standings in his 23rd season. He is analyzing races for Fox this season — beginning with Speedweeks events at Daytona — along with Darrell Waltrip and play-by-play announcer Mike Joy.
Chase Elliott must learn how to follow legend in No. 24
Nine drivers have won more than one pole at the Great American Race: Buddy Baker, Cale Yarborough and Bill Elliott each qualified first four times; Fireball Roberts, Ken Schrader and Dale Jarrett each won the pole three times; and Donnie Allison, Jimmie Johnson and Gordon each won the pole twice.
The 58th running of the Daytona 500 will be held Feb. 21 (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
Daytona pole winners and speeds by year:
Year: Pole winner, Speed
1959: Bob Welborn, 140.121 mph
1960: Cotton Owens, 149.892
1961: Fireball Roberts, 155.709
1962: Fireball Roberts, 156.999
1963: Fireball Roberts, 160.943
1964: Paul Goldsmith, 174.910
1965: Darel Dieringer, 171.151
1966: Richard Petty, 175.163
1967: Curtis Turner, 180.831
1968: Cale Yarborough, 189.222
1969: Buddy Baker, 188.901
1970: Cale Yarborough, 194.015
1971: A.J. Foyt, 182.744
1972: Bobby Isaac, 186.632
1973: Buddy Baker, 185.662
1974: David Pearson, 185.817
1975: Donnie Allison, 185.827
1976: Ramo Stott, 183.456
1977: Donnie Allison, 188.048
1978: Cale Yarborough, 187.536
1979: Buddy Baker, 196.049
1980: Buddy Baker, 194.009
1981: Bobby Allison, 194.624
1982: Benny Parsons, 196.317
1983: Ricky Rudd, 198.864
1984: Cale Yarborough, 201.848
1985: Bill Elliott, 205.114
1986: Bill Elliott, 205.039
1987: Bill Elliott, 210.364
1988: Ken Schrader, 193.823
1989: Ken Schrader, 196.996
1990: Ken Schrader, 196.515
1991: Davey Allison, 195.955
1992: Sterling Marlin, 192.213
1993: Kyle Petty, 189.426
1994: Loy Allen Jr., 190.158
1995: Dale Jarrett, 193.498
1996: Dale Earnhardt, 189.510
1997: Mike Skinner, 189.813
1998: Bobby Labonte, 192.415
1999: Jeff Gordon, 195.067
2000: Dale Jarrett, 191.091
2001: Bill Elliott, 183.565
2002: Jimmie Johnson, 185.831
2003: Jeff Green, 186.606
2004: Greg Biffle, 188.387
2005: Dale Jarrett, 188.312
2006: Jeff Burton, 189.151
2007: David Gilliland, 186.320
2008: Jimmie Johnson, 187.075
2009: Martin Truex Jr., 188.001
2010: Mark Martin, 191.188
2011: Dale Earnhardt Jr., 186.089
2012: Carl Edwards, 194.738
2013: Danica Patrick, 196.434
2014: Austin Dillon, 196.019
2015: Jeff Gordon, 201.293
2016: Chase Elliott, 196.314
PHOTOS: History of the Daytona 500