DAYTONA BEACH, Florida - Danica Patrick has won the Daytona 500 pole position and become the first woman to secure the top spot for any Sprint Cup race. It was the biggest achievement of her four-year Nascar career.
Patrick went out eighth in the qualifying session Sunday and covered the four-kilometre circuit in 45.817 seconds, averaging 316km/h.
CLEAR WIN
She waited for two hours while 37 other drivers tried to take her spot but only four-times Cup champion Jeff Gordon came close to knocking her off.
Gordon was the only other driver who topped 315km/h. He locked up the other guaranteed spot in the season-opening Daytona 500 on February 24. The rest of the field will be set in qualifying races on Thursday (Feb 21).
However the field unfolds, all drivers will line up behind Danica Patrick's No.10 Chevrolet SS for "The Great American Race".
Patrick went out eighth in the qualifying session Sunday and covered the four-kilometre circuit in 45.817 seconds, averaging 316km/h.
CLEAR WIN
She waited for two hours while 37 other drivers tried to take her spot but only four-times Cup champion Jeff Gordon came close to knocking her off.
Gordon was the only other driver who topped 315km/h. He locked up the other guaranteed spot in the season-opening Daytona 500 on February 24. The rest of the field will be set in qualifying races on Thursday (Feb 21).
However the field unfolds, all drivers will line up behind Danica Patrick's No.10 Chevrolet SS for "The Great American Race".