Daytona 500: Jeff Gordon takes pole in controversial qualifying

This year the traditional one-at-a-time Daytona 500 qualifying format has been abandoned in favour of the Formula 1-style group knockout sessions adopted at all other events last year.

Four five-minute segments were held - with the field split in two for the opening pair, and the fastest 24 cars on combined times then progressing to round two, from where the top 12 went into the pole shootout.

Drivers had already expressed misgivings about the prospect of group qualifying at Daytona, and their fears were realised in the first session, when contact between a furious Clint Bowyer and Reed Sorenson triggered a heavy accident in which Denny Hamlin and JJ Yeley also became embroiled.

After a long stoppage, the clock was restarted for the remaining 1m22s but none of the cars that went back out managed to get to the line in time to run a flying lap.

The second group had a less eventful session, and unsurprisingly went faster, pushing group one pacesetter Hamlin - who had gone quickest before the accident - down to 11th in combined times as Aric Almirola led the way.

Champion Kevin Harvick and his Stewart-Haas team-mates Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick, plus 2014 title contender Ryan Newman and the sidelined Bowyer were among those who failed to make the cut.

Round two was topped by Jimmie Johnson, with the Penske drivers the biggest names to miss out this time, as Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano only managed 19th and 21st.

With everyone well aware that the fastest place to be was the rear of a drafting pack, drivers were reluctant to leave the pits first throughout the session.

This was taken to an extreme in round three, where it briefly looked like few of the 12 contenders would make it across the line in time to even set a lap, but all made it with seconds to spare.

Gordon's 201.293mph, 44.711-second lap proved quickest of the single-lap pack run that ensued, with his Hendrick team-mate Jimmie Johnson joining him on the front row with a lap 0.035s adrift.

Three Joe Gibbs Toyota followed the Hendrick Chevrolets: Hamlin managed third ahead of Saturday night's Unlimited race winner Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. Their new team-mate Carl Edwards was seventh behind Hendrick's Kasey Kahne.

Only Gordon and Johnson's positions are now set for next Sunday's 500. The rest of the grid order will be decided by Thursday's Duel qualifying races.

QUALIFYING RESULTS:

Pos  Driver              Team/Car             Speed    Time     Gap
 1.  Jeff Gordon         Hendrick Chevrolet   201.293  44.711s           Rnd 3
 2.  Jimmie Johnson      Hendrick Chevrolet   201.135  44.746s  +0.035s  Rnd 3
 3.  Denny Hamlin        Joe Gibbs Toyota     200.933  44.791s  +0.080s  Rnd 3
 4.  Matt Kenseth        Joe Gibbs Toyota     200.214  44.952s  +0.241s  Rnd 3
 5.  Kyle Busch          Joe Gibbs Toyota     200.187  44.958s  +0.247s  Rnd 3
 6.  Kasey Kahne         Hendrick Chevrolet   199.867  45.030s  +0.319s  Rnd 3
 7.  Carl Edwards        Joe Gibbs Toyota     197.837  45.492s  +0.781s  Rnd 3
 8.  Ty Dillon           Childress Chevrolet  197.507  45.568s  +0.857s  Rnd 3
 9.  Austin Dillon       Childress Chevrolet  196.962  45.694s  +0.983s  Rnd 3
10.  Dale Earnhardt Jr   Hendrick Chevrolet   195.080  46.135s  +1.424s  Rnd 3
11.  Jamie McMurray      Ganassi Chevrolet    193.133  46.600s  +1.889s  Rnd 3
12.  Martin Truex Jr     Furniture Row Chevy  190.678  47.200s  +2.489s  Rnd 3
13.  Johnny Sauter       BK Toyota            198.220  45.404s           Rnd 2
14.  Greg Biffle         Roush Fenway Ford    197.477  45.575s           Rnd 2
15.  Trevor Bayne        Roush Fenway Ford    197.256  45.626s           Rnd 2
16.  Sam Hornish Jr      Petty Ford           197.243  45.629s           Rnd 2
17.  Aric Almirola       Petty Ford           197.200  45.639s           Rnd 2
18.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr  Roush Fenway Ford    196.816  45.728s           Rnd 2
19.  Brad Keselowski     Penske Ford          193.357  46.546s           Rnd 2
20.  Ryan Blaney         Wood Brothers Ford   193.282  46.564s           Rnd 2
21.  Joey Logano         Penske Ford          193.241  46.574s           Rnd 2
22.  Michael Waltrip     Waltrip Toyota       190.517  47.240s           Rnd 2
23.  JJ Yeley            BK Toyota                                       Rnd 2
24.  Bobby Labonte       Go FAS Ford                                     Rnd 2
25.  Paul Menard         Childress Chevy      198.325  45.380s           Rnd 1
26.  Alex Bowman         Baldwin Chevy        198.229  45.402s           Rnd 1
27.  AJ Allmendinger     JTG Daugherty Chevy  198.212  45.406s           Rnd 1
28.  Ryan Newman         Childress Chevy      198.177  45.414s           Rnd 1
29.  Kevin Harvick       Stewart-Haas Chevy   197.994  45.456s           Rnd 1
30.  Kurt Busch          Stewart-Haas Chevy   197.976  45.460s           Rnd 1
31.  Tony Stewart        Stewart-Haas Chevy   197.968  45.462s           Rnd 1
32.  Danica Patrick      Stewart-Haas Chevy   197.959  45.464s           Rnd 1
33.  Casey Mears         Germain Chevy        197.946  45.467s           Rnd 1
34.  Brian Scott         Premium Chevy        197.828  45.494s           Rnd 1
35.  Michael Annett      Hscott Chevy         196.554  45.789s           Rnd 1
36.  Justin Allgaier     Hscott Chevy         196.532  45.794s           Rnd 1
37.  Kyle Larson         Ganassi Chevy        195.588  46.015s           Rnd 1
38.  David Gilliland     Front Row Ford       195.346  46.072s           Rnd 1
39.  Michael McDowell    Leavine Ford         195.300  46.083s           Rnd 1
40.  Jeb Burton          BK Toyota            195.004  46.153s           Rnd 1
41.  Clint Bowyer        Waltrip Toyota       194.995  46.155s           Rnd 1
42.  Reed Sorenson       Xtreme Chevy         194.978  46.159s           Rnd 1
43.  Justin Marks        RAB Toyota           194.675  46.231s           Rnd 1
44.  David Ragan         Front Row Ford       194.452  46.284s           Rnd 1
45.  Cole Whitt          Front Row Ford       194.012  46.389s           Rnd 1
46.  Josh Wise           Parsons Ford         193.386  46.539s           Rnd 1
47.  Landon Cassill      Hillman Chevy        193.299  46.560s           Rnd 1
48.  Mike Wallace        Premium Toyota       192.509  46.751s           Rnd 1
49.  Ron Hornaday Jr     Motorsports Chevy    190.791  47.172s           Rnd 1