Edwards claims Bud Shootout pole
Roush Fenway driver Carl Edwards has drawn pole position for Saturday's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, the non-championship curtain-raiser to the NASCAR Sprint Cup season
Edwards claimed the pole position in the draw for starting positions for the race on Thursday night.
2009 Shootout winner Kevin Harvick's draw netted him second on the grid, but a crash early in practice means he will start from the back, as he will race a car that he did not use in practice.
The other drivers caught up in the wreck, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin, will be able to start from their qualifying positions after practicing in their back-up cars.
The multi-car practice wreck comes after NASCAR relaxed the bump-drafting rules it has progressively tightened up over recent years, and although drivers felt the change to the rules did not necessarily cause the crash, they are expecting a rough ride in the race.
Reigning Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson will start around the middle of the grid in 16th, while team-mate Jeff Gordon will start from the back row for the second year in succession.
Derrike Cope, winner of the 1990 Daytona 500, did not practice after his car failed inspection, but will start from 18th providing his car is passed by the officials before the race.
Pos Driver Car 1. Carl Edwards Ford 2. Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 3. Brian Vickers Toyota 4. Ryan Newman Chevrolet 5. Greg Biffle Ford 6. Mark Martin Chevrolet 7. Jeff Burton Chevrolet 8. Matt Kenseth Ford 9. Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 10. John Andretti Ford 11. Dale Earnhardt Jr Chevrolet 12. Bobby Labonte Chevrolet 13. Tony Stewart Chevrolet 14. Ken Schrader Toyota 15. Michael Waltrip Toyota 16. Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 17. Kyle Busch Toyota 18. Derrike Cope Dodge 19. Kasey Kahne Ford 20. Juan Montoya Chevrolet 21. Joey Logano Toyota 22. Kurt Busch Dodge 23. Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 24. Denny Hamlin Toyota
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