DAYTONA, Fla. -- For a second consecutive Daytona 500, Chase Elliott will start at the pole position.
Elliott, a native of Dawsonville, Ga. and son of former NASCAR driver Bill Elliott, had the fastest lap of 46.663 seconds after two rounds of qualifying to earn the pole position for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season opener.
And that's your pole sitter! @DISupdates @chaseelliott pic.twitter.com/GZeTK02j0z
— Chris Corum (@corum21) February 19, 2017
His teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start next to Elliott on the Front Row next Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.
"I didn't think my lap was that good," Elliott told the FOX broadcast crew after his first round lap. "It surprised me. I didn't expect to go fast, so that's a good thing."
Elliott, 21, won the pole last year in his rookie season. He was the youngest ever to win pole for the Great American Race and the third rookie to do so.
The driver of the No. 24 Chevorlet SS for Hendrick Motorsports finished in 37th in the race last year after spinning out and crashing on lap 18.
It's the third consecutive pole win for the No. 24 team at Daytona.
The last pole winner to win the Daytona 500 was Dale Jarrett in 2000.
