Danica Patrick won the pole for the season-opening Nationwide Series race at Daytona, set for Saturday afternoon.
Danica Patrick Wins Pole For Daytona Nationwide Race
Patrick will be the first woman to start from the top qualifying spot in NASCAR’s second-tier series since Shawna Robinson did it at Atlanta on March 12, 1994.
Patrick, the former IndyCar star, garnered a fast lap of 49.250 seconds around the high-banked speedway, averaging 182.741 mph. She turned in the top lap one day after crashing hard into the wall during the Daytona 500 qualifying races.
She was followed by Trevor Bayne, Elliott Sadler, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Austin Dillon. Defending Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart came in seventh in qualifying.
This will be Patrick’s first full-time season in the Nationwide Series. She will be driving for JR Motorsports and team owner Earnhardt Jr.
Patrick will also make her Sprint Cup debut in the Daytona 500 on Sunday.
For more on Daytona 500 Weekend, stay tuned to SB Nation’s regularly updated StoryStream.
See More:
