Daytona 500 qualifying 2015 results and lineup: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson earn spots on the front row

For all the talk about whether NASCAR’s new qualifying format works on restrictor-plate tracks, it’s hard to argue with the results produced in its Daytona 500 debut. With Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson on the front row when the green flag waves on the Great American Race on Sunday, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart crossing the start-finish line not far behind, the format put the stars of the show right where they should be.

Heading into qualifying last Sunday, drivers were concerned about how a format that works fine on shorter tracks might play out on the two-and-a-half-mile, restrictor-plate track that is Daytona. In the past, cars went out one-by-one to set their qualifying speeds and the pole, before the rest of the running order was set with the Budweiser Duels a few days later. This year the format, which actually made its NASCAR debut last season, sent them out in groups allowed on the track five minutes at a time, with the number of drivers winnowed down over a number of heats. The fastest driver would earn the pole, while the rest would have to set their running order at the Budweiser Duels.

As two cars run faster than one on restrictor-plate tracks, finding a fellow driver to hook up with is paramount under this format. Making things even more difficult, cars that run in the front are essentially penalized by aerodynamics while the ones chasing them post faster speeds. The result was gamesmanship and strategy, leading to the final group sitting on pit row until the final minute ticked onto the clock. As expected, a driver in the chasing pack -- Gordon, racing in his final season -- managed to post the fastest speed (201.293 mph) to earn the Daytona pole. Jimmie Johnson took the second spot on the front row with a 201.135 speed. Not long after, NASCAR’s ruling body announced changes would be made to fix a few of those issues that arose.

Thursday’s Budweiser Duels went more as expected. Earnhardt won the first of the two, posting a 195.080 average speed to earn the third spot, while Jimmie Johnson won the second of the races. It wasn’t without drama, of course, as drivers on the bubble like Danica Patrick had to fight to earn their way into Sunday’s field. Patrick and Denny Hamlin wrecked near the end of the second qualifier, but she managed to stay in the race and a late push by teammate Kurt Busch helped her make the field. (She finished 10th, qualifying 20th.)

The green flag is set to wave at approximately 1:30 p.m. (ET) Sunday. FOX begins its pre-race coverage at noon.

Via NASCAR.com

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