In a trying season and where the results have been lacking, winning a pole at a restrictor-plate race isn’t necessarily indicative that a turnaround is afoot. Nonetheless, Greg Biffle still was going to find some accomplishment in taking the top position in qualifying Friday at Daytona International Speedway.
NASCAR Daytona 2016 qualifying results: Greg Biffle wins Coke Zero 400 pole
Biffle will lead the field to the green flag in Saturday night’s Sprint Cup race.
“It is a huge confidence builder,” Biffle said. “Qualifying on the pole, getting a good run and moving on to the next race. We need that. We need those good finishes and momentum and encouragement.”
Biffle will lead the field for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 after circling the 2.5-mile track with an average speed of 192.955 mph, edging Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Carl Edwards (192.748 mph) and Kyle Busch (192.336 mph). Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Biffle’s Roush Fenway Racing teammate, qualified fourth, with Brad Keselowski fifth.
The pole was Biffle’s first since October 2012 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and comes amidst a winless drought that dates to June 2013 at Michigan International Speedway, a 109-race span.
“It means a lot to us,” Biffle said. “What means even more is all these other teams coming up and congratulating us. We’ve been working really, really hard. Just really excited for the whole team. I’m just happy to be driving it.”
Biffle’s best finish is 11th through 16 races in 2016, and he’ll likely need to win one of the remaining 10 regular season events to earn a Chase for the Sprint Cup berth. With victories hard to come by, his best chance to grab a playoff-clinching win comes Saturday night where the field is largely equalized and Roush Fenway’s deficiencies can be overcome.
“We run good here,” Biffle said. “We had a great run going in February for the win in the (Daytona) 500 and had a flat tire unfortunately. So, yes, this is a huge boost of confidence that our cars have good speed and if we pick the right drafting lanes and stay near the front we could be in position to win this thing for sure.”
Austin Dillon, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch rounded out the top 10 qualifiers.
Defending race winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. starts 16th. Tony Stewart, who snapped a three-year winless streak last week at Sonoma Raceway, lines up 19th. Rookie Chase Elliott, the pole sitter in the previous two restrictor-plate races this season, qualified 24th.
Josh Wise was the only driver failing to qualify.
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