Daytona 500 qualifying results 2017: Chase Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr. take top 2 spots

A familiar face, in a familiar car will lead the Daytona 500 field to the green flag after Chase Elliott captured the pole for NASCAR’s biggest race (Feb. 26, 2 p.m. ET, Fox) for a second straight year in qualifying Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.

The 21-year-old Elliott paced both rounds of qualifying, bumping Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. off the provisional pole in the second session with a 192.872 mph lap just after Earnhardt had posted a time. Elliott, the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, is the first driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500 poles since Ken Schrader took three straight from 1988 to 1990.

Elliott’s No. 24 team, led by crew chief Alan Gustafson, also won the Daytona 500 pole with Jeff Gordon as driver in 2015. Gordon retired after the conclusion of the 2015 season, with Hendrick naming Elliott his successor.

“The No. 24 team here in the past -- with Jeff before and with us here — has proved they are really good at qualifying at these tracks,” Elliott said. “They are always trying to find new things with the body, or with the engine and that is proof that they are keeping up with the competition and taking that next step too.”

Earnhardt showed no rust in making his first qualifying attempt following a seven-month layoff due to a concussion that caused him to miss the final 18 races of the 2016 season. Before Sunday, his last qualifying run occurred July 8 at Kentucky Speedway. He would remove himself from the car two days after the July 9 race with symptoms that were later diagnosed as a concussion, his third in four years.

Earnhardt was cleared to return after completing a medically-supervised test at Darlington Raceway in December.

“Pretty easy job today for the driver,” he said. “The car does all the work, but it was a good day.”

Both Elliott and Earnhardt are locked into their starting spots regardless of where they finish in the Can-Am Duels on Thursday night. The balance of the 40-car Daytona 500 lineup is based off the finishing order of the qualifying races.

Brad Keselowski, Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman rounded out the top-10 qualifiers.

Elliott Sadler and Brendan Gaughan each solidified their spots in next Sunday’s Daytona 500, as they were the fastest two among the six open teams attempting to qualify. Teams that hold one of 36 available charters are guaranteed a starting position in each of the 36 Monster Energy Cup Series races.