Wednesday night, NASCAR drivers headed out onto Daytona International Speedway for their single qualifying laps. Qualifying for the Daytona 500 and securing the pole position were the two main goals, and Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman achieved both. He piloted the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro to a blistering lap at 191.261 mph and made NASCAR history.
With the pole position secured, Bowman became the only driver in stock car racing to start on the front row of the Daytona 500 four consecutive times. This history includes two pole positions and two second-place starts. Now he will lead the field to the green flag while searching for a career-first Daytona 500 win. Teammate William Byron will join him on the front row while presenting a unified HMS front.
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W O W @Alex_Bowman tops @WilliamByron and puts the 4️⃣8️⃣ car on the provisional #BuschPole at @DAYTONA! (📺: FS1) pic.twitter.com/SXtUypdhae
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 11, 2021
“Our Ally Camaro has obviously been really fast since they unloaded,” Bowman said after the qualifying session. “[The crew team] focused a lot on trying to get the pole for the 500. It means a lot to us, and obviously, we are able to achieve that. Just really proud of everyone, our partners at Hendrick. Thanks to Team Chevy for giving us great race cars. It feels really good.”
The qualifying laps started out in exciting fashion for viewers. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. initially set the fastest time in the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet Camaro. He remained atop the leaderboard for the early sessions, but Bubba Wallace passed him in the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota Camry and briefly secured the pole position.
While Wallace sparked excitement among fans with his quick lap, he did not remain on top of the leaderboard. Byron passed him with what appeared to be the fastest car out of the entire group. Though Bowman ultimately outpaced his teammate and secured the prime spot before Sunday’s race.
The former driver of the now-retired No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro, Bowman switched over to the No. 48 after seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson retired. He faces raised expectations now that he and winning crew chief Greg Ives are in control of the iconic car. Many racing fans have even wondered if Bowman would finally reach the championship race and compete for the Bill France Cup.
With the pole position secure, Bowman will now try to win his first Daytona 500. The Crown Jewel race starts at 2:30 p.m. ET and will air on Fox. MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will provide radio coverage for those unable to watch at home. The commentary booth will look different in 2021, considering that recently-retired driver Clint Bowyer will join Jeff Gordon and Mike Joy in the booth while serving as an analyst.
