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| Patrick starts first Sunday |
Given their choice, every
one of the 44 competitors who battled Danica Patrick for the pole in this week’s
55th running of the Daytona 500 would trade places with her on
Sunday. But while there is no better, safer, or more encouraging place to start
than on the inside of the front row, history shows that a pole-position start
is anything but a precursor to Victory Lane.
In the 54 previous editions
of the Daytona 500, only seven drivers have won from the pole position. Only Cale
Yarborough (1968, 1984) and Bill Elliott (1985, 1987) were able to perform the
feat more than once.
Winning the “Great American Race”
from the outside pole is even more unlikely. Only six drivers have accomplished
this feat, with Richard Petty the only driver with more than one victory from
the second starting spot.
The Daytona 500 has not been
won from the pole since Dale Jarrett turned the trick, 13 years ago. Last year’s winner, Matt Kenseth, came from
fourth on the starting grid. Trevor Bayne came from 32nd to win in
2011, with Jamie McMurray winning from the 13th starting position in
2010. Kenseth came from 39th
at the start to win in 2009, proving yet again that it’s not where you start at
Daytona that matters most, it’s where you finish.
Fireball Roberts (1962),
Richard Petty (1966), Buddy Baker (1980) and Jeff Gordon (1999) have all captured
the Harley J. Earl Trophy from the pole, joining an elite fraternity of drivers
to claim NASCAR’s grandest prize from the number-one starting spot.
Patrick will attempt to join
the club Sunday.
Photo: Associated Press
It's why I laugh whenever I hear someone advocate that the pole should pay points. It's a qualifying spot, not a race finish.
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