NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Edwards Breezes To Daytona 500 Pole
Roush Fenway Racing sweeps Daytona 500 front row as Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle spin fast laps…
Mike Hembree  |  Posted February 19, 2012   Daytona Beach, FL
Fords flew in the high winds of Daytona International Speedway Sunday afternoon.

Roush Fenway Ford drivers Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle locked in the first two starting spots for the Daytona 500 Sunday by posting the fastest qualifying speeds in a time-trial session buffeted by gusting winds.

Edwards ran 194.738 miles per hour to win the pole, his first for the Daytona 500. The speed was the fastest pole speed for the 500 since 1999. Biffle was second at 194.087.

In the 500’s unique qualifying format, only the first two spots are locked in by qualifying. The rest of the 43-car field will be determined by Thursday’s 150-mile qualifying races, qualifying speeds and provisional starting spots.

Edwards had the day’s fastest speed despite running without crew chief Bob Osborne, who missed this week’s activities at Daytona because of the death of his father. RFR engineer Chip Bolin substituted for Osborne.

“To have the two fastest cars at Daytona be Fords is a testament to Robert Yates and Doug Yates (engine builders) and the guys who engineered these cars over the winter,” Edwards said.

“Coming down here, I didn’t really consider the pole something that was a possibility. This is huge.”

Completing the top five were Dale Earnhardt Jr., Marcos Ambrose and Casey Mears.

Danica Patrick was 29th fastest in qualifying for her first Sprint Cup start.

Among the “go-or-go-home” drivers, defending race champion Trevor Bayne, Tony Raines and David Stremme ran fast enough Sunday to guarantee starting spots in the 500.

Although winning the 500 pole seldom leads to grand success in the race, Edwards said the Sunday run was a big positive.

“It probably wouldn’t have mattered the first or second time I was here, but now after seeing how hard everybody works all winter and seeing how much pride the guys take in how these cars qualify, it’s a sign of the strength of your team,” he said. “To have the whole front row says a lot about Roush Fenway Racing and Ford.”

Clint Bowyer had the afternoon’s 22nd-fastest speed, but his car failed to pass post-qualifying inspection. Officials said the car did not meet front-end height requirements and disallowed Bowyer’s time. He will start at the rear of the second 150-mile qualifying race Thursday.

Scott Miller, vice president of competition for Michael Waltrip Racing, said the problem with Bowyer’s car was not intentional. “I don’t know if we got something stuck in the bleed hole in the shock, but the front just didn’t come back up [after the qualifying run],” Miller said. “It’s all the same stuff that we ran in practice, and it was coming back up.”

There is no activity scheduled at the speedway Monday and Tuesday. Two rounds of Sprint Cup practice are scheduled Wednesday afternoon before Thursday’s twin qualifying races.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
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