Reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson secures pole for 2022 Daytona 500

Reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson secures pole for 2022 Daytona 500

Kyle Larson

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson is not ready to stop yet as he secured his career-best starting position in the 64th edition of the Daytona 500. The 29-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver won the pole position for Sunday’s “Great American Race” in the official 2022 season-opener. He topped the qualifying with a lap of 181.159 mph in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

This is the seventh Daytona 500 pole position in eight years for team Hendrick Motorsports and Kyle Larson will join the top with his teammate Alex Bowman who will start on P2. This is the record fifth consecutive year where Alex Bowman will start at the front-row starting position in the Daytona 500.

“Almost feels like my proudest pole,” Kyle Larson on securing Daytona 500 pole

Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson
Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson with their crew in Daytona

Kyle Larson was quick to acknowledge the efforts of his team in securing the poles thanking them for the support they provided. Kyle Larson expressed his hope that the pole might become the beginning of a really good season adding the pole is among the proudest poles he had secured as he is proud of everyone who has an impact on his pole.

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“It’s really neat. I mean anytime you are proud of your team to get a pole here because this is the littlest it has to do with us drivers, qualifying at superspeedways,” Kyle Larson said.

“Everybody’s who’s had a part in touching these vehicles, whether it be on the computer, engineering or just hands-on. It’s really neat, just awesome the speed in our Hendricks.com Chevy. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a really good season. Almost feels like my proudest pole. Because you’re proud of everybody who had an impact in doing it,” Kyle Larson added.

Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve

1997 Formula One world champion and 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner, 50 years old Jacques Villeneuve also secured the maiden Daytona 500 qualification of his career, earning one of two “Open’ positions available in pole qualifying – recording the 36th fastest speed in the No. 27 Team Hezeberg Ford.

Noah Gragson, a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series championship contender, also earned an automatic bid into the Daytona 500 with a 33rd best qualifying lap. Two other Open cars will make it to the final starting order of the Daytona 500 grid after the  Bluegreen Vacations Duel 150s which will take place on Thursday and Friday.

Also read: ‘You feel like you are in complete control … until you are not,’ Daytona 500 champ, Michael McDowell on the mystery of racing