Rookie Austin Dillon won the pole position for the upcoming Daytona 500. Dillon clocked a 196.019 mph speed to edge out Martin Truex, Jr. at 195.982. Dillon, who is the grandson of former NASCAR driver and current multi-team owner, Richard Childress, won the Nationwide Series last year and becomes just the fifth rookie to win the pole at Daytona and has added significance with Dillon driving car #3 – the same number as NASCAR racing legend Dale Earnhardt, who was killed in an accident on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
The Daytona 500 will be held at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida, on February 23, 2014.