Written by Thomas Huges
As we prepare for the 41st running of the Advance Auto Parts Clash, the biggest question of the day has turned into the biggest question of Speedweeks:
Can ANYONE stop Hendrick Motorsports?
In the first weekend of the new driver crew-chief combination of the #24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro, 7-Time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winning crew chief Chad Knaus, has given Charlotte, North Carolina’s own William Byron his first career Busch Pole Award in the MENCS, and the 700th career pole overall for Chevrolet in NASCAR competition. It marks the 5th straight Daytona 500 pole for Hendrick Motorsports
Flames are indeed fast on the 24 car.
Locking the outside front-row position for next Sunday’s 61st Running of the Daytona 500 will be Tucson, Arizona’s Alex Bowman in Hendrick Motorsport’s #88 Nationwide Insurance Chevrolet Camaro.
Rounding out qualifying for the outside of the front row of the Gander RV Dual races on Thursday Night, 7-Time MENCS champion Jimmie Johnson (#48 Ally Financial Chevrolet Camaro) will start outside of William Byron while Dawsonville, Georgia’s Chase Elliott (#9 NAPA Auto Parts/Mountain Dew Chevrolet Camaro SS) will start on the outside of Alex Bowman.
Here are the overall qualifying results:
1. (#24) William Byron
2. (#88) Alex Bowman
3. (#48) Jimmie Johnson
4. (#9) Chase Elliott
5. (#8) Daniel Hemric
6. (#22) Joey Logano
7. (#19) Martin Truex Jr.
8. (#14) Clint Bowyer
9. (#2) Brad Keselowski
10. (#3) Austin Dillon
11. (#21) Paul Menard
12. (#11) Denny Hamlin
13. (#18) Kyle Busch
14. (#20) Erik Jones
15. (#4) Kevin Harvick
16. (#31) Tyler Reddick
17. (#12) Ryan Blaney
18. (#17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
19. (#10) Aric Almirola
20. (#41) Daniel Suarez
21. (#1) Kurt Busch
22. (#37) Chris Buescher
23. (#38) David Ragan
24. (#6) Ryan Newman
25. (#34) Michael McDowell
26. (#27) Casey Mears
27. (#71) Ryan Truex
28. (#47) Ryan Preece
29. (#40) Jamie McMurray
30. (#95) Matt DiBenedetto
31. (#62) Brendan Gaughan
32. (#42) Kyle Larson
33. (#43) Bubba Wallace
34. (#13) Ty Dillon
35. (#36) Matt Tifft
36. (#96) Parker Kligerman
37. (#15) Ross Chastain
38. (#00) Landon Cassill
39. (#32) Corey LaJoie
40. (#52) Cody Ware
41. (#51) BJ McLeod
42. (#66) Joey Gase
Two of these 42 drivers are guaranteed to miss the show next Sunday, but we will only know after the race on Thursday Night in the Duels.
Hendrick Motorsports’ dominance this weekend is one that we have not seen by one powerhouse team since Marlboro Team Penske in the build-up to the Indianapolis 500 in 1994.
Will anyone be able to stop them? That question will be answered this Thursday Night.
