Surprise Is on Daytona Field

To the surprise of no one at Daytona International Speedway, a Chevrolet will start on the pole in Sunday’s Daytona 500.

To the surprise of nearly everyone, it will not be one of the DEI boys, Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Michael Waltrip, nor will it be two-time winner Jeff Gordon.

Unheralded Jeff Green, only a year removed from the Busch Grand National series, stunned onlookers Monday with a lap of 186.606 mph in one of Richard Childress’ Monte Carlos. It knocked Earnhardt off the pole just after Little E had posted a 186.382-mph lap in a Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevy.

“I really expected it,” said Green to a startled press corps. “A lot of people, I think, will look at me like I have four eyes when I say that, but we knew we had a great race car. We didn’t practice a lot Saturday, and yesterday in that rain was the longest day of my life because I knew how good a car we had and I wanted to show it.”

An all-day rain Sunday postponed time trials for a day. Childress said he was not surprised by Green’s success, either.

“We were on the outside pole here last year in February and on the pole in July [with Kevin Harvick], so to come back here and be on the pole again says something about all the people at RCR [Richard Childress Racing] for all the hard work they put in.”

Green has never won a Winston Cup race, but there is precedent for first-time winners at Daytona. Derrike Cope, Sterling Marlin and Michael Waltrip each made the 500 his first victory, all since 1990.

“I enjoy people not talking about me a lot,” Green said mischievously. “When you slip in and win one of these things and win poles like we did today, it tends to make a better story. Things like that make me go, and hopefully it will keep me going that way.”

Green and Earnhardt are guaranteed starts from the front row in the 500. They also will start on the poles in Thursday’s Gatorade twin 125 qualifying heats.

“The weather pattern kept changing, and I think probably Jeff and I were on the track at the optimum time,” said Earnhardt, who ran his lap just ahead of Green. “It was kind of bittersweet to lose the pole but, in a way, we have so much to be proud of because we’ve improved so much. I’ve never qualified better than 15th here before, so for me, it was a fantastic lap.”

Tony Stewart, defending Winston Cup champion, had the most disappointing day, failing to qualify. The first driver to drop out of last year’s Daytona 500 with a blown engine after two laps, Stewart suffered the same fate in qualifying. A blown engine caused Stewart to slow to a stop during his warmup lap.

“If that’s the worst thing that happens to us, we’ll be all right this year,” he said. “Last year, we started off Speed Weeks great and finished up bad, so maybe we’re starting off bad this year and we’re going to finish good.

“I like racing. I don’t like this qualifying stuff. This will be fun Thursday -- coming from the back.”

Stewart will start 25th and last in his heat. Even if he somehow failed to finish in the 125, as defending Winston Cup champion he would start 37th with a provisional spot on Sunday.

Robby Gordon, one of Green’s teammates, was third fastest at 185.927, and Waltrip, Earnhardt’s teammate, was fourth at 185.460. All of the first four, and six of the first 10, were in Chevrolets, continuing this year’s dominance by the Bowtie Brigade.

Veteran Ricky Rudd was the first non-Chevrolet qualifier, winding up fifth at 185.372 in a Wood Brothers Ford.

Like Stewart, Jeff Gordon will be starting near the rear Thursday after qualifying 29th at 183.221 mph.

“We’ll just have to work our way through the 125, which I’m excited about because we ran so well in the Bud Shootout the other night,” Gordon said.

Gordon, who started next to last in the Shootout, finished second to Earnhardt, who started last. Gordon will start 15th Thursday.

Sterling Marlin drove the fastest Dodge, ninth best at 184.710 mph. It was his first time out since suffering a neck injury in an accident at Kansas City, Mo., that forced him to sit out the final seven races last season.

“I think we’ll be in good shape for the race,” said Marlin. “This is the same Coors Light Dodge we had here last year that ran so good for us. We’ll be ready for ‘em when the race starts.”

Marlin was leading last year, with four laps remaining, when the race was stopped. During the red-flag period, Marlin tugged at his fender, an infraction that dropped him to eighth. Ward Burton, who won the race after Marlin’s mistake, qualified 19th.

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Speedweek Facts

*--* The first two positions were set Monday during NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying at Daytona International Speedway. The remaining positions will be determined by the Gatorade Twin 125 qualifier races on Thursday and timed qualifying: 1. Jeff Green, Chevrolet...186.606 mph 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet...186.382 mph Others: 12. Bill Elliott, Dodge...184.438 mph 29. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet...183.221 mph 42. Rusty Wallace, Dodge... 182.171 mph Complete qualifying results

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*--* The schedule leading to the 45th Daytona 500 at the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway: * Thursday -- Twin 125s (50 laps each), 10 a.m., FX * Friday -- IROC race (40 laps, 100 miles), 8 a.m.; NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Florida Dodge Dealers 250 (100 laps, 250 miles), 10 a.m., Speed Channel * Saturday -- Busch Grand National Koolerz 300 (120 laps, 300 miles), 10 a.m., Ch. 11 * Sunday -- Daytona 500 (200 laps, 500 miles), 10 a.m., Ch. 11

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Daytona 500

The top two positions for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (10 a.m., Channel 11) were determined Monday:

*--* Driver Speed 1. Jeff Green 186.606 mph 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr 186.382 mph

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