http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105597
(Picture from http://www.autosport.com)
Danica Patrick became the first female driver ever to take a NASCAR Sprint Cup pole position as she outpaced her rivals in qualifying for the Daytona 500.
Having been rapid in January testing and fastest in Saturday practice, Patrick's pace came as no surprise.
The IndyCar race-winner is starting her first full season at Cup level with Stewart-Haas Racing. She also took pole at Daytona last year during her Nationwide Series campaign.
"I have a feeling it's going to be one of those things I look back on in 10, 20, 30 years and feel something about," said Patrick of her historic achievement.
"At this point in time it's just about going out there and getting what you can. You guys can all talk about it, I'm just turning left..."
Stewart-Haas looked like it would dominate for much of qualifying, as team-mates Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart led the way before Patrick's lap and held second and third behind her for a long spell.
But its formation was interrupted when Jeff Gordon snatched second in his Hendrick Chevrolet and 2011 Daytona winner Trevor Bayne thrust his Wood Brothers Ford to third in the closing stages.
Only Patrick and Gordon's positions are set for next Sunday's showpiece race, with the rest of the grid decided by the results of the two Duel races on Thursday. Sunday's times set the Dual starting orders.
Newman and Stewart were pushed back to fourth and fifth behind Bayne, with Kasey Kahne in the second-best Hendrick car.
Joe Gibbs Racing duo Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were seventh and eighth, followed by their former and new team-mates, with Gibbs-to-Penske convert Joey Logano and Roush Fenway-to-Gibbs mover Matt Kenseth completing the top 10.
Reigning champion Brad Keselowski was only 23rd, two places behind his main 2012 title rival Jimmie Johnson. Last year's eventual runner-up Clint Bowyer was 18th and Sprint Unlimited winner Kevin Harvick 25th.
Qualifying Top 11 times:
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 45.817s 2. Jeff Gordon Hendrick Chevrolet 45.850s + 0.033s 3. Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Ford 45.924s + 0.107s 4. Ryan Newman Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 45.931s + 0.114s 5. Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 45.936s + 0.119s 6. Kasey Kahne Hendrick Chevrolet 45.953s + 0.136s 7. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Toyota 45.972s + 0.155s 8. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Toyota 45.973s + 0.156s 9. Joey Logano Penske Ford 45.973s + 0.156s 10. Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Toyota 45.983s + 0.166s 11. Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Chevrolet 46.016s + 0.199s