Daytona 500: Kyle Larson takes a cheeky dig at Alex Bowman after Hendrick Motorsports duo secure front row start

Alex Bowman outqualified Kyle Larson in the Daytona 500 by only a 0.113-second difference and Larson took a cheeky dig at how Bowman outperformed him.

Bowman appreciated yet another Daytona 500 pole trophy he earned by conquering Superspeedway in one quick lap before NASCAR's marquee race. Hendrick Motorsports swept the top row of the Daytona 500, with defending Cup champion Larson on pole and Bowman second.

Hendrick Motorsports have won seven of their previous eight pole positions in this series. Larson is competing in his first Daytona 500 and has never started higher than eighth in this race before. Bowman qualified in the event's first row for the fifth time in a row.

Kyle Larson qualified at 181.159 mph, becoming the first defending Cup champion to do so since Jimmie Johnson in 2008, while Bowman qualified at 181.046 mph. Bowman claimed his third career pole for the event at Daytona International Speedway in his No. 48 Chevrolet. Larson cheekily told the media:

“Congrats to Alex. He’s got a lot longer legs than me so he can push the gas down further.”

Larson will join him on the front row in the No. 5 Chevrolet for NASCAR's season opener. He said:

"They've got something figured out, for sure, there's obviously tricks they've learned along the way that still apply to these cars."

Bowman had to miss five races late in the previous season due to a concussion. Now he sits on the Daytona 500 front row for the sixth consecutive time, and the organization has produced a pole winner in eight of the last nine years. He said:

"There's a ton of effort that goes into trying to qualify well here."

Only Bowman and Larson's starting places are set for the main race on Sunday (February 19), and the outcome of Thursday (February 16) night's dual 150-mile qualifying race will determine the final lineup.

Bowman's pole is also the ninth straight Daytona 500 start for a team powered by a Hendrick engine, and the tenth in the past eleven. However, no Hendrick driver has won the 500 since 2014.

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Alex Bowman takes pole for the Daytona 500, fans react

Alex Bowman claimed the pole for the 500 on Wednesday (February 15) night with a speed of 181.686 mph in a Hendrick Chevrolet, while his teammate Kyle Larson was second at 181.057. They secured the starting positions for Sunday's race.

Bowman is making his sixth consecutive front-row start in the race. Bowman represents Hendrick Motorsports' dominance in qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. It is his third pole for the 500 after starting first in 2018 and 2021, and three of his four career poles have occurred before the 500.

Fans showed their support for Bowman on social media: