The iconic Daytona 500 roars to life on Sunday, February 18th, and Ford Performance is looking to kick off the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season with a bang. Leading the charge is Joey Logano, who clinched Team Penske’s first pole position at The Great American Race in Wednesday’s qualifying. He also put himself in prime position to become a two-time Daytona 500 champion.

However, Logano’s triumph isn’t just personal, it also marks a pivotal moment for Ford in NASCAR. With Michael McDowell joining him on the front row, the Blue Oval has swept the Daytona 500’s top starting spots for the first time in 12 years. This accomplishment comes on the heels of a dominant 2023 season where it was again a Ford driver, Ryan Blaney, who drove his Team Penske’s #12 Mustang to a comfortable championship victory.

Daytona 500 victory will put Joey Logano in an elite club

The excitement doesn’t end with Logano standing a chance to become a multiple-time 500 winner. His pole position adds many layers of potential history-making to the event. Only seven drivers have ever won the Daytona 500 from the pole with a combined nine wins between them, and a victory would not only solidify his place as a top competitor but also see him join legendary NASCAR names such as Cale Yarborough, Jeff Gordon and Bill Elliott.

Additionally, he could also become one of only three Ford drivers to win it leading from the front of the pack, with Bill Elliott’s aforementioned 500 victories in 1985 and 1987, both iconically coming from the pole position, as well as Dale Jarrett’s third and final 2001 triumph with Robert Yates Racing as the frontrunner of the draft.

Furthermore, Ford’s legacy at Daytona is as illustrious as the track itself. They boast a staggering 17 wins in the official NASCAR season opener, ranging from Tiny Lund’s iconic 1966 victory to Austin Cindric’s most recent win with Team Penske’s #2 Mustang in 2022.

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Dark Horses Emerge In A Historical Season

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Wednesday’s qualifying session at the Daytona International Speedway was a story of many firsts. Logano’s pole position marked the first for Team Penske at the “Great American Race” and the first for any Ford driver since 2012. And joining Logano on the ‘front row’ was 2021 winner Michael McDowell in his Front Row Motorsports Mustang Dark Horse, making it a complete Blue Oval sweep of the top starting spots – a feat not seen in 12 years.

Hendrick Motorsports has held a stranglehold on Daytona 500 qualifying, securing pole positions year after year. Kyle Larson, finishing third this time, was the highest-qualifying Hendrick driver, indicative of the team’s continued championship aspirations. But the story goes beyond just cars and statistics.

Expressing his confidence in both his new Mustang Dark Horse and his own abilities on superspeedways. Logano stated in a recent post-qualifying interview, “Anytime you walk into this area we’re standing here in Victory Lane, I don’t care if it’s qualifying or the Duel or the 500 it’s always special. This is about the team. The driver doesn’t really do a whole bunch in qualifying here. I can’t take much credit today, so these guys did a tremendous job giving me a really fast Mustang. A couple Fords on the front row is something pretty special seeing those Mustangs up front here.”

Stay tuned as the drama unfolds as history awaits at the 2024 season opener, where Joey Logano, Team Penske, and Ford Performance aim to leave a lasting impact on the asphalt of the legendary ‘World Center of Racing’ on February 18th.

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