DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., July 3 (UPI) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. continued his mastery at restrictor-plate tracks Thursday by winning the pole for the Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250.
Going out last in the 48-car field at Daytona International Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. recorded a lap of 186.308 miles per hour in his Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
Kasey Kahne had earlier set the session's best mark with a lap of 186.243 mph in his Ford Taurus and was able to hold off Michael Waltrip in a Chevrolet.
Earnhardt Jr., a NASCAR regular, is two for two in Busch races this season - taking both races at restrictor-plate events - after winning the series in 1998 and 1999. He won the Busch Series opener at Daytona and at Talladega in April.
Bobby Hamilton Jr. in a Ford and Mike Bliss in a Pontiac Grand Prix rounded out the top five on the grid.
