Grid for Coke Zero 400 set by Practice 1 times
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Threatening weather canceled Saturday afternoon’s Coors Light Pole Qualifying at Daytona International Speedway.
Dark storm clouds and the threat of lightning loomed around the speedway, forcing race officials to delay qualifying shortly before its scheduled start time of 4:35 p.m. ET. Track officials evacuated the speedway, asking fans to take appropriate shelter. NASCAR officials decided to cancel the two-round session at 5:51 p.m. ET.
With qualifying abandoned, it handed Dale Earnhardt Jr. the No. 1 starting spot for Sunday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
Earnhardt, a three-time winner at the 2.5-mile track, will take the green flag first in Sunday’s Coke Zero 400 (7:45 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM). The starting lineup was determined according to the 2015 NASCAR Rule Book, setting the 43-car field according to speeds recorded in Friday’s opening practice.
Earnhardt led opening Sprint Cup practice Friday with a lap of 202.284 mph in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet. He will start first for the first time since winning the pole position in September 2013 at Dover International Speedway.