DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Chase Elliott's rookie campaign just got a jump-start.
Faced with the daunting prospect of succeeding Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, the 20-year-old Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate drove the same chassis to the same result Gordon accomplished last year—the pole position for the Feb. 21 Daytona 500 (on Fox at 1 p.m. ET).
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In the money round of qualifying for the Great American Race, Elliott toured 2.