No Dodging the Question: Pepsi 400 Front Row Could Belong to Elliott, Compton

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (June 21, 2001) -- For the second straight year, the Pepsi 400 front row has a good chance of looking identical to the Daytona 500 front row.

Now, predicting who’s going to win a pole position for a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race isn’t an exact science. Sure, you can look at the practice speeds and pick out a few top contenders, but there’s no telling who will blister the fastest lap.

Last year, teammates Dale Jarrett and Ricky Rudd took the pole and outside pole respectively for both the Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400 in their Robert Yates Racing Ford Tauruses.

Entering the 43rd annual Pepsi 400 on July 7, there’s a good chance that the front row for the mid-summer classic will look identical to this year’s season-opening Daytona 500.

Bill Elliott and Stacy Compton got Dodge’s return to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition off to a great start by claiming the front row for the Daytona 500.

Elliott, driving a Dodge for Evernham Motorsports, turned a fast lap of 183.565 mph around the famed 2.5-tri-oval to capture his fourth Daytona 500 pole while Compton, making only his second Daytona 500 start, posted a lap of 182.682 mph in his Kodiak Dodge to earn the outside pole for Melling Racing.

To strengthen the front-row theory, in April at Daytona’s sister track, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Dodge flexed its restrictor-plate muscles again with Compton capturing the pole and Sterling Marlin, driving a Chip Ganassi Dodge, taking the outside pole. Elliott missed out on the front row and settled for the third starting position.

See who will shine at Bud Pole Qualifying on Thursday, July 5 at 8 p.m. at Daytona International Speedway. Fans can purchase tickets for the Pepsi 400 weekend online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling the Speedway ticket office at (386) 253-7223.