Danica Patrick (picture) will start from the Daytona 500 pole position after posting the fastest qualifying speed for the Great American Race and becoming the first woman to take the pole for a NASCAR Sprint Cup event. Patrick signalled she was ready to race full-time against the big boys of American stock car racing by clocking 316.11 kph around Daytona International Speedway.

Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon joined Patrick on the front row for next Sunday’s race. Patrick’s top speed was the fastest qualifying effort at Daytona since 1990.

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