“We did great today,’’ said owner Jack Roush. “Doug Yates and the guys in the engine shop did a nice job. Robbie Reiser and the folks in the chassis and body shop built nice cars, and the teams prepared them well. We worked all winter getting ready for this. It’s just the beginning.’’
Edwards, who was runner-up to 20-year-old rookie Trevor Bayne here last season and lost a tiebreaker to Cup champion Tony Stewart in an intense Chase battle, cemented his spot at the front of Daytona’s 43-car grid when he drove his No. 99 Ford Fusion to a lap of 194.738 miles per hour on the 2.5-mile tri-oval - the fastest pole-winning speed since Jeff Gordon’s 195.067 m.p.h. in 1999.
“This is our second pole in a row, so it feels nice to pick up right where we left off,’’ said Edwards, who also captured the pole in last year’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “I’ve been telling everybody - it seems like every media question and all anybody says is, ‘How great would it have been to have one more point and how did you deal with that [disappointment] this offseason?’
“I think this is nice to come here and show everyone that, hey, it isn’t just talk. Everybody at Roush Fenway went back and worked hard and kept their heads down and dug.’’
The fruits of Roush Fenway’s offseason labors were evident when Biffle’s No. 16 Ford swept both practice sessions Saturday. After Edwards topped the speed charts in pole qualifying, Biffle went out and joined him on the front row with a lap of 194.087.
It marked the seventh time since 1985 that Ford drivers swept the front row. It is the third time since 2007 that Fords will start at the front of the grid.
“To have our cars on the pole, and to finally get back here, this is the goal every year to come down here and sit on the pole, but this year, it’s just really special,’’ said Yates.
The other drivers who got starting spots in qualifying were Bayne, David Stremme, and Tony Raines as the fastest non-exempt qualifiers.
Thursday’s Gatorade Duels, a pair of 150-mile heats, will determine the Nos. 3-35 starting positions.
