DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  — Jeff Gordon held off teammate Jimmie Johnson to take the pole for the final Daytona 500 of his career Sunday.



Gordon, a three-time winner of the race, had announced earlier this would be his final full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series, and he began the season with a bang.



For the first time, drivers vying for spots in the 43-car field in next Sunday’s race went out in groups rather than single car qualifying. — Reuters