Earnhardt is a 14-time winner of NASCAR's most popular driver award. He has 26 career Cup victories, and that includes a pair of wins in the Daytona 500.
Chase Elliott already had the top starting spot for NASCAR season-opening Daytona 500, so he had no real reason to race hard Thursday night in a qualifying race.
NASCAR has a new sponsor, a new format and welcomes back its most popular driver, all providing optimism for a series eager to halt a steady decline in attendance, ratings...