Daytona 500 Qualifying: Pole Position Means Little in Great American Race

Carl Edwards looks ready to dethrone Tony Stewart as the king of NASCAR.

After losing the crown to Stewart in a tie-break scenario last year, Edwards has started 2012 with a bang. He snagged pole position for Sunday's Daytona 500, posting a lap of 194.738 mph in windy conditions.

Afterwards, Edwards dedicated the achievement to his crew chief, Bob Osborne, who was attending his father's funeral. 

"

“This is about Bob Osborne and he's not able to be here today. This is a huge day for our whole crew, for all of Roush Fenway Racing,” Edwards said.

"

While it was a proud day for Edwards' crew, the honor doesn't guarantee success in the Great American Race.

They've been running the Daytona 500 since 1959, but only nine pole holders have gone on to win the race. This century, only one driver has taken home the trophy after starting on the pole—that was Dale Jarrett back in 2000.

Last year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. pleased his throngs of fans by winning the pole. One week later, he disappointed them by finishing 24th.

Trevor Bayne, who won the race last year at the ripe old age of 20, started 32nd before shocking the racing world. It was just the latest reminder that starting position guarantees nothing about finishing position.

Between Jarrett's victory in 2000 and Bayne's last year, the Daytona 500 winners started 39th, 34th, 19th (twice), 15th, 13th, seventh, fourth and third.

So basically, while Edwards should be happy with his accomplishment, qualifying results mean nothing when the real race rolls around.