<Li> 2016: Rookie Chase Elliott started the race from the pole position . Driver Denny Hamlin led 95 laps during the race, and on the last lap, Hamlin passed leader Matt Kenseth . Hamlin would then beat Martin Truex Jr. by 0.010 seconds, which would become the closest finish in the Daytona 500 . </Li> <Li> 2017: Chase Elliott started the race from the pole for the second year in a row, the first stage only had one caution brought out by Corey LaJoie mistiming his pit entry and aborting right at the entrance of pit road almost slamming into Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch went on the win stage one . The first major crash happened on lap 105 when Kyle Busch's car spun around and collected Erik Jones, Matt Kenseth, Ty Dillon, and Dale Earnhardt Jr...Kevin Harvick went on to win stage two . The second major crash happened when Jimmie Johnson spun around and collected Trevor Bayne and 14 more cars . with four laps to go Elliott ran out of fuel and gave up the lead to Martin Truex Jr., with two laps to go Truex also ran out of gas and Kyle Larson took the lead but the same fate fell on Larson and Kurt Busch took the lead in Turn 2 on the final lap to win the 59th Daytona 500 . </Li> <Li> 2018: 20 years after Dale Earnhardt Sr. earned his iconic victory at Daytona, Austin Dillon brought Richard Childress's #3 Chevrolet back to Victory Lane . Dillon, Childress's grandson who was photographed next to Earnhardt as a child after the earlier win, led only the final lap, bumping leader Aric Almirola out of the way, sending the latter's Ford into the wall . Also of note, rookie Darrell Wallace Jr. finished in the runner - up spot, barely edging out 2016 winner Denny Hamlin, the highest finish for an African - American driver in the event's history . It was also the final NASCAR race for Danica Patrick, who was collected in a multi-car wreck near the end of the second stage that also ended the days of Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, among others . </Li> <P> The qualifying procedure is unique for the Daytona 500 . Some teams must race their way into the Daytona 500 field . The first row is set by a timed round of qualifying, held one week before the race (prior to 2003, this was two rounds; prior to 2001, it was three). The remainder of the field is set by two separate qualifying races (these were 100 miles (160 km) from 1959 to 1967; 125 miles (201 km) from 1969 to 2004; and 150 miles (240 km) with two lap overtime, if necessary, beginning in 2005 (these races were not held in 1968 due to rain). The top two drivers from the qualifying races who were not in the top 35 in owner points were given spots on the field, and the rest of the field was set by the finishing order of the duels, with guaranteed spots to those in the top 35 . The remaining spots, 40 to 43, were filled by top qualifying times of those not already in the field from the qualifying race . If there was a previous NASCAR champion without a spot, he would get one of those four spots, otherwise, the fourth fastest car was added to the field . </P>

What kind of car won the daytona 500 this year