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Jeff Gordon celebrates his victory on Sunday. Reuters

Jeff Gordon held off team mate Jimmie Johnson to take the pole for the final Daytona 500 of his career on Sunday. Both drove Chevrolets.

Gordon had announced earlier this year that this would be his final full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series.

Under Daytona qualifying rules only the top two cars are locked into their starting positions. The remainder of the 43-car field for next Sunday’s race will be determined in twin 150-mile qualifying events on Thursday.

For the first time in the 57th edition of the stock car event called "The Great American Race," drivers qualified in groups of cars in knockout qualifying.

(BY LEWIS FRANCK; Editing by Gene Cherry)