Dale Jr. wades up his 500 pole winning car

After having won the pole on Sunday for the Daytona 500 in what many rumor mongers are saying was another NASCAR computer generated grid, Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost crashed the car in practice and may have to switch to his backup car, which means starting last.

Earnhardt Jr. was drafting behind teammate Jimmie Johnson in turn four when Johnson’s car appeared to lose traction. Earnhardt Jr. slowed in front of the following car of Martin Truex Jr., and both Junior and Truex slid off the track.

Earnhardt's car hit the inside wall and received significant damage. It hit Truex’s car after bouncing off the wall, causing damage to the right front of No. 56 Toyota.

Both Earnhardt Jr. and Truex will go to backup cars for the 500, and Earnhardt Jr. thus will lose the advantage of winning the pole.

“I really don’t know what was going on there," Earnhardt Jr. said. “There were guys on the inside who looked like they were going to stay low, but they started creeping up. Jimmie lifted and I got off the gas and guys were coming behind me. We ran up on some guys who didn’t have their heads on straight."