Earnhardt crashes No. 88 Chevrolet in practice; loses pole for Sunday's Daytona 500

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Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR / Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. spin in the grass after an incident during Daytona 500 practice Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach.
 

DAYTONA BEACH -- Dale Earnhardt Jr, wrecked his car in practice today at Daytona International Speedway, and in doing so, knocked himself off the pole for Sunday's Daytona 500.

Earnhardt, though, is still guaranteed a spot in the 500, but he'll have to work his way to the front in a back-up car.

Earnhardt and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Five-time defending Spring Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, got tangled up and wrecked when Martin Truex bumped Earnhardt from behind near pit road and sent him careening into the inside wall.

Earnhardt wasn't concerned that his No. 88 Chevrolet was wrecked, teling SI.com: "We've got plenty of race cars," Earnhardt said. "I ain't worried about how fast we'll be or whether we'll be as good. We'll be fine. But it never feels good tearing them up."