Daytona Beach, Fla. ? NASCAR is back — and so is Juniormania.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. reclaimed the spotlight in Daytona speedweeks, winning the pole position for the Daytona 500 with a lap of 186.089 mph in qualifying Sunday.

It’s a boost for Earnhardt, who is coming off a couple of disappointing seasons and spent part of the past week facing questions about the 10-year anniversary of his father’s death at the track.

Still, Earnhardt was in an upbeat, joking mood after winning the pole. And while he understands the hype his presence on the pole and his family ties are bound to stir up this week, he’ll mostly try to ignore it.

“I wouldn’t embrace that,” Earnhardt said. “I’m here to race. And I understand the situation, and I’m looking forward to seeing how my father is honored and remembered throughout the week, and I’ll enjoy that, but I don’t really get into the hypothetical, fairy-tale sort of stuff. I just want to focus on my job.”

Earnhardt’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, qualified second. It’s the second straight Daytona 500 front-row sweep for Hendrick, who put Mark Martin on the pole and Earnhardt in the No. 2 spot last year.

The rest of the field will be set after a pair of qualifying races Thursday. Bill Elliott, Travis Kvapil and Joe Nemechek also clinched spots in the field, and Terry Labonte is assured of a starting spot.

Having NASCAR’s most popular driver take the green flag first next Sunday could provide some traction for a sport looking to pick up sagging television ratings and attendance.