(AP Photo/John Raoux)

(AP) -- Action Express Racing put one of its two Cadillacs - the one featuring NASCAR champion Chase Ellott - on the pole for the Rolex 24 at Daytona in a first-of-its-kind qualifying race for the crown jewel endurance event.

The No. 31 Cadillac DPi will be driven next week in the twice-round-the-clock race by Felipe Nasr, Pipo Derani, Mike Conway and Elliott in Elliott's IMSA sports car debut.

He didn't race the car in Sunday's qualifier, which awarded 35 points to the pole-winning team. Action Express used fulltime regular drivers Nasr and Derani for the 140-minute qualifier around the winding Daytona International Speedway road course and snagged the Rolex 24 pole.

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