What media outlets have already crowned Junior? I've seen none, and I'm a pretty avid reader of things NASCAR. It's the frickin Daytona 500. It's NASCAR's Superbowl. It's the biggest race of the year, it's the Great American Race. ANYONE who earns the Pole for this race is going to get a lot of press. When you factor in that this year it's NASCAR's most popular driver, then obviously it's going to get a ton of press. No one is crowning him the winner, but indeed it's a big story when a particular driver with Dale Jr's popularity AND historic successes at the track earns the pole for this race. To expect ANYTHING different is nuts. Nobody is crowning him the winner. He's getting the same accolades and praises and hype that ANY driver earning the pole of the biggest race of the sport would get. But it's Dale Junior, and haters gonna hate.