RCR Post Race Report — Duel 150 Qualifying Races
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
RACE: Duel 150 Qualifying Races
TRACK: Daytona International Speedway
DATE: February 17, 2011
1st Duel 150 Race Highlights:
RCR teammates finished in the top 10 – third (Kevin Harvick) and ninth (Paul Menard)
Menard’s second-place starting position in the Duel 150 was his highest career start in the annual event
Nine different drivers led laps with Harvick leading a race-high 20 laps
Harvick and Menard will start seventh and 19th, respectively, in Sunday’s Daytona 500
Kurt Busch led the field to the checkers with Regan Smith, Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne in tow
Menard Finishes Ninth in First Duel 150 at Daytona
Thursday afternoon, Paul Menard lined up his No. 27 PEAK/Menards Chevrolet on the front row for the start of the first of two 150-mile qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway. Leading the field until the first caution of the race just two laps in, Menard was hung to the outside on the lap-six restart and slipped backwards. “No help,” were the words that echoed on the radio as the field charged past the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing machine. Finding a solid drafting partner proved to be the key to success at the newly repaved 2.5-mile superspeedway. Menard worked diligently with the No. 47 car, pushing him through traffic for most of the race. After pitting on lap 40 for fuel, Menard continued to practice patience and chip away at the front. A lap-55 caution set the stage for a green-white-checkered finish. Restarting from the 10th position, Menard held on to tie his previous best finish (2009) of ninth.
Start – 2nd Finish – 9th Laps Led – 5
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
“We have a really strong PEAK Chevrolet for this weekend. We learned a lot today. So much of Sunday’s race is going to rely on the communication between the spotters on the spotter stand. Being able to get the right cars together and then staying bumper-to-bumper can make or break your day. The Duel races are a great practice for Sunday’s race. We made it back up inside the top 10 in 150 miles and on Sunday we’ll have 500 miles to get to that top spot. ECR power is just fantastic and with the right ‘dancing partner,’ as my crew chief called it, I believe we can contend for the win.”
Harvick Earns Podium Finish in Duel 150 Qualifying Race at Daytona
Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team finished third in the first Duel 150 on Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. His finishing position in the qualifying race places Harvick seventh on the starting grid for Sunday’s Daytona 500. Harvick started ninth and was running sixth by the time the caution flag waved on lap two. When the field took the green at lap six, Harvick paired up with Matt Kenseth and took the lead on lap 12. The duo drafted together nose-to-tail until they came down pit road at lap 42. The No. 29 Budweiser team made a fuel-only pit stop and got Harvick back out to draft again with Kenseth. The caution flag waved for the second time at lap 56 as the No. 66 car’s engine expired and set the field up for a green-white-checkered finish. Once again, Harvick paired up with Kenseth and moved forward through the field. Harvick took the checkered flag in third position. During the course of the 62-lap race, Harvick led on five different occasions for a total of 20 laps.
Start – 9th Finish – 3rd Laps Led – 20
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“The No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet was really good in the two-car draft. I was able to get hooked up with (Matt) Kenseth and our cars seemed to work really well together, which made it fun competing up front. Winning at Daytona is always fun, but I’m happy with our third-place result that allows us to move up in the (Daytona) 500 field and start seventh. It’s going to be an exciting race.”
2nd Duel 150 Race Highlights:
RCR teammates finished in the top two – first (Jeff Burton) and second (Clint Bowyer)
Burton was the event’s lap leader, leading 17 of the 60 contested laps
RCR’s four drivers led a total of 52 laps between the two Duel events combined
Bowyer now has two top-five credits in his last two Duel 150 starts at the 2.5-mile speedway
Burton’s win places him fourth in the Daytona 500 starting field
Bowyer’s second-place finish lines him up sixth for the Daytona 500 starting field
Burton was chased to the checkered flag by Bowyer, Michael Waltrip, Kyle Busch and Brian Keselowski
Burton Returns Caterpillar, No. 31 Team to Victory Lane at Daytona
Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar team ran in the top nine for the entire 60-lap Duel 150 event at Daytona International Speedway. He found a trusted dancing partner in Richard Childress Racing teammate Clint Bowyer that helped the South Boston, Va., native and sponsor Caterpillar return to Victory Lane at the World Center of Racing for the first time since 2000 and 2002, respectively. After starting on the outside of row two for Thursday’s second qualifying race, the RCR duo of Bowyer and Burton immediately began working with each other, drafting towards the front of the field. The RCR powerhouse slipped to ninth just before the race’s halfway mark, but quickly regained their momentum in the second half. Burton led five times for a total of 17 laps, including nine of the final 10 circuits.
Start – 4th Finish – 1st Laps Led – 17
JEFF BURTON QUOTES:
“We have to keep in perspective that this is not the Daytona 500, even though it’s great to be in Victory Lane. I’m real proud of that. Last year, obviously, was very influencing toward the end of the year. The Cat Racing team kept ourselves in position to win races, but never made it happen. I thought we were in great shape to win the other night, but to win tonight means a great deal. That’s what drove us nuts last year. It’s good to get that off our back and prove to ourselves we can do it. I’m definitely looking forward to this year. I think, obviously, the Daytona 500 is the first hurdle. Winning the Daytona 500 and a championship are the two biggest things on my list I want to get done. Hopefully, we’re just one step closer to that.”
“It’s an advantage to have a teammate. There’s no question about it. Everybody can see that. The difficult part is getting with a teammate. We worked diligently today to make sure we were with a teammate. We tried very hard to be with Clint. Everywhere he went, I went. Everywhere I went, he went. Todd (Berrier, crew chief) said it best – it’s a shame there wasn’t room in Victory Lane for both cars. It doesn’t always work out. You can have everything lined up and get a restart. Now, you’re side by side instead of front to back. You can try to get in front of each other, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to work out – just like what happened to Kevin (Harvick, No. 29 Chevrolet driver) and I on Saturday night. It’s important. Everybody is going to try really hard to be with a teammate, but there’s times it’s not going to work out. You’re going to have to go and make it work with someone that is willing to work with you just as hard as a guy that is your teammate.”
Bowyer Brings Home Second-Place Finish in Qualifying Race at Daytona
In another photo finish during Speedweeks 2011 at Daytona International Speedway, Clint Bowyer and the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet team led 10 laps and finished second in Thursday’s 150-mile Duel, crossing the start/finish line a mere .005 seconds behind Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton. Starting from the third position, Bowyer found himself in the lead at lap two after immediately hooking up with Burton and moving to the front of the 24-car field. The two drivers “lost the draft” on lap eight and Bowyer dropped to the12th position, his lowest position of the race, before working his way back into the top five before the caution flag flew on lap 18. After coming down pit road for fuel only, the Emporia Kan., native was back again at the front of the field with Burton in tow where he remained until they decided to switch positions to keep their cars from overheating. After a caution on lap 40, the two RCR drivers never fell out of the top six, bringing home a one-two finish at the checkered flag. The second-place finish places him sixth on the starting grid for Sunday’s 53rd running of the Daytona 500.
Start – 3rd Finish – 2nd Laps Led – 10
CLINT BOWYER QUOTE:
“It was fun to push our teammate to the win. We worked together a lot this race and that was crucial for Sunday’s event. I wish we could have been in Victory Lane for our team, but our engines were strong again and we are looking forward to Sunday.”
