June Bug Takes the Win, McDowell Gets In

The pied piper of Daytona scored the win in duel race No. 1 and Michael McDowell will have his chance to race for immortality on Sunday.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. led all but 17 of the 60 laps to take home his fifth career Cam-Am Duel victory at Daytona International Speedway in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. His performance was a clinic that showed he’ll be the car to beat this Sunday in the Daytona 500. He’ll start the Daytona 500 in third. Joey Logano finished second in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford and will start fifth in Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. led all but 17 of the 60 laps to take home his fifth career Cam-Am Duel victory at Daytona International Speedway in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. His performance was a clinic that showed he’ll be the car to beat this Sunday in the Daytona 500. Earnhardt will start the Daytona 500 in third place.

He gave credit for the win to his car, affectionately named Amelia.

“The car is awesome. I don’t really get too confident, I don’t want to get overly confident in what I’m doing. But the car really does everything I ask it to do. When you have a car that you know can do the things that this car can do, you’re willing to take those gambles and risks to pull out and pass and not worry about getting shuffled to the back because you feel like the car is really capable of doing what you’re going to ask it to do every time you make a move.

“It’s just a fun car to drive, really special car. Rick leaned into the window, I told him, whatever happens to this thing from here on out, he needs to keep track of it. Might be one he wants to put in a museum one day because it’s done a lot of good things.”

Joey Logano finished second in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford and will start fifth in Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Ryan Blaney didn’t need to fall back on his qualifying speed to make the Daytona 500 as his third-place finish was enough to transfer him into the race. He’ll start the Daytona 500 in seventh.

Michael McDowell and his No. 59 Circle Sport Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet will transfer into the Daytona 500 based on his qualifying speed. He’ll start the Daytona 500 in 37th.

Immortality wasn’t meant to be for Cole Whitt and Josh Wise. Whitt suffered damage in a spin with less than 20 laps remaining and retired his car from the race. Wise lost the draft with two laps to go and finished in 17th behind McDowell.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Tucker White
Tucker White
I've followed NASCAR for well over 20 years of my life, both as a fan and now as a member of the media. As of 2024, I'm on my ninth season as a traveling NASCAR beat writer. For all its flaws and dumb moments, NASCAR at its best produces some of the best action you'll ever see in the sport of auto racing. Case in point: Kyle Larson's threading the needle pass at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021. On used-up tires, racing on a worn surface and an aero package that put his car on the razor's edge of control, Larson demonstrated why he's a generational talent. Those are the stories I want to capture and break down. In addition to NASCAR, I also follow IndyCar and Formula 1. As a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm a diehard Tennessee Volunteers fan (especially in regards to Tennessee football). If covering NASCAR doesn't kill me, down the road, watching Tennessee football will. I'm also a diehard fan of the Atlanta Braves, and I lived long enough to see them win a World Series for the first time since 1995 (when I was just a year old). I've also sworn my fan allegiance to the Nashville Predators, though that's not paid out as much as the Braves. Furthermore, as a massive sports dork, I follow the NFL on a weekly basis. Though it's more out of an obligation than genuine passion (for sports dorks, following the NFL is basically an unwritten rule). Outside of sports, I'm a major cinema buff and a weeb. My favorite film is "Blazing Saddles" and my favorite anime is "Black Lagoon."

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Best New Zealand Online Casinos

RacingJunk.com and Leaf Racewear Safety Equipment Giveaway

Rocketplay Casino

10 deposit casinos

Best Betting Sites in Canada

bettingtop10.ca

Latest articles