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Rating the Race – The Duels at Daytona

Photo Credit: David Yeazell
Photo Credit: David Yeazell
Photo Credit: David Yeazell

Why I watched…

These twin races were to determine which cars made the Daytona 500 and who did not. Only the front pole sitters, the best six from last season, the best four qualifying times not already in, and former champion Kurt Busch were locked in. The rest had to go, had to make the moves, had to…

Who am I kidding? From what we saw in qualifying it would have taken a miracle for Brian Keselowski to make the race. Going in, I doubted we would even notice him out there after five laps and owner’s points would not save him. That left just one more who was going to head home empty. Mike Bliss would have been advised to be digging for a Top 16, as he was also most likely to adios amigo. Of course, wrecks or equipment failures could change that, but there was not much drama with only two going home early and two entries already looking pretty weak. The real reason I watched is because it was Daytona and promised to provide me with one hell of a good afternoon of entertainment.

The races…

Nothing unexpected. Brian K did not have a car good enough, and that was demonstrated early. Mind you, Carl Edwards and Trevor Bayne finished behind him in the opening race after Denny Hamlin wiggled and punched Carl into the fence, who then collected Bayne. In the second, Bliss was at the rear of the field all on his own, even trailing the ill-fated Ryan Newman.

To be honest, as much as SPEED’s Mike Joy tried to build up the drama, there was none. No one trying to make the race in the Duels had less points than the two who failed to make the grade. Once it became evident that neither of those cars would finish in the Top 16 in either race, the fat lady sang her song then moved on to make the big bucks as the next spokesperson for Weight Watchers.

Our pole duo did not lose anything. Danica Patrick faded back and then rode out the race observing the action before her. A speeding penalty left Jeff Gordon trying to play catch-up, yet both stayed out of trouble and will be at the front when it really matters; to start the Daytona 500.

Rating the race: 7/10…

I was not hitting the fast forward button but, like the cars on the track, I basically held my position. It was interesting, it was entertaining, but the “wow” factor will have to wait until the weekend. It was visually good to view, and like Jaws Waltrip I truly love the new gyro-cam, but without the drama it was just a solid few hours of television on a Thursday afternoon. After suffering through this week’s episode of the New Normal, to mention one example, I will take it. That was a half hour I’ll never get back.

Kyle Busch wins second Budweiser Duel at Daytona

Photo Credit: Noel Lanier
Photo Credit: Noel Lanier
Photo Credit: Noel Lanier

Under a pit stop with 20 to go, Kyle Busch would take fuel only and have a solid pit stop to come off pit road in the lead. He would lead the rest of the way to win his first Budweiser Duel in four years. It also marks the second fastest Duel in NASCAR History with Busch completing the race with an average speed of 193.966 mph.

“It’s hard to pass the leader,” Busch said. “When you get out front, you can run pretty good. You just need to get out there and lead. There wasn’t enough lane-by-lane racing here, but you use the tools that you have once you figured it out and win.”

With 30 to go, Busch was running third in line and pulled out to try and make a move, however ended up falling back a couple positions.

“I tried to make a move,” he said. “I thought if I slide drafted off of the 31 (Jeff Burton) I could get back there. I knew I didn’t have much to lose since there were only two cars behind me. Coming on pit road, conserving the tires. That’s what won us the race there. dave made a great call getting no tires.”

Kasey Kahne tried to make a move on the last lap from the third position, however came up short finishing second.

“Maybe should have made my move a lap earlier cause that’s when I felt Austin pushing the most,” Kahne said. “I wanted to do it with two to go and see where we’d end up – but that’s a good run for the Farmers Insurance Chevrolet.”

Kahne says that if he could win his first Daytona 500 on Sunday, it would be amazing.

“We’ve gained a lot since the Sprint race on Saturday night to where we are at now and I feel if we gain a little more, we can be in the hunt,” he added.

Richard Childress’ grandson Austin Dillon finished third and will make his first Daytona 500 start on Sunday.

“That’s awesome,” Dillon said. “Got a little nervous before that. Just stayed in it the whole team, stayed right there with Kasey Kahne all race. Wanted to get a Chevrolet in the 500 but couldn’t get by Kyle there.”

Clint Bowyer finished fourth while Matt Kenseth rounded out the top five as he begins his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing.

“I feel like I’ve tried to do all the right things,” Kenseth said. “I saw the 5 (Kahne) coming, but I knew the outside was quicker so tried to stay out there with him and hoped the 15 (Bowyer) would get there at the last moment. But then the 15 made the move to the inside at the last minute. I should’ve made the move on the 18 (Busch) before the 5 could make the move on me. Guess I have to make my moves better.”

Mark Martin finished sixth, followed by Paul Menard, Jeff Burton, Jamie McMurray and David Regan.

Marcos Ambrose finished 11th with Jeff Gordon 12th. Gordon locked himself into the second starting spot for the Daytona 500 in qualifying last Sunday.  Gordon led the first half of the Budweiser Duel, however suffered a pit road speeding penalty under the green flag stops. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Bobby Labonte also sufferd pit road speeding penalties.

Aric Almirola finished 13th, followed by Stenhouse Jr., Dave Blaney and Josh Wise.

“It’s awesome,” Wise said after qualifying for his first Daytona 500. “It’s a huge amount of stress lifted off our shoulders. We knew if we stayed out of trouble and ran our race we’d get the transfer there.”

Ryan Newman would suffer problems coming on to pit road as he would spin the car out, barely touching the outside wall, as the field came down pit road. He would blow out a tire, however made it back to pit road without further damage. There was no caution for the spin.

As a result of the Budweiser Duels, Mike Bliss and Brian Keselowski failed to make the Daytona 500.

Ford Budweiser Duel #2

Lap by Lap: Budweiser Duel Race No. 2 won by Kyle Busch

Photo Credit: Noel Lannier/OnPitRoad.com.
Photo Credit: Noel Lannier/OnPitRoad.com.
Photo Credit: Noel Lannier/OnPitRoad.com

Kyle Busch would put himself in position after the final pit stop and take the victory in the second Budweiser Duel at Daytona International Speedway.

 

Duel Race No. 2 pole sitter Jeff Gordon elected to start on the outside.

Green flag

Lap 1 Newman and Gordon side-by-side for the lead through turns one and two as the whole field is two-by-two

Lap 2 Newman gets put in the sucker hole as Gordon pulls ahead while Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch are side-by-side for second.

Lap 5 Gordon and Kyle Busch single-file while Stenhouse Jr. and Kahne side-by-side for third

Lap 12 Gordon Kahne Dillon Burton Busch Ambrose Kenseth Martin Menard McMurray as the field has gone single file

Lap 13 Mike Bliss needs to come to pit road due to his window net being down.

Lap 23 close call as Kenseth tries to block the run that Menard has on the bottom

Lap 25 top eight are single-file as Bowyer and Menard are side-by-side for ninth

30 to go Kyle Busch pulled down out of fourth, nobody went with him, he falls back through the pack to seventh.

29 to go Gordon Kahne Dillon Burton Ambrose Kenseth, Busch

27 to go Gordon Kahne Dillon Burton Ambrose Kenseth Busch Martin Menard lead a single file train ahead of the field

23 to go Travis Kvapil has lost the draft

22 to go Blaney, Wise and Yeley pit.

21 to go Bowyer passed Menard for ninth. Gordon Kahne McMurray and half of the field pit. Kenseth to the lead. Gordon too fast entering pit road. He will have to serve a penalty.

20 to go The other half of the field pit – Kenseth, Busch, Ambrose and more. Stenhouse and Labonte too fast exiting pit road.

19 to go Stenhouse and Gordon down pit road serving his penalty. Newman makes it back to pit road.

18 to go Busch leads Bowyer Kenseth Kahne Menard Martin Burton Dillon McMurray Regan

13 to go Busch leads Bowyer Kahne Menard Martin Burton Kenseth Dillon McMurray Regan

11 to go Menard kicks Kahne out of line, passing him for third. Kahne back to sixth.

10 to go Busch Bowyer Menard Martin Kenseth Kahne Dillon is the lead draft single-file

9 to go Kenseth gives Bowyer a shove, Bowyer goes for the run under Busch

8 to go Bowyer doesn’t clear so falls back to fifth.

7 to go Busch leads Kenseth Kahne Dillon Bowyer Martin are the lead pack. Kvapil goes a lap down, running 17th

6 to go Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Josh Wise go a lap down, currently running 15th and 16th.

FL turn one, Kasey Kahne and Dillon make a run underneath Kenseth, Busch down to block. Busch Kahne Dillon and Bowyer down the backstraight with Kenseth fifth.

Kyle Busch wins the Gatorade Duel. Kahne. Dillon, Bowyer, Kenseth, Martin, Menard, Burton, McMurray, Regan, Ambrose, Gordon, Almirola, Stenhouse Jr., Blaney, Wise.