Thursday, February 14 Daytona Int'l Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida

Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrates his Gatorade Duel race win...

Gatorade Duel Race 1: Dale Jr. Is Two-For-Two

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the first Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying race Thursday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway.

Earnhardt's win continued his Daytona "happy time" since NASCAR's most popular driver started his season with new car owner Rick Hendrick Saturday night by winning the Bud Shootout.

He was one happy dude. He was happy again Thursday, but the happiest guy on the race track had to be Kenny Wallace. And the second happiest had to be Brian Vickers.

Both drivers had to "race" their way into Sunday's 50th anniversary of the Great American Race, the Daytona 500.

Wallace finished eighth behind Earnhardt, Reed Sorenson, Ryan Newman, Casey Mears, Carl Edwards, Bobby Labonte and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Vickers finished a few spots further back in 11th behind Sam Hornish and Paul Menard.

It was an amazing run for Vickers who had to ovrcome an early spin plus an extra pit stop.

Earnhardt diced it up at the front with Sorenson, Newman and others enroute his win.

Once again, he was happy and hoped the fans enjoyed the race.

"That was fun" he said. "These new cars are a handful, but we'll sort that all out. It reminded me of the old days with the cars slipping and sliding around."

Brian Vickers brought out the caution on the second lap, spinning across the track out of turn four after being tapped from the rear by Boris Said.

Fortunately, Vickers' Toyota escaped damage, and he returned to the race at the back of the field.

Seven cars, including Daytona 500 pole winner Jimmie Johnson, started the first race from the rear after engine problems in practice forced a change. Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., AJ Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, J.J. Yeley and Scott Riggs also started from the rear.

Joe Nemechek roared to the front early on and showed his Furniture Row Chevy was quick. Nemechek, Newman and Sorensen swapped the lead while Kurt Busch dropped from contention on the ninth lap with mechanical problems.

By lap 15, Edwards and Truex sped to the front of the field. Two laps later, Earnhardt completed his charge from the back of the field to the front.


Denny Hamlin (11) passes Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch (18) en route to giving Toyota their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win...

Gatorade Duel Race 2: Hamlin Gives Toyota First Win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Jeff Gordon pushed Denny Hamlin past Hamlin's teammate Tony Stewart with one lap to go, and Hamlin hung on to win the second Gatorade 150 qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway.

Stewart held on to give the Joe Gibbs Toyota team a one-two finish. Gordon was third, followed by Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, David Ragan, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Dale Jarrett and John Andretti.

Actress Amy Smart was a guest of Kyle Busch for the Gatorade Duels...

Jarrett, a three-time Daytona 500 winner and former NASCAR champion, stole the show in a green, white, checkered finish because just about everybody on the race track offered to help him clinch one of the two spots available to drivers out of the top 35 in points from last year. Jarrett's ninth-place finish made him the first of seven drivers trying to grab the two positions.

Veteran John Andretti sped past David Reutimann on the last lap to grab the other spot. Reutimann joins Joe Nemechek as one of the two drivers earning spots in Sunday's 50th anniversary of the Great American Race.

A problem with a right front tire on Patrick Carpentier's Dodge ended his chances to make the race with three laps remaining. Carpentier slammed into the wall coming out of turn two after holding down one of the two spots available in the race for the highest finishers not in NASCAR's top 35 points.

Dave Blaney also showed he is going to be a factor in the 500, running with the leaders before suffering engine problems.

Hamlin's win was the first for Toyota in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race

Four cars had to start from the rear in the second race, including Stewart, Gordon and Hamlin because of engine changes, and Franchitti, who missed driver introductions.

Shortly after the green flag, front row starter David Reutimann joined the back of the pack after jumping the start. He received a pass through the pits penalty for crossing the start-finish before his teammate and pole-sitter Michael Waltrip. The pole-winner must cross the line first under NASCAR rules.

Waltrip led the first few laps with Blaney and Kenseth in tow.

Kenseth took the lead on the 13th lap with Kasey Kahne on his bumper. Waltrip slipped to third.


Quebec's Patrick Carpentier came up short in his bid to start Sunday's Daytona 500...

On the 15th lap, Jacques Villeneuve lost control of his Toyota in turn four and slid up the track, collecting Stanton Barrett, Franchitti and Jamie McMurray in the process.

After a lengthy caution to clean up debris on the track, Kenseth took up where he left off before the caution flag, in front of the pack.


Former NASCAR champion, now television announcer, Darrell Waltrip waved the green flag to start the first Gatorade Duel...

Broadcast Times*

Practice: Wednesday, February 13 (SPEED at 1 p.m./AT)

Practice: Wednesday, February 13 (SPEED at 3 p.m./AT)

RaceDay Pre-Race Show: Thursday, February 14 (SPEED at 2 p.m./AT)

Race: Thursday, February 14 (SPEED at 3 p.m./AT)

*AT is one hour ahead of ET, i.e. if it's 2 p.m./AT - it's 1 p.m./ET...

Event Stats

Daytona 500 Time Trial Coverage & Results - click here

Gatorade Duel, Race 1 Starting Lineup - click here before engine changes

Gatorade Duel, Race 2 Starting Lineup - click here before engine changes

Wednesday Practice 1 - click here

Wednesday Practice 2 - click here

Why Do They Duel at Daytona???
As a results of Sunday's time trials, Jimmie Johnson and Michael Waltrip start first and second, respectively, in Sunday’s Daytona 500; the rest of the field takes shape in the Gatorade Duel at Daytona.

That’s when two 150-mile qualifying races, collectively called the Gatorade Duel at Daytona, take place at Daytona International Speedway, beginning at 2 p.m. (ET) and televised by SPEED. The finish of both races helps to determine Sunday’s starting lineup.

Rules for the Duels...
The Daytona 500 pole winner starts first in Thursday’s first Gatorade Duel; the outside pole winner starts first in the second Gatorade Duel;

Cars must compete in one of the qualifying races to be eligible for the Daytona 500;

Cars that finished in odd-numbered positions in the 2007 car owner standings compete in the first qualifying race;

Cars that finished in even-numbered positions in the ‘07 car owner standings compete in the second qualifying race;

Cars that weren’t in the final ‘07 car owner standings are alternated between the two qualifying races using an odd-even format.

What’s obvious: Johnson starts first with the second Daytona 500 pole of his career (the first came in ‘02, his rookie season). Waltrip starts second, his first front-row Daytona 500 start.

What’s next: Johnson also starts first in Thursday’s first qualifying race. Waltrip starts first in the second race.

What it takes: The top 35 drivers in last season’s final owner point standings are guaranteed Daytona 500 berths. So are the three fastest “non-35” drivers from last Sunday’s Pole Day and 2004 series champion Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge), who can use the past series champion’s provisional berth. (One of those three-fastest spots has already been claimed by Waltrip.)

Four other berths are awarded to the two highest-finishing “non-35” drivers in each Duel race. Seventeen “non-35” drivers are vying for those four spots.

Past Champions: The past champion’s provisional goes to the most recent NASCAR Sprint Cup champion. If Busch races his way into the Daytona 500, it falls to Dale Jarrett (No. 44 UPS Toyota), the 1999 series champion. If Busch and Jarrett succeed, the provisional berth goes to Bill Elliott (No. 21 Little Debbie Ford), the 1988 series champion.

If you’re wondering why Busch needs to “race” his way into the 500, here’s the reason: Penske Racing transferred Busch’s ‘07 top-35 points to rookie teammate Sam Hornish Jr. because the previous season’s top 35 in owner points are guaranteed starting spots through the first five events of the next season.

Track Map


Several teams swapped engines after Wednesday practice and will start from the rear of the Gatorade Duels, including the four Hendrick Motorsports teammates of Jeff Gordon (car shown above), Dale Earnahrdt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears...see story below...



Engine Changes Move Several Cars To Rear of Duel Starting Fields

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (February 13, 2008) - All four Hendrick Motorsports cars will start at the rear of the Gatorade Duels Thursday after engine changes following Wednesday practice. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are affected as well as Scott Riggs, whose team also uses Hendrick-built engines. As of late Wednesday, four other teams that lease Hendrick motors, had not changed engines: Jeremy Mayfield, Joe Nemechek, Kenny Wallace and Sterling Marlin.

At least four other teams not using Hendrick motors also swapped powerplants after Wednesday practice and will start at the rear of the Duels: Tony Stewart, AJ Allmendinger, Dale Jarrett and J.J. Yeley.

Jeff Andrews, head engine builder at Hendrick Motorsports explained the issue on the Hendrick engines as follows...

ON WHAT HAPPENED WITH HMS ENGINES: "No, we did not have any of them that truly broke. Right now we are looking at the lifters. We don't have anything apart yet, we just have assumptions based on some early signs we saw in some check overs following that early practice. We have a group of guys back in Charlotte, the best group of guys in my mind, have already started on a fix for the program. We will get this stuff back, get it rebuilt and get it brought back down here. What we had to put in the cars, we have a lot of confidence in for tomorrow."

ON IF IT IS RPM RELATED: "No, it is not RPM related, not for us. I am not sure of their (another manufacturer) exact problems. Right now we are making a lot of assumptions because we haven't been in and haven't looked at the full picture until we get the engine completely apart. We know we have a problem there with that lifter interface and until, like I said, we get the engine dissembled and find out what has actually caused that problem, I can't really comment. I can't really relate it to Toyota's problems, because our package is different is theirs."

ON HAPPENING EARLY ON IN PRACTICE: :"That is right and that is what is leading us to think we have an issue with a batch or something because this is the exact same package that we came down here and tested with. We have, I think, three durability runs on our AVL dynos back at the shop so we have a lot of confidence in the package. The same package we raced in the Bud Shootout. We took engines back after the Bud Shootout, they look really good. Looked, great, so we are looking at a batch issue right now and trying to sort through some things to get the guys in Charlotte pointed in the right direction."

ON IF THIS A TIME FOR CONCERN: "Well, it is a concern, naturally, because it is a wide spread problem. But, it is early enough that we can fix it and, like I said, we have a group in Charlotte that is going after that right now."

ON HONING IN ON ISSUE: "Not until we get them apart. It would just be making assumptions. Like I said, because the Bud Shootout engines looked so good, we have to start looking at some batch issues on some things and try to get our facts together. Right now our biggest focus is to get stuff in the cars that will be good for tomorrow and practice again on Friday. We will make some decisions about the race later on here tonight or early tomorrow."

ON HANDICAP TO START AT THE BACK OF 60 LAP RACE: "I am not sure about the starting positions. Our concern is the amount of work we are putting our race teams through here. From our side, we got to get our bases covered. We will let our drivers handled themselves during the race."

ON BEING THE SAME VENDOR: "For us, yes. I can't tell you the other vendors. Because of the large quantity of engines we do, we buy large quantities of parts and pieces. They all have batch numbers on them, they all have IDs on them, so we will just go back through and take a look at what we have got. Again, the key is to get this stuff apart and know what we have really got, so we aren't making assumptions here."

ON REPLACING ENGINES FOR LEASE CUSTOMERS: "We treat all of our teams exactly the same. Whether it is a Hendrick team or a lease team, we will treat them exactly the same."

Darrell Waltrip Named Honorary Starter For Gatorade Duel At Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Darrell Waltrip, five-time winner of the Gatorade Duel At Daytona and 1989 Daytona 500 champion, will serve as the Honorary Starter for the 50th annual Gatorade Duel At Daytona on Thursday, Feb. 14 at historic Daytona International Speedway.

Waltrip, who was also the first driver to wheel the famed green and white No. 88 Gatorade car for DiGard Racing, will wave the green flag for the first 150-mile Gatorade Duel At Daytona qualifying race, which is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

The Gatorade Duel at Daytona is a pair of 150-mile qualifying races that finalize the startling lineup for the 50th running of the Daytona 500, which is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 17.

"Darrell Waltrip is one of the legendary champions at Daytona International Speedway and it's a true honor to have him atop of the flag stand to kick off the 2008 Gatorade Duel at Daytona,” Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig said. "The competition is going to be fierce as drivers will vie for a starting spot in the historic 50th running of the Daytona 500.”

"This is our way of honoring Darrell Waltrip for his outstanding contributions to NASCAR racing and to the Gatorade brand," said Scott Paddock, Director of Sports Marketing for Gatorade. "When we launched our first relationship with stock car racing more than 30 years ago, Darrell was a rookie driver and Gatorade was an emerging business. Who could have imagined the amazing success we've enjoyed together over the years?"

"Gatorade was my first big sponsor and they put me on the map so to speak,” Waltrip said. "Many drivers feared the Gatorade green, the orange lighting bolt, that big 88 on the door and my name on the roof. That was a winning combination. As far as waving the green flag, I can't wait to feel the power at Daytona. I am truly humbled that after all these years, Gatorade still considers me part of the family.”

Waltrip, who is a three-time NASCAR champion, owns 14 victories at DIS and captured wins in the Gatorade Duel in 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1988.

The 2007 winners of the Gatorade Duel at Daytona were Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports and Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing.

IMPORTANT: All information, schedules and/or scheduled events is/are subject to change without notice. Please check with the source to confirm.