The Gatorade Duel races prior to the Daytona 500 are a drivers last chance to make the Daytona 500. If you aren't fast enough in Sunday qualifying, you need to go or go home during these 150 mile heat races. Needless to say, this always adds extra excitement for the fans, while the drivers racing their way in undoubtedly pop Tums like they're Tic-Tacs.
To borrow the intro from CBS's "Wide World of Sports," Michael McDowell, Robby Gordon, Dave Blaney and Joe Nemechek are no doubt feeling "the thrill of victory" after making the field for the 54th annual Great American Race after Thursday's preliminaries. But on the other hand, Michael Waltrip and Kenny Wallace missed the cut and took on the roll of the skier from the show's intro, experiencing "the agony of defeat."
The first duel saw Tony Stewart claim the checkered flag, McDowell and Gordon make the field and Waltrip make, quite possibly, the biggest mistake of his career.
The race was much tamer than the demolition derby that was Saturday night's Bud Shootout. A three car pileup that collected David Gilliland, Juan Montoya and Paul Menard was the only multi-car wreck of the day, but there were two single car wrecks that drew much more attention.
After pitting inside of ten laps to go for fuel, Waltrip was making his way back onto the track. A fairly simple task for a guy with as much experience at Daytona as this guy right?
To borrow the intro from CBS's "Wide World of Sports," Michael McDowell, Robby Gordon, Dave Blaney and Joe Nemechek are no doubt feeling "the thrill of victory" after making the field for the 54th annual Great American Race after Thursday's preliminaries. But on the other hand, Michael Waltrip and Kenny Wallace missed the cut and took on the roll of the skier from the show's intro, experiencing "the agony of defeat."
The first duel saw Tony Stewart claim the checkered flag, McDowell and Gordon make the field and Waltrip make, quite possibly, the biggest mistake of his career.
The race was much tamer than the demolition derby that was Saturday night's Bud Shootout. A three car pileup that collected David Gilliland, Juan Montoya and Paul Menard was the only multi-car wreck of the day, but there were two single car wrecks that drew much more attention.
After pitting inside of ten laps to go for fuel, Waltrip was making his way back onto the track. A fairly simple task for a guy with as much experience at Daytona as this guy right?
Wrong.
As Waltrip made his way back onto the track, he was confused as to where he was to blend back into the racing groove. He drove from the flat apron back onto the 33 degree high banks which caused his car to get loose and hit the outside wall, destroying his car and any chance he had at making his 26th consecutive Daytona 500. Instead he will be forced to watch the race from the FOX Sports "Hollywood Hotel" and analyze a field containing the three teams he owns and David Reutimann, the man he fired last season. You can watch the video of Waltrip's crucial lapse in judgement here.
The other single car wreck involved rookie Danica Patrick. On the final lap off turn two, Jamie McMurray arbitrarily, and inexplicably, cut down across the track, forcing Aric Amirola into Patrick's No. 1o. This sent her sliding towards the inside wall and into a vicious wreck after making contact with the Safer Barrier. You can see video of this horrific wreck here. Thank God for these softer walls and safer cars because, without them, who knows if Patrick would get to race Sunday, or ever again.
Also on the final lap, Trevor Bayne rolled over and allowed both McDowell and Gordon to slip into the field for Sunday's race. Had Bayne grabbed a transfer spot, Wallace would have been able to lock in o his qualifying speed. But now, he would have to race in the old fashioned way.
The winner of duel number two was Matt Kenseth. This race went green the entire way, but saw some very exciting racing.
Greg Biffle led the majority of the laps, but finished in fifth (but he will still start second in Sunday's main event). Had he held his line and not slid in front of Kenseth on the final lap, he might have won. But instead, he blocked him, which allowed Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson to slip under him and snag the two top spots. You can judge for yourselves and watch the exciting final laps here.
Wallace was in position to make the field, but his team had issues with their fuel pump and as the race wore on, he was unable to stay in the lead draft. So he and his team will pack up and head back to the shop to start working towards next year's Daytona 500.
So now it is on to Sunday. All of the preliminary events are over and all that is left to do is run the Daytona 500 for the fifty fourth time. Last year, Trevor Bayne did the impossible and pull off the biggest upset since Pete Hamilton won the 1970 installment of the Great American Race. Now that pack racing is back and drivers can make closer, tighter moves in the closing laps, there is no telling who will be in victory lane Sunday night.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr could snap his 129-race winless drought by winning his second Daytona 500, Tony Stewart could win the biggest race of the year in his fourteenth try, Bayne could repeat, or someone completely and totally unexpected could claim the biggest victory of their career. We will have to wait 500 miles to find out how this race will unfold and to see who will experience "the thrill of victory" and who will taste "agony of defeat."
The winner of duel number two was Matt Kenseth. This race went green the entire way, but saw some very exciting racing.
Greg Biffle led the majority of the laps, but finished in fifth (but he will still start second in Sunday's main event). Had he held his line and not slid in front of Kenseth on the final lap, he might have won. But instead, he blocked him, which allowed Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson to slip under him and snag the two top spots. You can judge for yourselves and watch the exciting final laps here.
Wallace was in position to make the field, but his team had issues with their fuel pump and as the race wore on, he was unable to stay in the lead draft. So he and his team will pack up and head back to the shop to start working towards next year's Daytona 500.
So now it is on to Sunday. All of the preliminary events are over and all that is left to do is run the Daytona 500 for the fifty fourth time. Last year, Trevor Bayne did the impossible and pull off the biggest upset since Pete Hamilton won the 1970 installment of the Great American Race. Now that pack racing is back and drivers can make closer, tighter moves in the closing laps, there is no telling who will be in victory lane Sunday night.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr could snap his 129-race winless drought by winning his second Daytona 500, Tony Stewart could win the biggest race of the year in his fourteenth try, Bayne could repeat, or someone completely and totally unexpected could claim the biggest victory of their career. We will have to wait 500 miles to find out how this race will unfold and to see who will experience "the thrill of victory" and who will taste "agony of defeat."
No comments:
Post a Comment