Daytona 500 field set after Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Can-Am Duels
By Ted Fleming
Chase Elliott does something for the first time since 1996, winning the pole for the Daytona 500 and a Duel, while Denny Hamlin wins the second Can-Am Duel.
If there was one driver who did not need to take any chances in the Can-Am Duels, it was Chase Elliott because he was already locked in for the pole in the Daytona 500. A wreck would have put him at the back of the field on Sunday, but he continued his hot hand by handily taking the opening Duel topping Jamie McMurray by 0.156 seconds. His dominance during Speedweeks should make him the favorite for the Great American Race.
“Just a great way to start the season,” Elliott said via Chevrolet after the race. “I know it’s just a Duel win. We wished it counted towards the Playoffs. We would rather it be on Sunday, but at the same time, it means a lot to me. It means a lot to our team.”
The last time a driver won the pole for the Daytona 500 and a Duel race was Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 1996.
Duel 2 belonged to Denny Hamlin, who passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. as they were approaching the white flag. Junior led most of the race, but once he got shuffled out of line he fell back to sixth as he was trying to duplicate what Elliott did in the opener. In any case, he will still start on the front row on Sunday.
Hamlin, who tried a similar move in the Advance Auto Parts Clash only to wreck, pulled it off brilliantly this time, with a little help. It was a terrific day for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver because earlier in the day it was announced that he had signed a multi-year contract extension, according to NASCAR.com.
“We definitely had a strong car but so much of that race was single file and so it was really tough to show what we could do in the pack once we got two and three wide, but it looked like our car could make some really good moves and got a great push from the 3 (Austin Dillon) there at the end,” Hamlin said via Toyota.
There was a lot more at stake in Thursday’s Can-Am Duels than just where drivers would start in the Daytona 500 or where they would land on pit row. This year, for the first time in NASCAR history, points were going to be awarded to the top 10 finishers in each race. Crew chief strategy and driver aggressiveness were expected to make these Duels different from years past.
In one case, a tire strategy cost a driver a solid starting spot in the 500. Kyle Busch was the only one who did not take on tires at the competition caution in Duel 1. It gave him the track position he wanted, but Brad Keselowski and Jamie McMurray passed him quickly on the restart. He would finish 12th dropping him to start the 500 from the 23rd spot.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also tried something different by coming to the pits on the competition caution after all the leaders had come in because he wanted to keep a clean car. He was never able to make up the lost ground and ended up in 13th.
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‘OPEN’ FOR BUSINESS
With Elliott Sadler and Brendan Gaughan having already made the race on their qualifying times, there were only two “open” spots left with four drivers fighting for them. “Open” is a term used for teams who do not own one of 36 NASCAR Cup Charters for the Daytona 500, and there are two chances for them to get in: be the fastest in qualifying or race in via the Duels.
In the first race, Corey Lajoie tried to slip under Reed Sorenson sending him hard into the inside wall ending his night and his chance to make the 500. Both were “open” cars. Lajoie was able to continue and finished 18th, securing his spot.
“That’s amazing,” Lajoie said. Every kid in a race car dreams of racing in a Daytona 500 and I get to do that on Sunday. I really do feel bad about Reed (Sorenson). I just tried to fill a hole and it was getting down to it and I probably did have position on him, but man when I’m trying to get into the Daytona 500 if my mom was in that spot I’d probably wreck her too. I’m racing on Sunday.”
In the second Duel, Timmy Hill’s engine failure on lap 32 opened the door for Canadian DJ Kennington to make it in.
“I’m an old man now,” said the 39-year old. “Years and years of racing and trying and doing all these things is nothing but good things for my career. There are so many people that have helped me get here. That’s who I want to thank the most is anybody that’s ever pitched in and helped. Thank you. This is huge. This is huge for Canada. It’s huge for all my team and all my friends and my family. It’s just an unbelievable feeling.”
PIT NOTES:
The win by Elliott in the first Duel was the 50th by Chevrolet in this event.
NASCAR put in a competition caution for both Duels because of rain washing the track clean as well as teams unable to get any practice in race trim.
DAYTONA 500 STARTING LINEUP:
1 – Chase Elliott
2 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3 – Jamie McMurray
4 – Denny Hamlin
5 – Kevin Harvick
6 – Clint Bowyer
7 – Brad Keselowski
8 – Kurt Busch
9 – Matt Kenseth
10 – AJ Allmendinger
11 – Trevor Bayne
12 – Austin Dillon
13 – Martin Truex Jr.
14 – Danica Patrick
15 – Aric Almirola
16 – Ryan Newman
17 – Joey Logano
18 – Kyle Larson
19 – Cole Whitt
20 – Ty Dillon
21 – Daniel Suarez
22 – David Ragan
23 – Kyle Busch
24 – Michael McDowell
25 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
26 – Jimmie Johnson
27 – Matt DiBenedetto
28 – Kasey Kahne
29 – Landon Cassill
30 – DJ Kennington
31 – Chris Buescher
32 – Michael Waltrip
33 – Joey Gase
34 – Jeffrey Earnhardt
35 – Corey Lajoie
36 – Erik Jones
37 – Paul Menard
38 – Ryan Blaney
39 – Brendan Gaughan
40 – Elliott Sadler