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    From The Marbles

    What’s at stake in The Gatorade Duels

    By Jay Busbee | From The Marbles – Wed, Feb 22, 2012 11:52 AM EST

    Denny Hamlin at 2011's Duels / Getty ImagesFor most of the field, Thursday's two 150-mile Duels will be a chance to get some more laps on the track in race trim, and they'll see how their cars perform without pushing the envelope too far. Here's the spotter's-eye view of the two duels:

    Duel 1: Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr. make up the front row. Big names in this field also include Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, Danica Patrick and Denny Hamlin. (Full list here.)

    Duel 2: Greg Biffle and, yes, Casey Mears are on the front row, with major names including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch in the mix here. Clint Bowyer starts in the back of this Duel because of violations. (Full list here.)

    [Dan Wetzel: Daytona 500 wreck proves Danica Patrick's toughness]

    But for 10 drivers, including some major names of the not-too-distant past, the Duels represent their last chance to get into the field of the 2012 Daytona 500. With 39 spots already taken, only four spaces remain ... and there will be some well-known drivers heading home a lot earlier than they wanted to come Thursday afternoon.

    In the first Duel, you've got Michael Waltrip, Michael McDowell, Mike Wallace and Robby Gordon. In the second, Kenny Wallace, Dave Blaney, Joe Nemechek, Bill Elliott, Robert Richardson and JJ Yeley.

    Here's how it will work: the top two non-guaranteed drivers in each duel will get in. The next three spots go to the drivers with the highest qualifying speeds (in this case, Trevor Bayne, Tony Raines and David Stremme). If any of those drivers manages to race his way in by finishing in the top two in his duel, Kenny Wallace, Blaney and Waltrip would be in line to take a spot. The final spot will go to a past champion (either Elliott or, if necessary, Terry Labonte.)

    Robby Gordon, McDowell, Nemechek, Richardson, Wallace and Yeley have no choice but to race their way into the Daytona 500. No pressure there, right?

    In other words, pay very close attention on Thursday afternoon. It's going to change minute by minute and lap by lap.

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    29 comments

    • Anthony
      Anthony  •  Benton, Kentucky  •  2 months ago
      I hate the guaranteed starting spots! Speed talks, and the fastest cars need to be in the races, owners points be danged.
      • MarkN
        MarkN 2 months ago
        You are right but they are afraid of the top teams not making it.
        It would be like going to a football game and the home team not showing up
      • Jerik
        Jerik 2 months ago
        This I agree with. Like Mark says, I understand WHY they do it, sponsorship dollars, but it does suck that the guys that really need the sponsor dollars are constantly on the bubble
    • berdoo
      berdoo  •  2 months ago
      STILL BAFFLED AT DAYTONA 500 qualifying rules!!!! and i have been watching NASCAR since the 1960s
    • MG
      MG  •  Clearlake, California  •  2 months ago
      The only 2 cars that should be guaranteed in this race are the pole and outside pole winners. THE rest NEED to race in. Screw the owner points. This is the Super Bowl of racing and it aint racin if you have an auto bid.
      • alex
        alex 2 months ago
        well put ,exactly ,this sport is #$%$ ,let em race their way in ,then the losers go home ,no questions ,u not fast enough u go home
      • NotFondOfLibs
        NotFondOfLibs 2 months ago
        Nice try MG, except NASCAR doesn't see it that way and their opinion is all that counts.
      • Buggs for pres.
        Buggs for pres. 2 months ago
        Fully agree, I think more cars might show up if they knew they had a good shot at getting in.
    • Pat Z
      Pat Z  •  Las Vegas, Nevada  •  2 months ago
      Now we know why Dumbika had to buy her way into the Daytona 500!
      • schellc
        schellc 2 months ago
        Seeing her take her hands off the wheel and cover her eyes has to be about the funniest thing ive ever seen. Thanks Danica, you made my day!!!!!
      • Peter R
        Peter R 2 months ago
        Agree, it was like a little kid who doesn't want to see a scary monster, I nearly wet myself
    • Scott S
      Scott S  •  Newport Beach, California  •  2 months ago
      Robby Gordon finished 34th in points last year. I thought the top 35 got a spot in the 500. Why does he have to race to get in? Please explain.
      • Peter R
        Peter R 2 months ago
        It's owners points not driver points, but Robby made it anyway
    • profpbudee
      profpbudee  •  2 months ago
      what a stupid way to qualify, starting position means less at daytona and talledega than any other tracks, any decent car can go from back to front in 2 or 3 laps, then they put these races and truck race on a channel almost nobody gets so we dont even get to watch it, by the time sunday gets here i am so mad from missing everything that i dont care if i even watch the race, you would think nascar would learn from what has happened to the indy car series that live television is what made the sport and the lack of it quickly brings it down, i mean who even knows any of the indy drivers since they took the tv coverage away? or the truck series?
    • blowdaddy
      blowdaddy  •  St Louis, Missouri  •  2 months ago
      CONGRATULATIONS TO DAVE BLANEY, HE DOESN,T NEED TO BUY HIS WAY IN!!!! HOORAY TO BLANEY
    • Grant L
      Grant L  •  Union, Iowa  •  2 months ago
      I agree; with qualifying and two races, there is no need for guaranteed positions. If NASCAR really need the security of guaranteed positioning; then the only ones deserving, under the current format, are chase contenders from the last season.
      • Joel H
        Joel H 2 months ago
        Thinking with your heart and not your head. The sport is in trouble. There are not enough sponsors to go around. And if you tell these sponsors that they might not have their car on the track every week, you'd probably lose even more.
    • blowdaddy
      blowdaddy  •  St Louis, Missouri  •  2 months ago
      I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT danic$t IS MAKING 12 MILLION BUCKS, 8th ON THE EARNINGS LIST WHEN SHE NEVER HAS WON A RACE!!!! THAT IS THE STUPIDEST MOVE EVER!!
    • bigbluenation
      bigbluenation  •  2 months ago
      mikey wrecks all by himself.....lol. tell me patrick is not wet....slurp
    • Joel H
      Joel H  •  San Diego, California  •  2 months ago
      A lot of people on here just don't get the reality of the sport. They think with their heart and not with their head. The sport is in trouble. There are not enough sponsors to go around. I understand you want more competition, but if you tell these sponsors that they might not have their car on the track every week, you risk losing them, you'll end up with more start and parks and less competition as the season moves on.
    • Z-Man
      Z-Man  •  Pensacola, Florida  •  2 months ago
      RedNecks, white sox and blue Ribbon Beer, just saying LOL
    • John Baptist
      John Baptist  •  Atlanta, Georgia  •  2 months ago
      One question: how would Waltrip get a spot for being a past champion if he isn't a past champion?
    • MarkN
      MarkN  •  Oakland, New Jersey  •  2 months ago
      If Blaney doesn't get in because of Danica I'm going to be really peed off
    • bigbluenation
      bigbluenation  •  2 months ago
      how did patrick get to be called a big name in the first duel? because she's a female maybe? you betcha...
    • Jeff W
      Jeff W  •  Troy, New York  •  2 months ago
      Michael Waltrip has never won the NASCAR Sprint Cup title. He's only a 2 time Daytona 500 winner. Thanks for proof reading your story.
    • Brian
      Brian  •  2 months ago
      Thats pretty stupid that Danica is locked in the race when she's never even been in a cup race! I have completely lost all respect for Nascar, its all about the sponsership dollars and not about EARNING her starting spot! I can think of several drivers in the truck and nationwide series that deserves more of a chance than her! Everyone write it down, I guarentee she wrecks in the 125 and 500 races! This is Nascars top level of racing, does Nascar really want someone driving in any of their races just because of marketing and sponsership dollars? When she crashes I will be the first person to say I told you so! She is in way over her head, she would be smart to stay in the back and hope to just finish the race, because she is not ready to compete up fron with the boys in the cup series!
    • Android
      Android  •  Indianapolis, Indiana  •  2 months ago
      Danica in the first duel??? HOW?? I have a feeling we are in for an entire season of nascar giving her special treatment.
    • david g
      david g  •  Riverview, Florida  •  2 months ago
      not a sport!
    • MostInterestingManInTheWo ...
      MostInterestingManInTheWo ...  •  Kansas City, Missouri  •  2 months ago
      Like it or not, Danica Patrick is as competitive (if not more competitive) than a third of the slugs in any given Sprint Cup field.
     Post a comment

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