Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano win Duel qualifying races at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Kevin Harvick won an uneventful first Duel qualifying race for the Daytona 500 Thursday night while Joey Logano made a fantastic pass in another less-than-thrilling race for the win in the second Duel.
Harvick inherited the lead after every team made green flag pit stops. He kept it until the end of the race. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Paul Menard made moves to try to do something to get to Harvick’s bumper and simply couldn’t muster enough teamwork to do anything to get past Harvick.
“The strategy tonight worked out well,” Harvick said. “We got onto pit road well, put gas in the car well. They were able to get us the lead. Our cars have been fast. We just didn’t have the track position last Sunday [in the Clash]. Got the track position tonight, towed the train around there.”
Parker Kligerman beat Tyler Reddick and Ryan Truex to the line to qualify for the 500. Reddick is qualified because of his speed in front row qualifying on Sunday while Truex needs to wait on the outcome of the second Duel race.
Logano went from fourth to first right after the final lap began in his Duel. He had Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney behind him and used the push from Blaney and a side draft off Aric Almirola to vault ahead of Almirola, Denny Hamlin and leader Clint Bowyer before the field hit the backstretch. It’s not hyperbole to say it’s one of the most impressive passes made at Daytona in quite some time. Especially when you consider the circumstances.
“I didn’t think damn Joey would do it from fourth,” Bowyer said with a smirk.
Both Duels featured a lot of the racing that was seen in Sunday’s Clash exhibition race. That meant single-file racing along the upper groove in the corners of the track. It’s not the most compelling racing. But at the same time, you can’t blame teams for being conservative in a qualifying race and risk wrecking their primary cars for the Daytona 500.
Track position was at a premium in both races. Passing wasn’t impossible, as Logano showed, but it was far from easy. Drivers at the front of the field also seemed risk-averse. Likely because a failed pass meant four or more spots lost.
“The later you do it, the less the risk it doesn’t work,” Logano said.
Brendan Gaughan qualified for the Daytona 500 via the second Duel. His qualification means Truex and Joey Gase are the two drivers who failed to qualify.
Keselowski and Busch have issues in Duel 1
Two big names had problems during the first Duel. Brad Keselowski left his pit box while his fuel can was still engaged and drew a one-lap penalty. He then sped while serving his penalty. He finished the race in 20th, two laps down.
Kyle Busch got spun off Jimmie Johnson’s fender nearly halfway through the race. Johnson took responsibility for the accident and said he completely misjudged trying to tuck in behind Busch, who was making a pass to the outside.
Busch didn’t hit anything but the damage to his car was significant enough to make him lose a lap and he finished 18th.
The incident was Johnson’s second of the weekend. He made contact with Paul Menard while making a pass for the lead late in the Clash and Menard went spinning into what turned out to be a 16-car crash.
Duel 1 results
1. Kevin Harvick (Starts 3rd in Daytona 500)
2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (5th)
3. Paul Menard (7th)
4. Matt DiBenedetto (9th)
5. Martin Truex Jr. (11th)
6. Bubba Wallace (13th)
7. Chris Buescher (15th)
8. Jimmie Johnson (17th)
9. Ryan Newman (19th)
10. Ryan Preece (21st)
11. Daniel Suarez (23rd)
12. Parker Kligerman (25th)
13. Tyler Reddick (39th)
14. Ryan Truex (DNQ)
15. Landon Cassill (27th)
16. William Byron (1st)
17. Daniel Hemric (29th)
18. Kyle Busch (31st)
19. Matt Tifft (33rd)
20. Brad Keselowski (35th)
21. Cody Ware (37th)
Duel 2 results
1. Joey Logano (4th)
2. Clint Bowyer (6th)
3. Aric Almirola (8th)
4. Denny Hamlin (10th)
5. Kurt Busch (12th)
6. Ryan Blaney (14th)
7. Jamie McMurray (16th)
8. Chase Elliott (18th)
9. Austin Dillon (20th)
10. Ty Dillon (22nd)
11. David Ragan (24th)
12. Kyle Larson (26th)
13. Alex Bowman (2nd)
14. Erik Jones (28th)
15. Brendan Gaughan (30th)
16. Corey LaJoie (32nd)
17. Casey Mears (40th)
18. Michael McDowell (34th)
19. Ross Chastain (36th)
20. Joey Gase (DNQ)
21. BJ McLeod (38th)
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter
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