Mike Joy: The starting lineup for the all important Daytona 500 will be set tonight, we've got 15 unchartered cars battling for 4 spots left in the Daytona 500, 2 in this first Duel, 2 in the second one. Who's gonna be here to stay, who's heading home?
Race Details
Track: 2.5 Mile Superspeedway
Race Length: 60 Laps/150 Miles
Fuel Window: 30-35 Laps
Tire Wear: Low
Race Start: 6:00 PM
Weather: 66° Cloudy
Chance of Rain: 20%
Starting Lineup
Row 1: Joey Logano/Kyle Larson
Row 2: Martin Truex Jr/Ty Gibbs (R)
Row 3: Denny Hamlin/Christopher Bell
Row 4: Gracie Trotter/Jimmie Johnson
Row 5: John Hunter Nemechek/Tyler Reddick
Row 6: Justin Haley/Austin Cindric
Row 7: Matt DiBenedetto/Kurt Busch
Row 8: Brett Moffitt/Kaz Grala
Row 9: David Ragan^/Chris Buescher
Row 10: Reed Sorenson/Ryan Sieg (R)^
Row 11: Hailie Deegan/Casey Atwood
Row 12: Landon Cassill/Regan Smith^
Row 13: Ryan Ellis^/BJ McLeod^
Row 14: Michael Annett^
1/60
The green flag is waving and this first Duel at Daytona is underway! Joey Logano and Kyle Larson on the front row, Logano has teammate Ty Gibbs behind him while Larson has his teammate Martin Truex Jr! It's a drag race between all 4 as the back 2 are pushing as hard as they can! The Penske cars stay connected longer and Logano is pushed ahead clear of Larson.
3/60
Michael Annett in the 50 car has already lost hold of the draft, one of the open cars fighting to race his way into the Daytona 500 and he's already in trouble.
6/60
Joey Logano sits comfortably at the front of this pack as everyone is trying to link up and make a charge, while also staying patient enough to not cause a wreck.
10/60
Denny Hamlin moves up a line with Gracie Trotter and he's challenging for the lead! Hamlin sidedrafts off of Ty Gibbs and he splits the Penske cars up! The pack is gonna swallow up Joey Logano and Ty Gibbs and Hamlin takes the lead!
12/60
David Ragan and Ryan Sieg currently hold the final 2 spots to get into the 500, sitting 16th and 18th respectively. BJ McLeod is 20th, Regan Smith 21st, and Ryan Ellis 25th.
16/60
The front 10 are all single file, the rest of the pack is 3 deep, and it's getting crazy back there while the leaders are just trying to preserve their cars.
21/60
Gracie Trotter pulls out of line and goes for the lead on Denny Hamlin with help from Kyle Larson, Trotter wants to make a point and she takes the lead!
24/60
Jimmie Johnson and Tyler Reddick pull out of line from the bottom, trying to get something going and it's working! They're moving forward!
26/60
Big run from the top, here comes Jimmie Johnson with a huge run! Gracie Trotter throws a late block and she gets turned! Into the wall hard, and bigger as the 46 of David Ragan slams into her! Massive 2 car wreck and Ragan's Daytona 500 dreams are dashed.
30/60 -> Caution
Kyle Larson is gonna lead the field down pit road for their only stops of the day, it's gonna be fuel only for everyone as Larson beats Jimmie Johnson to the pit exit.
Race Off Pit Road
1 - Kyle Larson
2 - Jimmie Johnson
3 - Martin Truex Jr (+2)
4 - Tyler Reddick (-1)
5 - Denny Hamlin (-1)
6 - John Hunter Nemechek
7 - Joey Logano
8 - Ty Gibbs (R)
9 - Christopher Bell
10 - Austin Cindric
32/60
Kyle Larson leads the way and he's getting a massive push from teammate Martin Truex Jr! Truex pushes him way out and it's a Roush 1-2 at the front!
35/60
The field has gone single file now after that latest wreck, nobody wants to junk their Daytona 500 car in the Duel!
41/60
As it stands, Ryan Sieg is 17th, BJ McLeod is 18th, Ryan Ellis is 20th, Regan Smith 21st, and Michael Annett 25th with 20 laps to go!
48/60
Kyle Larson continues to lead, nobody is making a move yet to try and challenge him, especially not teammate Martin Truex Jr in 2nd.
51/60
Some movement towards the back, Michael Annett trying to get something going but nobody's going with him, he needs to find a way to get up to 18th from dead last.
54/60
BJ McLeod drops below Ryan Sieg and Ryan Ellis is going with him! McLeod gaining spots as is Ellis, Sieg drops back to 19th!
57/60
John Hunter Nemechek is the first to move to the bottom to try and go for the win and he's got help! Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, and Ty Gibbs go with him!
60/60
Final lap of the Duel! Big run coming from the bottom, John Hunter Nemechek is coming and Martin Truex Jr ditches his teammate and goes with them! Truex to the lead and there's trouble in the back, Ryan Ellis gets turned by Ryan Sieg, collecting some backmarkers but we stay green! Truex and Larson side-by-side down the backstretch, now Nemechek pushes Truex and himself clear! Through turns 3 and 4, Truex is gonna lead coming to the line, Nemechek pulls out, won't be enough, Truex wins the Duel!
Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 Results
1 - Martin Truex Jr (1 Lap Led)
2 - John Hunter Nemechek
3 - Joey Logano (9 Laps Led)
4 - Kyle Larson (34 Laps Led)
5 - Ty Gibbs (R)
6 - Jimmie Johnson
7 - Christopher Bell
8 - Denny Hamlin (11 Laps Led)
9 - Tyler Reddick
10 - Kurt Busch
11 - Austin Cindric
12 - Matt DiBenedetto
13 - Chris Buescher
14 - Casey Atwood
15 - Justin Haley
16 - Brett Moffitt
17 - BJ McLeod^
18 - Ryan Sieg (R)^
19 - Kaz Grala
20 - Landon Cassill
21 - Michael Annett^
22 - Hailie Deegan
23 - Reed Sorenson
24 - Regan Smith^
25 - Ryan Ellis^
DNF
26 - Gracie Trotter (5 Laps Led)
27 - David Ragan^
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