Hendrick Cars Sweep Duels; Hamlin and Danica Tussle

Dale Jr scored a historic win in his duel Thursday night (Google Images) 

After Sunday's pack qualifying session at Daytona, fans and drivers alike (especially Clint Bowyer) started a debate about what should be done to make qualifying less risky. And if you haven't seen Bowyer's post-wreck rant yet, you can see it here. It's worth a look because it started a lot of controversy over NASCAR's recent changes to qualifying for the "Great American Race." But while Sunday's time trials locked a few cars in and won Jeff Gordon the pole for his final Daytona 500, the risk wasn't over for drivers still trying to make the field.

Thursday nights Budweiser Duel 150 qualifying races are always treacherous for those on the bubble and this year's twin races kept to that tradition. Both races had drama and disappointment, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. They also had a bit of history because for the first time in its history, Hendrick Motorsports swept the Budweiser Duel races, with Dale Earnhardt Jr winning the first one and Jimmie Johnson scoring the win in the second.

Junior's win was also fairly historic because, since his qualifying time was disallowed, he was forced to start at the rear in his duel. He started in 25th and finished in first and that is the furthest anyone has ever come from to reach victory lane in one of these qualifying races. Dale Jr was also helped by the fact that teammates Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne were at the front to run with him because Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr picked up where they left off Saturday night and looked like the cars to beat again.

The only incidents that occurred in the first race came when Casey Mears lost a motor and when Johnny Sauter got squeezed by AJ Allmendinger and sent Sauter's No. 83 Camry through the infield grass and into the outside wall. Trevor Bayne also got loose and hit the turn three wall and damaged the No. 42 of Kyle Larson. However, the real fireworks were yet to come.



Denny Hamlin and Danica Patrick talk on pit road (Google Images)

After Junior, who said earlier in Speedweeks that he had the fastest car in Daytona, scored a very convincing victory, it was time for the second race to go green.

Jimmie Johnson led the field to green and, despite a round of pit stops a few wrecks, he managed to dominate the race, hold off Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards and complete the Hendrick Motorsports sweep. But this race did feature a lot of drama as to who would make the field and who wouldn't.

David Ragan lost his owner points when Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins moved the points from Ragan's No. 34 car to teammate Cole Whitt's No. 35 because of Ragan's plate racing prowess. The only problem was that on lap 21 of his duel, Ragan spun around off the nose of Justin Allgaier's No. 51 Chevy. Ragan suffered some right rear damage and lost a lap in the repair process, but while he was down, it was early enough in the race that he was not out just yet.

The next wreck was much bigger and had major implications as to who went home. On lap 38 Jeb Burton, attempting his first Daytona 500, appeared to wiggle behind the No. 9 of Sam Hornish Jr and caught Hornish's right rear. This turned the No. 9 into the outside wall and collected the No. 7 of Alex Bowman and the No. 3 of Austin Dillon. The wreck also led to a 7 minute red flag to clean up the race track. This caution also led to Ragan getting back on the lead lap. Remember that for later.

Oh yea... Jimmie Johnson won the second duel (Google Images)

Once the race went green, it was clean until the end. But with four laps to go, Denny Hamlin lightly bumped Danica Patrick for the second day in a row (the two wrecked in practice Wednesday afternoon) and sent her spinning into Bryan Scott and Bobby Labonte. This led to a post race argument and a post race reaction where Patrick talked for two minutes and managed to say absolutely nothing.

However, despite running the risk of missing the race, Danica still managed to make the field for the 500. Oh and David Ragan? Despite his early wreck, all the subsequent carnage allowed for him to pick up the draft and finish inside the top 15 and also make the field for Sunday's race.

However, some drivers were not as lucky. Bowman, Burton, Scott, Josh Wise, Justin Marks and Ron Hornaday all missed the cut for the big dance and were forced to pick up their marbles and head home.

So now all that remains is to run the 57th installment of the biggest race in NASCAR. Forty-three teams will take to the high banks of Daytona for 500 miles on Sunday and every one of them stands a chance of taking home the coveted Harley J. Earl Trophy. This is really shaping up to be one of the most exciting 500s yet. Tune into FOX this Sunday at 1 pm Eastern to watch it all unfold.