Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth won the two 60-lap Duels at Daytona, setting the 2012 Daytona 500 grid amid engine overheating and a heavy crash for Danica Patrick.
Stewart and Kenseth took the qualifying wins at Daytona on February 23, 2012, and the 2012 Daytona 500 grid followed from their results. Kenseth's victory came by 0.209 seconds, and the afternoon was overshadowed by overheating and a crash involving Patrick.
The 2012 Gatorade Duels were two 60-lap stock car qualifiers held on February 23, 2012 at Daytona International Speedway, and they set the starting grid for the 2012 Daytona 500. Tony Stewart of Stewart-Haas Racing won the first race, and Matt Kenseth of Roush Fenway Racing won the second by 0.209 seconds. Both races were marked by overheating and a heavy crash for Danica Patrick.
What were the Gatorade Duels and how were they set up?
The Duels decide who makes the Daytona 500 field and where each car starts. The top 35 drivers, ranked by their Daytona 500 qualifying positions the year before, were split between the two races, with odd-numbered qualifiers in the first and even-numbered qualifiers in the second. The finishing positions in both races then set the grid for the big event.
The first Duel also included the pole winner of the 2012 Daytona 500. Positions 40 to 42 went to the fastest drivers outside the top 35, and 43rd place went to an eligible previous champion. If no champion was eligible, the next-fastest driver took that spot, and two drivers from outside the top 35 could win transfer slots in each Duel.
The two-race idea dates back to 1959, when the first event featured Convertible class cars in one race and Grand National cars in the other. The races were 100 miles from 1960 to 1967 and 125 miles in 1969, and before 1971 they yielded points toward the Drivers' Championship.
For large, established teams the Duels were practice for the 500. For smaller teams a qualifying finish could open the door to future races in the season, and a failure risked shutting the team down until sponsorship was found.
Stewart and Kenseth won the qualifiers, but overheating and a heavy crash were the stories people talked about afterwards.
What had changed after the 2012 Budweiser Shootout?
Cars had overheated while running in packs during the Budweiser Shootout only days earlier. In response, NASCAR increased the pressure release valves in the engine from 25 psi (1.7 bar) to 28 psi (1.9 bar), to reduce overheating and its effects in high-temperature driving.
Tandem pairs, which fans had disliked during the 2011 Daytona races, were largely absent from the Duels. Cars could not stay hooked up together for long before the trailing engine overheated, which changed how the drivers raced.
How did practice and qualifying shape the grids?
Practice ran in two 90-minute sessions on February 22, and Kenseth set the early pace in the first at 44.809 seconds, with Trevor Bayne only 0.009 seconds slower and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. third. In the second session, 25 drivers ran in packs and Aric Almirola set the best time at 45.065 seconds, nearly one-tenth of a second faster than David Stremme.
Practice was not free of trouble. Brad Keselowski slowed for Ryan Newman, which forced Clint Bowyer into him and sent Keselowski spinning into the grass with only minor damage. Juan Pablo Montoya collided with Kasey Kahne, sending Montoya's car into the grass and tearing part of its nose away. Kahne had to use a backup car for the rest of Speedweeks.
Grids were set by the order of Daytona 500 pole qualifying. Carl Edwards started on pole for the first race, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. alongside him and Marcos Ambrose third, while Stenhouse and Bayne took fourth and fifth. For the second race Greg Biffle started on pole, with Casey Mears second and Jeff Gordon third.
Thirteen drivers were not guaranteed a place. They had to qualify on speed, or be among the two highest-placed drivers without a guaranteed spot. They included Bill Elliott, Trevor Bayne, Robby Gordon, Kenny Wallace, Robert Richardson Jr., Tony Raines, David Stremme, Dave Blaney, Mike Wallace, Michael Waltrip, J. J. Yeley, Joe Nemechek and Michael McDowell.
How did the first Duel unfold?
Carl Edwards led into turn one, but Tony Stewart passed him on the outside on lap two. Dale Earnhardt Jr. took over on the fifth lap, and a multi-car crash brought out the first caution. Denny Hamlin then led for a long spell, and the green-flag stops that began on lap 44 finally put Stewart back in front.
On lap nine Michael McDowell made contact with Gilliland's left rear between turns one and two. Gilliland then slid toward the outside wall and took Paul Menard and Juan Pablo Montoya with him. Keselowski was caught in the debris with minor damage, while Gilliland, Menard and Montoya retired with substantial damage in the garage.
Ambrose led Hamlin, Almirola, Stewart and Jamie McMurray when the race resumed on lap 14. Hamlin passed Ambrose one lap later, Burton helped Stewart take the lead from Hamlin, and Hamlin retook first on lap 17. Crew chiefs asked their drivers to conserve fuel from about halfway, and by lap 32 the top five were Hamlin, Stewart, Harvick, Stenhouse and Ambrose.
Michael Waltrip lost control on the backstretch after running onto the high banking, and he crashed into the wall after leaving pit road. That brought out the second caution, and every car except Stewart, Harvick and Edwards pitted for fuel. The leaders restarted on lap 57, and Earnhardt and Edwards briefly moved into first and second before Stewart reclaimed the lead.
The third and final caution came late. McMurray came down from the top lane and collided with Almirola in the middle lane. Almirola then hit Danica Patrick on the inside, and her car spun into the inside SAFER barrier with its right-hand side. Patrick removed her hands from the wheel to avoid fracturing her wrists and thumbs, and she walked to an ambulance and was released from the infield medical center.
Stewart won the race as the field was frozen under that caution. It was Stewart's third Daytona 500 qualifier victory in half a decade. Earnhardt was runner-up, and Ambrose, Burton and Edwards finished out the top five. McDowell and Robby Gordon earned the two transfers into the Daytona 500, while Hamlin led the most laps with 27 and Stewart led three times for 21 laps.
How did the second Duel decide the Daytona 500 field?
Kenseth led early in the second Duel, but Joey Logano and Kyle Busch took the front two spots by lap 14. Greg Biffle then led on lap 23 and held the lead until his own stop, while Kenseth, drafting off his teammate, overheated and dropped to ninth.
Biffle and Kyle Busch swapped the lead through turn four and battled for two laps before Biffle went to the front on lap 29. Regan Smith and Elliott Sadler moved into third and fourth by lap 33. Biffle reported debris in turn two, but officials could not find it. Green-flag pit stops began on lap 40, with Kenseth, Logano and Kyle Busch coming in on lap 42 and Biffle, Smith and Jimmie Johnson on the next lap.
After the stops Biffle retook the lead, with Smith second and Johnson third. Kyle Busch's engine troubles on lap 46 let Logano pull away. By the 50th lap the top five were Biffle, Smith, Johnson, Sadler and Kenseth, after a fuel-only stop had brought Kenseth back from 13th.
Johnson went up the track on lap 52 but kept his car under control. Six laps later, with the leaders running single file, Johnson helped Kenseth onto the outside line. Kenseth passed his teammate Biffle on the inside of the tri-oval shortly after the final lap began, because Biffle had ignored crew chief Matt Puccia's order to stay on the yellow line and drifted out to block. Smith then passed Johnson for second after the two cars collided on the backstretch.
Kenseth crossed the line first at the finish, giving Roush Fenway Racing its first Gatorade Duels win. Smith was second and Johnson third, while Sadler and Biffle completed the top five. Blaney and Nemechek earned the second pair of transfer spots, and the race had five lead changes among four drivers with no cautions.
Which drivers qualified and which missed the Daytona 500?
Bayne, Raines and Stremme qualified on speed for the Daytona 500, while Terry Labonte qualified using a champion's provisional. Six drivers, Waltrip, Richardson, Bill Elliott, Mike Wallace, Kenny Wallace and Yeley, did not finish high enough in their Duels or set a fast enough qualifying lap.
| Duel | Position | Driver | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 | 1 | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing; third qualifier win in five years; $55,725 |
| Race 1 | 2 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Led early; said he intended to start the 500 not in a backup car |
| Race 1 | 3 | Marcos Ambrose | Third; hoped to carry his form into the 500 |
| Race 1 | 4 | Jeff Burton | Ran the top five, helped Stewart past Hamlin |
| Race 1 | 5 | Carl Edwards | Started on pole; top five |
| Race 2 | 1 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing; first Gatorade Duels win for the team; $56,726 |
| Race 2 | 2 | Regan Smith | Said the car was capable of running up front |
| Race 2 | 3 | Jimmie Johnson | Helped Kenseth on the outside line for the slingshot |
| Race 2 | 4 | Elliott Sadler | Top five after the final lap |
| Race 2 | 5 | Greg Biffle | Led 40 laps, the most of any driver in the race |
What did the drivers say after the races?
Stewart said his team had won 17 times at Daytona without winning on the right day, which he called good momentum but no guarantee. Earnhardt said the race was pretty good and congratulated Stewart. Ambrose said the team had learned a lot for Sunday and had come close to finishing the other way around.
Waltrip, who failed to qualify after crashing late in the first race, said he felt he had let everyone down. His driver, Truex, said it was a hard day to watch for a team owner who had been coming to the race for a long time. Patrick, who was hit by Almirola and crashed heavily into the wall, said she was glad to be a small driver with room to spare, and called the crash a blessing in a big disguise.
Patrick, Gilliland, Montoya and Menard had to drive backup cars for the Daytona 500. Gilliland cut his thumb on his helmet and needed one stitch, but he was confident about the backup car. Menard said Gilliland had got sideways underneath him and that he had tried to clear him without quite making it.
Kenseth said Johnson had given him a huge push all race, and Smith said it was good to know the car could run up front. Johnson called the second race an awesome one, but said lapped cars had been mixed in with the leaders at the end. Biffle admitted he should have stayed on the inside line.
Why did overheating dominate the debate?
Overheating made drivers stay in single file, and it was the main talking point after both races. Harvick said temperatures of around 27 C (80 F) had affected the racing and that the grilles were too tight. McMurray wanted the grille widened, and Regan Smith said he knew of no efficient way to deal with the problem.
NASCAR announced one day after the second race that no further changes would be made. Menard criticized the style of driving, saying NASCAR was trying to dictate physics, and that the mix of pack and tandem racing was causing an unsafe situation.
Robby Gordon disagreed with Terry Labonte taking a champion's provisional. He said three drivers had made the field on speed and that the past champion had taken a place, but he accepted that the rules allowed it. He said that was how the rules worked, and that drivers could not change them.
