2015 Budweiser Duels

Qualifying races for the 2015 Daytona 500 February 2025 vevent width: 27em 2015 Budweiser Duels background:#efefef Race detailshttp://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/schedule/tracks/daytona-international-speedway.html Daytona International Speedway NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013 NASCAR.com February 15, 2015http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-1st-Practice-Speeds.aspx First Practice Results Motor Racing Network February 14, 2015 MRN.com February 15, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150214202259/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-1st-Practice-Speeds.aspx February 14, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-2nd-Practice-Speeds.aspx Second Practice Results Motor Racing Network February 14, 2015 MRN.com February 15, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150215185424/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-2nd-Practice-Speeds.aspx February 15, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-Qualifying-Results.aspx Qualifying Results Motor Racing Network February 15, 2015 MRN.com February 15, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150215221536/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-Qualifying-Results.aspx February 15, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6754&StatType=Starting+Lineup Starting Lineup (Duel Race 1) Motor Racing Network February 15, 2015 MRN.com February 17, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150216145937/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6754&StatType=Starting+Lineup February 16, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?RaceID=7114&SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44 Starting Lineup (Duel Race 2) Motor Racing Network February 15, 2015 MRN.com February 17, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150218020922/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?RaceID=7114&SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44 February 18, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-3rd-Practice-Speeds.aspx Third Practice Results Motor Racing Network February 18, 2015 MRN.com February 18, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150219004546/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-3rd-Practice-Speeds.aspx February 19, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-4th-Practice-Speeds.aspx Fourth Practice Results Motor Racing Network February 18, 2015 MRN.com February 18, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150219030205/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-4th-Practice-Speeds.aspx February 19, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-5th-Practice-Speeds.aspx Final Practice Results Motor Racing Network February 19, 2015 MRN.com February 19, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150220005338/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/02/Daytona-500-5th-Practice-Speeds.aspx February 20, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6754&StatType=Race+Results Duel 1 Results Motor Racing Network February 19, 2015 MRN.com February 19, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150220084841/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6754&StatType=Race+Results February 20, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?RaceID=7114&SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44 Duel 2 Results Motor Racing Network February 19, 2015 MRN.com February 19, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150218020922/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?RaceID=7114&SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44 February 18, 2015 dead 2015 02 19 Location Daytona International SpeedwayDaytona Beach, Florida Course Permanent racing facility2.5 mi (4 km) Distance Race 1:60 laps, 150 mi (240 km)Race 2:64 laps, 160 mi (256 km) Avg Speed Race 1 144.462 mph km/h onRace 2 144.724 mph km/h on Weather Clear skies with a temperature of 41 F C; wind out of the WNW at 8 mph km/h on Race 1 Pole position Jeff Gordon (W) Most laps led Matt Kenseth (W) (32) Winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. (W) Race 2 Pole position Jimmie Johnson (W) Most laps led Jimmie Johnson (W) (40) Winner Jimmie Johnson (W) Television Network Fox Sports 1 & MRN Announcers Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds (Television)Joe Moore and Jeff Striegle (Booth)Dave Moody (1 & 2), Mike Bagley (Backstretch) and Kyle Rickey (3 & 4) (Turns) (Radio) Nielsen Ratings The 2015 Budweiser Duels were a pair of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car races that were held on February 19, 2015, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Both contested over 60 laps, they were the qualifying races for the 2015 Daytona 500. Hendrick Motorsports swept both races, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning the first Duel and Jimmie Johnson winning the second Duel. Report Background thumb|left|Daytona International Speedway, where the races were held. Daytona International Speedway is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Michigan International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway.http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ Race Tracks Turner Sports NASCAR February 21, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20110628180503/http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ June 28, 2011 dead The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 mi km long.http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/News/Track-Facts.aspx Daytona International Speedway Track Facts Daytona International Speedway February 21, 2013 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20121016222618/http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/News/Track-Facts.aspx October 16, 2012 The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees. Practice First practice (February 14) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 44.413 and a speed of 202.643 mph km/h on.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/14/ricky-stenhouse-jr-fastest-in-first-daytona-500-practice/ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fastest in first Daytona 500 practice Estrada Chris NBC Sports February 14, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com February 14, 2015 Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed MPH 1 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 44.413 202.643 2 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 44.512 202.193 3 6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 44.512 202.193Official first practice results Second practice (February 14) Michael McDowell was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 45.153 and a speed of 199.322 mph km/h on.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/14/start-time-tv-info-and-lineup-for-nascar-sprint-unlimited-at-daytona/ Start time, TV info and lineup for NASCAR Sprint Unlimited at Daytona Ryan Nate NBC Sports February 14, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com February 14, 2015 Ryan Newman was forced to change engines after blowing one half an hour into the session.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/14/ryan-newman-loses-engine-martin-truex-jr-suffers-oil-leak-in-second-daytona-500-practice/ Ryan Newman loses motor, Martin Truex Jr. suffers oil leak in second Daytona 500 practice (UPDATED) Estrada Chris NBC Sports February 14, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com February 14, 2015 October 2026 InternetArchiveBot He will have to start from the rear in one of the Duel races. Martin Truex Jr. also dealt with engine gremlins due to a crack in his car's oil pan, but did not change engines. Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed MPH 1 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 45.153 199.322 2 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 45.155 199.314 3 33 Ty Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 45.158 199.300Official second practice results Pole qualifying "I wasn't behind the 44 [Sorenson]. He came flying around, come up on the apron, jumps in front of me, then runs over the 51 [Allgaier], stacks us all up and then I run into him. It's idiotic to be out here doing this anyway. There's no sense in being able to try to put on some cute show for whatever the hell this is. Then you have a guy out there doing this in desperation. There's no reason to be out here. These guys have spent six months working on these cars, busting their butts on these cars. But it ain't his fault. It's NASCAR's fault for putting us out in the middle of this crap for nothing. We used to come down here and worry about who would set on the front pole in the biggest race of the year. Now all we do is come down here and worry about how a start‑and‑park like this out of desperation is going to knock us out of the Daytona 500. We've been in meetings for 45 minutes just trying to figure out what in the hell everybody is going to do just so we can make the race. It's stupid. There's no sense in doing this." Clint Bowyer, after his incident in qualifying.http://thatsracinluckydog.blogspot.com/2015/02/clint-bowyer-goes-off-on-nascar-about.html Clint Bowyer goes off on NASCAR about Daytona group qualifying Utter Jim The Charlotte Observer February 15, 2015 ThatsRacin.com February 15, 2015 40% right The pole qualifying took place at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, February 15, a week prior to the Daytona 500 race itself. For the first time in the history of the Daytona 500, NASCAR eliminated the traditional single car qualifying format for the pole qualifying and introduced the Formula One-style knockout qualifying format, first introduced in the 2014 season. Unlike the other tracks however, the pole qualifying consists of three sessions of five minutes each, first introduced in the fall Talladega race: NASCAR randomly split the field into two groups for session 1 (one group had 25 cars, the other had 24). Each group had its own five minutes of track time. The fastest 24 cars overall from either group will advance to session 2. After a ten-minute break, these 24 cars would get five minutes of track time for session 2. The qualifying times from session 1 would reset prior to the start of session 2. The fastest 12 cars in session 2 will advance to session 3. Following a seven-minute break, these 12 cars would then compete for the top two guaranteed spots in the final five-minute session. Again, the qualifying times from session 2 would reset prior to the start of session 3. The top two times in the final qualifying session will be locked in the front row of the Daytona 500 starting grid, while the other 41 starting spots would be determined by the two Budweiser Duels the following Thursday. In what will be his final Daytona 500 start, Jeff Gordon won the pole with a time of 44.711 and a speed of 201.293 mph km/h on.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/02/Jeff-Gordon-Wins-Daytona-500-Pole.aspx Daytona 500 Pole to Gordon Pistone Pete Motor Racing Network February 15, 2015 MRN.com February 15, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20151124162822/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/02/Jeff-Gordon-Wins-Daytona-500-Pole.aspx November 24, 2015 dead mdy-all Gordon felt that in the new qualifying format, "the driver finally gets to play a role". He also stated that he had "a fast race car" and that the pole position was "one of the most gratifying poles I've had, not just because it's my final Daytona". His teammate Jimmie Johnson will start right alongside in 2nd. In the first round of qualifying, Clint Bowyer tried to go under Reed Sorenson when he got hit in the rear by Carl Edwards and turned right into Sorenson. Both cars slammed the wall and collected Bobby Labonte and J. J. Yeley. Denny Hamlin may have taken some damage. The session was red flagged with a minute and 22 seconds left. After the red flag was lifted, no one was able to make it back to the line before time expired. Upon exiting his car, Bowyer vented his frustrations at the Daytona qualifying procedure. The cars of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin failed post-qualifying inspection and will start from the rear of the field in their respective Duel races.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/02/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr-and-Denny-Hamlin-Fail-Inspection.aspx Earnhardt Jr., Hamlin Fail Inspection Pistone Pete Motor Racing Network February 15, 2015 MRN.com February 15, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150216011439/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/02/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr-and-Denny-Hamlin-Fail-Inspection.aspx February 16, 2015 dead Earnhardt's car was found to be too low on the left front, while the track bar on Hamlin's car was found to be 3 - 3.75 in beyond the maximum allowed. Both drivers expressed thoughts on Twitter post-penalties, with both looking forward to moving up the order in the Duels. Qualifying results Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer R1 Best Time in Round 1 R2 Best Time in Round 2 R3 Best Time in Round 3 Grid Starting spot in respective Duel race 1 24 Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 45.138 44.700 44.711 1 (1) 2 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 44.489 44.571 44.746 1 (2) 3 11 Denny HamlinThe qualifying times for Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were disallowed post-qualifying, for technical infractions. They will start from the rear of the field in their respective Duel races. HamEar "N" Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 45.036 44.590 44.791 24 (2) 4 20 Matt Kenseth (W) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 44.865 44.996 44.952 2 (1) 5 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 44.728 45.001 44.958 2 (2) 6 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 44.845 45.113 45.030 3 (1) 7 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 45.845 45.009 45.492 3 (2) 8 33 Ty Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 45.378 44.848 45.568 4 (1) 9 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 45.079 44.752 45.694 4 (2) 10 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (W)HamEar "N" Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 44.806 45.017 46.135 25 (1) 11 1 Jamie McMurray (W) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 44.500 44.632 46.600 5 (1) 12 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 45.376 45.059 47.200 5 (2) 13 83 Johnny Sauter BK Racing Toyota 45.096 45.404 — 6 (1) 14 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 45.209 45.575 — 6 (2) 15 6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 45.219 45.626 — 7 (1) 16 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 45.199 45.629 — 7 (2) 17 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 44.473 45.639 — 8 (1) 18 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 44.481 45.728 — 8 (2) 19 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 45.212 46.546 — 9 (1) 20 21 Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing Ford 45.207 46.564 — 9 (2) 21 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 45.269 46.574 — 10 (1) 22 55 Michael Waltrip (W) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 44.689 47.240 — 10 (2) 23 23 J. J. Yeley BK Racing Toyota 45.168 0.000 — 11 (1) 24 32 Bobby Labonte Go FAS Racing Ford 45.211 0.000 — 11 (2) 25 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 45.380 — — 12 (1) 26 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 45.402 — — 12 (2) 27 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 45.406 — — 13 (1) 28 31 Ryan Newman (W) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 45.414 — — 13 (2) 29 4 Kevin Harvick (W) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 45.456 — — 14 (1) 30 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 45.460 — — 14 (2) 31 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 45.462 — — 15 (1) 32 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 45.464 — — 15 (2) 33 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 45.467 — — 16 (1) 34 62 Brian Scott Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 45.494 — — 16 (2) 35 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 45.789 — — 17 (1) 36 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 45.794 — — 17 (2) 37 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 46.015 — — 18 (1) 38 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 46.072 — — 18 (2) 39 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 46.083 — — 19 (1) 40 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 46.153 — — 19 (2) 41 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 46.155 — — 20 (1) 42 44 Reed Sorenson Team XTREME Racing Chevrolet 46.159 — — 20 (2) 43 29 Justin Marks RAB Racing Toyota 46.231 — — 21 (1) 44 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 46.284 — — 21 (2) 45 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 46.389 — — 22 (1) 46 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 46.539 — — 22 (2) 47 40 Landon Cassill Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 46.560 — — 23 (1) 48 66 Mike Wallace Premium Motorsports Toyota 46.751 — — 23 (2) 49 30 Ron Hornaday Jr. The Motorsports Group Chevrolet 47.172 — — 24 (1)Official qualifying results Key Meaning (1) Race One (2) Race Two Practice (post-qualifying) Third practice (February 18) Kyle Busch was the fastest in the third practice session with a time of 44.826 and a speed of 200.776 mph km/h on.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/18/kyle-busch-tops-first-of-todays-two-daytona-500-practice-sessions/ Kyle Busch tops first of today’s two Daytona 500 practice sessions Estrada Chris NBC Sports February 18, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com February 18, 2015 During this session, there was a four car wreck on the backstretch that involved Michael Annett, Jeb Burton, Denny Hamlin and Danica Patrick.https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2015/02/18/danica-patrick-denny-hamlin-daytona-500-practice-crash/23622993/ Danica Patrick, Denny Hamlin in Daytona practice crash Gluck Jeff Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc. February 18, 2015 usatoday.com February 18, 2015 It started when Hamlin pulled out of line and Patrick tried to follow him, but made contact with the right-front corner of Hamlin's car when she over-corrected and hit the wall. Michael Annett tried to go high around Patrick on the outside when he got turned by Jeb Burton. Patrick, Annett and Burton all switched to backup cars. After the incident, Patrick stated that her car "sort of just started turning toward the right, the back end was coming around and it swapped ends" and that Hamlin was trying to "make a third lane in the middle and it felt like it must have caught my bumper". Hamlin felt that Patrick had intended to block his path, stating that a driver has "to give a little bit of extra room in practice" and that if he "had to guess, she probably saw in her mirror that I was going down there and tried to stay in front of me". Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed MPH 1 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 44.826 200.776 2 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 44.881 200.530 3 6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 44.988 200.053Official third practice results Fourth practice (February 18) Alex Bowman was the fastest in the fourth practice session with a time of 44.889 and a speed of 200.495 mph km/h on.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/18/alex-bowman-leads-fourth-daytona-500-practice-danica-19th-fastest-in-backup-car/ Alex Bowman leads fourth Daytona 500 practice; Danica 19th-fastest in backup car Estrada Chris NBC Sports February 18, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com February 18, 2015 Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed MPH 1 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 44.889 200.495 2 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 44.897 200.459 3 6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 44.913 200.387Official fourth practice results Final practice (February 19) Kyle Larson was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 46.705 and a speed of 192.699 mph km/h on.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/19/kyle-larson-leads-thursday-practice-session/ Kyle Larson leads Thursday practice session Long Dustin NBC Sports February 19, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com February 19, 2015 This session had only five drivers take part in it doing single car runs. Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed MPH 1 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 46.705 192.699 2 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 47.192 190.710 3 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 47.344 190.098Official fifth practice results Races Race One First-half Start The first race started at 7:19 p.m. Eastern time when Jeff Gordon led the field to the green. Matt Kenseth took the lead with the bottom lane to lead lap one. The first caution of the race flew on lap 17 after Casey Mears blew an engine in turn 1. Kenseth and Gordon swapped the lead on pit road, and Gordon exited as the leader for the restart on lap 24. Michael Annett was forced to drop to the end of the longest line because his crew was over the wall too soon. Trouble in the tri-oval Kenseth used the bottom line and jumped in front of Gordon to take back the lead on lap 26, just ahead of the race's second caution when Johnny Sauter crashed in the tri-oval, following contact with A. J. Allmendinger, while Aric Almirola also picked up some damage to his car.http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/daytona-500-johnny-sauter-aj-allmendinger-trevor-bayne-wreck-in-first-budweiser-duel-021915 Sauter, Allmendinger, Bayne wreck in first Budweiser Duel Pennell Jay Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. February 19, 2015 FoxSports.com February 19, 2015 Sauter stated that he was "just riding along" and that he was "trying to mind my business" before the contact with Allmendinger, with the point of impact being "in the left rear quarter panel". He also stated that it was "a bummer deal" for himself and his BK Racing team. Sauter and Allmendinger did however, make the starting lineup for the race, on their qualifying speeds. Allmendinger apologised for the contact with Sauter, while stating that his JTG Daugherty Racing car was fast, while also criticizing the racing that was occurring, stating that he "was trying to stay out of trouble and got put in the middle and I was trying to bail out of the middle". Michael McDowell dropped to the end of the longest line, for the restart on lap 33, after his crew was over the wall too soon. Second-half Dale Earnhardt Jr. used a slight push from the bottom line to take the lead on lap 35. Kenseth took the lead back from Earnhardt on the bottom to take back the lead on lap 39. On lap 43, Earnhardt used a slingshot move to overtake Kenseth for good. The third caution of the race flew on lap 51 when Trevor Bayne got loose, came down on Kyle Larson and hit the wall in turn 1. During this period, Ty Dillon broke his gear shifter. The race restarted with five laps to go and Earnhardt Jr. held off Jeff Gordon to win race one.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/02/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr-Takes-First-Duel.aspx Earnhardt Jr. Takes First Duel Pistone Pete Motor Racing Network February 19, 2015 MRN.com February 19, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150220070305/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/02/Dale-Earnhardt-Jr-Takes-First-Duel.aspx February 20, 2015 dead Earnhardt praised the work of his spotter TJ Majors in victory lane, stating that he "gave me the information I needed to make the moves I needed" and that he was "looking forward to getting to Sunday and trying to get another Daytona 500 win". Dillon, finished 16th after the gearshift issues, and was able to make the field. He described the result as "hard to explain" and that he had "been coming here since I was a kid watching my grandfather's cars race". Ron Hornaday Jr. and Justin Marks failed to make the race.http://frontstretch.com/2015/02/19/dale-earnhardt-jr-takes-first-budweiser-duel-gordon-2nd/ Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes first Budweiser Duel; Gordon 2nd Bowles Tom Frontstretch February 19, 2015 Frontstretch.com February 19, 2015 Results Pos Grid No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Laps 1 25 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 60 2 1 24 Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 60 3 10 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 60 4 15 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 60 5 20 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 60 6 14 4 Kevin Harvick (W) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 60 7 3 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 60 8 5 1 Jamie McMurray (W) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 60 9 23 40 Landon Cassill Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 60 10 22 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 60 11 12 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 60 12 19 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 60 13 11 23 J. J. Yeley BK Racing Toyota 60 14 17 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 60 15 18 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 60 16 4 33 Ty Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 60 17 2 20 Matt Kenseth (W) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 60 18 21 29 Justin Marks RAB Racing Toyota 60 19 9 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 60 20 8 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 60 21 24 30 Ron Hornaday Jr. The Motorsports Group Chevrolet 60 22 7 6 Trevor Bayne (W) Roush Fenway Racing Ford 60 23 13 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 27 24 6 83 Johnny Sauter BK Racing Toyota 27 25 16 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 17 Race 2 First-half Start Before the start, Josh Wise stalled at the entrance of pit road and took his car to the garage. This ultimately eliminated him from racing in the Daytona 500. The second race started 18 minutes late at 9:19 p.m. with Jimmie Johnson leading the field to the green flag. Kyle Busch took the lead on lap one. The first caution of the race flew on lap 19 for a spin by David Ragan, exiting turn 4. Ragan had cut across the nose of Justin Allgaier and got turned down onto the apron, making contact with the inside wall. Kyle Busch was first off pit road, but he was caught speeding on pit road and was forced to drop to the end of the line, allowing Johnson to retake the lead for the restart, on lap 25. Allgaier was also sent to the rear, as his pit crew came across the wall too soon. Second-half The second caution of the race flew on lap 37 for a multi-car wreck in the tri-oval. It started exiting turn 4 when Jeb Burton turned down into Sam Hornish Jr. who turned into Alex Bowman. Austin Dillon destroyed his splitter driving through the grass trying to avoid the wreck, which caused the race to be red flagged for five minutes. Neither Bowman nor Burton qualified for the Daytona 500. The race restarted with 20 laps to go. With 14 laps to go, Kurt Busch was given a drive-through penalty for passing below the double yellow line. The third caution of the race flew with three laps to go for a four car wreck in turn 3. Denny Hamlin gave Danica Patrick a push which turned her around and collected Brian Scott and Bobby Labonte. Scott failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 as a result, while Labonte relied upon a past champion's provisional to get into the race. Finish In a green–white–checker finish, Johnson held off a last lap charge by Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards to win the race.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/02/Second-Budweiser-Duel-to-Jimmie-Johnson.aspx Second Duel to Johnson Pistone Pete Motor Racing Network February 19, 2015 MRN.com February 19, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150220072623/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/02/Second-Budweiser-Duel-to-Jimmie-Johnson.aspx February 20, 2015 dead Johnson defined the Speedweeks at Daytona as "awesome" for his Hendrick Motorsports team, sweeping the Duels and the front row for the Daytona 500. Johnson also called his car as "mad fast". Patrick confronted Hamlin on pit road after the race. After the confrontation, Patrick told reporters that she had "no explanation for that", while also stating Hamlin was in the wrong by believing "that he's taking the air and getting it off the spoiler, and he's not squared up either". Results Pos Grid No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Laps 1 1 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 64 2 2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 64 3 3 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 64 4 6 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 64 5 5 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 64 6 9 21 Ryan Blaney Wood Brothers Racing Ford 64 7 20 44 Reed Sorenson Team XTREME Racing Chevrolet 64 8 23 66 Mike Wallace Premium Motorsports Toyota 64 9 17 29 Justin Marks RAB Racing Toyota 64 10 15 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 64 11 13 31 Ryan Newman (W) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 64 12 14 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 64 13 18 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 64 14 21 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 64 15 4 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 64 16 8 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 64 17 16 62 Brian Scott Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 64 18 24 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 64 19 10 55 Michael Waltrip (W) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 64 20 11 32 Bobby Labonte Go FAS Racing Ford 60 21 7 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 36 22 19 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 36 23 12 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 36 24 22 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 1 Media Television Fox Sports 1Booth announcersPit reporters Lap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Larry McReynoldsColor commentator: Darrell Waltrip Matt YocumJamie LittleChris Neville Radio MRN RadioBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Joe MooreAnnouncer: Jeff Striegle Turns 1 & 2: Dave MoodyBackstretch: Mike BagleyTurns 3 & 4: Kyle Rickey Winston KelleySteve PostAlex Hayden Notes "N" References 30em Budweiser Duels Budweiser Duels Category:NASCAR races at Daytona International Speedway