Coverage begins tonight at 7:30 on SPEED…

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Tony Stewart takes the pole for the Camping world 300 Saturday 2-16-08.   Here are teh Qualifying results…

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 Gatorade Duel 2 Results

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jeff Gordon pushed Denny Hamlin past Hamlin’s teammate Tony Stewart with one lap to go, and Hamlin hung on to win the second Gatorade 150 qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway.

     Stewart held on to give the Joe Gibbs Toyota team a one-two finish. Gordon was third, followed by Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, David Ragan, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Dale Jarrett and John Andretti.

    Jarrett, a three-time Daytona 500 winner and former NASCAR champion, stole the show in a green, white, checkered finish because just about everybody on the race track offered to help him clinch one of the two spots available to drivers out of the top 35 in points from last year. Jarrett’s ninth-place finish made him the first of seven drivers trying to grab the two positions.

    Veteran John Andretti sped past David Reutimann on the last lap to grab the other spot. Reutimann joins Joe Nemechek as one of the two drivers earning spots in Sunday’s 50th anniversary of the Great American Race.

     A problem with a right front tire on Patrick Carpentier’s Dodge ended his chances to make the race with three laps remaining.  Carpentier slammed into the wall coming out of turn two after holding down one of the two spots available in the race for the highest finishers not in NASCAR’s top 35 points.

     Dave Blaney also showed he is going to be a factor in the 500, running with the leaders before suffering engine problems.

    Hamlin’s win was the first for Toyota in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race

Four cars had to start from the rear in the second race, including Stewart, Gordon and Hamlin because of engine changes, and Franchitti, who missed driver introductions.

    Shortly after the green flag, front row starter David Reutimann  joined the back of the pack after jumping the start. He received a pass through the pits penalty for crossing the start-finish before his teammate and pole-sitter Michael Waltrip. The pole-winner must cross the line first under NASCAR rules.

     Waltrip led the first few laps with Blaney and Kenseth in tow.
 
     Kenseth took the lead on the 13th lap with Kasey Kahne on his bumper. Waltrip slipped to third.
     
     On the 15th lap, Jacques Villeneuve lost control of his Toyota in turn four and slid up the track, collecting Stanton Barrett, Franchitti and Jamie McMurray in the process.

     After a lengthy caution to clean up debris on the track, Kenseth took up where he left off before the caution flag, in front of the pack.

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 Gatorade Duel 1 Results

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –  Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the first Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying race Thursday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway.

    Earnhardt’s win continued his Daytona “happy time” since NASCAR’s most popular driver started his season with new car owner Rick Hendrick Saturday night by winning the Bud Shootout.

    He was one happy dude. He was happy again Thursday, but the happiest guy on the race track had to be Kenny Wallace. And the second happiest had to be Brian Vickers.

    Both drivers had to “race” their way into Sunday’s 50th anniversary of the Great American Race, the Daytona 500.

     Wallace finished eighth behind Earnhardt, Reed Sorenson, Ryan Newman, Casey Mears, Carl Edwards, Bobby Labonte and Juan Pablo Montoya.

    Vickers finished a few spots further back in 11th behind Sam Hornish and Paul Menard.

     It was an amazing run for Vickers who had to ovrcome an early spin plus an extra pit stop.

     Earnhardt diced it up at the front with Sorenson, Newman and others enroute his win.

     Once again, he was happy and hoped the fans enjoyed the race.
 
      “That was fun” he said. “These new cars are a handful, but we’ll sort that all out. It reminded me of the old days with the cars slipping and sliding around.”

Brian Vickers brought out the caution on the second lap, spinning across the track out of turn four after being tapped from the rear by Boris Said.

      Fortunately, Vickers’ Toyota escaped damage, and he returned to the race at the back of the field.

     Seven cars, including Daytona 500 pole winner Jimmie Johnson, started the first race from the rear after engine problems in practice forced a change. Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., AJ Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, J.J. Yeley and Scott Riggs also started from the rear.

      Joe Nemechek roared to the front early on and showed his Furniture Row Chevy was quick. Nemechek, Newman and Sorensen swapped the lead while Kurt Busch dropped from contention on the ninth lap with mechanical problems.

     By lap 15, Edwards and Truex sped to the front of the field. Two laps later, Earnhardt completed his charge from the back of the field to the front.

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