Gatorade Duels Are A Little Bit Different

Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle will share the front row for Sunday's Daytona 500 and each will lead the field to the start of one of Thursday's Gatorade Duels. (HHP/Harold Hinson photo)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — With all but four positions available for the Daytona 500 starting lineup the pressure to perform in the Gatorade Duel at Daytona qualifying races isn’t what it used to be.

Long gone are the days when drivers fought hard to gain finish in the top 15 in either of the two qualification races. With last year’s top 35 already locked into the field and the next four positions out of that group making it on time from Sunday’s qualification days, the actual battle to make the race is limited to a very few backmarkers.

That makes Thursday’s two 150-mile qualification races a chance for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers to find out what their cars can do under race conditions. And while most of the field is already guaranteed a starting position in the Daytona 500, the actual order of the grid will be determined by order of finish on Thursday.

Pole winner Carl Edwards and Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle swept the front row in Sunday’s qualifications and barring any crashes or engine changes are locked into those positions for Sunday. Edwards will lead the field to the green flag in the first Daytona Duel and Biffle will start on the pole in Thursday’s second race.

As a race driver, Edwards wants to be first to the first in any race he competes in but on Thursday he has to balance that zeal to win along with preserving a car that is guaranteed to start on the pole on Sunday.

So, how does he approach Thursday’s race? Does he race to win or drive cautiously?

“I think it depends on Bob Osborne,” Edwards said of his crew chief. “I think it is how much he can stomach. Just in practice today I started having a little bit of fun out there and I think it made him a little bit nervous. I think it would probably be entertaining to tune into Bob and our radio conversation. For me, this might sound dumb but I am not too worried about if we crash the car. We have a good back up car and it is identical and should be just as fast. I think there is value in learning something from that 150. I think you are going to learn things you can apply the last five laps at the 500 that could make a difference. I would like to race pretty hard in that 150. Obviously if it gets really crazy then maybe I would think about trying to give myself more room but right now the mission is to go race and learn.”

With the return to “pack racing” at Daytona Int’l Speedway instead of last year’s “Two-car Tandem” style or racing some drivers might see if the old strategy of hanging out in the back of the pack and waiting to make a move late in the race will be used in the Daytona 500. Because Thursday’s races are short sprints, that strategy will be difficult to try but Edwards said he may drop back just to see how difficult it is to race back to the front.

“I think we are going to find out in the 150’s,” Edwards said. “In the 500 it might be a case where if they are three-wide six rows deep, you aren’t just going to drive up there at the end of the race and go by them. I think that is something every driver has to balance. How hard do you want to race so that you are in a position to capitalize at the end? I have been in that spot where I have been really aggressive and had things go badly. I have been really cautious and had things go badly too. It seems to be just a ton of chance involved and there is no real sure way to make sure you are there at the end to compete. There is no set path or sure plan that works. I think it works different ways for everybody at different times.”

Drivers such as three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart limited their practice time on Wednesday. In the first practice session the drivers ran in packs but in the afternoon session, Stewart kept his Chevrolet in the garage. Those that did take the track ran in single-car runs around the track rather than running in the pack.

“I think we’ve got a really good car for Sunday, so you want to get the best finishing position you can in the Shootout without beating up the race car,” Stewart said. “So, we’re going to try to do everything we can to now put ourselves in bad situations. But when it comes to the end of the race tomorrow, we’ll push really hard to see how far up we can get and try to get a good spot, but I guess the biggest variable in the equation is just don’t hurt the car that we’ve got.

“We’re locked into the race and I think even if we don’t get the starting spot we want, I still think you can come from the back much easier and get to the front. The biggest thing is to just take care of the race car. But the racer in you at the end of the day still wants to go get the best finish you can.”

Thursday’s first race begins at 2 p.m. with the second race starting shortly after the conclusion of the first Daytona Duel.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is the 2004 Daytona 500 winner and admitted he would like to win on Thursday but realizes the big prize comes on Sunday afternoon.

“When we get into the qualifying race we will race pretty hard, but race smart,” Earnhardt said. “Hopefully we will not have to pull out a back-up (car). You would love to win that race (the duel qualifying race) and make a statement going into the (Daytona) 500. It would give the team some confidence; get your sponsors a little extra coverage.

“Winning would get everybody in good spirits for this Sunday.”

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Posted by Bruce Martin on Feb 22 2012 Filed under Latest Headlines, NASCAR, Sprint Cup, Top Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.