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| Harvick is 2-for-2 at Daytona |
In a replay of last Saturday’s
Sprint Unlimited, Harvick once again surged to the front, then held off two
lanes of pursuers to prevail over Greg Biffle by 0.165 seconds. It is the second
time in a week that Harvick and Biffle have finished one-two here at Daytona,
after Harvick claimed the Sprint Unlimited title over Biffle by 0.149 seconds.
“We’ve been fortunate to win
the first two races of Speedweeks,” said Harvick, who now has six career wins
at the World Center of Racing. “We just have to keep a level head on our
shoulders, not get too high over what we’ve done, and do the same things that
we’ve done. If (winning the Daytona 500 is) meant to be, it’s meant to be. I
think we definitely have the car and team to be in contention to do that.”
“You have to be in the right
place at the right time,” said Biffle of his second `close but no cigar’ outing
of the new season “You have to get a run and have some cars with you. A bunch
of people wanted to know why I didn’t turn him. It doesn’t take any talent to
wreck somebody for the win and wreck 20 cars behind you. You have to run as
hard as you can and trade a little paint, but at the same time, we all have to
finish.”
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| Kyle scores in Duel #2 |
Busch’s win over Kasey Kahne
and Austin Dillon in the second Budweiser Duel marks his second career victory
in the 150-mile races. Unlike Harvick, who laid back for the first half of his
race, Busch kept his No. 18 Toyota near the front of the field and led two
different times for a total of 19 laps.
“This is certainly a huge
confidence boost for our team, being able to set the momentum in the right
direction at the start of the season,” he said.
Dillon, who will start
eighth in his first “Great American Race” on Sunday, was thankful for a good
run behind the wheel of the No. 33 Chevrolet.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said
Dillon. “I’m glad my grandfather can sleep now. He was wearing me out before
the race, especially when those three RCR cars (qualified in the first Duel).
It was a blast out there.”
With no cautions in the
second Duel to slow the pack, the event featured the second-highest speed in
the history of the Duels. With a pace of 193.966 mph, the race ran just 0.209
mph slower than the record set by Matt Kenseth in last year’s second Budweiser
Duel.
Danica Patrick, who has
secured the pole for Sunday’s Daytona 500, will become the first woman to lead
the field to the green flag in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
“I think what I really need
to do is go down to Harvick’s bus tonight and figure out what he’s got going
on,” said Patrick when asked what she learned today. “He’s got it figured out
here this year, so, good job to him.”
Of the 45 drivers
participating in the Duels, only 12 were guaranteed a spot in NASCAR’s biggest race.
Brian Keselowski – brother of defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad
– and Mike Bliss failed to make the 43-car field. Racing action resumes today
with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250, which
will be run under the lights at 8:00 ET.
Photo: Terry Renna/AP, Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
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