The weekend before the race, qualifying laps are run to lock in ONLY the first and second positions. This year, those two drivers are Martin Truex, Jr. and Mark Martin. The rest of the cars will NOT start the 500 where they qualified. They will be placed into one of two qualifying races, the Gatorade Duel 150s, which are run on the Thursday before the 500. Where they finish in those races will decide where they start the Daytona 500 on Sunday. Keep in mind, the top 35 in owner points from last season are automatically in the 500. Have I confused you yet? If not, keep reading.....

     So, the polesitter and the outside polesitter (1st & 2nd) are locked in by qualifying the week before. Positions 3 through 39 are reserved for the top 35 in owner points from last season. Positions 40 through 42 are filled by the fastest qualifiers NOT in last season's top 35 or on the front row. Now, that doesn't mean that that is where they are starting. For example, Jimmy Johnson could still start in 41st if he does badly in his Duel race on Thursday. Simply put, that just means that 35 of the available positions are reserved for the top 35 from last season's owner's points, and what positions are left are for drivers outside of that elite group. And finally, position 43, as always, is reserved as the past champion's provisional. If spot 43 isn't filled by a past champion, it goes to the next fastest qualifier. Now on to Thursday's Duel 150s.

     There are two Duel races. The first duel race will consist of the polesitter plus the odd-numbered positions of the top 35 from last season's owner's points. The second duel will have the outside polesitter and the even-numbered car positions. The "go or go home" cars, (cars outside last year's top 35 owner points) will be alternated between the two duel races. The lineups for each race are determined by the car's qualifying speed posted this past weekend. So, here are the lineups for the Gatorade Duel at Daytona on Thursday.

 

1. Martin Truex, Jr.
2. Bill Elliott
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Aric Almirola
5. Jeff Gordon
6. Tony Stewart
7. Paul Menard
8. Greg Biffle
9. Joe Nemechek
10. Joey Logano
11. Matt Kenseth
12. Jamie McMurray
13. David Ragan
14. Marcos Ambrose
15. Scott Riggs
16. Michael Waltrip
17. John Andretti
18. Brad Keselowski
19. Kasey Kahne
20. Robby Gordon
21. Casey Mears
22. Kurt Busch
23. Sam Hornish, Jr.
24. Kirk Shelmerdine
25. Tony Raines
26. Terry Labonte
27. Mike Skinner
28. Carl Long

 

1. Mark Martin
2. Ryan Newman
3. Juan Pablo Montoya
4. Travis Kvapil
5. Bobby Labonte
6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
7. Regan Smith
8. Kyle Busch
9. Scott Speed
10. David Reutimann
11. Boris Said
12. Clint Bowyer
13. Denny Hamlin
14. Carl Edwards
15. Reed Sorenson
16. Elliott Sadler
17. Jeff Burton
18. Brian Vickers
19. A.J. Allmendinger
20. David Stremme
21. Jeremy Mayfield
22. Mike Wallace
23. Mike Garvey
24. Kevin Harvick
25. Derrike Cope
26. Kelly Bires
27. Geoff Bodine
28. Norm Benning

 

The Gatorade Duel at Daytona starts at 2 pm on Thursday, February 12th. Where a driver finishes in the Duel 150s determines where they start in the 500. For example, not counting the polesitter or outside polesitter from this past weekend, the winners of the Duel races will start 3rd and 4th in the 500. The second place finishers in each race will start 5th and 6th and so on and so on.

     Well, I hope I haven't confused you too bad. Just be glad this is the ONLY race that is qualified for in this way. And with all that being said, I only have one more thought before I drive off into the sunrise in search of breakfast..................GO #55!!!!!

 

 

And that's the pre-Daytona view from turn two.....