The Daytona International Speedway hosted two exhilarating Duel races, setting the stage for the upcoming Daytona 500. Duel No. 1 saw Joey Logano and Kyle Larson taking the lead positions at the start, while in Duel No. 2, Michael McDowell and Austin Cindric started on the front row. Throughout the races, strategic pit stops played a crucial role, with Toyotas, Chevys, and Fords making their moves at different times. The races were filled with intense moments, including McDowell receiving a massive push from Cindric to take the lead in the final laps of Duel No. 2. Kaz Grala fought hard to secure a spot, finishing in fifth despite a slow pit stop that left him out of the draft.
Hamlin trying to protect, Cindric and Keselowski up top. Grala in the third lane trying to hang on. #NASCAR | #BluegreenDuels
GREEN with 8 to go. McDowell and Cindric up top, Hamlin and Bell down low. Hamlin got too far out there and McDowell with a MASSIVE push from Cindric! McDowell to the lead and Kaz Grala to fifth! #NASCAR | #BluegreenDuels
Back to green, McDowell leads with eight laps left in Duel 2. Open cars: Grala 7th, Ragan 10th, McLeod 13th
Coming back to the green flag with eight laps to go in Duel 2. McDowell-Hamlin-Cindric-Bell-Nemechek. Grala is P7, McLeod is P13.
McDowell, Hamlin, Cindric lead a freight train up the outside down the back to retake the lead after pit stops. 15 laps to go. Grala lost the draft leaving pit road after a slow stop. #NASCAR | #BluegreenDuels
McDowell led lap 42 and brings a chunk of the Fords down pit road coming to 17 to go. Burton, Blaney, Keselowski, Ragan, and Grala the last five out there - they come completing lap 44. #NASCAR
Hey that was so much fun, let’s do it again! Green flag for Duel #2 at Daytona. 🟢#NASCAR 🎥 @NASCAR https://t.co/QYS5DAveG2
Green flag for Duel No. 2. McDowell and Cindric on front row, Grala vs. McLeod for final spot.
That race was so much fun, let's do it again! Duel #2 is green at Daytona! #DAYTONA500 #NASCAR #BluegreenDuel
That was an incredible race. #DAYTONA500 #NASCAR #BluegreenDuel
Chevys pit with 16 to go. Fords remain out there. And then they pit coming to complete lap 45 - Gilliland, Logano, Preece and Buescher. #NASCAR | #BluegreenDuels
Coming to lap 40, Toyotas (sans Truex) are down pit road. Four in total - JJ, EJ, Ty, and Reddick. #NASCAR | #BluegreenDuels
Green flag for Duel No. 1 at Daytona International Speedway! Joey Logano and Kyle Larson lead their respective rows into Turn 1.