Motorsports

Daytona hugs and misses

Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to run strong, amid surprising struggles and outright failures.

By Brant James, Times Staff Writer
Published February 15, 2008

Dale Earnhardt Jr., coming off his win Saturday in the Bud Shootout, celebrates with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. after their victory in Thursday's race.
	[AP photo]

ADVERTISEMENT [Getty Images] The second qualifier Denny Hamlin's qualifying win in a Toyota is a significant NASCAR achievement for a foreign manufacturer. [AP photo] Michael Waltrip, back, helps Dale Jarrett squeeze into Sunday's Daytona 500, which Jarrett says will be his last. Waltrip led halfway through the second race, then dropped back with his MWR teammate who was in danger of not qualifying. [AP photo] Jacques Villeneuve gets out of his car after hitting the wall during the second qualifying race. He and fellow former open-wheel driver Patrick Carpentier missed their first shot at the 500.

DAYTONA BEACH - Story lines? The two 150-mile qualifying races for the Daytona 500 had plenty Thursday.

Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin won the second duel in a Toyota, the first victory for a foreign manufacturer at NASCAR's highest level since Al Keller in a Jaguar at Linden, N.J., in 1954.

The Wood Brothers, a pillar team in NASCAR's 60-year history, will miss the 500 for the first time since 1962.

Michael Waltrip Racing's team tactics helped escort three-time race champion Dale Jarrett into the 500 for what he says is his final time.

Oh, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed a win in the Bud Shootout on Saturday with a win in his qualifier, moving one step closer to becoming the first to win those two and the 500 in one season.

Does he dare proclaim himself the Daytona 500 favorite?

"Dare? Hmm, that's funny," he said, laughing. "I feel like we got a shot. ... Nobody's boastful enough, I don't think, personality-wise to come in here and claim that. I wouldn't expect anybody to do that, but I (think) we've got a great shot."

Jarrett faced the very real possibility of missing the 500 when Kurt Busch - the 2003 champion - had a wiring problem in the first duel that forced him to use a past champion's provisional to gain entry. That meant Jarrett, the 1999 champion who used six provisionals last season, had to race his way in by finishing first or second among nonqualifiers in his heat.

MWR, specifically Zephyrhills' David Reutimann, was under team orders to make that happen. Team owner/driver Michael Waltrip led midway through the second qualifier, where, fortunately for him, he and teammates Reutimann and Jarrett raced, but dropped back into the field to scoop up Jarrett, who was languishing midpack.

Waltrip soon pushed Jarrett to near the front and into a transfer spot and Reutimann ceded way and settled in to protect Jarrett's No. 44 Toyota.

"Trust me, all the guys in Michael Waltrip Racing, they weren't going to let me not know what I was supposed to be doing at any given time," said Reutimann, who officially qualified on speed by letting Jarrett past. "We knew that we needed (Jarrett) to finish ahead of (me). It's just how it needed to be. It's irrelevant where you start, to me, as long as we get three cars in the field."

In doing so, Reutimann knocked out Boris Said, whose late pass in a 2007 duel allowed him to qualify by transfer and Reutimann to make his first Daytona 500 on speed.

Said sat atop Reutimann's pit box during the second duel.

"I hated it for Boris," Reutimann said. "He got me in last year so I definitely feel like I owed him one, and I feel like we let him down."

Brian Vickers, Kenny Wallace, Busch, Jarrett, John Andretti, Joe Nemechek and Reutimann made the race as non top-35 entries.

Vickers secured his with a relatively unchallenged pass of Nemechek on the last lap of the first duel. Nemechek was assured to make the race with one of the top three speeds on non top-35 cars.

"Passing Joe got us in the race, but Joe not passing us back is really what got us in the race, to be honest with you. I have to thank Joe Nemechek, go on the record for that," Vickers said.

Former open-wheel drivers of French-Canadian descent did not fare well, with Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve and Indy Racing League veteran Patrick Carpentier crashing late in their qualifiers and missing their first shot at the 500.

Hendrick and Gibbs' success in the qualifiers - Stewart (JGR) second and Gordon (Hendrick) third behind Hamlin - could foretell a showdown in Sunday's race, but Stewart balanced reason with a good pitch.

"I think there's a lot of good cars that are also in that mix but if you look back, it's the normal suspects," he said. "But I'll help you guys out a little bit today, so yes, it's going to be an epic battle, the battle of the century. There may not be another battle of this proportion for the rest of my life."

What we learned

1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. is back. He's happy, he's successful driving for Hendrick Motorsports and he's a major threat to win a second 500.
2 Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing should press Hendrick Motorsports in the 500.
3 The legendary Wood Brothers team is in major trouble in missing its first 500 since the Kennedy Administration.

[Last modified February 14, 2008, 23:24:16]