Post by dalejrfan on Feb 16, 2006 22:47:25 GMT -5
Sadler, Gordon prevail as NASCAR sets field for Daytona 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Cooler heads prevailed Thursday as Elliott Sadler and Jeff Gordon scored victories in the Gatorade Duel, the 150-mile qualifying races that helped set the starting lineup for Sunday's Daytona 500.Following the Budweiser Shootout on Sunday, Tony Stewart warned of great peril if rough-and-tumble bump drafting wasn't brought under control.
NASCAR reacted with a "no zone" rule, designating areas where particular emphasis would be placed on governing the practice. In the drivers' meeting before Thursday's races, NASCAR president Mike Helton warned the participants that "rough driving" anywhere on the track could draw a penalty.
There were, however, no penalties called.
"There's something about when Mike Helton talks, people listen," Jamie McMurray said after finishing third behind Hendrick Motorsports teammates Gordon and Kyle Busch. "I think it's something that needed to be addressed.
"Every time we've come to a speedway, things were getting worse."
Sadler said the difference between how things worked on Sunday and how they went Thursday was largely due to the difference in the nature of the events.
"A lot of that, 80 percent of that, is protecting your Daytona 500 car," said Sadler, who won his qualifying race here for the second time in three years and became the first driver to take Ford's new Fusion to victory lane.
"You don't want to feel like your guys have to start all over with a new 500 car and you just kind of want to save it for Sunday."
The races run on Thursday during Speedweeks at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway have long been nicknamed the "Twins," since they run in pairs. This year's races certainly fit that description, as they followed nearly identical pairings.
In both 60-lap races, cautions that began on Lap 28 gave the leaders the chance to come in for pit stops. In each case, the car that got off pit road first led the rest of the way and won the race.
There were more similarities, too. Each of the races finished with green-white-checkered finishes because of cautions that came out just before the white flag waved.
That set up furious battles in each to determine which two cars not guaranteed starting spots in the 500 would advance from each heat - and which 15 cars would be going home.
It was in these battles where the day's true drama fell.
In the first race, Kevin Lepage clawed his way into the week's main event by finishing 16th, just ahead of Bill Elliott. Mike Skinner and Derrike Cope finished right behind them, but that wasn't enough to get them into the 500.
"That's the hardest race I've raced," said Lepage, who finished ninth on Sunday after also racing his way in a year ago. "This was even harder than last year."
When Elliott got his transfer spot, that assured Robby Gordon that he'd race on Sunday, too, after having missed the 500 last year.
But Gordon still went out and finished 10th in the second 150 Thursday, leaving Mike Wallace, Scott Riggs and Kenny Wallace to battle on the final two laps for the final slot. Mike Wallace held on, knocking Riggs out of the field in what he would have liked to have been his first start with a new Evernham Motorsports team.
Longshot Kirk Shelmerdine also squeezed into the field based on his qualifying speed from Sunday.
Sadler, who also won his qualifying race here in 2004, had to hold off Carl Edwards and a charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the green-white checkered finish to the first race.
"I think we just have a new attitude," said Sadler, who struggled in 2005 after qualifying for the Chase for the Nextel Cup in 2004. "We feel like we're all going into war together. I feel like I am the quarterback of this race team and it's time for me act like it."
Gordon, even though he won the Daytona 500 for the third time in his career in 2005, is also looking to bounce back after a subpar season in 2005. He's a four-time Cup champion, but he failed to make the Chase a year ago, but he qualified second fastest here on Sunday behind only Jeff Burton and backed that up with Thursday's win.
"Everybody wants to get the season started off with something positive," Gordon said. "Last year we won three of the first nine races and I think some of that was from the momentum we carried out of here."
Gordon will be looking to roll up some momentum for 2006 on Sunday, where he'll start on the front row alongside Jeff Burton with Sadler and Kyle Busch on Row 2.
"I don't know how you can just pick one guy," Gordon said when asked if he should be considered a favorite for Sunday. "The 38 (Sadler) was really strong in the first race today. ...But I think we're one of the guys and I'd like to think we're one of the favorites. But whether we're the one to beat, we'll see in the final laps on Sunday."
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Cooler heads prevailed Thursday as Elliott Sadler and Jeff Gordon scored victories in the Gatorade Duel, the 150-mile qualifying races that helped set the starting lineup for Sunday's Daytona 500.Following the Budweiser Shootout on Sunday, Tony Stewart warned of great peril if rough-and-tumble bump drafting wasn't brought under control.
NASCAR reacted with a "no zone" rule, designating areas where particular emphasis would be placed on governing the practice. In the drivers' meeting before Thursday's races, NASCAR president Mike Helton warned the participants that "rough driving" anywhere on the track could draw a penalty.
There were, however, no penalties called.
"There's something about when Mike Helton talks, people listen," Jamie McMurray said after finishing third behind Hendrick Motorsports teammates Gordon and Kyle Busch. "I think it's something that needed to be addressed.
"Every time we've come to a speedway, things were getting worse."
Sadler said the difference between how things worked on Sunday and how they went Thursday was largely due to the difference in the nature of the events.
"A lot of that, 80 percent of that, is protecting your Daytona 500 car," said Sadler, who won his qualifying race here for the second time in three years and became the first driver to take Ford's new Fusion to victory lane.
"You don't want to feel like your guys have to start all over with a new 500 car and you just kind of want to save it for Sunday."
The races run on Thursday during Speedweeks at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway have long been nicknamed the "Twins," since they run in pairs. This year's races certainly fit that description, as they followed nearly identical pairings.
In both 60-lap races, cautions that began on Lap 28 gave the leaders the chance to come in for pit stops. In each case, the car that got off pit road first led the rest of the way and won the race.
There were more similarities, too. Each of the races finished with green-white-checkered finishes because of cautions that came out just before the white flag waved.
That set up furious battles in each to determine which two cars not guaranteed starting spots in the 500 would advance from each heat - and which 15 cars would be going home.
It was in these battles where the day's true drama fell.
In the first race, Kevin Lepage clawed his way into the week's main event by finishing 16th, just ahead of Bill Elliott. Mike Skinner and Derrike Cope finished right behind them, but that wasn't enough to get them into the 500.
"That's the hardest race I've raced," said Lepage, who finished ninth on Sunday after also racing his way in a year ago. "This was even harder than last year."
When Elliott got his transfer spot, that assured Robby Gordon that he'd race on Sunday, too, after having missed the 500 last year.
But Gordon still went out and finished 10th in the second 150 Thursday, leaving Mike Wallace, Scott Riggs and Kenny Wallace to battle on the final two laps for the final slot. Mike Wallace held on, knocking Riggs out of the field in what he would have liked to have been his first start with a new Evernham Motorsports team.
Longshot Kirk Shelmerdine also squeezed into the field based on his qualifying speed from Sunday.
Sadler, who also won his qualifying race here in 2004, had to hold off Carl Edwards and a charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the green-white checkered finish to the first race.
"I think we just have a new attitude," said Sadler, who struggled in 2005 after qualifying for the Chase for the Nextel Cup in 2004. "We feel like we're all going into war together. I feel like I am the quarterback of this race team and it's time for me act like it."
Gordon, even though he won the Daytona 500 for the third time in his career in 2005, is also looking to bounce back after a subpar season in 2005. He's a four-time Cup champion, but he failed to make the Chase a year ago, but he qualified second fastest here on Sunday behind only Jeff Burton and backed that up with Thursday's win.
"Everybody wants to get the season started off with something positive," Gordon said. "Last year we won three of the first nine races and I think some of that was from the momentum we carried out of here."
Gordon will be looking to roll up some momentum for 2006 on Sunday, where he'll start on the front row alongside Jeff Burton with Sadler and Kyle Busch on Row 2.
"I don't know how you can just pick one guy," Gordon said when asked if he should be considered a favorite for Sunday. "The 38 (Sadler) was really strong in the first race today. ...But I think we're one of the guys and I'd like to think we're one of the favorites. But whether we're the one to beat, we'll see in the final laps on Sunday."