As racing continued at Daytona International Speedway following a two-hour-in addition to rain postpone Thursday night, there was a complete need to keep moving in the field for the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 at Daytona as the clock passed 12 PM.
While the Toyota contingent of Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace and Kyle Busch pushed to the front on the restart with two laps staying in additional time, it was Austin Dillon – with an all around planned push from previous colleague Kevin Harvick – who mobilized to the front. Dillon dropped low on Wallace and afterward won the drag race to the checkered flag for his first career Duel victory – a simple .057-seconds over Wallace.
Dillon won leading the only two laps on the night, lap 33 and afterward the last lap (63). It was like what he did in winning the 2018 Daytona 500 in the popular Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet when he drove just the last lap – completing a quarter-second in front of Wallace at that point, as well.
“I was talking to our spotter before the restart and he was like, ‘We’ve got the 4 (Harvick) behind us and he’s been pushing well all night.’ He had the 12 (Ryan Blaney in a Ford, like Harvick) so I knew the manufacturer thing was going to be tough,” Dillon said.
“I made a decent block on the backstretch and just a heckuva push through three and four. I knew Bubba was going to try and block, but I just whipped the wheel and it worked out well.”
The race denoted the presentation of Wallace’s 23XI Racing group, the No. 23 Toyota co-possessed by three-time Daytona 500 champ Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan. Wallace was fourth quickest in shaft qualifying and wrapped sprinter up in the 2018 Daytona 500 – this is a setting where he is especially idealistic about conveying for the new activity.
“A lot of mistakes,” Wallace said after climbing out of his Toyota. “Good debut but nothing to be really happy about for myself. It’s OK for drivers to be hard on themselves, that’s how we motivate ourselves to go out there and be better.
“Hats off to my guys at 23XI for a great DoorDash Toyota Camry. I tried to do all I could to help (Martin) Truex there get Toyota a win. I appreciate Kyle (Busch) for cutting me a lot of breaks.
“I know I have a lot to learn here, but all in all it was a good night. I’ve got some learning to do.”
A five-car accident with four laps of regulation staying forced the extra time period. Garrett Smithley – who expected to race his way into the Daytona 500 field – connected with previous NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, setting off a chain-reaction accident.
Outside pole-sitter William Byron, who drove a race best 35 of the 63 laps, was additionally trapped in the scuffle and his Hendrick Motorsports group should utilize a back-up variant of his No. 24 Chevrolet in Sunday’s Daytona 500.
Harvick, a previous arrangement champion who won an arrangement high nine races a year ago, helped push his previous RCR partner Dillon to the front. He completed third, trailed by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch and ruling NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott.
Veteran David Ragan completed eighth – best among the Open vehicles, expecting to procure a situation in the Daytona 500 field. Kaz Grala completed fourteenth and took the last vacant situation in the 40-vehicle field.
The NASCAR Cup Series will have two additional practices preceding the Daytona 500 – a couple of meetings on Saturday. The Daytona 500 is set for Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Multiple times already a victor from the Duel qualifying race has proceeded to win the Daytona 500. Denny Hamlin is attempting to win a record third continuous Daytona 500.
NASCAR Cup Series Race — Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
Thursday, February 11, 2021
- (4) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 63.
- (2) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 63.
- (3) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 63.
- (8) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 63.
- (5) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 63.
- (9) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 63.
- (17) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 63.
- (6) David Ragan, Ford, 63.
- (7) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 63.
- (15) Chris Buescher, Ford, 63.
- (13) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 63.
- (14) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 63.
- (20) Joey Gase, Ford, 63.
- (10) Kaz Grala, Chevrolet, 63.
- (11) Chase Briscoe #, Ford, 61.
- (18) Garrett Smithley(i), Ford, 61.
- (21) Derrike Cope, Chevrolet, 59.
- (22) Noah Gragson(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 56.
- (1) William Byron, Chevrolet, Accident, 56.
- (12) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, Accident, 56.
- (16) Anthony Alfredo #, Ford, Accident, 35.
- (19) BJ McLeod(i), Ford, Accident, 35.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 158.071 mph.
Time of Race: 0 Hrs, 59 Mins, 47 Secs. Margin of Victory: .057 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 2 for 8 laps.
Lead Changes: 14 among 6 drivers.
Lap Leaders: B. Wallace 1;W. Byron 2-11;K. Harvick 12-15;B. Wallace 16-17;K. Harvick 18;W. Byron 19-32;A. Dillon 33;K. Harvick 34-37;R. Blaney 38-41;W. Byron 42-51;M. Truex Jr. 52-53;K. Harvick 54-55;M. Truex Jr. 56-62;A. Dillon 63.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): William Byron 3 times for 34 laps; Kevin Harvick 4 times for 11 laps; Martin Truex Jr. 2 times for 9 laps; Ryan Blaney 1 time for 4 laps; Bubba Wallace 2 times for 3 laps; Austin Dillon 2 times for 2 laps.