Duel No. 2: Toyota Breaks Through, Bags First Cup Win

Personal goal No. 1: Check. That’s the sentiment from Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin after winning Gatorade Duel No. 2 on Thursday afternoon from Daytona International Speedway. The victory was Toyota’s first of any kind in Cup competition and was a break from the Chevy dominance exhibited thus far in Speedweeks 2008.

“That was a personal goal of mine, to get Toyota its first win and this is a race; it counts as a race, so (I) was very pleased with our effort,” Hamlin said. “To give those guys their very first win and so early into the season, is definitely a proud moment."

The second Duel featured eight Toyotas, including all three Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing machines. Michael Waltrip started on the pole and led the race’s first 13 laps before Matt Kenseth drafted to the point. His lead didn’t last long.

On lap 16 Jacques Villeneuve broke loose in turn four and collected fellow go-or-go-homer Stanton Barrett as well as Jamie McMurray and Dario Franchitti. While Villeneuve and Barrett’s hopes at a 500 start were dashed, McMurray and Franchitti will start 38th and 40th on Sunday by virtue of their standing in the top 35.

Dave Blaney suffered an engine failure in his Toyota shortly thereafter that brought out the race’s second yellow. On the ensuing restart Jeff Gordon hung back on race-leader Waltrip, who had gotten around Kenseth, and blew by on the first green-flag lap. It was then that Waltrip’s priorities changed.

The No. 55, which was an obvious contender for the win, dropped back to aid teammate Dale Jarrett’s quest in qualifying for his final Daytona 500.

“It made my job easier knowing that I had someone there at my back,” Jarrett said. “But my car was good enough to drive up there and do what I needed to do. I told the guys early on when they asked about my car. I knew my car was really good. I was just free enough that I knew I shouldn't be hurt in the right front tire, and that I could run around the top when I needed to do that.”

While the drama in the middle of the pack built — with Jarrett, John Andretti, Patrick Carpentier, Eric McClure and Ken Schrader all battling for the final two transfer spots — the race up front waged on.

Hamlin and his JGR teammates Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch slugged it out with Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin through the race’s second half. It came to a head when a blown tire on Patrick Carpentier’s Dodge sent the event to a green-white-checker overtime finish. Stewart, who was leading, knew he may be a sitting duck with only three to go.

“Having our teammate behind us (Hamlin) provides a little bit of comfort there,” Stewart explained. “But you have to be a realist. I mean, I got on Denny's channel and I told him exactly — to a tee — what Jeff was going to do on the restart. It's just making Denny aware of what was coming. I told Denny, I said, ‘You do what you got to do. Just watch Jeff. Don't worry about me. I'm going to do what you do.’” 


True to form, Gordon hung back when the green flew and, along with Hamlin, drafted by Stewart’s No. 20 and held on for the win, his second career triumph at Daytona.

“Tony kind of clued me in on Jeff's habits over the years of what he does on restarts to try to, you know, get guys at the very end,” Hamlin reiterated. “We knew with the huge run we had going down the back straightaway, if I would have chose to hit Tony there that would have been a huge opportunity for Jeff to pull down and pass really both of us with relative ease.

“We knew at the end it was going to be tough for us to finish 1-2 by simply riding that way. We needed to kind of almost exchange positions to kind of get that finish we needed at the end, because we knew the 24, the 8 and the 9 were all planning something behind us.”

Stewart finished second, with Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin rounding out the top 5.

While the final caution hurt Stewart, it provided John Andretti and his Front Row Motorsports team the chance to take on four tires and ride into Daytona 2008 as the ultimate underdog. Their late stop for fresh rubber netted them a 10th-place finish, putting them 22nd on Sunday’s grid.

“I don't know what to say,” a speechless Andretti gushed later. “I didn't expect to be here. I think the team has done a great job. I mean, in the race, there were some guys that really did treat me fair.

“It was a good race. I knew when I passed Michael (Waltrip) that was it. I knew when I got alongside Dale (Jarrett) that he was the (transfer) guy, coming to the checkered flag.”

The final two drivers outside of the Top 35 that did not finish in the top two of their Duel events were Reutimann and Joe Nemechek. Their speeds in qualifying earned each a spot. Nemechek will start 41st, Reutimann 42nd on Sunday while Kurt Busch will use a Past Champion’s Provisional, as his car suffered an engine failure on lap 10 of the first Duel.

For more in-depth driver news and hard-hitting features, order your 2008 Athlon Sports Racing Annual here.

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