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02.18.16
Can-AM Duel Race Report
Date: Feb. 18, 2016
Event: Can-Am Duel at Daytona (non-points qualifying races for the 58th Daytona 500)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Start/Finish: 14th/7th (Running, completed 60 of 60 laps)
Winners: Can-Am Duel No. 1 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Can-Am Duel No. 2 – Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Danica Patrick and the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) brought home a seventh-place finish in the second Can-Am Duel qualifying race on Thursday night at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
The Can-Am Duel consists of twin qualifying races that set the 40-car field for the season-opening Daytona 500, and as a result of her finish in the event, Patrick earned the 16th starting position for Sunday’s “Great American Race.”
Patrick started the Duel from the 14th position and drafted her way into the top-10 by lap three. She remained in the top-13 until crew chief Billy Scott called her to pit road on lap 39 for a fuel-only stop. When she got back on track, Patrick was scored in the 12th position.
On the final lap, cars ahead of Patrick made contact. As she slowed and maneuvered to avoid the carnage from the six-car incident, the No. 10 Chevrolet hit a patch of oil on the track and spun down into the infield grass. The Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet sustained minimal damage, and Patrick was able to continue on and take the checkered flag. The field was frozen when the caution flag waved and Patrick was credited with a seventh-place finish.
“Our night was pretty uneventful for the most part,” Patrick said. “Once we made the pit stop we just didn’t get going quick enough to catch that lead group. It made it kind of interesting once we did catch them. AJ (Allmendinger) did a good job of leading the line and getting us back up there. Once we caught (the lead pack), then it got exciting. I was pretty surprised with how exciting it was getting up there. It wasn’t like it was a great big pack and you needed to make something happen, because there were only 10 of us up there.
“On the last lap I saw Jimmie (Johnson) starting to spin. I got on the brakes hard and started to slow down, then I got off the brake and started to just roll, and there was oil and (the car) just spun. It was super unexpected. Hopefully, nothing is wrong with the car and we can just hammer on it a little bit, get it where it needs to be, change out the engine and get ready for the 500.”
Kurt Busch led the way for SHR Thursday night by finishing third in the second Can-Am Duel race. Busch’s third-place finish in his Duel race slots him and his No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet SS eighth for Sunday’s Daytona 500.
In addition to Patrick and Busch, Brian Vickers, interim driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS as he subs for the injured Tony Stewart, was also in the second Duel race. He finished eighth and will start 18th in the Daytona 500.
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS, was the lone SHR driver in the first Duel. He finished fourth and will line up ninth in the Daytona 500.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the first Can-Am Duel by .183 of a second over runner-up Joey Logano. Ryan Blaney, Harvick and Denny Hamlin took spots three through five. The rest of the top-10 consisted of Chase Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Chris Buescher and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Kyle Busch won the second Can-Am Duel under caution ahead of runner-up Jamie McMurray. Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards and Ty Dillon took spots three through five. The rest of the top-10 consisted of Kyle Larson, Patrick, Vickers, Matt DiBenedetto and Michael Annett.
With the Can-Am Duel now complete, the field for the Daytona 500 is set. On the pole is Chase Elliott, and alongside him is Matt Kenseth. By notching the two quickest times during Sunday’s qualifying session, both drivers were able to lock themselves into the front row for the Daytona 500.
Failing to qualify for the Daytona 500 were David Gilliland, Reed Sorenson, Cole Whitt and Josh Wise.
The Daytona 500 gets underway at 1 p.m. EST Sunday, Feb. 21, with live coverage provided by FOX.