Ricard Childress Racing's Kevin Harvick continues to enjoy a great start to 2013, a win in the first Budweiser Duel race on Thursday afternoon adding to his success in last weekend's
Daytona Unlimited exhibition event. It means that Harvick will start the
Daytona 500 from third place, with Greg Biffle - also the runner-up in the Unlimited - set to start right behind him in fifth.
2011
Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne had led for over half of the race, heading a total of 37 of the 60 laps before pitting and handing the lead to Harvick. Bayne was later eliminated from the Duel after getting caught up in an accident on lap 52 triggered by Denny Hamlin getting loose and sliding sideways into Carl Edwards, with Regan Smith also ending up with damage.
The field for Duel 1 was comprised of those cars that finished in odd-numbered positions in Sunday's formal qualifying speed trials. The order in which they finish the Duel sets the order in which they start on the inside line behind pole position holder Danica Patrick, with adjustments for any cars locked in by owner points or champion provisionals.
Patrick started up front for the Duel but quickly fell back through the field, with a malfunction of her tachometer causing the team consternation. However, she avoided any accidents that could have seen her sent to the back of the grid for Sunday's race. Juan Montoya and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both had to overcome such handicaps in the Duel after blowing engines in earlier practice sessions: Montoya still powered back to third place and Earnhardt finished in tenth.
Duel 1 results1.
#29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing 60 laps 54mins 10secs2.
#16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing 60 laps + 0.165s3.
#42 Juan Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing 60 laps + 0.354s4.
#48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 60 laps + 0.379s5.
#78 Kurt Busch Furniture Row Racing 60 laps + 0.446s6.
#14 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing 60 laps + 0.535s7.
#2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing 60 laps + 0.593s8.
#13 Casey Mears Germain Racing 60 laps + 0.622s9.
#88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Hendrick Motorsports 60 laps + 0.678s10.
#22 Joey Logano Penske Racing 60 laps + 0.730s11.
#47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing 60 laps + 0.738s12.
#38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports 60 laps + 0.811s13.
#87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports 60 laps + 0.829s14.
#26 Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Racing 60 laps + 0.854s15.
#95 Scott Speed Leavine Family Racing 60 laps + 0.944s16.
#83 David Reutimann BK Racing 60 laps + 0.961s17.
#10 Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Racing 60 laps + 6.294s18.
#51 Regan Smith Finch Racing 60 laps + 31.440s19.
#56 Martin Truex, Jr Michael Waltrip Racing 60 laps + 1 lap *
20.
#11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 59 laps + 1 Lap21.
#52 Brian Keselowski Brian Keselowski Racing 58 laps + 2 Laps22.
#99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing 52 laps + 8 Laps23.
#21 Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Racing 52 laps + 8 Laps* - black-flagged after side window became detached