Marlin takes first win for Dodge.

Daytona expert Sterling Marlin erased any remaining doubts that lingered over the Dodge Intrepid's ability to run in the draft after taking a last gasp victory in the first of Sunday's two Gatorade 125-mile qualifying races at the Daytona International Speedway.

Two time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin charged to the flag in a frantic final lap sprint to take the all-new Dodge Intrepid's first race win on their return to NASCAR and the first victory for new-team owner of Marlin's No.40 Coors Light Dodge, Chip Ganassi.

The 1992 and 1994 Daytona 500 winner overcame late race leader Dale Earnhardt in the 50-lap sprint event, which boiled down to a one lap dash after a late race caution caused by Ron Hornaday and defending Daytona 500 Champion Dale Jarrett.

Marlin, who started fourth on the grid, had a strong car all day and was able to challenge for the lead as early as the second lap before moving up and down the field in what turned out to be an exciting drafting battle. Taking the final re-start in fourth spot, behind Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Michael Waltrip, Marlin used the draft to great affect and was able to slingshot out from behind the leading trio coming off Turn One for the final time and, swooping low on the racetrack down the back straight, pushed the nose of his machine ahead of Earnhardt going into Turn Three and kept his marginal advantage to the flag.

Travelling in Marlin's immediate slipstream was Jerry Nadeau, who had started last in the 26 car field after having his qualifying lap disallowed for failing a technical inspection, and the driver of the Rick Hendrick owned No.25 Delphi/UAW Chevrolet appeared to be out to prove a point as he rocketed through the pack in the early laps.

His momentum on the last lap was enough to demote Earnhardt to third overall and he will start Sunday's Daytona 500 in fifth spot, directly behind Marlin in third and directly ahead of Earnhardt in seventh.

'The Intimidator' was not too displeased with third place despite watching the third potential victory at Daytona this year (4th at the Daytona 24 Hour Sportscar event and 2nd in the Bud Shootout) and he can take solace in the fact that he led a race high 19 laps.

For several of the 26 starters, a place in the top 14 was essential if they wanted to qualify for Sunday's big race as they neither had sufficient qualifying speeds nor owner's Provisional starting slots to fall back on and coming through to fourth overall was one of those drivers, Andy Houston, who put in a mature drive in Cal Wells' No96 McDonalds Ford Taurus.

Jimmy Spencer almost drove onto the infield section as the field entered the tri-oval for the final time as he attempted to pass Gordon and another impressive rookie, Jason Leffler, and despite kicking up a fair amount of dust Spencer's plan worked and he was rewarded with fifth spot overall and ninth place on the Daytona 500 grid.

Sixth place was not what Jeff Gordon and his crew wanted to come away with after the No.24 DuPont Chevrolet led 17 laps during the race and began the final lap perched directly on Earnhardt's rear bumper but it was simply a case of having no drafting partners when it mattered that cost Gordon in the end.

Other drivers who were left smiling at the end of the race were Jason Leffler, Jeff Purvis, Kenny Wallace, Mike Wallace and Buckshot Jones, all of whom battled into the top 14 when they needed to, thus securing them a starting spot in Sunday's race with Purvis' brave decision to stay out on worn tyres when Johnny Benson hit the wall coming off Turn Two to bring out the second of the race's three caution flags with 15 laps remaining.

While almost everyone else elected to pit, Purvis and Derrike Cope gambled and stayed out and while Purvis and the No.51 Phoenix Ford team were rewarded for their gamble with a fine eighth place, Cope wasn't so lucky and fell back to 18th and out of Sunday's race.

Just scraping in by the skin of his teeth was Petty Enterprises new-boy Jones who held off Rick Mast in the Midwest Transit Chevrolet for the all-important 14th position, thus leaving Mast to sweat it out and see if his qualifying time is good enough to get in the field.

Other disappointed drivers included Joe Nemechek and Bobby Hamilton in Andy Petree's Chevrolet Monte Carlo's who ran strongly all afternoon only to lose out in the final scramble. Thankfully they both have qualifying times and provisionals to fall back, things that Ron Hornaday, Brett Bodine and Carl Long don't.

Hornaday had been impressive in AJ Foyt's No.14 Pontiac and had briefly challenged for the lead during the middle portion of the race and was battling in the lower reaches of the top ten when the back end stepped out coming off Turn Four on lap 45. Hornaday managed to keep the car off the wall but the following Dale Jarrett could not spin his UPS Ford in time and gave the green Pontiac a whack before pirouetting onto the inside of the track and continuing to the pitlane.

Jarrett's crew decided to take the car behind the wall and work on it for Sunday while Hornaday was sent back out on track to try and salvage something, 21st spot was all he could manage.

Bodine saw his Daytona 500 chances disappear along with his fuel pressure as the No.11 Ralph's Supermarket Ford struggled along throughout the race, eventually losing two laps and finishing 22nd after several unscheduled stops.

Long's chances of a maiden Daytona 500 start lasted a mere twelve laps before the engine in his unsponsored No.85 Ford gave up the ghost and left him out of the race and classified 26th and last.

Reigning Winston Cup Champion Bobby Labonte was strangely subdued and settled for 18th place and a provisional starting position while Daytona 500 pole-sitter Bill Elliott, who led the first five laps of the race after heading the field away, dropped steadily back to a final finishing position of 20th.