Junior and Toyota Win Duels

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won his Gatorade Duel yesterday, extending his rise back to the top after joining Hendrick in the off-season.  He led a majority of laps, coming from the back after an engine change the day before.  I would suppose this would solidify his fan base, especially those who were unhappy at his becoming a teammate to Jeff Gordon.  His two wins this week make him a favorite to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday.

Upstaging Earnhardt again are the Toyotas of Gibbs Racing.  Denny Hamlin will go down in history as being the driver to give Toyota its first win in a NASCAR Sprint Cup event, albeit a non-points paying event.  Hamlin passed Tony Stewart on the final lap to get the win.

This continues Toyota’s meteoric rise during the off season.  While at this time last year Toyota drivers were struggling to make the field for the 500, this year Hamlin, Stewart and Kyle Busch, along with outside front row starter Michael Waltrip, must be considered serious contenders.  It would be quite some coup if a Toyota were to pull off the biggest win of the season.

Other notable results of the twin Duels from yesterday are Dale Jarrett racing his way into his final 500 and the Wood Brothers failing to make the show for the first time in 45 years.  Dale Jarrett made a fierce charge in the final laps to pass other competitors to gain one of the two transfer spots in the second Duel.  For much of the race, Jarrett was in danger of missing his final attempt, but attrition and a green-white-checker finish helped him make his way toward the front of the field and into the race.

Bill Elliott, on the other hand, was unable to take his Wood Brothers Ford to the front and into the 500.  This will be the first time in 45 years that the famous number 21 will not be in the race.  The Wood Brothers have struggled for the past few years, making the show last year on the basis of their previous year’s finish in the Top 35.  They were unable to sustain that position last year, therefore had to race their way into the field this year.

The Wood Brothers have struggled, fielding only one car, in a day and age when multi-car teams dominate.  They have forged engine relationships with Roush-Fenway Racing and Yates Racing, but the inability to field a second car has proved to be their undoing.  They have struggled to obtain sponsorship, so this missed race will be another hill to climb.

This also puts them behind the eight-ball for this season.  Last season, several good teams who failed to make the 500 also failed to make the Top 35.  Daytona is only one race, but since it is the first race, missing this race can virtually end a season, due to the Top 35 rule.

Two other notables failed to make the race.  Jacques Villeneuve and Patrick Carpentier, both rookies from open-wheel racing, failed to make the race.  They  both have had good Speedweeks, but failed to finish their Duels.  That failure, combined with the success of some other go-or-go-homers in both the Duels and qualifying, led to their not making the race.  With Villeneuve still searching for sponsorship, this will not be a welcomed result to start the season.  Many have speculated for the past week that if Villeneuve does not have early success, or find a full season sponsor, he will not be in competition very far into this season.

So, we move toward the Daytona 500 for 2008.  There are several stories that have played out so far, and many more left to play out.  It will no doubt be a weekend of continued drama, worthy of the hype that surrounds the Great American Race.

Cinch up those belts and let’s go racing.  JR