Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Tony Stewart wins first Gatorade Duel at Daytona 500

Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart took victory in the opening Gatorade Duel race to set the field for Sunday's Daytona 500

As Stewart claimed victory, his Stewart Haas Chevrolet team-mate Danica Patrick suffered a massive shunt on the final lap after making contact with Richard Petty Motorsport's Aric Almirola, as she ran in conservative mode at the back of the pack. Patrick was one of eight drivers who failed to finish the race but she was already qualified for Sunday's event regardless, thanks to a points swap with Tommy Baldwin's outfit ahead of the race.

"We had a great racecar since we got here, especially when I messed up the car for Shootout," said Stewart, who claimed his 17th race win at Daytona, an accolade that puts him second best in the all-time rankings at the famed Speedway. "That all three teams dug in together and got us a car put back together that almost won the Shootout the other night was a testimony to how hard this organisation has worked,"

The first race of the day featured less carnage than Saturday's Budweiser Shootout, as 18 of the 25 participating drivers had their starts in the main race guaranteed. However the first caution period began on lap nine as David Gilliland's Front Row Motorsports Ford was turned around after contact from Michael McDowell, who was apparently being pushed by last year's Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne.

Gilliland turned right and crashed hard into the Chevrolets of Earnhardt Ganassi's Juan Pablo Montoya and Richard Childress Racing's Paul Menard, all of them finishing their races on the spot and being forced into back-up cars for Sunday's event.

Michael Waltrip caused the final caution six laps from the end after losing control of his Toyota while getting back up to speed from his last pitstop. That allowed most of the field to pit for a splash of fuel as some were stretching their mileage in order to make it to the end of the race.

Stewart stayed out under the caution with RCR's Kevin Harvick but it was the reigning champion who eventually managed to remain ahead all the way to the chequered flag, getting a push from Hendrick's Dale Earnhardt Jr before the caution waved for Patrick's crash on the final lap.

McDowell and Robby Gordon got the two transfer spots from the first duel after finishing sixth and ninth respectively.

Results - 60 laps:

Pos  Driver              Team/Car                        Time/Gap
 1.  Tony Stewart        Stewart-Haas Chevrolet        56m34.000s
 2.  Dale Earnhardt Jr   Hendrick Chevrolet              + 0.403s
 3.  Marcos Ambrose      Petty Ford                      + 0.570s
 4.  Michael McDowell    Parsons Ford                    + 0.811s
 5.  Robby Gordon        Gordon Dodge                    + 0.906s
 6.  Jeff Burton         Childress Chevrolet             + 1.507s
 7.  Carl Edwards        Roush Fenway Ford               + 1.642s
 8.  AJ Allmendinger     Penske Dodge                    + 1.837s
 9.  Kevin Harvick       Childress Chevrolet             + 2.029s
10.  Jamie McMurray      Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet     + 2.303s
11.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr  Roush Fenway Ford               + 2.358s
12.  Trevor Bayne        Wood Brothers Ford              + 2.369s
13.  Brad Keselowski     Penske Dodge                    + 2.908s
14.  David Ragan         Front Row Ford                  + 3.644s
15.  Aric Almirola       Petty Ford                   + 1m13.690s

Did not finish:

     Danica Patrick      Baldwin Chevrolet                59 laps
     Denny Hamlin        Gibbs Toyota                     59 laps
     Michael Waltrip     Waltrip Toyota                   51 laps
     David Stremme       Inception Toyota                 27 laps
     Mike Wallace        Inception Toyota                 23 laps
     Terry Labonte       FAS Lane Ford                    12 laps
     David Gilliland     Front Row Ford                    8 laps
     Juan Pablo Montoya  Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet       8 laps
     Paul Menard         Childress Chevrolet               8 laps
     Landon Cassill      BK Toyota                         3 laps

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Dodge to unveil 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup car next month at Las Vegas
Next article Matt Kenseth snatches victory in second Gatorade Duel at Daytona

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe