Bubba Wallace held off William Byron, Ty Dillon and Tyler Reddick to win Duel race No. 1 at Daytona Worldwide Speedway on Thursday.
The win within the 60-lap, 150-mile race offers Wallace the third-place beginning spot for Sunday’s Daytona 500. The Cell, Alabama, native led 20 laps to earn 23XI Racing’s second Duel win.
“Man, what an evening,” Wallace instructed Fox Sports activities. “Our McDonald’s Toyota Camry was tremendous quick, two completely different balances from being out entrance to being within the again. I needed one in every of these Duel wins for thus lengthy, I obtained me one now, I am all good.”
Byron, Ty Dillon, Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick, A.J. Allmendinger Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, Justin Allgaier and Kyle Busch rounded out the highest 10.
Different notable finishers embody Martin Truex Jr. in fifteenth, J.J. Yeley in seventeenth, Chase Briscoe in nineteenth, Chandler Smith in twentieth and Helio Castroneves in twenty second.
A ninth-place end ensured Allgaier a spot in Sunday’s Daytona 500, which will probably be Jr Motorsports’ first Cup Sequence begin.
“The feelings listed below are due to how a lot all people needed it,” an emotional Allgaier instructed Fox Sports activities. “This man (Dale Jr.) right here, his lip was quivering and his fingers had been shaking earlier than the race. I do not suppose I’ve ever seen that out of Dale Jr. This implies lots to our workforce. You may inform how a lot our complete store needed this.”
“First off, I am so pleased with Justin,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. instructed Fox Sports activities. “He put the workforce on his again these final couple of laps. He obtained to the highest, I did not suppose that was attainable, however he made one thing work. Only a nice race automobile. Greg Ives has put collectively a gaggle of people who’s motivated. This sport is wonderful, I like every part about it. I am unable to imagine that we get to race on Sunday.”
A dejected Yeley got here up simply shy of racing his manner into the Daytona 500.
“I simply wanted slightly bit extra tempo,” Yeley instructed Fox Sports activities. “I simply did not have that pull the place I may make one thing occur. Sadly, I misplaced slightly little bit of my assist. I hoped for some carnage off flip 4 and it simply did not occur.”
Duel 2 will decide the skin row of the beginning lineup for Sunday’s Daytona 500, in addition to figuring out the ultimate starter in Sunday’s race.
