Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2015 Photo – Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

The Budweiser Duel At Daytona races Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway were separate events won in equally dominating fashion by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson.

The Budweiser Duel, consisting of two 150-mile (60 laps) qualifying races, established positions 3-32 for the 57^th annual DAYTONA 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, with the top two qualifiers from last Sunday’s DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Presented by Kroger – three-time champion Jeff Gordon and two-time champion Johnson – already locked into the front row. Gordon and Johnson started from the pole in the respective Duel events. 

Earnhardt, the defending DAYTONA 500 champion who will start third in “Great American Race,” started from the rear in the first Budweiser Duel event in the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet because his original tenth-place qualifying effort became ineligible due to a height violation found in post-qualifying inspection. The charge to the front resulted in him leading the last 18 laps – and looking like a solid contender to repeat as champion.  Continue reading →