Cars race past the green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Duel 2 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20, 2014
Photo – Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
The word ‘undefeated’ rarely comes up in NASCAR. Winning two straight races is an extremely hard task to carry out, but Denny Hamlin has followed in Kevin Harvick’s footsteps and has done just that during SpeedWeeks. Hamlin opened up SpeedWeeks by winning the Sprint Unlimited and now he is two-for-two at Daytona with his victory in the second Budweiser Duel.
A fairly calm race turned wild coming out of the last corner on the last lap when Jimmie Johnson ran out of fuel. Johnson’s car quickly slowed, forcing McMurray to get into the back of him. That sent both the No.1 and No.48 cars into the wall and other cars scrambling. Clint Bowyer made a sharp left to avoid the accident and he came down across David Ragan’s nose. That sent Bowyer’s car into the air where it did a complete 360-degree flip before landing wheels down on the track.
“I would say perfect landing” Bowyer cheerfully told FOX Sports after the incident. Other drivers involved include Michael Waltrip, Carl Edwards, and Martin Truex Jr. Truex Jr. will now have to give up his second starting position and start at the rear of the field on Sunday due to going to a backup car. All drivers were OK after the wreck.
Once the smoke settled, and NASCAR sorted out the finishing positions, who made and didn’t make the Daytona 500 was revealed. Ryan Truex, Morgan Shepherd, Joe Nemechek, Eric McClure, Michael McDowell, and Dave Blaney are the six drivers who did not make the field. Drivers among the last to get into the race include Parker Kligerman, Justin Allgaier, Michael Waltrip, David Ragan, Bobby Labonte, and Terry Labonte. No past champion’s provisional award was needed as all past champions made the race based on their Duel finishing positions.
The list continues to grow of drivers who will have to start the Daytona 500 at the back of the field due to having a backup car or changing an engine. Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, Bobby Labonte, Brian Vickers, Parker Kligerman, Joey Logano, Paul Menard, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, David Ragan, Michael Waltrip, Martin Truex Jr., and Jamie McMurray will all start in the rear of the field on Sunday.
As those 13 drivers aren’t in the best of positions two days away from the Daytona 500, Joe Gibbs Racing is at the top of their game. JGR swept the Duels Thursday Night and now they have racked up three wins at SpeedWeeks. With three entries in each the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races this weekend, this may just be the beginning for JGR
Hamlin will look to become part of an élite class to win each Sprint Cup race at Daytona SpeedWeeks on Sunday. Hamlin is on a streak and has the new restrictor plate package figured out, so he is shaping up as a big threat in the Great American Race.
Results via ESPN.com
| POS | DRIVER | CAR | MANUFACTURER | LAPS | MONEY | START | LED | PTS | BONUS | PENALTY |
| 1 | Denny Hamlin |  |
Toyota | 60 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | Jeff Gordon |  |
Chevrolet | 60 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Kurt Busch | 41 | Chevrolet | 60 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Paul Menard |  |
Chevrolet | 60 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Brian Scott |  |
Chevrolet | 60 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne |  |
Ford | 60 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Kyle Larson |  |
Chevrolet | 60 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Martin Truex Jr. |  |
Chevrolet | 60 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Landon Cassill | 40 | Chevrolet | 60 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Clint Bowyer |  |
Toyota | 61 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Jamie McMurray |  |
Chevrolet | 61 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Terry Labonte |  |
Ford | 60 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Bobby Labonte |  |
Chevrolet | 60 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Casey Mears |  |
Chevrolet | 60 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Carl Edwards |  |
Ford | 59 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | Jimmie Johnson |  |
Chevrolet | 59 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 | David Ragan |  |
Ford | 59 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 18 | Michael Waltrip | 66 | Toyota | 59 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 | Ryan Truex |  |
Toyota | 59 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 20 | Justin Allgaier |  |
Chevrolet | 59 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 21 | Michael Annett |  |
Chevrolet | 59 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 22 | Morgan Shepherd |  |
Toyota | 59 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 | Eric McClure |  |
Ford | 57 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24 | Brad Keselowski |  |
Ford | 57 | 3 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 |