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 provides Wallace the third-place beginning spot for Sunday’s Daytona 500. The Cellular, 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 certainly one of these Duel wins for therefore lengthy, I received 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 might be Jr Motorsports’ first Cup Collection begin.
“The feelings listed here are due to how a lot everyone needed it,” an emotional Allgaier instructed Fox Sports activities. “This man (Dale Jr.) right here, his lip was quivering and his fingers have been shaking earlier than the race. I do not suppose I’ve ever seen that out of Dale Jr. This implies loads to our staff. You possibly can 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 staff on his again these final couple of laps. He received to the highest, I did not suppose that was doable, however he made one thing work. Only a nice race automotive. Greg Ives has put collectively a gaggle of people who’s motivated. This sport is wonderful, I like all the things about it. I am unable to consider that we get to race on Sunday.”
A dejected Yeley got here up simply shy of racing his means into the Daytona 500.
“I simply wanted a bit of 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 a bit of little bit of my assist. I hoped for some carnage off flip 4 and it simply did not occur.”
Duel 2 will decide the surface row of the beginning lineup for Sunday’s Daytona 500, in addition to figuring out the ultimate starter in Sunday’s race.
