DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Beer Car2Can Ford, leads during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Gander RV Duel At DAYTONA #1 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Duels at Daytona Results: February 14, 2019 (Duel 1)
Shane Walters
It’s the first of two NASCAR races at Daytona International Speedway
Tonight, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series takes dual green flags at Daytona International Speedway. Each session is a 60-lap, 150-mile race.
Positions 3-40 in the Daytona 500 will be set based on the finishing positions of these races. The finishing order of the first duel (this one) will set the inside row for Sunday’s race.
It’s an all Hendrick Motorsports front row. William Byron and Jimmie Johnson set the front row.
Duel 1 – Report
Green flag, Byron leads by a car length into turn one. Johnson was slow to the gas to give Byron the opportunity to jump up in front of him, they’ve locked bumpers.
The outside line is prevailing once again. Lap 5, single file around the top.
Lap 11, Martin Truex Jr heads to the pit lane. He’s by himself. The field shakes to the bottom lane. Lap 12, 15 more cars head to the pit lane. Lap 13, Byron and Johnson have yet to pit, they are two of the five that stayed out.
The leaders pit, Kevin Harvick cycles to the race lead.
Penalty: Keselowski has been handed a penalty for pitting outside of the box. He comes down the pit lane to serve the penalty, more issues. Speeding on pit road. He’ll have to return again and serve a 1 lap penalty.
Lap 27, Jimmie Johnson has turned Kyle Busch down the back stretch. He was trying to side draft and hooked him in the left rear. The caution is out.
Green flag, Harvick leads. He pulls Ricky Stenhouse Jr as they fan out three wide behind them. Truex tries to block Suarez, he crosses under his back bumper. Light contact but Suarez holds the position.
15 to go, Tyler Reddick (12th), Parker Kilgerman (13th) and Ryan Truex (14th) run nose to tail. Reddick is locked in. They other two, it’s a race for a place on Sunday’s grid.
10 to go, it’s single file around the top. The top 10 cars have broken away.
1 to go, they’re single file at the line.
Paul Menard gets a run from 3rd. He pulls to the inside of Stenhouse for 2nd. Harvick leads by two car lengths off turn four.
Kevin Harvick wins the first Duel at Daytona!
View Duel 1 race results for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series below.
Duel 1 Results Daytona International Speedway NASCAR Cup Series February 14, 2019
Pos | Driver
1.. Kevin Harvick 2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr 3. Paul Menard 4. Matt DiBenedetto 5. Martin Truex Jr 6. Bubba Wallace 7. Chris Buescher 8. Jimmie Johnson 9. Ryan Newman 10. Ryan Preece 11. Daniel Suarez 12. Parker Kligerman 13. Tyler Reddick 14. Ryan Truex 15. Landon Cassill 16. William Byron 17. Daniel Hemric 18. Kyle Busch 19. Matt Tifft 20. Brad Keselowski 21. Cody Ware