Jeff Gordon beat Tony Stewart to the finish line in the first 60-lap Duel. It was Gordon's fifth win in a Daytona qualifying race, tied for second in the modern era (since 1972).

Busch, who blocked both Martin and Vickers in the final half-mile at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, will start fourth in Sunday's Daytona 500, with Gordon securing the third starting position. Martin Truex Jr. and Mark Martin claimed the top two spots, respectively, in last Sunday's Time trials.

As thrilling as Busch's victory was, the real drama in the race unfolded back in the pack, with Jeremy Mayfield and A.J. Allmendinger claiming the two available transfer spots from the second Duel. Mayfield took two tires on his final pit stop, restarted third on Lap 53 after a caution for Ryan Newman's hard crash into the backstretch wall and held on to a ninth-place finish.

Gatorade Duel

race No. 1 results

Pos.	Driver	Make
1.	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet
2.	Tony Stewart	Chevrolet
3.	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet
4.	Joey Logano	Toyota
5.	Aric Almirola	Chevrolet

 

race No. 2 results

Pos.	Driver	Make
1.	Kyle Busch	Toyota
2.	Mark Martin	Chevrolet
3.	Brian Vickers	Toyota
4.	Juan Montoya	Chevrolet
5.	Denny Hamlin	Toyota

With plenty of help from Richard Petty Motorsports teammates Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson, Allmendinger finished 10th to earn the second transfer position, edging Mike Wallace, who ran 13th, for the spot. Stewart's second-place finish in the first Duel promoted Regan Smith -- fourth fastest in Time trials -- into the 500; Scott Riggs claimed the final position in Sunday's race with an eighth-place finish in the first Duel.

Busch, who won eight Cup races last year before a late-season collapse in the Chase, credited Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin, who finished fifth, with providing the help he needed to win the race.

"The reason I won this race was a great teammate," Busch said. "Denny ... that was the best restrictor-plate Race I think we probably ever worked together. I really felt good about that. I hope it carries into Sunday, and I'll be able to return the favor sometime.

"I could have rode the last five laps and pushed Mark Martin to the win. That would have been a Cinderella story and given you something to write about."

The victory in the first Duel gave Gordon his first trip to Victory Lane after a NASCAR race since Oct. 13, 2007, at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"It feels fantastic," said Gordon, who won the first of his Daytona qualifying races as a Cup rookie in 1993. "We talked before the race. Doesn't matter if it's a qualifying Race, the Daytona 500, you know--any confidence builder and momentum we can get is a positive.

"It was a great race out there. The car was driving well. It was a lot of fun dicing it up with Martin [Truex] at the beginning, and then with Tony, Jimmie [Johnson], [Jamie] McMurray -- a bunch of them. I can't even remember all the things that went on out there. It was a great race."

Allmendinger was so overcome with emotion that he donned sunglasses to hide his tears.

"I haven't slept well for about a week and half now," Allmendinger said. "This year, I felt like I deserved to be in this race. I earned my way in. This whole team deserved it for how hard they've worked the last few weeks to put this program together.

"I felt like there was more pressure on my shoulders than there's ever been. The first half of the race, I wasn't happy, but my teammates came back there and saved me. They were running strong but came back to get me."

News & Notes

• Rookie Joey Logano ran toward the rear of the field for much of the first Duel but charged to the front in the closing stages and finished fourth. Logano earned the ninth starting position in the Daytona 500.
• Three-Time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson finished third in the first Duel and will start seventh Sunday.
• Kasey Kahne's crew did the pit work for Allmendinger, as the team tried to find an edge that would get Allmendinger into the 500. Kahne finished seventh in the first Duel.
• Riggs and Mayfield made the field for teams that didn't exist last year, Tommy Baldwin Motorsports and Jeremy Mayfield Motorsports.
• Terry Labonte finished 19th in the first Duel but will start 43rd in Sunday's race on a past champion's provisional.

"We've enjoyed a long and successful association and we look forward to building on the heritage of Craftsman in NASCAR," Craftsman brand manager Mike Cassar said. "NASCAR shows trust in our tools and that parallels the loyalty our customers have shown in making Craftsman their trusted brand of choice."

With the renewal of the "Official Tools" status, Craftsman will return as presenting sponsor of the Sprint Cup Series Pit Crew Challenge, which is held at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C., during the All-Star Week in May.

Taking a broader approach to the NASCAR sponsorship in 2009, Craftsman will introduce a season-ending award for crew members, and plans to announce a defining partnership before the season kicks off in Daytona.

"For many years, NASCAR and its fans have benefited from Sears' strong support to the sport, and we are very happy to continue to associate with the Craftsman brand," said Jim O'Connell, NASCAR vice president of corporate marketing. "Tough, reliable tools are essential to our sport, making Craftsman a perfect fit for NASCAR. Through this extended partnership, we look forward to new programs Craftsman will be rolling out to reach new fans and create additional exposure for NASCAR racing."

"As the 'Official Tools of NASCAR' we take pride in the fact that Craftsman is literally giving the teams the tools necessary to be successful," Cassar said. "We're eager to begin the new phase of our support of NASCAR and look forward to sharing the details as we unveil our program leading up to Daytona."