Daytona Duels roll big doubles: testing and qualifying

"I don't think it is going to be dramatically different for our team than what we had in the Shootout," said defending Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray, who was credited by Shootout winner Kurt Busch for helping push him to Victory Lane. "I think the biggest obstacle is going to be the temperature on Thursday and again on Sunday vs. what we had in the Shootout."

The cool temperatures of Saturday night are predicted to be replaced by sunny skies and 78 degrees by the time Thursday's races take the green flag. Those conditions may play into a small difference in handling and the ability to draft in pairs as long as drivers were able to in the Shootout.

For that reason alone, drivers are placing significant value on this year's Duel, even if they are locked into the 500.

"Every year we come down here there is something different," said Jeff Burton, who is comfortably in Sunday's Daytona 500 and will start fourth in his Duel race. "For several years now we've come down here not tested, so that made the 150s real important. A few years ago we came down here with the Car of Tomorrow that made the 150s extremely important. I think the 150s are always exceptionally important."

Jeff Gordon (left center) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (right center) qualified for Daytona 500's front row. (AP)
Jeff Gordon (left center) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (right center) qualified for Daytona 500's front row. (AP)
Burton isn't completely confident he knows enough about how to use the two-car draft to his advantage and thinks the track time Thursday in racing conditions will have a major impact on Daytona 500 strategies.

"I will say that I think we are in a steep learning curve with the two-car draft, trying to make that thing work," Burton said. "We've seen certainly glimpses of it at Talladega, but never before has the entire garage put the effort into it that they've put into this.

"So we're trying to learn it at a really quick rate. Like I said a little bit ago, the 150 is a great opportunity to learn. Sitting here today I would say, yeah, there is more to learn today than it ever has been, but I would have said that last year, too."

The front row for the 500 is locked in after Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon turned in the two fastest qualifying runs in last week's time trial session. But even though their finishes Thursday won't matter in where they'll start Sunday, the Hendrick Motorsports teammates have goals on the Duel.

"Heck I want to win the race," said Gordon. "We do that every time we strap into a race car, and Thursday won't be any different."

Gordon sees the two-car tandem continuing throughout the remainder of Speedweeks and looks forward to the opportunity to hone his skills on Thursday.

"I don't think we'll have these breakaways during the entire race but, more than likely, it's going to come down to these two-car breakaways at the very end," Gordon said about both the Duel and the 500, which he will try to win for the fourth time Sunday. "It's about being in the right place at the right time. It's about having the right guy to push or to push you. There's a lot of chance that comes into whether you can win the race or not.

"I hope we have a fast race car. I feel confident that we will and I hope we can put ourselves into position to battle for the win."

Not everyone has the luxury of using the Duel as a glorified test session. Although the rules have changed dramatically in the past few years as NASCAR plugged the Top 35 rule into the equation, there is still a go-or-go-home element to both races.

Drivers like 2010 Rookie of the Year Kevin Conway, Camping World Truck Series champion Todd Bodine, Casey Mears and 2001 Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip need a good finish to have a shot at competing in Sunday's main event.

"I'm confident that we'll have a fast car," said Waltrip, who has said this year's Daytona 500 would be his last race as a Sprint Cup driver. "We'll need some things to happen for us to get in after our run on Sunday so it's a bit nerve-wracking. But I'm a positive person and think we'll be in the Daytona 500 by the end of Thursday."

Bodine is hoping to compete in all three series races, including Friday night's truck series season opener and Saturday's Nationwide Series lid lifter. Like Waltrip, he'll need some help to take the green flag Sunday.

"The qualifying races have always had that do-or-die feeling to them for a lot of guys over the years," said Bodine. "The rules have changed and the way to get into the race has changed a lot but the concept is still the same -- you have to race your way into the 500.

"We'll need some things to fall into pace, but the best thing for us to do is go out and try to get the best finish we can and let everything else kind of take care of itself."