Hendrick Motorsports Duel Double Up, Danica vs. Denny, and Ryan Blaney Make Thursday Night Interesting In Daytona
By: Pete MacDonald
The fact of the matter is this, if you drive a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet down at Daytona International Speedway this weeks, odds are that you’re fast. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie 
Johnson sat on the front row this past Sunday during qualifying. After Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson swept the Budweiser Duels last night, Hendrick cars now start 1-2-3 for this Sunday’s Daytona 500. “I’m so glad to be able to get through tonight in one piece cause I know this car is that good”, said Earnhardt Jr. in Victory Lane Thursday night after winning duel number one after starting last due failing tech inspection because his car was too low following Sunday’s qualifying. “Its huge to have the week we have had, this thing is bad fast”, said Jimmie Johnson after he dominated the second duel on Thursday night leading 40 of the 60 scheduled laps. It seems to me that there are only a handful of cars that can compete with the Hendrick cars that being the Joe Gibbs Racing stable and the 78 of Martin Truex Jr.
The latest rivalry is heating up in the garage area is between Danica Patrick and Denny Hamlin. Starting Wednesday when Denny made contact with Patrick’s left-rear at the end of the backstretch which sent her into the safety barrier, and made contact Michael Annett and Jeb Burton. Forcing Danica to drive her back-up car. Fast forward to Thursday night where Danica had to finish in the Top-15 in order to qualify for the Daytona 500. During lap 58 of the second Budweiser Duel, Hamlin gave Patrick a shove on the spot of the track. The back of her car broke loose, and then second shove turned Patrick around causing another pileup this time including Bobby Labonte, and Brian Scott, costing Scott a chance to race in the Daytona 500. Patrick came home 10th while Hamlin finished 18th. After the race was over Hamlin and Patrick met halfway and discussed the incident, and Patrick showed anger against Hamlin. “First and Foremost were glad to be in Kurt (Busch) was a great teammate, I’m all about learning but there’s
no reason for someone to get that tucked that it turns the car”, said Patrick post race. Hamlin responded , “I got close to her and she got loose, I guess I have to give more room.” Later Hamlin put out a tweet taking blame for the incident.
21 year old Ryan Blaney will start his first career at Daytona 500 on Sunday driving one of the most historic race cars in NASCAR 
history the famed Wood Brothers number 21. Blaney’s goal for Thursday was simple; just get into the Daytona 500. Blaney ended up sixth in qualifying, placing him twelfth in Sunday’s lineup. “It was a really smooth race for us, you never know if you’ll get caught up in a wreck here, we had good speed, tonight was all about transferring and that’s what we did” , said Blaney in the media center after the race. He plans on making eighteen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts this year for the Wood Brothers.
I hated to see the Tommy Baldwin Racing entry driven by Alex Bowman go home due a crash which was no fault of his own. The 26 of Jeb Burton got loose entering the tri-oval, tagged the right-rear of Sam Hornish, and became got into the left-rear of Bowman. His team busted their tails off all winter only to leave Daytona disappointed.
What do you think of Speedweeks so far? Tell us over on the RacersGuide.com Discussion Forum! For questions, comments or concerns I can be emailed at info@racersguide.com or I’m on Twitter @PMacDonald51 Thanks!
