Logano Finishes Seventh in Duel at Daytona. Will Start 16th for the Daytona 500
February 11, 2009First Duel
- 1. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet
- 2. Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Chevrolet
- 3. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Second Duel
- 1. Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Ford
- 2. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet
- 3. Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Chevrolet
- 4. Joey Logano, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota
Daytona Beach, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2010) – Joey Logano drove from the rear of the field in the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota to finish seventh in the second of two qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday. The Home Depot Team was forced to bring out a back-up car on Wednesday and start from the rear of the field. Logano's effort in the duel earned him the 16th starting spot in the season-opening Daytona 500 on Sunday.
"It was a lot of fun and I had a blast," said Logano. "The Home Depot Toyota was really good. The team did a good job with the back-up car, we were able to come from the rear and get up there. I had to stay on the bottom; I was too loose to run the top. I kept going down there every chance I had. Sometimes it wasn't the right place to go and sometimes you would want to go to the top, but if I went to the top I was getting passed on the bottom.
"We made a little change during our pit stop, it didn't really do much. It was fun, but I was pushing everyone. They should have put ÔHome Depot Excavating' on this thing because I was pushing like a bulldozer. I feel like I got up there by pushing and I feel like to stay up there I probably just need a little more experience and I gained a ton of it tonight. We have a good car and we'll practice it a little more should be really good for Sunday."
Logano was set to start the duel from the ninth position after the first round of qualifying last Saturday. Unfortunately during practice on Wednesday, the No. 36 car lost control and collected the No. 20 car. It took The Home Depot crew just 22 minutes to get the back-up car out of the hauler and back on the track for a few laps of practice. The back-up car was the team's Shootout at Daytona car they raced just four days earlier. Prior to the green flag, Logano dropped back to the rear of the field for the 60-lap race to determine his starting position in the Daytona 500.
It took Logano just five laps of racing to draft his way back up into the top 15. He told crew chief Greg Zipadelli the car was pretty good but he didn't have any speed at that point of the race. By lap 20 however, Logano had worked his way into the top 10 and was running in the seventh position. The caution flag waved on lap 27 and Logano told the crew his car was too loose in the high line, so he brought the car down pit road for a wedge adjustment, four tires and fuel. When racing resume on lap 30, Logano was sitting in the 10th position.
The Home Depot Toyota was running in the top five for the first time on lap 34. By lap 38, Logano was fourth and part of a five-car break away. It took just two laps for the rest of the field to catch up to the lead draft. Logano continued to run in the top 10 until lap 52 of 60 when he was caught in the middle of the two drafting lanes and slipped back to 14th. He battled back into the top 10 on lap 56 and took the white flag in the ninth position. After battling door-to-door during the final lap, Logano took the checkered flag in the seventh position.
Logano's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch finished third in the first duel and will start seventh for the Daytona 500, while Denny Hamlin finished 12th in the first duel and will take the green flag 25th on Sunday.
The 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season officially kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 14 when the green flag waves for the Daytona 500. Coverage begins at noon on FOX with the green flag waving at 1 p.m. for The Great American Race.
