Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip was able to breathe again today after racing his way into the Daytona 500.

Tony Stewart, the favorite to win Sunday’s stock car Super Bowl, won the first of the two 150-mile qualifying races, and four-time series champion Jeff Gordon charged from fourth to first on the final lap to take the second race. It sets up a showdown with Stewart, who has yet to win the 500..

Joe Nemechek and Mike Wallace raced their way into the 500 with finishes of ninth and 11th in the second race. They join Waltrip and Boris Said, who nosed out Mike Bliss, in the first qualifying race.

But it was Waltrip who had everyone’s attention, especially after nearly knocking friend and former teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. out of the opener.

Waltrip raced his way into NASCAR’s biggest event in a backup car Thursday, under a black cloud of controversy because NASCAR disqualified his primary Toyota in a cheating scandal.

“I’m just sad and happy at the same time,” said Waltrip, who hours earlier apologized for his team’s role in the cheating mess. “That’s what Daytona does to you.”

Waltrip guaranteed he would remain the talk of the garage by spinning out Dale Earnhardt Jr. early in the 150-mile qualifying race.

Waltrip charged back to finish eighth in a race won by two-time series champion Stewart. Junior, whose crew made quick repairs to his car, finished second.

sun-sentinel.com

Gatorade Duel #1:

Pos St # Driver Sponsor Car Pts Status Laps

1 9 20 Tony Stewart The Home Depot Chevrolet 0 Running 62
2 11 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Chevrolet 0 Running 62
3 27 31 Jeff Burton Cingular Wireless Chevrolet 0 Running 62
4 1 38 David Gilliland M&M’s Ford 0 Running 62
5 7 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Chevrolet 0 Running 62
6 10 1 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 0 Running 62
7 21 07 Clint Bowyer Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet 0 Running 62
8 6 25 Casey Mears National Guard/GMAC Chevrolet 0 62
9 13 55 Michael Waltrip NAPA Toyota 0 Running 62
10 25 21 Ken Schrader U.S Air Force Ford 0 62
11 3 60 Boris Said SoBe/No Fear Ford 0 62
12 4 70 Johnny Sauter Yellow Transportation Chevrolet 0 62
13 5 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 0 62
14 28 49 Mike Bliss BAM Racing Dodge 0 Running 62
15 15 16 Greg Biffle Ameriquest Ford 0 62
16 8 36 Jeremy Mayfield 360 OTC Toyota 0 62
17 24 78 Kenny Wallace Furniture Row Chevrolet 0 62
18 26 44 Dale Jarrett UPS Toyota 0 62
19 29 30 Stanton Barrett Bad Boys Power Drink Chevrolet 0 62
20 22 37 Bill Elliott Huddle House Dodge 0 62
21 31 58 James Hylton Retirement Living TV Chevrolet 0 62
22 30 72 Brandon Whitt Dutch Quality Stone Dodge 0 62
23 12 43 Bobby Labonte Cheerios Dodge 0 62
24 17 45 Kyle Petty Wells Fargo Dodge 0 62
25 14 66 Jeff Green Best Buy Chevrolet 0 58
26 16 4 Ward Burton State Water Heaters Chevrolet 0 Out 56
27 23 41 Reed Sorenson Target Dodge 0 Out 50
28 2 6 David Ragan AAA Ford 0 Out 44
29 20 84 AJ Allmendinger Red Bull Toyota 0 Out 23
30 19 22 Dave Blaney Caterpillar Toyota 0 Out 23
31 18 7 Robby Gordon Jim Beam Ford 0 Out 22

Gatorade Duel #2:

1 4 24 Jeff Gordon Race By Race Results DuPont Chevrolet 0 Running 60
2 18 2 Kurt Busch Race By Race Results Miller Lite Dodge 0 Running 60
3 2 40 David Stremme Race By Race Results Coors Light Dodge 0 Running 60
4 6 5 Kyle Busch Race By Race Results Kellogg’s Chevrolet 0 Running 60
5 29 17 Matt Kenseth Race By Race Results DeWalt Ford 0 Running 60
6 8 18 J.J. Yeley Race By Race Results Interstate Batteries Chevrolet 0 Running 60
7 23 99 Carl Edwards Race By Race Results Office Depot Ford 0 Running 60
8 13 12 Ryan Newman Race By Race Results Alltel Dodge 0 Running 60
9 21 13 Joe Nemechek Race By Race Results CertainTeed Chevrolet 0 Running 60
10 17 96 Tony Raines Race By Race Results DLP HDTV Chevrolet 0 Running 60
11 28 09 Mike Wallace Race By Race Results Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet 0 Running 60
12 5 14 Sterling Marlin Race By Race Results Waste Management Chevrolet 0 Running 60
13 11 26 Jamie McMurray Race By Race Results Crown Royal Ford 0 60
14 16 01 Mark Martin Race By Race Results U.S. Army Chevrolet 0 Running 60
15 15 15 Paul Menard Race By Race Results Menards Chevrolet 0 Running 60
16 30 9 Kasey Kahne Race By Race Results Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 0 Running 60
17 19 34 Kevin Lepage Race By Race Results Makoto Dodge 0 Running 60
18 27 74 Derrike Cope Race By Race Results McGlynnRacing.com Dodge 0 Running 60
19 12 39 Regan Smith Race By Race Results Ginn Clubs and Resorts Chevrolet 0 Running 60
20 24 71 Frank Kimmel Race By Race Results FastTrack Ford 0 Running 60
21 10 19 Elliott Sadler Race By Race Results Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 0 Running 60
22 1 88 Ricky Rudd Race By Race Results Snickers Ford 0 Running 60
23 25 04 Eric McClure Race By Race Results Hefty Chevrolet 0 Running 60
24 26 27 Kirk Shelmerdine Race By Race Results Lilly Trucking Chevrolet 0 Running 60
25 22 10 Scott Riggs Race By Race Results Valvoline Dodge 0 Running 59
26 20 83 Brian Vickers Race By Race Results Red Bull Toyota 0 Accident 49
27 9 23 Mike Skinner Race By Race Results Bill Davis Racing Toyota 0 Running 35
28 7 00 David Reutimann Race By Race Results Domino’s Toyota 0 Mechanical 33
29 14 29 Kevin Harvick Race By Race Results Shell Chevrolet 0 Mechanical 25
30 3 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Race By Race Results Texaco/Havoline Dodge 0 Out 24

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