2012 Gatorade Duel
| Race details | |
|---|---|
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| Date | February 23, 2012 |
| Location | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida |
| Course | Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4 km) |
| Distance |
Race 1: 60 laps, 150 mi (240 km) Race 2: 60 laps, 150 mi (240 km) |
| Avg Speed | Race 1: 159.104 miles per hour (256.053 km/h) Race 2: 194.175 miles per hour (312.494 km/h) |
| Weather | Temperatures up to 86 °F (30 °C); wind speeds up to 28 miles per hour (45 km/h) |
| Race 1 | |
| Pole position | Carl Edwards – Roush Fenway Racing |
| Most laps led | Denny Hamlin – Joe Gibbs Racing – (27) |
| Winner | Tony Stewart – Stewart-Haas Racing |
| Race 2 | |
| Pole position | Greg Biffle – Roush Fenway Racing |
| Most laps led | Greg Biffle – Roush Fenway Racing – (40) |
| Winner | Matt Kenseth – Roush Fenway Racing |
| Television | |
| Network | Speed |
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds |
The 2012 Gatorade Duels were a pair of held on February 23, 2012 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The 60-lap races, held before a crowd of 80,000, were the qualifying races for the 2012 Daytona 500, the premier event of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The first race was won by Tony Stewart for the Stewart-Haas Racing team. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second and Marcos Ambrose came in third. The second race was won by Matt Kenseth driving for the Roush Fenway Racing team; their first win in the history of the Gatorade Duels. Regan Smith followed in the second position and Jimmie Johnson was third.
Carl Edwards led the first race from the start. One lap later, he was overtaken by Stewart. Afterward, Earnhardt moved into the first position, holding it until a caution period on lap nine. Denny Hamlin assumed the lead at the lap 14 and maintained the position until his pit stop 30 laps later. Stewart reclaimed the lead and held it throughout the remaining 16 laps and two further caution periods to win the first Gatorade Duel. There were three cautions and eight lead changes among five different drivers during the course of the first race.
During the second race, Greg Biffle was the leader at the start. On the fourth lap, Kenseth passed Biffle to take over the lead. He lost the position when Joey Logano and Kyle Busch moved into the top two places. Biffle passed Kyle Busch by the 29th lap and held it during his pit stop 14 laps later. With three laps remaining in the race, Kenseth attempted a and passed Biffle when the final lap started and held it to win the second Gatorade Duel. There were five lead changes among five different drivers and no cautions were shown during the course of the second race.
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