2011 Gatorade Duels
The 2011 Gatorade Duels were a pair of stock car races held on February 17, 2011 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The 62 and 60-lap races, held before a crowd of 80,000 people, were the qualifying events for the 2011 Daytona 500, the premier event of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The first race was won by Kurt Busch for the Penske Racing team. Regan Smith finished second, and Kevin Harvick came in third. Afterward, the second race was won by Jeff Burton. Clint Bowyer followed in the second position, ahead of third-placed Michael Waltrip.
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 17, 2011 |
| 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: 62 laps, 155 mi (249.4 km) |
| Avg Speed | Race 1: 159.794 miles per hour (257.164 km/h) Race 2: 136.571 miles per hour (219.790 km/h) |
| Weather | Temperatures up to 78 °F (26 °C); wind speeds up to 11.39 miles per hour (18.33 km/h) |
| Race 1 | |
| Pole position | Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Hendrick Motorsports |
| Most laps led | Kevin Harvick – Richard Childress Racing – (20) |
| Winner | Kurt Busch – Penske Racing |
| Race 2 | |
| Pole position | Jeff Gordon – Hendrick Motorsports |
| Most laps led | Jeff Burton – Richard Childress Racing – (17) |
| Winner | Jeff Burton – Richard Childress Racing |
| Television | |
| Network | Speed |
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds |
| Nielsen ratings |
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During the first race, Ryan Newman was the leader at the start. However, by the end of the lap Paul Menard became the leader. Afterward, the first caution was given after Newman spun sideways. On the 11th lap, Harvick moved to the first position. Twenty laps later, Busch became the leader. With four laps remaining, Michael McDowell's engine failed, prompting the second caution to be given. At the restart, Matt Kenseth was the leader, but he was passed by Busch one lap later. Busch remained in the first position to win the first Gatorade Duel. There were two cautions and 20 lead changes among nine drivers during the first race.
During the second race, Jeff Gordon was the leader at the start, but after one lap he was passed by Bowyer. On the third lap, Casey Mears' engine failed, prompting the first caution of the race to be given. After the restart, Kyle Busch became the leader. On lap 13, Edwards passed Busch to move into the first position. On the 15th lap, the second caution of the race was given, after Joey Logano collided into the wall. At the restart, Edwards remained the leader, ahead of Kyle Busch. At the end of the race, Burton had assistance from Bowyer to win the race. There were a record-breaking 22 lead changes among seven drivers and five caution periods in the second event. The races attracted 3.303 million television viewers.