Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing swept the NASCAR Duels at Daytona on Thursday, the first time an organization has swept the duels since 2015.
Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag in the first race, his first with RFK Racing, while Chris Buescher, also of RFK Racing, won the second race after Joey Logano wrecked on the last lap.
The two 60-lap races unsurprisingly brought the energy to Daytona International Speedway as the days to Sunday’s Daytona 500 inch closer.
Here’s how thing went during Thursday’s races.
Race 1 Unofficial Results
- Brad Keselowski
- Austin Cindric
- Ryan Blaney
- Chase Briscoe
- Chase Elliott
- Erik Jones
- Kyle Larson
- Tyler Reddick
- Kurt Busch
- Ross Chastain
- Daniel Suarez
- William Byron Jr.
- Justin Haley
- Landon Cassill
- Todd Gilliland
- Cole Custer
- Daniel Hemric
- Kaz Grala
- JJ Yeley
- BJ McLeod
- Noah Gragson
Keselowski held off pushes from Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe to capture his first career duel race. He passed Blaney for the lead in Duel 1 with just four laps remaining, and now the driver of the No. 6 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing will start the Daytona 500 in the third slot.
NASCAR @NASCAR
CHECKERED FLAG: What a start for <a href=”https://twitter.com/RFKracing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@RFKracing</a>!<a href=”https://twitter.com/keselowski?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@keselowski</a> takes the ???? in <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BluegreenDuel?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BluegreenDuel</a> No. 1! <a href=”https://t.co/1CYpfzGswh”>pic.twitter.com/1CYpfzGswh</a>
“I felt pretty good about our car. I give credit to the other Fords – Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric – we had great strategy,” Keselowski said after Thursday’s race. “We stuck together and drove away and put ourselves in position to control this race.”
He added: “It was great to see all those Fords up front. Good job to all those guys. This is special.”
Thursday’s win marked Keselowski’s first with RFK Racing. He left Team Penske after the 2021 season to join RFK Racing, with whom he now has a minority stake in.
The 38-year-old has never won the Daytona 500 in 12 tries. It is the only race among NASCAR’s most prestigious that he has yet to win.
A nice surprise from Thursday’s first race came from Kaz Grala, who races for Floyd Mayweather’s new NASCAR team. The 23-year-old passed JJ Yeley on the final lap to clinch a spot in the Daytona 500 starting lineup.
NASCAR @NASCAR
.<a href=”https://twitter.com/KazGrala?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@KazGrala</a> had drafting help. <a href=”https://twitter.com/jjyeley1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@jjyeley1</a> did not. <br><br>The No. 55 will not make Sunday’s field. <a href=”https://t.co/tJ0uPOqJJz”>pic.twitter.com/tJ0uPOqJJz</a>
Sunday’s Daytona 500 will mark Grala’s second and the first for Mayweather’s “The Money Team Racing.”
Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman had already locked up the first and second positions, respectively, for the Daytona 500 entering Thursday’s race. Larson locked up the first spot with the fastest time in qualifying and Bowman captured the second slot with the second-fastest time in qualifying.
Race 2 Unofficial Results
- Chris Buescher
- Michael McDowell
- Harrison Burton
- Kyle Busch
- Christopher Bell
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Bubba Wallace
- Rickey Stenhouse Jr.
- Joey Logano
- Kevin Harvick
- Corey LaJoie
- Ty Dillon
- Greg Biffle
- Alex Bowman
- Denny Hamlin
- Cody Ware
- David Ragan
- Austin Dillon
- Aric Almirola
- Timmy Hill
- Jacques Villenueve
Buescher was in a tight race for the top spot in the second race with Logano, McDowell and Burton. Logano was leading, and it appeared he was going to be the winner, but Buescher went down low trying to make a move around the No. 22 Ford driver. Logano then made a late block, and that’s when he got hit by Harrison Burton and wrecked.
When the caution came out, Buescher was slightly ahead of McDowell, giving him the win to help RFK Racing sweep Thursday’s NASCAR Duels.
Logano told FS1 after the race that his late block was “just a dumb move” and that he shouldn’t have done it.
Buescher will start the Daytona 500 in the fourth spot thanks to his win on Thursday.
RFK Racing @RFKracing
Are we really here two times in one night??? <a href=”https://twitter.com/Chris_Buescher?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Chris_Buescher</a> | <a href=”https://twitter.com/FastenalCompany?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@FastenalCompany</a> <a href=”https://t.co/tq1Q5enaQM”>pic.twitter.com/tq1Q5enaQM</a>
Greg Biffle was also impressive Thursday, finishing 13th to earn a spot in Sunday’s race. The 19-time Cup Series race winner will make his first start at NASCAR’s Cup Series level since 2016.
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