Bubba Wallace Motors to Duel 1 Win

(DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEB 13, 2025 – RIS) Bubba Wallace led a total of 21 laps on his way to winning the first of the Duels at Daytona to set the starting order in the Daytona 500. Chase Elliot headed for 15 laps before finishing in eighth place, while William Byron followed Wallace across the Start/Finish line after leading four laps.

A windy rainstorm Thursday afternoon cancelled Truck practice but the track dried quickly in coastal sun and win, letting the two Duel at Daytona races take place on schedule.

Chase Briscoe started on the pole for Duel No. 1 at Daytona, while Chase Elliott pulled to his pit as soon as the engines started, reporting that his brake pedal went to the floor and felt ‘squishy.’ The crew bled the brakes and added fluid to the system before he rejoined the field in his original ninth position. Ross Chastain stopped in the pits before the start also, with a high idling condition but the crew adjusted the car and returned the No. 1 Chevy to the track before the start.

Zane Smith’s right front tire went flat, sending him into the wall on the third lap. The caution allowed several teams to top up their fuel tanks and Justin Allgaier’s crew put four tires on the No. 40 Chevy. The caution proved a benefit for Chastain, who had started the race about a half-lap behind the field but could close up during the caution period.

Josh Berry led the field in the Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford, followed by Chase Elliott and Michael McDowell with the lead trio pulling out into a single-file with Elliott taking the lead on the tenth lap of the race.

Chandler Smith wrecked out of third place, smashing the front end of the No. 66 Ford when he moved down into the path of Justin Haley and got turned. Helio Castroneves hit the apron and spun up the banking into the outside wall before coasting to a stop on the infield grass, out of the race. Castroneves can start the 500 with a new provisional position allowed by NASCAR, but will not be eligible for any prize money. Seven more cars received damage in the incident.

“In one of the wrecks, I got hit and ended up hitting the wall in turn two pretty hard and broke a toe link,” commented the four-time Indianapolis 500 champion. “I should have actually just brought it in slower. We went really fast trying to fix the car, and then obviously when I hit the banking, the car just snapped to the right.

“It’s disappointing because the No. 91 Wendy’s Chevy was really good. It wasn’t the night that we wanted, but we’ll take the provisional. So many people have been talking about it, but we will take it and we will learn more for the race.

“There are so many little things that people don’t realize behind the TV and even the grandstands. There’s so much going on. It’s actually incredible. The way the package is, it’s impressive. There was a lot to learn, no question about it. There was a lot of movement in the car; a lot of air flow and a lot of brake-checking that you need to be aware of. But as long as you hold steady, it’s pretty good. I wish we could have kept it going.”

Chase Elliott and Josh Berry led under the green flag to restart the race with 40 laps to run out of the 60. Ross Chastain took over second place with William Byron and Elliott running next to each other but Elliott moved to the inside lane and into the lead. Berry tried to make a block and got blocked out of the traffic lines, falling back to sixteenth place before he could get back in line with the pack.

A loose side window out of Ty Gibbs’ car called for another caution so it could be recovered. Chase Briscoe drove to the garage during this caution, but after Wednesday night’s qualifying, he still takes the green flag in the pole position Sunday.

Elliott and Chastain restarted in the front row with William Byron giving Chastain a good draft push into the lead, then Byron moved out into the lead with Bubba Wallace pushing.

Wallace got the lead from Byron but then Byron and Chastain used drafting to take the inside line into the lead. Ryan Preece headed a few laps until he tried to block the outside lane but failed to make the move, got locked into the center lane with no drafting partners and dropped back to 14th place before he could get back into the draft.

Debris on the back straight caused another caution, with Berry and Truex both taking four fresh tires and fuel during the yellow period. Wallace and Byron led the pack to the restart with Wallace getting pushed by Reddick and Chastain helping Byron.

Ty Dillon and Bubba Wallace held the front row as the race’s final ten laps wound down. As the white flag approached, the field opened up to three-wide after the third place. Ty Dillon moved up to block and tapped the wall, with Wallace taking the checkered flag, followed by Byron, Dillon and Chastain. AJ Allmendinger’s sixth place finish earned him a starting position for the Daytona 500 in JR Motorsports’ (Dale Earnhardt Jr’s) first entry in a Cup race.

“Man, what a night,” said Wallace, crediting Reddick with a good job of pushing in the draft.

Duel 1 at Daytona, Feb 13, 2025 - Daytona International Speedway
Pos, Driver, Car, Margin, Laps, Last Lap, Best Time, Best Speed, Best Lap
1) Bubba Wallace, No. 23 McDonald's Toyota, --, 60, 47.512 sec, 46.551 sec, 193.336 mph, 35
2) William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet, 0.082, 60, 47.389, 46.467, 193.686, 53
3) Ty Dillon, No. 10 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevrolet, 0.121, 60, 47.541, 46.473, 193.661, 53
4) Ross Chastain, No. 1 Busch Light Chevrolet, 0.151, 60, 47.344, 46.458, 193.723, 53
5) Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Nasty Beast Toyota, 0.159, 60, 47.573, 46.536, 193.399, 35
6) AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet, 0.182, 60, 47.521, 46.526, 193.440, 33
7) Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet, 0.231, 60, 47.336, 46.488, 193.598, 53
8) Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, 0.243, 60, 47.550, 46.524, 193.449, 33
9) Justin Allgaier(i)*, No. 40 Traveller Whiskey Chevrolet, 0.255, 60, 47.507, 46.468, 193.682, 35
10) Kyle Busch, No. 8 zone Chevrolet, 0.309, 60, 47.550, 46.533, 193.411, 35
11) Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota, 0.333, 60, 47.319, 46.446, 193.773, 21
12) Michael McDowell, No. 71 Go Bowling Chevrolet, 0.355, 60, 47.517, 46.211, 194.759, 42
13) Ryan Preece, No. 60 BuildSubmarines.com Ford, 0.371, 60, 47.548, 46.350, 194.175, 42
14) Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford, 0.438, 60, 47.470, 46.209, 194.767, 55
15) Martin Truex Jr.*, No. 56 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Toyota, 0.441, 60, 47.558, 46.509, 193.511, 33
16) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 SUNNYD Chevrolet, 0.568, 60, 47.610, 46.227, 194.691, 38
17) JJ Yeley*, No. 44 Green River Whiskey Chevrolet, 0.581, 60, 47.376, 46.452, 193.748, 35
18) Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet, 11.380, 60, 49.593, 46.660, 192.885, 53
19) Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, -34, 26, 120.706, 46.961, 191.648, 21
20) Chandler Smith(i)*, No. 66 Quick Tie Ford, -47, 13, 47.045, 46.885, 191.959, 11
21) Justin Haley, No. 7 Chili's Ride the 'Dente Chevrolet, -47, 13, 47.215, 46.856, 192.078, 11
22) Helio Castroneves*, No. 91 Wendy's Chevrolet, -47, 13, 47.050, 46.880, 191.980, 11
23) Zane Smith, No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford, -54, 6, 152.088, 47.596, 189.092, 2
(#) Rookie, (i) Not Eligible for Points, (*) Must Qualify on Time

Time: 1 Hrs, 8 Mins, 45 Secs.
Average Speed: 130.909 MPH
Margin of Victory: .082 Seconds

Comments: Bubba Wallace has won the Duel at DAYTONA 1 at Daytona International Speedway, his first victory in the DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Race.

Cautions: 4 for 15 laps;
Laps: 4-7 (No. 38 Incident Turn 4 [None]);
15-19 (No. 66, 7, 54, 91 Incident Turn 2 [None]);
26-28 (Debris Turn 4 [None]);
44-46 (Debris Backstretch [None]).

Lead Changes: 20 among 10 drivers;
R. Preece 1;
C. Briscoe 2-4;
T. Gibbs 5;
J. Berry 6-9;
C. Elliott 10-15;
M. McDowell 16-17;
C. Elliott 18-19;
J. Berry 20-21;
C. Elliott 22-28;
R. Chastain 29;
W. Byron 30;
B. Wallace 31-32;
W. Byron 33-35;
B. Wallace 36-37;
R. Preece 38-39;
B. Wallace 40-52;
T. Dillon 53-55;
B. Wallace 56;
T. Dillon 57;
B. Wallace 58-60.