Kasey Kahne Takes Duel No. 2; Waltrip Makes The 500 After All

Michael Waltrip qualified for what could be his final Daytona 500 after all.

After sweating it out following his wreck in the first of two Gatorade Duel qualifying races, Waltrip made it in thanks to a strong run by his friend Scott Speed.

Speed moved up to take a transfer spot along with Mike Bliss, which left one spot open for those who needed to fall back on their qualifying speed.

It’s all part of the complex Daytona 500 qualifying process, but the end result left Waltrip – a two-time Daytona 500 winner – in the field for NASCAR’s biggest race.

“I figured when I woke up this morning I’d be crying before the day was over,” said Waltrip, who shared an embrace with Speed in the media center. “I just didn’t know if it would be because I was happy or because I was sad. And then I damn sure didn’t know it would be both within an hour of each other.”

Kasey Kahne won the race by nipping Tony Stewart at the line in the second thrilling finish of the day. Both Duel races came down to a side-by-side battle at the finish line.

“I’m excited for the race on Sunday,” Kahne said. “I think we’ll have a shot to hopefully hang out up front and be there at the end.”

Waltrip had watched the race from Fox’s Hollywood Hotel TV set, and could be seen pumping his fist after Speed passed Casey Mears for the final transfer spot. Had Mears finished ahead of Speed, Waltrip would have gone home.

“I was just amazed that it came down to what it did,” Waltrip said. “Last lap. Two guys. Crazy. I don’t know how Scott did it, but he made a great run there at the end.”

Bliss said the qualifying spot came down to which drivers were willing to put the most on the line.

“I mean, brass balls makes a lot,” he said. “So it just means, it came down to who have the biggest huevos, whatever. However you say it in French.”

Mears failed to make it with his upstart Keyed-Up Motorsports team.

“This is the first time I’ve never been in the Daytona 500 since I’ve started,” he said. “So it’s pretty disappointing and we knew the situation we were in when we came here. We tried as hard as we could.”