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Waltrip, Stewart Win Daytona Qualifiers

Posted on: Thursday, 17 February 2005, 18:00 CST

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Michael Waltrip outraced teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win the first race and Tony Stewart barely avoided a wild seven-car crash and went on to win the nightcap Thursday in qualifying races for the Daytona 500.

The first of the 150-mile events showed that reports of the Dale Earnhardt Inc. team's demise at Daytona may have been a bit premature.

Two-time 500 winner Waltrip passed DEI teammate Earnhardt, the defending 500 champion, on the outside in the final straightaway for his victory.

"I plan out moves like that all the time and they never work," said Waltrip, who won by .030 seconds - about half a car length. "After practice yesterday, I knew we'd be a force in the 150 and the Daytona 500."

A lot of other people weren't so sure after Earnhardt appeared down on power in the non-points Budweiser Shootout and practice and Waltrip also seemed to be struggling. Earnhardt conceded that the team hadn't been as dominant.

"It just seems to go in cycles," Earnhardt said. "We had our run and we've all known over the last couple of years they've been closing the gap. Yet we ain't falling off to the point when we can't compete. Everybody is working hard to catch us, and eventually they will."

Jimmie Johnson, who trailed only three-time Daytona winner Dale Jarrett in pole qualifying last Sunday, was out front in the second race when he was bumped from behind in the second turn on the 2 1/2-mile oval by Kevin Harvick. The bump turned Johnson's Chevrolet sideways and ignited a crash that took out top contenders Johnson, Harvick, Mark Martin, Joe Nemechek and Rusty Wallace.

Johnson was furious at Harvick, saying he should know better than to bump draft in the turns. He said team owner Richard Childress should fire Harvick and angrily said NASCAR should penalize him.

"It's a shame," Johnson said. "He tore up six or seven good race cars."

While Earnhardt fought an ill-handling car for much of the first 60-lap race, Waltrip moved up among the leaders and led midway through the race.

"Just to be able to finish second, I feel lucky," Earnhardt said. "He (Waltrip) did what he had to do. He did the right moves. "

Mike Skinner, now a regular in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck series and planning to drive a handful of Nextel Cup races for Bill Davis Racing, led after the third caution flag of the race. He appeared on the way to victory until the DEI cars ganged up on him at the end.

Skinner, who aleady was guaranteed a starting spot in Sunday's 43-car field thanks to his qualifying speed in time trials last Sunday, wound up third, followed by Ryan Newman, Ricky Rudd, defending Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch and two-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon.

Stewart held off Jeff Burton for the win in the closing laps of the second race, finishing about two car lengths ahead. Kevin Lepage finished third, earning a starting spot in the field, as did fourth-place finisher Martin Truex Jr., the third DEI car.

A rule change this year guaranteed the top 35 teams in car owner points starting spots on Sunday. Four more drivers made it on speed and the final four positions were up for grabs Thursday.

Making it in on qualifying speed were Jason Leffler, Boris Said, John Andretti and Mike Wallace, while Skinner, Kenny Wallace, Truex and Lepage raced in on Thursday.

Drivers who failed to make the field included Kerry Earnhardt, Dale's older half-brother who lost out when he was passed in the final yards by Kenny Wallace.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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