Race: Can-Am Duel Race No. 2 at Daytona International Speedway
Track Specs: 2.5-mile superspeedway / 60 laps
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 69 degrees
Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
Dale Jr.’s Finish: 6th
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s first time back on track in actual racing competition since last July appeared to be destined for a storybook ending as the 14-time most popular driver led 53 of 60 total laps in the second Duel race. However, Earnhardt’s efforts to return to the track in the most dramatic fashion possible were thwarted by a late pass by Denny Hamlin. As a result, Earnhardt ended the Duel sixth, but will maintain his second-place starting position earned during Sunday’s Daytona 500 Qualifying session.
Starting from the pole, Earnhardt and Hamlin battled early on before Earnhardt assumed control of the lead and maintained it for much of the night fending off challenges from various drivers including Ryan Blaney, Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer.
When the race reached its competition caution at lap 25, Earnhardt was leading. A two-tire stop by the No. 88 Nationwide team sent their driver back on track for a restart with 30 laps to go. Earnhardt quickly reasserted himself as the race leader by passing Blaney on the backstretch on the first lap after the restart.
From there, Earnhardt methodically worked the draft switching from the low lane to high lane, back and forth numerous times to block potential challenges.
As the field raced down the backstretch on lap 59 of 60, Austin Dillon gave Hamlin a timely push that Earnhardt was unable to block. The No. 88 was forced to move low and salvage a sixth-place finish.
Earnhardt’s teammate Chase Elliott claimed the victory in the first Duel race of the night. Hamlin took the checkered flag in the second followed by Bowyer, Kurt Busch, AJ Allmendinger and Dillon.