Jr. Motorsports will make the Daytona 500 as an open car in their first attempt!
That also gives Corey LaJoie a second way in - if Johnson is the top-finishing Open car in Duel 2, LaJoie can use his qualifying time to start 40th.
Cars are rolling for Duel 2. Cindric on the pole. Open cars - Johnson 14th (in on time), LaJoie 17th (can lock in on time if Johnson finishes 1st among open cars), Alfredo 20th (must race his way in), McLeod 21st (must race his way in). Bell dropping to the rear (of the outside line) for unapproved adjustments.
Housecleaning from Duel 1 - Haley going to a backup, Zane Smith repairing the car, Castroneves undecided.
Green flag - Cindric takes the outside to start, tucks in ahead of Logano. 2x2, Cindric/Logano on the outside, Hamlin/Larson on the inside.
Lap 8 - Hamlin out front, 2x2 behind him, LaJoie/Johnson jostling for the transfer spot (13th-15th, with Suarez in that mix). The Bell unapproved adjustment was the power steering pump.
Lap 15 - It's a fuel-saving race, with Hamlin still out front, and LaJoie safely in the transfer spot...until Legacy Motor Club shoots to the front, with Johnson pushing Jones all the way to the lead.
Lap 25 - So much for fuel savings; laps are in the 48.6-second range, with 2/3rds of Legacy out front (Jones/Johnson), then 2x2 behind them.
More Duel 1 housecleaning - the lap 25 debris caution came too late for Briscoe as he hit that debris. It could have been worse had it hit the radiator, but they still have to repair the grille/splitter/nose
Lap 32 - LMC loses the leads to Suarez during the commercial, may be 3x3. Johnson pit by himself on lap 34, puts Alfredo (7th) in the transfer spot. Johnson may be lapped before pit stops properly start.
Lap 39 - The pack has caught Johnson, Alfredo up to 5th in the transfer spot.
Lap 43 - Fords on the outside, Johnson still the only car to have pit. Alfredo up to 4th for the transfer spot.
Lap 44 - All the Chevys and all the Toyotas pit, Hamlin overshoots the box.
Lap 45 - 6 of the Fords pit, Hamlin, Larson, Nemechek nailed for speeding
Lap 46 - The rest of the Fords pit.
Lap 48 - The shambolic Fords won the pit strategy (top several, with Buescher out front), but the accordion effect cost Bowman, Keselowski, Suarez. Caution. LaJoie (4th) in the transfer spot, made it through. Keselowski made it back to the pits with plenty of damage. Unreported on TV was a pending penalty on Keselowski for removing equipment from the pit box.
Lap 51 - Johnson/Larson/McLeod pit, Keselowski to the garage. Questions on whether Buescher (the leader) took enough fuel. McLeod's crew over too early.
Lap 53 - Back to green, Buescher outside, Cindric inside, Fords have the top 6.
Lap 58 - 2x2, Cindric out front. Alfredo shuffled back.
White flag - Jones to the outside for the lead, wrecking in the back. Jones holds off Cindric...we think as the caution was thrown before they took the checkered flag, LaJoie 6th to race his way in. Hold all tickets as NASCAR is still reviewing the footage at the moment of caution. Cindric declared the winner. No question on who the Open cars are as LaJoie was well ahead of Alfredo/Johnson/McLeod. LaJoie will start well mid-upper-pack Sunday, Johnson will start 40th, and Alfredo/McLeod will be going home.
Still don't have scoring beyond the top 2, but
via Jeff Gluck on X, have a blow-by-blow of the last caution - "Replay looks like Bell and SVG got together, then SVG hit Ware and collected Custer and Larson and Herbst and Alfredo (who missed the race anyway)." Jones disappointed, but not mad, at the call putting him 2nd.
Somewhat-sketchy unofficial Duel 2 results to set the outside row Sunday:
Cindric (had the outside pole anyway)
Jones
Buescher
Hamlin
Logano
LaJoie (raced his way in)
Gilliland
Blaney
Nemechek
Bell
Larson
Herbst
Alfredo (going home)
van Gisbergen
Ware
Custer
McLeod (going home)
Gragson
Johnson (using his qualifying time to start 40th on Sunday, last car to make it to lap 60)
Keselowski
Suarez
Bowman