Budweiser Duel

The Budweiser Duel formerly known as the Gatorade Duel, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series preliminary event to the Daytona 500 held annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. It consists of two 150-mile (240 km) races, and serves as a qualifying race for the Daytona 500. The finishing order in the two 150-mile (240 km) races, held on the Thursday before the Daytona 500, determine the starting lineup for the Daytona 500 held on Sunday.

Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is unique in NASCAR. Only the two front row starters (the pole position and "outside pole") are determined by the ordinary qualifying process of timed laps. After the top two positions are locked in, the rest of the starting grid is set by the finishing order of these two races. All drivers participate in one of the two races, including the drivers who locked their positions on the front row from qualifying. The first duel includes the drivers who qualified in the odd positions. The top 14 in the race (exception of the pole winner, who automatically starts on the pole regardless of their Duel finish unless they crashed and had to switch to a backup car during any qualifying of practice session; other drivers who switch to backup cars before the Duel and make the top 14 do not need to move to the back for the 500 if they do for the Duel) is how the inside lane will start during the Daytona 500, provided after the one engine change allowed in Friday's first practice, they do not have to change an engine. The second Duel includes the drivers who qualified in the even positions and the top 14 (with the exception of the pole winner, who automatically starts second, with the same restrictions) where they finish will set the outside lane for the Daytona 500. After the Duels are completed, and the top 30 is set by the above order, the six fastest non-qualifiers by time and the six or seven (if no past champion's exemption is needed) highest-earning teams in points not in the race yet advance, and the starting grid for the Daytona 500 would then be set.