The Daytona weekend is about to start, and drivers are in power mode. Before teams can embark on the thrilling weekend, the Duels Qualifiers were lined up. These races may be a warm-up for chartered teams looking to secure starting spots and get used to the beating and banging on the superspeedway. But they were also the final opportunity for the open teams to punch a ticket to Daytona. So, two winners came out of this – Joey Logano and a veteran driver.

Joey Logano overcomes a wreck-riddled fest

“Casey Mears advances to the Daytona 500. Joey Logano wins Duel 1,” The Athletic reporter Jordan Bianchi updated on X.

Wheeling the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Casey Mears scored a goal alongside three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano. He punched a ticket to the Daytona 500 by finishing 7th in Duel 1.

The veteran driver ended a six-year hiatus by competing for Garage 66 in five events in 2025. And with the turn of the year, team owner Carl Long decided to make a gamble on Mears for the Daytona 500 – and it paid off. Mears, a 2007 Coca-Cola 600 winner, will start his 14th Daytona 500 race. But the path to punching his ticket was riddled with wrecks and competition.

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Brad Keselowski had tapped Corey LaJoie to drive the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford. And LaJoie was one of Casey Mears’ top competitors in the Duel 1 race, alongside Chandler Smith. After recovering from a collision with Noah Gragson, Mears had to dodge multiple crashes. That included Keselowski’s swipes at Smith and a multi-car pile-up with just two laps left. Mears suffered nose damage, but he finished the race well.

But Keselowski’s gamble fell apart; LaJoie was 6th when a last-lap wreck unfolded and stole his dreams. Joey Logano capitalized on that final lap mayhem and won the Duel 1 race. Ryan Blaney, Logano’s Team Penske teammate, lined up with a 2nd-place finish. Both Penske drivers overcame persistent challenges from Bubba Wallace before the latter spun out in a wreck with two laps left.

Team Penske’s dominance spelled not only a victory over the chaos but also a strong camaraderie.

Relying on teamwork to succeed

Remember the postseason of 2024? Joey Logano vaulted back into the Cup Series playoffs after Alex Bowman’s shock ejection in the Round of 8. And in the following race at Las Vegas, Logano beat competitors hot on his heels like Christopher Bell and Daniel Suarez to win. And his No. 22 Team Penske Ford crew completed the final 72 laps on one tank of fuel. One person contributed a lot to that victory – Nick Hensley, the gasman.

During the Duel 1 race as well, Hensley’s name was emboldened. Joey Logano specifically praised him for being instrumental in getting them track position.

“Just a lot of teamwork, all the way through. I think about the 22 team. In particular, Nick Hensley, our gasman, did a fantastic job getting us position off of pit road. Coleman Pressley up on the roof, giving me great information, and my teammate, Ryan Blaney,” Joey Logano said after winning the race.

Clearly, teamwork worked out for one team while it crashed out for another. As the Daytona 500 gets closer, let’s wait for what chaos and glory come next.