Truex, Martin take sigh of relief after surviving Duel (cont'd)

"You're just looking around and looking in your mirrors, hoping and praying," Truex said. "There are no two ways about it. You have to have luck on your side.

"I knew I could keep it off the wall. But I didn't know who was behind me, what their position was, whether there was another car spinning, or anything. You kind of spin out with your fingers crossed, hoping nobody else hits you."

“

That was fun, maybe the most fun I've ever had here at Daytona. I've been around so long that maybe there are a couple of other times where I've had as much fun or more, but I just can't remember them.

”

-- MARK MARTIN

Nobody did, and when all was said and done there was, remarkably, very little damage done to the No. 1 Chevrolet that Truex drives for the newly-formed Earnhardt Ganassi race team. He lamented the fact that he had to settle for a 21st-place finish in an event he thought he could win. But he knew finishing without having to go to the backup car that would have sent him to the rear of the starting field on Sunday was all that really mattered.

"I feel bad for my guys because I really wanted to win that thing and we had a good shot at it there," Truex said. "I just got myself in the wrong spot there with a car that wasn't right. We will work on it [Friday] and get ready for the 500."

Others weren't as fortunate as Truex and Martin. Among those who will have to go to backup cars for Sunday's race are defending champion Ryan Newman and perennial Chase contender Matt Kenseth.

With eight laps remaining in the first Duel, Kenseth got caught up in a wreck with Sam Hornish and John Andretti, tearing up his No. 17 Ford and relegating him to a 26th-place finish in the 28-car field. It also sent his team scrambling to get another car ready for Sunday's 500 (watch video).

Ironically, crew chief Drew Blickensderfer said that was going to be the car that Kenseth wrecked in last Saturday's Bud Shootout -- a car that already had been sent back to the team's shop in Concord, N.C., and now is in the process of being recalled.

"We actually fixed our Shootout car over the last two days in the body shop -- got all the damage off of it -- and it's actually getting painted [in North Carolina] as we speak," Blickensderfer said shortly after Thursday's calamity unfolded. "I just made the phone call, so it's getting the yellow and black put on it and the decals, and it will be back here [Friday]."

Newman, driving the No. 39 Chevy for the newly-formed Stewart-Haas race team, got hit from behind by David Reutimann and wrecked on Lap 47 of the second Duel (watch video). He finished 24th, and had some choice words for Reutimann after coming on his radio to tell crew chief Tony Gibson and new team owner Tony Stewart that they would need to get him a backup car ready for Sunday's race.

"Reutimann is a good name for him -- because he rooted a man right out of there and sent me up into the wall," Newman said.

Reutimann said he didn't blame Newman for being upset.

"I wasn't trying to wreck him," Reutimann said. "I screwed up. It was my mistake. He ought to be mad; I would be mad, too. To his team and him, and Tony Stewart and everybody that owns that deal, I apologize."