Gatorade Duels: Who's in and who's not in the Daytona 500?

Autoracing Betting Lines

02/22/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date: Thursday, February 23. Race: Gatorade Duel twin-qualifying races. Site: Daytona International Speedway. Track: 2.5-mile tri-oval. Start time: 2:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 60 (each race). Miles: 150. 2011 Winners: Kurt Busch (race 1). Jeff Burton (race 2). Television: SPEED. Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Satellite.

Thursday's Gatorade Duel at Daytona -- the twin 150-mile qualifying races -- will set the starting field for the Daytona 500. With 49 teams entered in "The Great American Race," six of them will not make it into Sunday's big show.

Last weekend in Daytona 500 time trials, Carl Edwards won the pole, while his teammate, Greg Biffle, secured the outside pole to give Roush Fenway Racing and Ford the front starting row. These are the only drivers who have locked down their starting positions in the 500-mile race. Edwards will lead a field of 25 cars to the green flag in the first qualifying race. Biffle will start first in the 24-car field for the second event.

The top 35 in last year's owner points are guaranteed a starting spot in the Daytona 500. Three drivers -- David Stremme, Tony Raines and last year's race winner, Trevor Bayne -- finished outside the top 35 last season, but they are warranted a position in the Daytona 500 based on their qualifying speeds. Terry Labonte, the 1984 and 1996 Cup champion, also is assured a spot if he has to use a champion's provisional.

Therefore, 10 drivers will vie for the four final positions in the Daytona 500.

Michael Waltrip, Michael McDowell, Mike Wallace and Robby Gordon will attempt to make it into the Daytona 500 when they compete in the first qualifying race. Waltrip has competed in the Daytona 500 each year since 1987 (25 consecutive races). He won it in 2001 and '03.

Kenny Wallace, Dave Blaney, Joe Nemechek, Bill Elliott, Robert Richardson Jr. and J.J. Yeley will try to race their way in during the second qualifying event. If Labonte races his way into the Daytona 500 during the qualifiers, then Elliott, the 1988 series champion, is assured a starting spot with at least the champion's provisional.

Elliott has 28 Daytona 500 starts to his credit.

The odd-number starting positions for the Daytona 500 will be based on the finishing order of the first qualifying race, and the even-number starting spots will be determined by the outcome of the final qualifier.

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Big East Conference odds

Work left to do: Villanova, Syracuse, DePaul, West Virginia, Providence

Notre Dame and Louisville appear to have done enough to make the move, so we'll make them locks. The Cardinals, despite a modest RPI, are trending way up and have clinched at least a tie for third in the Big East, which should be more than enough with their pair of big road wins. Villanova got back to .500 and gets back to more solid footing. Syracuse got a very important road win and crippled a fellow contender in the process. West Virginia's fate could be in its hands Tuesday at Pitt.

Work left to do:

Villanova [18-9 (7-7), RPI: 21, SOS: 5] Pounded Rutgers to get back to .500. If Cats can get their last two (at UConn, vs. Syracuse), that should be enough with strong computer numbers and a host of wins away from The Pavilion. The Cats have beaten Texas and swept the Big 5 (never easy in Philly), but have a couple of losses to bubble teams (Xavier, Drexel), too. I still think they'll be OK, possibly even at 8-8.

Syracuse [20-8 (9-5), RPI: 53, SOS: 62] History says 10 wins will be plenty, but it might be hard for the Orange to get that last one with a final two vs. G'town, which is trying to win the league title, and at Villanova, which will be desperate for a W. The relative lack of nonconference heft and the weak computer numbers are still concerns, but the Orange have won four in a row and got a very, very big win at Providence on Saturday.

DePaul [16-12 (8-7), RPI: 54, SOS: 18] Beat Cincy and should get past South Florida to get to 9-7, but then what? They have beaten Kansas and Cal (right after the DeVon Hardin injury) earlier this season, but also have lost to Bradley and Purdue, among others. They'll likely need a couple of BE tourney wins, too, but we'll see ...

West Virginia [19-7 (8-6), RPI: 58, SOS: 125] The game at Pitt on Tuesday night could decide the Mountaineers' fate (barring a deep tournament run). They can still get to 9-7 in the Big East without it by beating Cincinnati, but the nine wins would be against UConn, Villanova, St. John's, South Florida, DePaul, Rutgers, Seton Hall twice and the Bearcats. Beating bubble foes is fine, but where's the beef? Outside of beating PG-less UCLA in nonconference play (still a top quality win), there's not a lot to fall back on (besides maybe NC State). WVU vs. Syracuse would be an interesting debate, as the teams don't play in the Big East regular season. WVU has the best win, but Cuse has played the much better schedule.

Providence [17-10 (7-7), RPI: 70, SOS: 33] The Friars likely saw their at-large hopes die at home in the four-point loss to Syracuse, barring an unexpected run to the Big East semis or more. The RPI, bad already, won't be helped by playing St. John's and South Florida in the final two league games.

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