Brad Keselowski wins first of two Duel qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway to secure a 3rd place start for Sunday's Daytona 500

YouTube embedding / NASCAR Video / • Feb 17, 2022 • Watch as Brad Keselowski leads the final lap of the first Duel at Daytona winning and securing a third-place starting spot in the Daytona 500 and his first win for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.

By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Brad Keselowski secure the third starting spot in Sunday's Daytona 500 when he took the checkered flag to win the first duel qualifying race on Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway.

“I felt pretty good about our car in practice on Tuesday,” Keselowski said after winning the first Bluegreen Vacations Duel race. “I’ve got to give credit to the other Fords; we worked really well together – Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric. We had great strategy, and we stuck together and drove away and got ourselves in position where we could control the finish of this race, and I’m happy to see all those Fords upfront. Good job to all those guys. Great start for our team. This is special.”

Brad Keselowski leads a pack of Ford Mustangs to the win at Daytona / Headline Surfer“I felt pretty good about our car in practice on Tuesday,” Keselowski said after winning the first Bluegreen Vacations Duel race. “I’ve got to give credit to the other Fords; we worked really well together – Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric. We had great strategy, and we stuck together and drove away and got ourselves in position where we could control the finish of this race, and I’m happy to see all those Fords upfront. Good job to all those guys. Great start for our team. This is special.”

This is the first time Keselowski has won a Duel qualifying race at Daytona.

Keselowski only led four laps - but they were the final four after taking the lead from former Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney.

Cindric finished second in a three-wide battle at the finish line between him, Blaney, and Briscoe. 

Chase Elliott finished in fifth place, but he was more than two seconds behind the Fords. Erik Jones was sixth, Kyle Larson seventh, Tyler Reddick eighth, Kurt Busch ninth, and Ross Chastain10th.

YouTube embedding / NASCAR Video / • Feb 17, 2022 • Listen in as Brad Keselowski climbs from the car after winning Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway.
Henry Frederick bio / Headline Surfer

About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.