Daytona 500: Joey Logano and Chase Elliott win Duel qualifying races as Casey Mears and Anthony Alfredo race their way in

Chase Elliott and Joey Logano won two Daytona Duel races before the Daytona 500.

Logano won the first duel while Elliott took the checkered flag in the second. Casey Mears entered the Daytona 500 on the final lap after Corey LaJoie and Chandler Smith each got caught in the final overtake.

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With 39 of the 45 drivers in the race locked in through charters (36 drivers), qualifying speed in Wednesday night’s pole qualifying session (Justin Allgaier and Corey Haim) and NASCAR’s provisional drivers for established drivers (Jimmy Johnson), Mills will compete with LaJoie and Smith for one of the two remaining spots.

Smith crashed with five laps left, effectively ending his chances of winning. Meanwhile, Mills collided with Noah Gragson while pitting under the green, triggering the first caution of the game.

LaJoie was in an extremely good position on the final lap, but he was pushed off by Daniel Suarez, and LaJoie lost control when he was clipped by his Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing teammate Brad Keselowski.

Mills knocked it down from behind and even ran into Suarez. But he crossed the finish line comfortably ahead of Smith as LaJoie’s car crashed out of the race on the infield of Turns 3 and 4.

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LaJoie was the second car on the inside when the accident occurred.