DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Denny Hamlin had their qualifying times disallowed by NASCAR and will have to start from the rear of the Budweiser Duels after failing post qualifying inspection.
Earnhardt’s car did not meet the minimum height on the left front. NASCAR abandoned their ride height rules for all tracks with the exception of Daytona and Talladega, the only that require restrictor plates on the cars. The defending Daytona 500 champion acknowledged the violation via twitter, but later shared some optimism on starting from the back.
Failed post tech after qualifying. 1/8 low left front. That's a shame. The boys will figure out why. Makes the duels a lot more interesting.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) February 15, 2015
Ain't nothing but a thang. Starting last in the duels makes the challenge of winning steeper and also more enjoyable.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) February 15, 2015
For Hamlin, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s Toyota was in violation of the split in the track bar, found to exceed the maximum length of 3.0 by three-quarters of an inch.
Thursday’s Budweiser Duels will feature two 60-lap races to set the field for the 57th running of the Daytona 500, plenty of time for Earnhardt and Hamlin to work their way towards the front.
