Johnson, Kahne win Duels at Daytona

The Daytona 500 field is set, as four-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne won their respective Gatorade Duel at Daytona races. But it wasn't easy for either of them, as they had to nose out their finishes coming to the stripe.

How Johnson won his race was courtesy of a gutsy call from crew chief Chad Knaus, as he didn't pit during the final caution of race #1, while everyone else did. And it was a call that paid off. After the final restart, Johnson held off 2007 Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick in a side-by-side battle to the flag, winning by inches. Daytona 500 polesitter Mark Martin peeled out of the lead pack coming to the white flag in an effort to avoid potential trouble on the last lap. Getting the transfer spots in race #1 were Max Papis--who did not pit under the final caution along with Johnson--and Michael McDowell.

In race two, Kasey Kahne was locked in a side-by-side battle with Tony Stewart on the last lap, and just like in the first race, Kahne edged Stewart at the finish line. Scott Speed and Mike Bliss finished in the transfer spots, which put them both into the Daytona 500. With Speed's 14th place finish, two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip gets into the race by falling back on his qualifying speed, despite crashing out of his duel race earlier. Waltrip will start 43rd in a backup car.