Field Set For 2012 Daytona 500

The field is finally set for the 54th running of the Daytona 500, following Thursday Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying races.

Roush Fenway Racing teammates Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle were able to avoid trouble Thursday afternoon and maintain their front row starting spots. Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth will make up the second row after scoring wins in their respective Duel races.

Among those able to race their way into Sunday's Daytona 500 are Michael McDowell, Robby Gordon, Dave Blaney and Joe Nemechek.

Matt Kenseth Gives Roush Fenway Racing First Gatorade Duel Win

Heading into Thursday's second Gatorade Duel 150, team owner Jack Roush had two cars on the front row of the Daytona 500, but had never been to victory lane in a Thursday qualifying race.

While Daytona 500 pole-sitter Carl Edwards was able to make it through the first 150-mile race unscathed, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle diced it up for the win in the day's second event.

Biffle led the majority of the event, which was remarkably calmer than the first race, but lost the lead to Kenseth coming to the white flag.

Holding off hard charges from behind, Kenseth was able to take the checkered flag and give Roush his first Gatorade Duel win, and place three of his cars in the top four starting spots in the Great American Race.

Tony Stewart Wins First Gatorade Duel, Danica Patrick Takes Huge Hit

Defending series champion Tony Stewart wasted no time taking new crew chief Steve Addington to victory lane, claiming his first victory of the year in Thursday's first Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying race.

Holding off a charge down the backstretch as the caution came out behind him, Stewart earned his 17th career victory at Daytona International Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Marcos Ambrose, Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards rounded out the top-5.

While Stewart was celebrating his win in victory lane, Danica Patrick was being evaluated in the medical center following a hard hit on the final lap.

NASCAR Speedweeks At Daytona: Week One Wrap Up

The short, but busy off-season officially came to an end this weekend, as the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series hit the track for the first time since the dramatic finish to the 2011 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

This weekend began with Budweiser Shootout practice, Daytona 500 qualifying practice, the ARCA Series race, the Budweiser Shootout, and Sunday's qualifying session to set the front row for next week's main event.

Just days into the season and the biggest stories emerging were failed inspections, the return of pack racing, the strength of the Fords, and the reassurance that Kyle Busch is in a league of his own, at times, behind the wheel of a race car.

NASCAR Association With The WWE Is Not Such A Bad Thing

NASCAR got some television time Monday night when 2011 Sprint Cup Series runner-up Carl Edwards made an appearance on the WWE's Monday Night Raw. 

On a segment taped prior to last week's Raw event, Edwards was shown asking WWE Superstar John Cena to be the honorary started of this year's Daytona 500.

Some in the industry feel that any association with professional wrestling is a bad move and potentially damages the reputation of the sport, even going as far as to say it was "never a good thing."

While some may fear aligning too closely with the WWE could bring into question the legitimacy of NASCAR, they fail to see the larger picture, the similarities between the two industries and a potential to grow the fan base.  

Is is truly such a bad thing if the WWE and NASCAR have a business-to-business relationship?