Enlarge By J. Pat Carter, AP Michael Waltrip, the 2001 Daytona 500 champion, gathers himself before the Gatorade Duel at Daytona International Speedway.  NASCAR FAST FACTS What: Daytona 500, first of 36 races for NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. Where: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile trioval in Daytona Beach, Fla. When: Sunday, Feb. 14, 1:15 p.m. ET TV: Fox, noon ET  Distance: 200 laps/500 miles Weather: Conditions, forecast 2009 winner: Matt Kenseth. Quick hits: Jeff Gordon is the winningest active driver at Daytona with six victories, including three in the season-opening Daytona 500. ... Mark Martin, 51, became the oldest Daytona 500 pole winner in qualifying Feb. 6.

That was the rundown from Thursday's Gatorade Duel at Daytona International Speedway, as the twin 150-mile qualifying races produced thrilling victories by Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne and a feel-good surprise in Michael Waltrip.

Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, who has scaled back to become a team owner and likely is attempting his last Great American Race, appeared out after spinning and placing 25th in the first qualifier. But Scott Speed, the ex-Formula One driver who likes pedicures, bumped Waltrip into the show by earning the last transfer spot in the second race.

"I love him, and I don't care what he does with his toenails," says Waltrip, who later added, "I figured I'd be crying. I didn't know if it would be because I was happy or sad. I damn sure didn't know it'd be both within an hour."

Waltrip has endured plenty of lows at Daytona, too, from winning his first race (after 461 starts) on the day that car owner and friend Dale Earnhardt died to having his first-year team tarnished by an illegal fuel scandal in 2007.

But he was elated Thursday after two races that seemed to validate NASCAR's offseason rule changes to improve competition. Johnson, starting from the rear in a backup Chevy, nipped Kevin Harvick by 0.005 seconds, and Kahne's Ford edged Tony Stewart by 0.014 seconds for his first Daytona win.

"If you don't like that, you need to become a fan of a different sport," said Waltrip, who watched the second race with a furrowed brow in Fox's trackside studio. "That is as good as it gets."

Meanwhile, Max Papis eventually wants to be known as Mad Max, the Italian NASCAR driver.

After the Gatorade Duel at Daytona, he settled for being Glad Max.

A seven-year journey from driving Indy, Formula One and sports cars to stock cars culminated with the Daytona 500 berth Papis coveted as he raced his way in with a 15th-place finish in the first 150-mile qualifying race. One spot higher was Michael McDowell, who also earned his first Daytona start.

Mike Bliss and Speed wrote their own tales by finishing 13-14 in the second qualifier, the latter allowing Waltrip to qualify. Those four sunny plot lines overshadowed an otherwise cold, gray day at Daytona International Speedway, one that placed three first-timers and three former F1 drivers in the 43-car field.

Including one happy Italian.

"This is definitely a dream come true because Daytona means everything," said Papis, 40. "I'm not just happy that we made the show, but (Thursday) was good that we made the show. Last year, I never would've had the opportunity to make this dream come true."

Papis took perhaps the longest path to a spot on the 2.5-mile oval. The three-time winner in the long-gone CART open-wheel series and 2004 Grand-Am Rolex Series champion entered NASCAR in 2006 and Sprint Cup two years later, making 15 starts last year for Germain Racing.

His place in NASCAR's marquee event came true after a day in which his No. 13 Toyota dashed in and out of contention for four spots among 19 drivers that had to race their ways in. With 10 laps left Papis was 20th and out of the mix before a caution on lap 54 following a three-car accident reshuffled the order.

The yellow benefited Papis and McDowell, who started 26th in Prism Motorsports' No. 55 Toyota, a number and make Waltrip drove through last year before cutting back his schedule this season. He also looked to be going home before gaining positions after pitting for tires and fuel while Papis stayed out; those decisions left hopefuls looking toward next year.

"That last caution came out; I knew we had a good shot at it," McDowell said. "Our car was really good on the short run. I knew if we had a second shot at it, we had a good shot. (We) got the pushes we needed. Picked the right line at the right time."

On the cusp all day, Bliss and Speed just stayed on it before overtaking Casey Mears late and holding on. It marked a rebound for Bliss, who drove a backup Chevrolet after wrecking his primary car in Wednesday's practice.

Speed, a onetime F1 driver starting his second Cup season, started sixth and could have fallen back on his qualifying speed in the absence of a good run. Early on, he just fell back to 20th before a steady recovery.

Their only obstacle was Mears, who finished 15th in last year's rain-shortened 500 but had to race his way in as well in Keyed Up Motorsports' Chevy after losing his Richard Childress Racing ride. He almost had a spot before the field bunched up in front of him, and checking up opened the way for Bliss and Speed to pass.

"I just knew the 90 (Mears) was there," Bliss said when asked if he knew his position. "I just figured I would run as hard as I could and just whatever happens from there. I kind of knew who was around me. I didn't want a lot of radio chatter."

Waltrip was especially grateful to Speed for allowing him to make a 24th consecutive 500 start, but Papis was perhaps the most appreciative that his roundabout journey claimed an opporutnity on its biggest oval.

"I went out with a lot of anger and a lot of hunger," he said. "It proved someone who can downshift can also keep it in one gear."