The 2010 Gatorade Duels were two 150miles qualifying races for the 2010 Daytona 500 held on February 11, 2010 at the 2.5miles Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The races determined the field for the race on Sunday, February 14, 2010. Prior to the Duels, only two drivers had their starting positions locked into the 500, they were pole-sitter Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Bill Elliott, Joe Nemechek, Scott Speed, and Bobby Labonte were the four fastest non-top 35 drivers, thus locked in.
| Top Ten Finishers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 | Race 2 | |||||
| Finish | Car No. | Driver | Finish | Car No. | Driver | |
| 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | 1 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | |
| 2 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | 2 | 14 | Tony Stewart | |
| 3 | 18 | Kyle Busch | 3 | 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya | |
| 4 | 33 | Clint Bowyer | 4 | 2 | Kurt Busch | |
| 5 | 78 | Regan Smith | 5 | 19 | Elliott Sadler | |
| 6 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | 6 | 56 | Martin Truex Jr. | |
| 7 | 43 | A. J. Allmendinger | 7 | 20 | Joey Logano | |
| 8 | 39 | Ryan Newman | 8 | 47 | Marcos Ambrose | |
| 9 | 6 | David Ragan | 9 | 00 | David Reutimann | |
| 10 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | 10 | 83 | Brian Vickers | |
| 11 | 16 | Greg Biffle | 11 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | |
| Top Ten Finishers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race 1 | Race 2 | |
| 55-Michael McDowell | 36-Mike Bliss | |
| 13-Max Papis | 82-Scott Speed | |
| 51-Michael Waltrip | ||
| Did not qualify | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97-Jeff Fuller | 32-Reed Sorenson | 46-Terry Cook | 27-Todd Bodine | 66-Dave Blaney | 57-Norm Benning | |
| 90-Casey Mears | 75-Derrike Cope | 09-Aric Almirola | 49-David Gilliland | 92-Mike Wallace | ||
In each duel, the two highest-finishing drivers not in the top 35 of the previous year's owners points earned a place in the Daytona 500. In the second race, Scott Speed earned a place in addition to being one of the four fastest non top 35 drivers. Therefore, an extra place opened for the fifth fastest qualifier and thus Michael Waltrip was awarded a spot in the race.