DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Perfect so far at Speedweeks, Kevin Harvick has positioned himself as the favorite to win the Daytona 500.
Harvick won the first Daytona 500 qualifying race on Thursday to make it 2 for 2 at Daytona International Speedway, where he also won an exhibition race last weekend. It positions Harvick, the 2007 Daytona 500 winner, as a top contender in Sunday's season-opening race.
Kyle Busch won the second duel to give Toyota its first victory of Speedweeks and snap Chevrolet's dominance. Harvick took the new Chevrolet SS to Victory Lane twice, and Danica Patrick put it on the Daytona 500 pole in time trials.
Patrick started on the pole for the first 150-mile Budweiser Duel before she coasted and finished 17th. All Patrick needed to do was keep her car intact to preserve the top spot for Sunday.
Luge
US sleds go missing
Some of the U.S. luge team's sleds went slip-sliding away down a Pennsylvania road. Now USA Luge is trying to get them back, and needs the public's help.
Team marketing director Gordy Sheer said Thursday he was returning to his hotel after working at an eastern Pennsylvania ski resort last week when five sleds fell out the back of the truck. They were gone by the time he realized what had happened.
State police said a man in a black truck was seen picking up the sleds and driving off with them. Sheer, a 1998 Olympic silver medalist in doubles, said he doesn't think the man had any criminal intent, but simply found the sleds and decided to hold on to them. The sleds cost $400 to $600 a piece.
Miscellaneous
Aztec wins national honor
Pima College women's basketball player A'jha Edwards was named NJCAA Division II National Player of the Week on Wednesday for the week of Feb. 11-17.
Edwards, a sophomore center, had 18 points and 20 rebounds in Pima's win over South Mountain and followed that performance with 20 points and 22 rebounds in the double overtime loss at Mesa.
• The Arizona Wildcats men's golf team shot a 13-over 301 Thursday to drop to fifth after the second round of the John Burns Intercollegiate at Kahuku, Hawaii. The UA's total of 593 was 27 strokes behind leader Cal. UA's Eric Oja was tied for third at 142 after shooting a 1-over 73.
• LSU vice chancellor Herb Vincent says former Tigers great Billy Cannon has checked out of a hospital, two days after being admitted for treatment of a stroke.
• U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo will miss next month's Algarve Cup because of a wrist injury.
• The Pima College women's tennis team lost 5-4 to Eastern Arizona on Thursday in Thatcher.
Includes material from news releases
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