Marlin

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Ther are two things to watch during the Gatorade 125s -- who is leading and who is in the coveted transfer spot.

Guests at last year's installment of the Gatorade 125s witnessed Sterling Marlin put Dodge in Victory Lane in the first Gatorade 125 and Mike Skinner edge Dale Earnhardt Jr. by inches in the second race.

While it was a thrill to see Dodge's first victory after a 16-year absence from the series and to see Skinner slip past Earnhardt Jr. by a race-record .004 seconds, fans also saw some furious competition around the 14th position in each race as drivers feverishly tried to qualify for the Daytona 500.

Daytona 500 qualifying is done in a unique format. Following Bud Pole Day on Feb. 9, drivers who qualified in odd-numbered positions -- first, third, fifth, etc. -- compete in the first Gatorade 125. Drivers who qualified in even-numbered positions battle in the second.

Only the pole winner and outside pole from Bud Pole Day are locked into the starting grid. Everybody else is locking horns for a starting position in the "Great American Race."

The top-14 finishers in each Gatorade 125 (with the exception of the already qualified pole winner and outside pole winner) earn positions 3-30 on the staring grid. The rest of the 43-car field is filled based on qualifying speeds and car owner provisional points. The Gatorade 125s don't carry points, but that doesn't mean drivers aren't competitive.

"If you're leading or second, third, fourth or fifth, yeah it means a lot to win that race, but it doesn't pay any points," said Jimmy Spencer. "It's the pride of winning it. But if you're 13th, 14th, 15th or 16th and you need to get into the Daytona 500, that's more critical than trying to win a Gatorade 125.

"There's no comparison. If you don't get in that transfer position, you're going home or then you have to rely on a provisional or speed. I went home one time because of it so I know. To me, if I was working the cameras or the radio coverage, I guarantee you I'd be talking about 12th through 16th."

Elliott Sadler, driver of the Wood Brothers' No. 21 Ford, knows the heartache of the Gatorade 125s. In both of his starts, he has been collected in wrecks and been forced to use a provisional to make the Daytona 500 field.

"It's a fight for survival," Sadler said. "I haven't made it through one yet. I had to take a provisional every time for the Daytona 500. I haven't had any luck in the 125s."

One driver to keep an eye on during the Gatorade 125s is Dave Marcis. He has announced that the Daytona 500 will be his final race.

"Making the race, that's the deal, trying to get in the Daytona 500," said Marcis, who won a Gatorade 125 in 1976. "That would be very important. I started my Winston Cup career at Daytona and would certainly love to end it with the Daytona 500 in 2002."