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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Mike Wallace was an improbable winner Friday night in the Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

Michael Waltrip was leading when the field took the white flag, but his chances at victory ended when he was tapped by Jason Leffler and spun into the infield on the backstretch.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. tried to make it four consecutive Busch Series victories at Daytona, attempting to pass Leffler to the high side of the track. As Leffler went up the track in an effort to block Earnhardt, Wallace slipped underneath both cars.

NEXTEL CUP: Greg Biffle is the defending race champion, and Jeff Gordon will start from the pole.

But Earnhardt and Waltrip, teammates at Dale Earnhardt Inc. and winners of five of the last seven races at Daytona International Speedway, are heavy favorites in tonight's Pepsi 400.

"You know going in that the two DEI guys are going to be tough," Gordon said. "I want to win and I'll do everything I can to keep the competition behind me, but we can all be pretty confident that the No. 15 (Waltrip) and the No. 8 (Earnhardt) will be the guys to beat."

LABONTE RETIRING? Terry Labonte is nearing the end of his racing career and hinted Friday that this season could be his last. Labonte, a two-time champion, is in his 26th full season in NASCAR's top series.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS: Series points leader Dennis Setzer was given the pole for the O'Reilly Auto Parts 350 when rain caused cancellation of qualifying Friday at Kansas Speedway.

Setzer's Chevrolet will start tonight inside the Ford of Carl Edwards. Setzer has three top-three finishes on the 1 1/2-mile tri-oval. Bobby Hamilton will start on the inside of the second row tonight, with Rick Crawford on the outside.

CHAMP CAR: Paul Tracy captured the pole for the Cleveland Grand Prix. Tracy blasted around the 2.106-mile runway course at Burke Lakefront Airport in 57.546 seconds (131.749 mph) on Friday. Tracy's pole win came one day after he was awarded the provisional pole by Champ Car officials, who ruled Sebastien Bourdais blocked cars during Thursday's qualifying.

IRL: Jeff Simmonswas tapped Friday to replace the retired Al Unser Jr. for Sunday's Kansas Indy 500 at Kansas Speedway.

Patrick Racing owner Pat Patrick wouldn't commit to any plans for the No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet beyond Sunday's Argent Mortgage 300, however.