NASCAR: Daytona 500 Preview

Already riding a wave of positive momentum and international attention Sunday’s 63rd Annual Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX) is again shaping up to be one of the most high-profile, highly-competitive events as it ushers in the 2022 season.

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will start his No. 5 Chevrolet from the pole position alongside Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Chevrolet – leading a field of 40 cars that includes six past Daytona 500 winners, eight former series champions and even a past Formula One world champion in NASCAR’s newest generation of race cars.

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Chevy. Photo by Getty Images for NASCAR

The Chevrolets, Fords and Toyotas – aptly referred to as the Next Gen cars – will feature different technical modifications and aesthetic enhancements – from the sequential shifter and 670 horsepower to single center-lock wheel nuts, rearview camera mirror and car numbers now placed behind the front wheels.

The response for the new cars and the sport in general has already benefitted from a successful debut at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum two weeks ago. The non-points Busch Light Clash was a nearly sold-out show with some estimates that 70 percent of the crowd were first-time NASCAR race attendees.

The diehards and first-timers paying attention this week at the sold-out annual season-opener at Daytona are expected to be treated to a highly competitive race.

Although Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets have won the pole position in seven of the last eight Daytona races, the multi-championship organization hasn’t won a Daytona 500 since Jimmie Johnson did so in 2014.

The last time a Daytona 500 polesitter won the race was 22-years ago when Dale Jarrett won the 2000 edition. The team’s former champion driver-turned-team executive Jeff Gordon won from pole in 1999.

More often, this race has come down to the final thrilling laps. That was certainly the case last February when Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell earned his career first NASCAR win taking the checkered flag by inches – credited with leading only the last lap. That scenario has played out frequently in recent years with race winners Austin Dillon (2018) and veteran Kurt Busch (2017) also capturing the win leading only the final lap.

Michael McDowell, driver of the #34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford, drives during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

There is only one multi-time winner in Sunday’s race – three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin, who drives the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Adding to the drama in 2022 are several new team/driver combinations. Busch is now driving a second car for the second-year 23XI Racing Toyota team owned by Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan. His former teammate at Chip Ganassi Racing, Ross Chastain has similarly joined a new team. He’ll team with Daniel Suarez in the No. 1 Chevrolet fielded by TrackHouse Racing, which is co-owned by former driver Justin Marks and musical superstar Pitbull.

Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Advent Health Chevrolet, speaks to the media during the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Former series champion Brad Keselowski has expanded his presence in the sport and now co-owns the Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing two-car team. His involvement with the RFK team – as owner and driver of the No. 6 Ford – has already resulted in two trophies. Keselowski (Duel 1) and Chris Buescher (Duel 2) helped RFK Racing to a sweep of Thursday’s Daytona qualifying races the first time a team accomplished a the feat since 2015.

Brad Keselowski celebrates Duel 1 win at Daytona. Getty Images for NASCAR

Kaulig Racing added to its championship-caliber NASCAR Xfinity Series program with a fulltime NASCAR Cup Series car driven by Justin Haley in 2022 and a second car that will be shared by three drivers. Erik Jones – a former summer race winner at Daytona – will team with Ty Dillon in the newly formed Petty GMS Motorsports organization.

And first-year NASCAR Cup Series drivers – former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric (Team Penske) and second-generation NASCAR drivers Harrison Burton (Wood Brothers Racing) and Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports) will compete for top rookie honors.

Cindric has the top starting position (fifth) among rookies. The defending Daytona 500 winner McDowell will start sixth after an impressive run in Thursday’s qualifying race. And the 2015 Daytona 500 winner Logano will start last in the field after having to go to a back-up No. 22 Team Penske Ford after an accident in his Duel 150 qualifying race.

Former Formula One champion and 1995 Indy 500 champion Jacques Villeneuve, 50, and current Xfinity Series title contender Noah Gragson raced their way into the Daytona 500 starting field in qualifying. It will be the first start in this race for both.

Kaz Grala qualified for the Daytona 500 starting field with a dramatic last lap pass to claim an “open” position available to non-chartered teams based on their Duel race result. Greg Biffle, 52, a former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series champion and perennial Cup Series title contender from 2003 -2016, earned the other 500 position with his finish in the second Duel.

Overall, the qualifying races were run with rave reviews. And the car manufacturers said they have high expectations for Sunday’s race.

As is customary just prior to the season-opening Daytona 500, executives from all three NASCAR manufacturers – Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota – spoke to the media on Friday. All reported being greatly satisfied with the racing to date at Daytona, yet cautioning there is a lot to be learned about the cars and the way they race. Inventory counts remain conservative but all three makes expect that to be changing in the upcoming months.

“For the next few weeks we’ll have to be mindful and make good decisions,” Toyota Racing Development’s David Wilson said. “What we can’t do is ask a driver once he pulls that visor down to mitigate his performance based on concerns about parts. That’s not racing.”

They also pointed to pit strategy as playing a greater role in the race. That was certainly the case in the qualifying races with the Ford contingent taking only two tires on its pit stop to get back out on track in front of the Chevrolets, which all serviced four tires on their pit stop.

“On the surface, I don’t envision 40 cars lined up three by three heading to the finish line. I just don’t think that’s going to happen,” Wilson said. “There’s the potential for more cars to go a lap down or two, but strategy, communication, teamwork are going to be absolutely critical to whomever wins that race on Sunday afternoon.”

There were 34 cars that participated in Friday evening’s hour-long practice with defending Daytona 500 winner McDowell turning in the fastest lap (192.678 mph) in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola ran the most laps of the session (33).

Eight of the 10 fastest cars were Fords. Bubba Wallace was the fastest Toyota in the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota car and Noah Gragson was the fastest Chevrolet with a 10th-best lap.

Final Daytona 500 practice is Saturday (today) at 10:30 a.m. ET.

DAYTONA-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

(Driver loop stats in the below section are from 2005-Present)

Christopher Bell (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

One top 15
Average finish of 20.750, 11th-best
Average Running Position of 13.922, third-best
Driver Rating of 81.5, eighth-best
29 Fastest Laps Run, 25th-best
444 Laps in the Top 15 (60.2%), 25th-most
652 Quality Passes, 26th-most

Greg Biffle (No. 44 NY Race Team Chevrolet)

One win, three top fives, nine top 10s; two poles
Average finish of 19.875, 10th-best
Average Running Position of 17.579, 10th-best
Driver Rating of 78.7, 13th-best
100 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best
2,129 Laps in the Top 15 (49.8%), eighth-most
2,655 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford)

One win, three top fives, five top 10s
Average finish of 19.462, eighth-best
Average Running Position of 14.764, fifth-best
Driver Rating of 84.9, sixth-best
36 Fastest Laps Run, 21st-best
1,492 Laps in the Top 15 (62.8%), 11th-most
2,324 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

One win, eight top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 19.727, ninth-best
Average Running Position of 13.682, second-best
Driver Rating of 91.9, series-best
119 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
3,898 Laps in the Top 15 (66.3%), series-most
4,445 Quality Passes, second-most

Kurt Busch (No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota)

One win, 13 top fives, 18 top 10s
Average finish of 17.970, sixth-best
Average Running Position of 16.666, ninth-best
Driver Rating of 85.1, fifth-best
135 Fastest Laps Run, second-best
3,275 Laps in the Top 15 (55.7%), third-most
4,634 Quality Passes, series-most

William Byron (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

One win, two top fives, two top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 22.875, 13th-best
Average Running Position of 18.594, 13th-best
Driver Rating of 79.7, 11th-best
25 Fastest Laps Run, 26th-best
593 Laps in the Top 15 (41.0%), 22nd-most
766 Quality Passes, 24th-most

Austin Cindric (No. 2 Team Penske Ford)

One top 15
Average finish of 15.000, third-best
Average Running Position of 10.345, series-best
Driver Rating of 91.5, second-best
8 Fastest Laps Run, 37th-best
166 Laps in the Top 15 (83.0%), 33rd-most
74 Quality Passes, 36th-most

Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)

One win, three top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 14.941, second-best
Average Running Position of 16.602, eighth-best
Driver Rating of 79.8, 10th-best
70 Fastest Laps Run, 14th-best
1,535 Laps in the Top 15 (50.4%), 10th-most
1,957 Quality Passes, 12th-most

Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

Two top fives, three top 10s; three poles
Average finish of 21.167, 12th-best
Average Running Position of 16.167, seventh-best
Driver Rating of 80.3, ninth-best
55 Fastest Laps Run, 16th-best
1,277 Laps in the Top 15 (58.8%), 13th-most
1,811 Quality Passes, 14th-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

Three wins, 11 top fives, 12 top 10s
Average finish of 15.906, fourth-best
Average Running Position of 14.377, fourth-best
Driver Rating of 89.8, third-best
128 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best
3,470 Laps in the Top 15 (60.7%), second-most
4,437 Quality Passes, third-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford)

Two wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 17.706, fifth-best
Average Running Position of 18.391, 12th-best
Driver Rating of 82.3, seventh-best
130 Fastest Laps Run, third-best
3,105 Laps in the Top 15 (51.0%), fourth-most
4,094 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford)

One win, six top fives, nine top 10s
Average finish of 18.154, seventh-best
Average Running Position of 15.212, sixth-best
Driver Rating of 88.0, fourth-best
100 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best
2,837 Laps in the Top 15 (61.2%), sixth-most
4,134 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Bubba Wallace (No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota)

Three top fives, three top 10s
Average finish of 13.778, series-best
Average Running Position of 18.114, 11th-best
Driver Rating of 78.9, 12th-best
46 Fastest Laps Run, 20th-best
711 Laps in the Top 15 (44.2%), 20th-most
1,042 Quality Passes, 19th-most

Daytona International Speedway Track / Event Data

Race #: 1 of 36 (2-20-22)

Track Size: 2.5 miles

Banking/Corners: 31 degrees

Banking/Straights: 3 degrees

Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees

Total Race Length: 500 miles (200 laps)

Stage 1 Length: 162.5 miles (65 laps)

Stage 2 Length: 162.5 miles (65 laps)

Final Stage Length: 175 miles (70 laps)

Daytona 500 Qualifying / Race Data

Daytona 500 Qualifying record:

Bill Elliott, Ford Thunderbird

Melling Racing

Crew Chief: Ernie Elliott

(210.364 mph, 42.783 secs., 02-09-1987)

2021 pole winner:

Alex Bowman, Chevrolet Camaro

Hendrick Motorsports

Crew Chief: Greg Ives

(191.261 mph, 47.056 secs., 02-10-2021)

2020 pole winner:

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet Camaro

JTG Daugherty Racing

Crew Chief: Brian Pattie

(194.582 mph, 46.253 secs., 02-09-2020)

Daytona 500 Race record:

Buddy Baker, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

Ranier Racing

Crew Chief: Waddell Wilson

(177.602 mph, 02:48:55, 02-17-1980)

2021 race winner:

Michael McDowell, Ford Mustang

Front Row Motorsports

Crew Chief: Luke Lambert

(144.416 mph, 03:27:44, 02-14-2021)

2020 race winner:

Denny Hamlin, Toyota Camry

Joe Gibbs Racing

Crew Chief: Chris Gabehart

(141.110 mph, 03:42:10, 02-17-2020)

Daytona 500 – Stats & Tidbits

The 2022 edition will be the 64th running of the Daytona 500 (1959-2022).
Although the first Daytona 500 was held in 1959, it has been the season-opener only since 1982.
Bob Welborn won the first NASCAR Cup Series event at Daytona International Speedway, a qualifying race for the Daytona 500 on February 20, 1959.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 on February 22, 1959.

STARTS

A total of 566 different drivers have competed in at least one Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway; 343 have competed in more than one Daytona 500.
Dave Marcis leads the NASCAR Cup Series all-time in Daytona 500 starts with 33 starts; followed by NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (32), Terry Labonte (32) and Michael Waltrip (30).
Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Daytona 500 starts with 20 each.
A total of 65 different drivers have made their first NASCAR Cup Series start in the Daytona 500; the most recent were Anthony Alfredo, Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe in 2021.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the NASCAR Cup Series (all-time) in average starting position in the Daytona 500 with a 5.667 (18 starts).
Alex Bowman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position in the Daytona 500 with a 8.500 (five starts).

Top 10 in Average Starting Position for the Daytona 500 (All-Time & Active)

Rank	All-Time Drivers	Avg. Start	Races	Rank	Active Drivers	Avg. Start	Races
1	Dale Earnhardt Jr	5.667	18	1	Alex Bowman	7.000	6
2	Cotton Owens	5.750	4	2	Bubba Wallace	9.250	4
3	Paul Goldsmith	6.857	7	3	William Byron	10.000	4
4	Alex Bowman	7.000	6	4	Chase Elliott	10.167	6
5	Bobby Isaac	7.300	10	5	Christopher Bell	11.000	2
6	Davey Allison	7.714	7	6	Austin Dillon	13.444	9
7	Pete Hamilton	7.750	4	7	Joey Logano	13.615	13
8	Dale Earnhardt	8.609	23	8	Kyle Busch	14.813	16
9	Joe Weatherly	9.200	5	9	Kevin Harvick	15.050	20
10	Bubba Wallace	9.250	4	10	Kurt Busch	15.750	20

POLES

A total of 43 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won a pole for the Daytona 500.
Six of the 43 Daytona 500 pole winners are active this weekend:

Rank	Active Pole Winners	Daytona 500 Poles	Seasons
1	Alex Bowman	2	2018, 2021
2	Chase Elliott	2	2016, 2017
3	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	1	2020
4	William Byron	1	2019
5	Austin Dillon	1	2014
6	Martin Truex Jr	1	2009

Bill Elliott (1985-87, 2001), Cale Yarborough (1968, ’70, ’78, ’84) and Buddy Baker (1969, ’73, ’79, ’80) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Daytona 500 poles with four each.
Bob Welborn won the first Daytona 500 pole on 1959 with a speed of 140.121 mph.
Hendrick Motorsport’s Alex Bowman won the pole for the 2021 Daytona 500 with a speed of 191.262 mph.
A total of 11 drivers have posted multiple poles for the Daytona 500; Alex Bowman (two) and Chase Elliott (two) are the only active drivers with more than one Daytona 500 pole.
Five drivers have won consecutive Daytona 500 poles – Fireball Roberts (1961-1963), Buddy Baker (1979-1980), Bill Elliott (1985, 1986, 1987), Ken Schrader (1988, 1989, 1990), Chase Elliott (2016, 2017).
Chase Elliott became the youngest Daytona 500 pole winner at the age of 20 years, 2 months, 17 days with his pole in 2016.
Youngest Daytona 500 pole winner: Chase Elliott (02/14/2016 – 20 years, 2 months, 17 days).
Oldest Daytona 500 pole winner: Mark Martin (02/06/2010 – 51 years, 0 months, 28 days).
Hendrick Motorsports has won 14 Daytona 500 poles, the series most: Ken Schrader (1988, 1989, 1990), Jeff Gordon (1999, 2015), Jimmie Johnson (2002, 2008), Mark Martin (2010), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2011), Chase Elliott (2016, 2017), Alex Bowman (2018, 2021), William Byron (2019).
Hendrick Motorsports has won a record five consecutive Daytona 500 poles – (2015-2019).
Seven different manufacturers have won the pole for the Daytona 500, led by Chevrolet with 29; followed by Ford (12), Pontiac (eight), Mercury (five), Dodge (four), Oldsmobile (three), Plymouth (two).
Three drivers have won the Daytona 500 pole in multiple manufactures: Cale Yarborough (Mercury 2, Chevrolet 1, Oldmobile 1); Buddy Baker (Dodge 2, Oldmobile 2); Bill Elliott (Ford 3, Dodge 1).

DAYTONA 500 POLE WINNERS

Season	Daytona 500 Pole Winners	Pole Speed	Finishing Pos.
2021	Alex Bowman	191.262	35
2020	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	194.582	20
2019	William Byron	194.305	21
2018	Alex Bowman	195.644	17
2017	Chase Elliott	192.872	14
2016	Chase Elliott	196.314	37
2015	Jeff Gordon	201.293	33
2014	Austin Dillon	196.019	9
2013	Danica Patrick	196.434	8
2012	Carl Edwards	194.738	8
2011	Dale Earnhardt Jr	186.089	24
2010	Mark Martin	191.188	12
2009	Martin Truex Jr	188.001	11
2008	Jimmie Johnson	187.075	27
2007	David Gilliland	186.320	8
2006	Jeff Burton	189.151	32
2005	Dale Jarrett	188.312	15
2004	Greg Biffle	188.387	12
2003	Jeff Green	186.606	39
2002	Jimmie Johnson	185.831	15
2001	Bill Elliott	183.565	5
2000	Dale Jarrett	191.091	1
1999	Jeff Gordon	195.067	1
1998	Bobby Labonte	192.415	2
1997	Mike Skinner	189.813	12
1996	Dale Earnhardt	189.510	2
1995	Dale Jarrett	193.498	5
1994	Loy Allen Jr	190.158	22
1993	Kyle Petty	189.426	31
1992	Sterling Marlin	192.213	35
1991	Davey Allison	195.955	15
1990	Ken Schrader	196.515	40
1989	Ken Schrader	196.996	2
1988	Ken Schrader	193.823	6
1987	Bill Elliott	210.364	1
1986	Bill Elliott	205.039	13
1985	Bill Elliott	205.114	1
1984	Cale Yarborough	201.848	1
1983	Ricky Rudd	198.864	24
1982	Benny Parsons	196.317	26
1981	Bobby Allison	194.624	2
1980	Buddy Baker	194.009	1
1979	Buddy Baker	196.049	40
1978	Cale Yarborough	187.536	2
1977	Donnie Allison	188.048	30
1976	Ramo Stott	185.943	26
1975	Donnie Allison	185.827	28
1974	David Pearson	185.017	35
1973	Buddy Baker	185.662	6
1972	Bobby Isaac	186.632	33
1971	A.J. Foyt	182.744	3
1970	Cale Yarborough	194.015	37
1969	Buddy Baker	190.029	5
1968	Cale Yarborough	189.222	1
1967	Curtis Turner	180.831	25
1966	Richard Petty	175.165	1
1965	Darel Dieringer	171.151	2
1964	Paul Goldsmith	174.910	3
1963	Fireball Roberts	165.183	21
1962	Fireball Roberts	156.999	1
1961	Fireball Roberts	155.709	20
1960	Cotton Owens	149.892	40
1959	Bob Welborn	140.121	41

WINS

A total of 40 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
Six of the 40 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 winners are active this weekend:

Rank	Active Daytona 500 Winners	Wins	Seasons
1	Denny Hamlin	3	2016, 2019, 2020
2	Michael McDowell	1	2021
3	Austin Dillon	1	2018
4	Kurt Busch	1	2017
5	Joey Logano	1	2015
6	Kevin Harvick	1	2007

NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in Daytona 500 victories with seven (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981).
NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 on February 22, 1959; he led 38 laps and won by two feet in an Oldsmobile.
Front Row Motorsport’s Michael McDowell won the 2021 Daytona 500 – the race ended under caution.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in Daytona 500 wins with three (2016, 2019, 2020).
Youngest Daytona 500 winner: Trevor Bayne (02/20/2011 – 20 years, 0 months, 1 days).
Oldest Daytona 500 winner: Bobby Allison (02/14/1988 – 50 years, 2 months, 11 days).
Eight drivers posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series victory with a win in the Daytona 500 – Tiny Lund (1963), Mario Andretti (1967), Pete Hamilton (1970), Derrike Cope (1990), Sterling Marlin (1994), Michael Waltrip (2001), Trevor Bayne (2011) and Michael McDowell (2021).
Three other drivers posted their career-first victory in (points-paying) qualifying races at Daytona: Johnny Rutherford (1963), Bobby Isaac (1964) and Earl Balmer (1966).
McDowell’s 358 starts are the second-most in series history by a driver before their first win; behind Michael Waltrip with 463 starts before his first win in the 2001 Daytona 500.
Lee Petty, who won the inaugural Daytona 500, and Trevor Bayne, 2011 Daytona 500 champion, are the only two drivers to win the Daytona 500 in their first appearance.
Sterling Marlin is the only driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to record his first two victories in the Daytona 500 (1994, 1995). Front Row Motorsport’s Michael McDowell, last season’s Daytona 500 winner, will have the opportunity to join Marlin in accomplishing the feat in this season’s Daytona 500.
Four different drivers have won back-to-back Daytona 500s – Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84), Sterling Marlin (1994-95) and Denny Hamlin (2019-20).
A total of 12 different drivers have won multiple Daytona 500s, led by Richard Petty with seven victories.

The 12 Drivers With Multiple Daytona 500 Wins
No. of Wins	Drivers	Seasons
7	Richard Petty	1964	1966	1971	1973	1974	1979	1981
4	Cale Yarborough	1968	1977	1983	1984
3	Bobby Allison	1978	1982	1988
3	Dale Jarrett	1993	1996	2000
3	Jeff Gordon	1997	1999	2005
3	Denny Hamlin	2016	2019	2020
2	Bill Elliott	1985	1987
2	Sterling Marlin	1994	1995
2	Michael Waltrip	2001	2003
2	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	2004	2014
2	Jimmie Johnson	2006	2013
2	Matt Kenseth	2009	2012

The Daytona 500 has been won from the pole or first starting position nine times; a winning percentage of 14.3%. The most recent driver to win the Daytona 500 from the pole is NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett in 2000.

Season	Daytona 500 Winners From The Pole
1962	Fireball Roberts
1966	Richard Petty
1968	Cale Yarborough
1980	Buddy Baker
1984	Cale Yarborough
1985	Bill Elliott
1987	Bill Elliott
1999	Jeff Gordon
2000	Dale Jarrett

NASCAR Hall of Famers Bill Elliott (1985, 1987) and Cale Yarborough (1968, 1984) are the only two drivers to accomplish the feat of winning the Daytona 500 from the pole more than once.
The pole position is the most proficient starting position in the Daytona 500 field, producing more winners (nine) than any other position.
16 of the 63 Daytona 500s (25.4%) have been won from the front row; nine from the pole position and seven from the second-place starting position.
Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 from the 39th starting position in 2009, the deepest a Daytona 500 race winner has started.

Daytona 500 Wins By Starting Positions

Starting Position	Wins	Win %	Starting Position	Wins	Win %
1	9	14.29%	12	3	4.76%
2	7	11.11%	13	2	3.17%
3	3	4.76%	14	1	1.59%
4	7	11.11%	15	2	3.17%
5	2	3.17%	17	1	1.59%
6	2	3.17%	19	3	4.76%
7	5	7.94%	21	1	1.59%
8	3	4.76%	32	2	3.17%
9	5	7.94%	33	1	1.59%
10	1	1.59%	34	1	1.59%
11	1	1.59%	39	1	1.59%
Additional Starting Position Stats
Wins From The Pole			9		14.29%
Wins From The Front Row			16		25.40%
Wins From The Top Five			28		44.44%
Wins From The Top 10			44		69.84%
Wins From The Top 15			53		84.13%
Wins From Outside The Top 20			6		9.52%

Five reigning NASCAR Cup Series champions have gone on to win the Daytona 500 the season after winning the championship: Lee Petty (1959), Richard Petty (1973), Cale Yarborough (1977), Jeff Gordon (1999) and Dale Jarrett (2000).
Five Daytona 500 winners have won the NASCAR Cup Series championship in the same season; Richard Petty pulled it off four times; most recent was Jimmie Johnson in 2013.

Drivers	Seasons
Richard Petty	1964	1971	1974	1979
Jimmie Johnson	2006	2013
Lee Petty	1959
Cale Yarborough	1977
Jeff Gordon	1997

A driver has swept both the Daytona 500 and the Summer Daytona race only five times at Daytona International Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2013), Bobby Allison (1982), LeeRoy Yarborough (1969), Cale Yarborough (1968) and Fireball Roberts (1962).
Drivers who have won the Busch Light Clash and the Daytona 500 in the same season:

Driver – (Year)

- Bobby Allison (1982)
- Bill Elliott (1987)
- Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)
- Jeff Gordon (1997)
- Denny Hamlin (2016)

18 different drivers have won both the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600:

	Winner	Daytona 500s	Coca-Cola 600s
1	Richard Petty	7	2
2	Bobby Allison	3	3
3	Dale Jarrett	3	1
4	Jeff Gordon	3	3
5	Jimmie Johnson	2	4
6	Matt Kenseth	2	1
7	Darrell Waltrip	1	5
8	Austin Dillon	1	1
9	Benny Parsons	1	1
10	Buddy Baker	1	3
11	Dale Earnhardt	1	3
12	Davey Allison	1	1
13	David Pearson	1	3
14	Fred Lorenzen	1	2
15	Kevin Harvick	1	2
16	Kurt Busch	1	1
17	LeeRoy Yarbrough	1	1
18	Marvin Panch	1	1

Eight different drivers have won both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis:

Winners	Daytona 500s	Brickyard 400s
Dale Jarrett	3	2
Jeff Gordon	3	5
Bill Elliott	2	1
Jimmie Johnson	2	4
Dale Earnhardt	1	1
Jamie McMurray	1	1
Kevin Harvick	1	2
Ryan Newman	1	1

A total of 28 different car numbers have won the Daytona 500; below are the 10 car numbers that have produced three or more Daytona 500 victories:

Car Number – Drivers – (Years)

- No. 43 – (seven) Richard Petty (1964, ’66, ’71, ’73, ’74, ’79, ‘81)
- No. 21 – (five) Tiny Lund (1963), Cale Yarborough (1968), A.J. Foyt (1972), David Pearson (1976) and Trevor Bayne (2011)
- No. 28 – (five) Fred Lorenzen (1965), Buddy Baker (1980), Cale Yarborough (1983 and 1984) and Davey Allison (1992)
- No. 11 – (five) Mario Andretti (1967), Cale Yarborough (1977), Denny Hamlin (2016, 2019, 2020)
- No. 88 – (four) Bobby Allison (1982), Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2014)
- No. 4 – (three) Ernie Irvan (1991), Sterling Marlin (1994 and 1995)
- No. 15 – (three) Bobby Allison (1978), Michael Waltrip (2001 and 2003)
- No. 17 – (three) Darrell Waltrip (1989), Matt Kenseth (2009 and 2012)
- No. 24 – (three) Jeff Gordon (1997, 1999 and 2005)

o No. 22 – (three) Fireball Roberts (1962), Ward Burton (2002), Joey Logano (2015)

Nine different manufacturers have won the Daytona 500, led by Chevrolet with 24 victories; followed by Ford (16), Dodge (four), Plymouth (four), Buick (three), Mercury (three), Oldsmobile (three), Pontiac (three) and Toyota (three).
Drivers who have won the Daytona 500 in more than one car manufacturer:

Driver – Manufacturer (Number of wins in that manufacturer)

- Richard Petty – Plymouth (3), Dodge (2), Oldsmobile (1) and Buick (1)
- Cale Yarborough – Chevrolet (2), Mercury (1) and Pontiac (1)
- Bobby Allison – Buick (2) and Ford (1)
- Dale Jarrett – Ford (2) and Chevrolet (1)

The driver with the all-time most Daytona 500 starts without a victory is Dave Marcis with 33 races; Martin Truex Jr. (17) leads all active drivers with the most Daytona 500 starts without a win.

DAYTONA 500 WINNER STATS CHART

Season	Daytona 500 Winners	Start Pos.	Laps Led	Laps Completed
2021	Michael McDowell	17	1	200
2020	Denny Hamlin	21	79	209
2019	Denny Hamlin	10	30	207
2018	Austin Dillon	14	1	207
2017	Kurt Busch	8	1	200
2016	Denny Hamlin	11	95	200
2015	Joey Logano	5	31	203
2014	Dale Earnhardt Jr	9	54	200
2013	Jimmie Johnson	9	17	200
2012	Matt Kenseth	4	50	202
2011	Trevor Bayne	32	6	208
2010	Jamie McMurray	13	2	208
2009	Matt Kenseth	39	7	152
2008	Ryan Newman	7	8	200
2007	Kevin Harvick	34	4	202
2006	Jimmie Johnson	9	24	203
2005	Jeff Gordon	15	29	203
2004	Dale Earnhardt Jr	3	58	200
2003	Michael Waltrip	4	68	109
2002	Ward Burton	19	5	200
2001	Michael Waltrip	19	27	200
2000	Dale Jarrett	1	89	200
1999	Jeff Gordon	1	17	200
1998	Dale Earnhardt	4	107	200
1997	Jeff Gordon	6	40	200
1996	Dale Jarrett	7	40	200
1995	Sterling Marlin	3	105	200
1994	Sterling Marlin	4	30	200
1993	Dale Jarrett	2	8	200
1992	Davey Allison	6	127	200
1991	Ernie Irvan	2	29	200
1990	Derrike Cope	12	5	200
1989	Darrell Waltrip	2	25	200
1988	Bobby Allison	3	70	200
1987	Bill Elliott	1	104	200
1986	Geoff Bodine	2	101	200
1985	Bill Elliott	1	136	200
1984	Cale Yarborough	1	89	200
1983	Cale Yarborough	8	23	200
1982	Bobby Allison	7	147	200
1981	Richard Petty	8	26	200
1980	Buddy Baker	1	143	200
1979	Richard Petty	13	12	200
1978	Bobby Allison	33	28	200
1977	Cale Yarborough	4	137	200
1976	David Pearson	7	37	200
1975	Benny Parsons	32	4	200
1974	Richard Petty	2	73	200
1973	Richard Petty	7	17	200
1972	A.J. Foyt	2	167	200
1971	Richard Petty	5	69	200
1970	Pete Hamilton	9	13	200
1969	LeeRoy Yarbrough	19	18	200
1968	Cale Yarborough	1	76	200
1967	Mario Andretti	12	112	200
1966	Richard Petty	1	108	198
1965	Fred Lorenzen	4	25	133
1964	Richard Petty	2	184	200
1963	Tiny Lund	12	17	200
1962	Fireball Roberts	1	144	200
1961	Marvin Panch	4	13	200
1960	Junior Johnson	9	67	200
1959	Lee Petty	15	38	200

DUEL WINNER STATS CHART

Date	Race Name	Winners	Laps Led	Laps Completed	% of Laps Led
2/11/2021	Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at DAYTONA	Aric Almirola	52	60	86.70%
2/11/2021	Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 at DAYTONA	Austin Dillon	2	63	3.20%
2/13/2020	Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at DAYTONA	Joey Logano	19	60	31.70%
2/13/2020	Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 at DAYTONA	William Byron	3	60	5.00%
2/14/2019	Gander RV Duel at DAYTONA 1	Kevin Harvick	44	60	73.30%
2/14/2019	Gander RV Duel at DAYTONA 2	Joey Logano	1	60	1.70%
2/15/2018	Can-Am Duel At Daytona 1	Ryan Blaney	6	63	9.50%
2/15/2018	Can-Am Duel At Daytona 2	Chase Elliott	34	60	56.70%
2/23/2017	Can-Am Duel At Daytona 1	Chase Elliott	25	60	41.70%
2/23/2017	Can-Am Duel At Daytona 2	Denny Hamlin	4	60	6.70%
2/18/2016	Can-Am Duel At Daytona 1	Dale Earnhardt Jr	43	60	71.70%
2/18/2016	Can-Am Duel At Daytona 2	Kyle Busch	35	60	58.30%
2/19/2015	Budweiser Duel #1	Dale Earnhardt Jr	21	60	35.00%
2/19/2015	Budweiser Duel #2	Jimmie Johnson	40	64	62.50%
2/20/2014	Budweiser Duel #2	Denny Hamlin	23	60	38.30%
2/20/2014	Budweiser Duel #1	Matt Kenseth	31	60	51.70%
2/21/2013	Budweiser Duel #1	Kevin Harvick	23	60	38.30%
2/21/2013	Budweiser Duel #2	Kyle Busch	19	60	31.70%
2/23/2012	Gatorade Duel #2	Matt Kenseth	10	60	16.70%
2/23/2012	Gatorade Duel #1	Tony Stewart	21	60	35.00%
2/17/2011	Gatorade Duel #2	Jeff Burton	17	60	28.30%
2/17/2011	Gatorade Duel #1	Kurt Busch	7	62	11.30%
2/11/2010	Gatorade Duel #1	Jimmie Johnson	7	60	11.70%
2/11/2010	Gatorade Duel #2	Kasey Kahne	3	60	5.00%
2/12/2009	Gatorade Duel #1	Jeff Gordon	15	60	25.00%
2/12/2009	Gatorade Duel #2	Kyle Busch	5	60	8.30%
2/14/2008	Gatorade Duel #1	Dale Earnhardt Jr	25	60	41.70%
2/14/2008	Gatorade Duel #2	Denny Hamlin	2	64	3.10%
2/15/2007	Gatorade Duel #2	Jeff Gordon	1	60	1.70%
2/15/2007	Gatorade Duel #1	Tony Stewart	37	63	58.70%
2/16/2006	Gatorade Duel #1	Elliott Sadler	36	64	56.30%
2/16/2006	Gatorade Duel #2	Jeff Gordon	38	64	59.40%
2/17/2005	Gatorade Duel #1	Michael Waltrip	13	60	21.70%
2/17/2005	Gatorade Duel #2	Tony Stewart	12	60	20.00%
2/12/2004	Gatorade 125 #1	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	14	50	28.00%
2/12/2004	Gatorade 125 #2	Elliott Sadler	26	50	52.00%
2/13/2003	Gatorade 125 #1	Robby Gordon	17	50	34.00%
2/13/2003	Gatorade 125 #2	Dale Earnhardt Jr	38	50	76.00%
2/14/2002	Gatorade 125 #1	Jeff Gordon	50	50	100.00%
2/14/2002	Gatorade 125 #2	Michael Waltrip	46	50	92.00%
2/15/2001	Gatorade 125 #1	Sterling Marlin	1	50	2.00%
2/15/2001	Gatorade 125 #2	Mike Skinner	5	50	10.00%
2/17/2000	Gatorade 125 #1	Bill Elliott	50	50	100.00%
2/17/2000	Gatorade 125 #2	Ricky Rudd	50	50	100.00%
2/11/1999	Gatorade 125 #1	Bobby Labonte	11	50	22.00%
2/11/1999	Gatorade 125 #2	Dale Earnhardt	43	50	86.00%
2/12/1998	Gatorade 125 #1	Sterling Marlin	16	50	32.00%
2/12/1998	Gatorade 125 #2	Dale Earnhardt	50	50	100.00%
2/13/1997	Gatorade 125 #1	Dale Jarrett	45	50	90.00%
2/13/1997	Gatorade 125 #2	Dale Earnhardt	32	50	64.00%
2/15/1996	Gatorade Twin 125 #1	Dale Earnhardt	21	50	42.00%
2/15/1996	Gatorade Twin 125 #2	Ernie Irvan	50	50	100.00%
2/16/1995	Gatorade Twin 125 #1	Sterling Marlin	44	50	88.00%
2/16/1995	Gatorade Twin 125 #2	Dale Earnhardt	28	50	56.00%
2/17/1994	Gatorade Twin 125 #1	Ernie Irvan	37	50	74.00%
2/17/1994	Gatorade Twin 125 #2	Dale Earnhardt	34	50	68.00%
2/11/1993	Gatorade Twin 125 #1	Jeff Gordon	29	50	58.00%
2/11/1993	Gatorade Twin 125 #2	Dale Earnhardt	34	50	68.00%
2/13/1992	Gatorade Twin 125 #1	Dale Earnhardt	23	50	46.00%
2/13/1992	Gatorade Twin 125 #2	Bill Elliott	49	50	98.00%
2/14/1991	Gatorade Twin 125 #1	Davey Allison	50	50	100.00%
2/14/1991	Gatorade Twin 125 #2	Dale Earnhardt	50	50	100.00%
2/15/1990	First Twin 125 #1	Geoff Bodine	2	50	4.00%
2/15/1990	First Twin 125 #2	Dale Earnhardt	24	50	48.00%
2/16/1989	First Twin 125 #1	Ken Schrader	42	50	84.00%
2/16/1989	First Twin 125 #2	Terry Labonte	7	50	14.00%
2/11/1988	First Twin 125 #1	Bobby Allison	31	50	62.00%
2/11/1988	First Twin 125 #2	Darrell Waltrip	50	50	100.00%
2/12/1987	First Twin 125 #1	Ken Schrader	N/A	50	N/A
2/12/1987	First Twin 125 #2	Benny Parsons	23	50	46.00%
2/13/1986	First Twin 125 #1	Bill Elliott	N/A	50	N/A
2/13/1986	First Twin 125 #2	Dale Earnhardt	33	50	66.00%
2/14/1985	First Twin 125 #1	Bill Elliott	48	50	96.00%
2/14/1985	First Twin 125 #2	Cale Yarborough	N/A	50	N/A
2/16/1984	UNO Twin 125 #1	Cale Yarborough	24	50	48.00%
2/16/1984	UNO Twin 125 #2	Bobby Allison	N/A	50	N/A
2/17/1983	UNO Twin 125 #1	Dale Earnhardt	N/A	50	N/A
2/17/1983	UNO Twin 125 #2	Neil Bonnett	N/A	50	N/A
2/11/1982	UNO Twin 125 #1	Cale Yarborough	3	50	6.00%
2/11/1982	UNO Twin 125 #2	Buddy Baker	25	50	50.00%
2/12/1981	UNO Twin 125 #1	Bobby Allison	33	50	66.00%
2/12/1981	UNO Twin 125 #2	Darrell Waltrip	20	50	40.00%
2/14/1980	Qualifying Race #1	Neil Bonnett	7	50	14.00%
2/14/1980	Qualifying Race #2	Donnie Allison	39	50	78.00%
2/15/1979	Qualifying Race #1	Buddy Baker	38	50	76.00%
2/15/1979	Qualifying Race #2	Darrell Waltrip	34	50	68.00%
2/16/1978	Qualifying Race #1	A.J. Foyt	21	50	42.00%
2/17/1978	Qualifying Race #2	Darrell Waltrip	20	50	40.00%
2/17/1977	Qualifying Race #1	Richard Petty	39	50	78.00%
2/17/1977	Qualifying Race #2	Cale Yarborough	47	50	94.00%
2/12/1976	Qualifying Race #1	Dave Marcis	12	50	24.00%
2/12/1976	Qualifying Race #2	Darrell Waltrip	23	50	46.00%
2/13/1975	Qualifying Race #1	Bobby Allison	17	50	34.00%
2/13/1975	Qualifying Race #2	David Pearson	11	50	22.00%
2/14/1974	Qualifying Race #1	Bobby Isaac	25	50	50.00%
2/14/1974	Qualifying Race #2	Cale Yarborough	20	50	40.00%
2/15/1973	Qualifying Race #1	Buddy Baker	N/A	50	N/A
2/15/1973	Qualifying Race #2	Coo Coo Marlin	N/A	50	N/A
2/17/1972	Qualifying Race #1	Bobby Isaac	23	50	46.00%
2/17/1972	Qualifying Race #2	Bobby Allison	49	50	98.00%

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS: DAYTONA 500

Runner-Up Finishes:

A total of 41 different drivers have finished runner-up in the Daytona 500, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt with five (1984, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999).
Kurt Busch leads all active drivers in the series in runner-up finishes in the Daytona 500 with three (2003, 2005, 2008); followed by Kevin Harvick (2009, 2015) and Ryan Blaney (2017, 2020) with two each.

Top-Five Finishes:

In total 115 different drivers have posted at least one top five in the Daytona 500, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt with 12 top fives in his 23 Daytona 500 starts.
Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick lead all active drivers in Daytona 500 top-five finishes with eight each.

Top 10 Finishes:

In total 190 different drivers have posted at least one top 10 in the Daytona 500, led by Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, who posted a series-leading 16 top 10s each in the Daytona 500.
Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers in Daytona 500 top-10 finishes with 10.

Average Finish:

Lee Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing positon with a 2.5 in two Daytona 500 appearances.
Denny Hamlin (11.9) has the best average finish among active drivers with more than one start; he has made 16 appearances in the Daytona 500

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position for the Daytona 500 (All-Time & Active)

Rank	All-Time Drivers	Avg. Finish	Races	Rank	Active Drivers	Avg. Finish	Races
1	Lee Petty	2.500	2	1	Denny Hamlin	11.938	16
2	Fred Lorenzen	6.889	9	2	Austin Dillon	12.667	9
3	Richard Brickhouse	9.000	2	3	Ross Chastain	14.000	3
4	Ned Jarrett	9.143	7	4	Joey Logano	14.154	13
5	Darel Dieringer	9.429	7	5	Ryan Preece	14.333	3
6	Andy Hampton	9.500	2	6	Kevin Harvick	15.400	20
7	Jody Ridley	9.667	6	7	Michael McDowell	16.200	10
8	Vic Elford	10.500	2	8	Kyle Larson	17.125	8
9	Dale Earnhardt	11.000	23	9	AJ Allmendinger	17.778	9
10	Jim Reed	11.000	3	10	Bubba Wallace	18.000	4
11	Janet Guthrie	11.500	2	11	Christopher Bell	18.500	2
12	Joe Weatherly	11.800	5	12	Ryan Blaney	18.571	7
13	Denny Hamlin	11.938	16	13	Kurt Busch	19.450	20
14	Kenny Irwin Jr	12.000	3	14	Corey Lajoie	19.800	5
15	Terry Ryan	12.000	2	15	Chase Elliott	20.000	6

FEMALE COMPETITORS

Danica Patrick on Sunday, February 19, 2013 became the first female in NASCAR Cup Series history to win a pole for the Daytona 500 posting a speed of 196.434 mph – to this day the only pole in the series by a female competitor.
Janet Guthrie previously held the record for top starting position by a female NASCAR premier series driver, starting ninth twice in 1977 – at Talladega Superspeedway on Aug. 7, 1977 and at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 28, 1977.
In 2012, Danica Patrick became the third female driver to compete in a Daytona 500 joining Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson. Below are the previous female driver performances in the Daytona 500.

Race	Season	Driver	Start	Finish
Daytona 500	1977	Janet Guthrie	39	12
Daytona 500	1980	Janet Guthrie	18	11
Daytona 500	2002	Shawna Robinson	36	24
Daytona 500	2012	Danica Patrick	29	38
Daytona 500	2013	Danica Patrick	1	8
Daytona 500	2014	Danica Patrick	27	40
Daytona 500	2015	Danica Patrick	20	21
Daytona 500	2016	Danica Patrick	16	35
Daytona 500	2017	Danica Patrick	12	33
Daytona 500	2018	Danica Patrick	28	35

In 2013, Danica Patrick became the first female driver in a Daytona 500 to lead laps. She led five laps in the 2013 Daytona 500 and two laps in the 2014 Daytona 500 for a career total of seven laps led in the Great American Race.
Danica Patrick also holds the record for most Daytona 500 starts for a female competitor with seven.

LAP LEADERS

In total 163 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have led at least one lap in the Daytona 500. NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in laps led in the Daytona 500 with 780 laps led in 32 starts.
Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in laps led in the Daytona 500 with 376.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty has led the most laps in a single Daytona 500; leading 184 laps in the 1964 Daytona 500 and won the event.
Among active drivers, Ryan Blaney has led the most laps in a single Daytona 500, when he led 118 laps in the 2018 Daytona 500 and finished seventh.
Kurt Busch (2017) and Austin Dillon (2018) have led the fewest laps in the Daytona 500 and won – both led just the final lap on their way to winning the Daytona 500.

Top 10 Lap Leaders in the Daytona 500 (All-Time & Active)

Rank	All-Time Drivers	Races	Led	Completed	% Led
1	Richard Petty	32	780	4,860	16%
2	Dale Earnhardt	23	686	4,179	16%
3	Buddy Baker	28	643	3,758	17%
4	Cale Yarborough	26	553	3,697	15%
5	Denny Hamlin	16	474	3,198	15%
6	Bobby Allison	25	433	3,774	11%
7	Jeff Gordon	23	392	4,105	10%
8	Fireball Roberts	6	365	689	53%
9	Bill Elliott	29	347	5,392	6%
10	A.J. Foyt	28	334	3,615	9%
11	Sterling Marlin	26	325	4,513	7%
12	Tony Stewart	17	299	2,757	11%
13	Kyle Busch	16	296	2,938	10%
14	Dale Earnhardt Jr	18	262	3,322	8%
15	David Pearson	22	251	3,192	8%
16	Donnie Allison	13	241	1,620	15%
17	Ken Schrader	23	227	3,786	6%
18	Matt Kenseth	18	226	3,041	7%
19	Kurt Busch	20	205	3,681	6%
20	Mark Martin	29	192	4,746	4%

Rank	Active Drivers	Races	Led	Completed	% Led
1	Denny Hamlin	16	474	3,198	15%
2	Kyle Busch	16	296	2,938	10%
3	Kurt Busch	20	205	3,681	6%
4	Ryan Blaney	7	137	1,195	11%
5	Kevin Harvick	20	128	3,399	4%
6	Joey Logano	13	100	2,511	4%
7	Chase Elliott	6	72	1,070	7%
8	Brad Keselowski	12	68	2,121	3%
9	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	10	51	1,946	3%
10	Martin Truex Jr	17	50	3,159	2%
11	William Byron	4	44	650	7%
12	Christopher Bell	2	32	404	8%
13	AJ Allmendinger	9	20	1,739	1%
14	Alex Bowman	5	17	826	2%
15	Austin Dillon	9	17	1,798	1%
16	Kyle Larson	8	17	1,582	1%
17	Aric Almirola	11	14	1,902	1%
18	Erik Jones	5	11	590	2%
19	David Ragan	15	10	2,368	0%
20	Kaz Grala	1	10	115	9%

TRACK / EVENT STATS

Denny Hamlin’s 0.001-second margin of victory over Martin Truex Jr. in the 2016 Daytona 500 is the closest Daytona 500 finish and tied with Atlanta (3/12/2000) and Phoenix (3/13/2016) as the seventh closest MOV since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993.
Kevin Harvick’s 0.020-second margin of victory over Mark Martin in the 2007 Daytona 500 is the 12th-closest overall since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993, and the second closest in Daytona 500 history.
Top five closest margins of victory in the Daytona 500:

Margin of Victory	Winner	Runner-Up	Date
0.001	Denny Hamlin	Martin Truex Jr	Sunday, February 21, 2016
0.020	Kevin Harvick	Mark Martin	Sunday, February 18, 2007
0.092	Ryan Newman	Kurt Busch	Sunday, February 17, 2008
0.118	Trevor Bayne	Carl Edwards	Sunday, February 20, 2011
0.119	Jamie McMurray	Dale Earnhardt Jr	Sunday, February 14, 2010

The 2011 Daytona 500 had the most all-time lead changes with 74; which is 14 more than the race with the second-most lead changes – the 1974 Daytona 500 with 60 lead changes.
The 1964 Daytona 500 won by Richard Petty had the fewest lead changes with a mere six.
2011 Daytona 500 had the most all-time leaders with 22.
2011 Daytona 500 had the most all-time cautions with 16.
1968 and 2011 Daytona 500s had the most all-time Caution Laps with 60 laps each.
The Daytona 500 has finished under NASCAR Overtime conditions 10 times: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2007, 2006 and 2005.
Due to the Overtime rules in NASCAR, the longest Daytona 500 ever run was the 2020 Daytona 500 with 209 laps (522.5 miles) – nine laps and 22.5 miles more than the scheduled distance. The next longest were the 2010 and 2011 Daytona 500 races – both went 208 laps/520 miles.
The largest field to compete in the Daytona 500 was 68 cars in the 1960 race.

ADDITIONAL DAYTONA STATS

Groundbreaking for Daytona International Speedway was Nov. 25, 1957. The soil underneath the banked corners was dug from the infield of the track and the hole filled with water. It is now known as Lake Lloyd.
The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona was a 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, 1959.
Richard Petty won his 200th career race on July 4, 1984 at Daytona.
Lights were installed in the spring of 1998. However, the July race was delayed until October that year due to thick smoke from wildfires. The second Daytona race has been scheduled for under the lights ever since.
The track underwent a repave in 2010.
2016 marked the next phase in the existence of Daytona International Speedway as the DAYTONA Rising project was completed, ushering in the first ‘motorsports stadium,’ a 400-million-dollar project.
There have been 147 NASCAR Cup Series races since the track hosted its first race in 1959: 62 have been 500 miles, 58 were 400 miles and four 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were point races.
Fireball Roberts won the inaugural pole at Daytona for the 1959 Daytona 500 Qualifier in a Pontiac with a speed of 140.121 mph.
Bob Welborn won the first race at Daytona, the 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500.
Fireball Roberts won the first 400-mile race at Daytona, the 1963 Firecracker 400.
A total of 62 different drivers have posted poles at Daytona in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Cale Yarborough leads all drivers with 12 poles at Daytona – (D500 = 4; Summer Race = 8).
Chase Elliott (2016, 2017) and Alex Bowman (2018, 2020) lead all active drivers with two poles at Daytona.

First Time Pole Winners & Race Winners at Daytona
First Time Pole Winner	Season	First Time Race Winner	Season
William Byron	2019	Michael McDowell	2021
Chase Elliott	2016	William Byron	2020
Austin Dillon	2014	Erik Jones	2018
Danica Patrick	2013	Aric Almirola	2014
Paul Menard	2008	David Ragan	2011
Greg Biffle	2004	Trevor Bayne	2011
Jimmie Johnson	2002	Greg Biffle	2003
Kevin Harvick	2002	Michael Waltrip	2001
Mike Skinner	1997	John Andretti	1997
Dale Jarrett	1995	Jimmy Spencer	1994
Loy Allen Jr	1994	Sterling Marlin	1994
Sterling Marlin	1991	Derrike Cope	1990
Greg Sacks	1990	Greg Sacks	1985
Geoff Bodine	1982	Pete Hamilton	1970
Ramo Stott	1976	Mario Andretti	1967
Charlie Glotzbach	1968	Earl Balmer	1966
Darel Dieringer	1964	Sam McQuagg	1966
		A.J. Foyt	1964
		Bobby Isaac	1964
		Johnny Rutherford	1963
		Tiny Lund	1963

In total 17 different drivers have scored their first NASCAR Cup Series career pole at Daytona.
A total of four active drivers have won their first career pole at Daytona – Chase Elliott (2016), Austin Dillon (2014), Kevin Harvick (2002) and William Byron (2019).
26 full-length points-paying races at Daytona have been won from the pole or first starting position; most recent Dale Earnhardt Jr. (July, 2015).
A total of 68 different drivers have won at Daytona International Speedway.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty with 10 points-paying victories at Daytona, leads the series.
Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in Daytona wins with three (all Daytona 500 victories).
A total of 21 different drivers scored their first win in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona. The most recent was Front Row Motorsport’s Michael McDowell in 2021 Daytona 500.
Wood Brothers Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are tied for the most wins by an organization at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series with 15 each.

NASCAR in Florida

There have been 345 NASCAR national series points-paying races among 11 tracks held in the state of Florida.

Track Name	City	Cup	XFINITY	Truck	Total Races	First Year
Daytona International Speedway	Daytona Beach	149	60	22	231	1959
Homestead-Miami Speedway	Homestead	23	28	25	76	1999
Daytona Beach & Road Course	Daytona Beach	10	0	0	10	1949
Palm Beach Speedway	W. Palm Beach	7	0	0	7	1952
DAYTONA Road Course	Daytona Beach	2	2	2	6	2020
Speedway Park	Jacksonville	6	0	0	6	1951
Volusia County Speedway	Barberville	0	4	0	4	1989
Walt Disney World Speedway	Orlando	0	0	2	2	1997
Five Flags Speedway	Pensacola	1	0	0	1	1953
Golden Gate Speedway	Tampa	1	0	0	1	1963
Titusville-Cocoa Speedway	Titusville	1	0	0	1	1957
Totals		200	94	51	345

NASCAR DRIVERS FROM FLORIDA

A total of 192 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Florida.

There have been 12 race winners with their home state recorded as Florida in NASCAR’s three national series; totaling 98 victories among them:

Driver	Cup	Xfinity	Truck	Combined
Fireball Roberts	33	0	0	33
LeeRoy Yarbrough	14	0	0	14
Marshall Teague	7	0	0	7
Joe Nemechek	4	16	0	20
Aric Almirola	3	3	2	8
Bobby Johns	2	0	0	2
David Reutimann	2	1	1	4
Shorty Rollins	1	0	0	1
Ross Chastain	0	2	3	5
Rick Wilson	0	2	0	2
Joey Coulter	0	0	1	1
Ben Kennedy	0	0	1	1
Totals	66	24	8	98