Polls Now Open On NASCAR.com and NASCAR Mobile
To Determine Competition Elements Of Most Exciting Preseason Event in Sports
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 9, 2014) – For the second year in a row, fans will decide upon a number of competition elements for the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, the 75-lap, non-points race that kicks off the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing season on Saturday, February 15 (8 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Starting today, fans can cast their votes to set the overall format and determine key racing elements. Fans will again set the number of laps in each of the three segments, while also voting on how drivers will line up at the start of the race and how they will line up for the restart of the final segment.
“We are excited to build off of the success of last year’s event and give our fans another opportunity to help make key decisions that will enhance the excitement around this highly anticipated race,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition and racing development. “This interactive element is unique to NASCAR – and all of sports.”
Fans can submit their votes within the official NASCAR app, NASCAR MOBILE, or at NASCAR.com/SprintUnlimited. Voting is unlimited and all votes cast through NASCAR MOBILE will count twice. The voting window for the race format will close on Saturday, February 15 at 6 p.m. ET, while voting for the starting order and final segment restart order will close at various times during the race broadcast. Voting results will be announced live during the FOX Sports 1 race broadcast.
Voting Categories:
- Race Format: Number of laps in each race segment (Voting ends at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 15)
- Option A: 30 laps/35 laps/10 laps
- Option B: 30 laps/30 laps/15 laps
- Option C: 30 laps/25 laps/20 laps
- Starting Order: How drivers will line up to start the race (Voting ends at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 15)
- Option A: Most Career Poles (most to least)
- Option B: 2013 Driver Points Standings
- Option C: Final Practice Speeds (fastest to slowest times)
- Restart Order for Final Segment: How drivers will line up for the final segment (Voting ends at the conclusion of the second segment)
- Option A: Fastest lap in the race (first and second segments both count)
- Option B: Most laps led (first and second segments both count)
- Option C: Mandatory pit stop (drivers lineup how they come off pit road)
“Our ultimate goal is to use Sprint’s wireless technology to bring NASCAR Sprint Cup fans closer to our sport, and this is the latest example,” said Steve Gaffney, vice president of corporate marketing for Sprint. “This effort, the Sprint Unlimited, gives fans the opportunity to sit in NASCAR race control and make calls on key elements of the race. We encourage fans to grab their wireless device and seize this unique opportunity.”
“We look forward to partnering with NASCAR and Sprint to host the second Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway,” said Joie Chitwood III, Daytona International Speedway president. “Our passionate race fans helped create an exciting event last year from start to finish. With two new voting categories and real-time results, this year’s fan-driven event will be as exciting as ever.”
Twenty NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers are eligible to participate in the 2014 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona. Each driver raced his or her way into the starting lineup by winning pole positions in 2013 or by winning past Sprint Unlimited events.
2014 eligible participants include:
- Denny Hamlin (4 poles)
- Kyle Busch (3 poles)
- Joey Logano (2 poles)
- Jimmie Johnson (2 poles)
- Matt Kenseth (2 poles)
- Ryan Newman (2 poles)
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2 poles)
- Jeff Gordon (2 poles)
- Carl Edwards (2 poles)
- Marcos Ambrose (1 pole)
- Kurt Busch (1 pole)
- Kevin Harvick (1 pole)
- Brad Keselowski (1 pole)
- Mark Martin (1 pole)
- Jamie McMurray (1 pole)
- Danica Patrick (1 pole)
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1 pole)
- Terry Labonte (past winner: 1985)
- Ken Schrader (past winner: 1989 and 1990)
- Tony Stewart (past winner: 2001, 2002 and 2007)
Tickets for the Sprint Unlimited are available online at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR Nationwide Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information, visit www.nascar.com and follow NASCAR at www.facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.
About Sprint
Sprint (NYSE:S) offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint served more than 54 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2013 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint as the most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, during the last five years. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint andwww.twitter.com/sprint.
