DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 10, 2014) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. going into the Sprint Unlimited on Feb. 15. A total of 20 drivers are eligible to participate in the annual preseason, non-points race.
2014 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona Entry List
Denny Hamlin (5 poles), Kyle Busch (3), Jimmie Johnson (3), Matt Kenseth (3), Joey Logano (2), Ryan Newman (2), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2), Jeff Gordon (2), Carl Edwards (2), Marcos Ambrose (1),Kurt Busch (1), Kevin Harvick (1), Brad Keselowski (1), Jamie McMurray (1), Danica Patrick (1), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1), Tony Stewart (Winner: 2001, ’02, ’07), Terry Labonte (Winner: 1985)
Eligible Drivers Performance
Marcos Ambrose – No. 9 Stanley Ford
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2012 3 21 9 82 1 1 Running
2013 11 10 9 75
Kurt Busch – No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2002 14 1 97 70 1 3 Running
2003 11 3 97 70 1 11 Running
2005 6 6 97 70
2007 3 19 2 70 2 6 Running
2008 18 1 2 70 Running
2009 9 12 2 78
2010 23 22 2 32
2011 1 17 22 75 3 3 Running
2012 17 6 51 82
2013 13 18 78 15
Kyle Busch – No. 18 M&M’s Toyota
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2006 15 14 5 72 2 4 Running
2007 7 6 5 70 3 39 Running
2009 10 10 18 78 2 6 Running
2010 4 17 18 76
2011 16 21 18 41 2 2 Accident
2012 1 2 18 82 2 3 Running
2013 16 13 18 14
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2001 6 10 8 70
2002 2 16 8 70 1 20 Running
2003 1 19 8 70 4 13 Running
2004 2 19 8 70
2005 7 12 8 70
2006 2 19 8 72 1 1 Running
2007 14 17 8 70
2008 1 7 88 70 7 47 Running
2009 18 9 88 64 4 23 Accident
2010 11 11 88 76
2011 19 1 88 27 3 4 Accident
2012 20 8 88 54 2 12 Accident
2013 8 16 88 75 0 0 Running
Carl Edwards – No. 99 Fastenal Ford
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2006 16 11 99 71
2008 12 20 99 70 1 1 Running
2009 7 11 99 78 2 11 Running
2010 17 1 99 74 2 42 Accident
2011 21 3 99 33
2012 9 11 99 82
2013 12 1 99 75
Jeff Gordon – No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
1994 1 6 24 20 1 2 Running
1995 4 5 24 20
1996 9 7 24 20
1997 1 3 24 20
1998 14 5 24 25
1999 15 8 24 25
2000 2 6 24 25
2001 11 6 24 70
2002 3 22 24 70
2003 2 18 24 70 2 31 Running
2004 5 2 24 70 2 16 Running
2005 3 11 24 70
2006 19 10 24 23
2007 21 11 24 31
2008 4 22 24 70 1 1 Running
2009 4 28 24 78 2 2 Running
2010 6 23 24 76
2011 6 12 24 75 1 1 Running
2012 15 14 24 73 3 16 Accident
2013 17 7 24 14
Denny Hamlin – No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2006 1 15 11 72 3 16 Running
2007 17 21 11 70
2008 9 12 11 70 Running
2009 13 5 11 78 2 4 Running
2010 5 24 11 76
2011 12 4 11 75
2012 5 16 11 82
2013 15 5 11 14
Kevin Harvick – No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2003 9 16 29 70
2004 3 5 29 70 2 10 Running
2006 20 18 29 15
2007 5 20 29 70 2 11 Running
2009 1 27 29 78 1 1 Running
2010 1 2 29 76 5 21 Running
2011 7 18 29 75
2012 22 22 29 54 3 4 Accident
2013 1 17 29 75 3 37 Running
Jimmie Johnson – No. 48 KOBALT TOOLS Chevrolet
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2003 7 2 48 70 1 4 Running
2004 9 17 48 70
2005 1 17 48 70 1 16 Running
2006 5 2 48 72 3 12 Running
2007 4 8 48 70
2008 3 18 48 70 Running
2009 14 21 48 77 1 2 Accident
2010 13 16 48 76
2011 4 23 48 75 2 7 Running
2012 14 18 48 74 1 1 Accident
2013 14 11 48 14
Matt Kenseth – No. 20 Dollar General Toyota
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2003 3 5 17 70 3 6 Running
2006 6 16 17 72
2009 8 25 17 78 1 1 Running
2010 16 8 17 74
2011 13 19 17 74
2012 21 23 17 54
2013 5 12 20 75 2 25 Running
Brad Keselowski – No. 2 Miller Lite Ford
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2012 4 3 2 82
Terry Labonte – No. 32 C&J Energy Services Ford
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
1982 2 1 44 20
1983 10 11 44 19
1984 9 11 44 20
1985 1 11 44 20 1 16 Running
1986 5 8 11 20
1987 9 5 11 0
1988 9 5 11 20
1989 3 4 11 20
1992 13 7 94 20
1996 4 11 5 20
1997 11 1 5 20 1 10 Running
2001 15 12 5 69
2002 7 7 5 70
2003 14 17 5 70
2004 8 6 5 70 3 17 Running
2013 19 19 32 2
Joey Logano – No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2009 28 19 20 3
2010 7 21 20 76
2011 18 22 20 27
2012 18 10 20 54 1 1 Accident
2013 3 9 22 75
Jamie McMurray – No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2004 17 3 42 69 2 8 Accident
2006 8 17 26 72 1 1 Running
2008 22 4 26 24
2009 2 15 26 78 4 16 Running
2010 3 9 1 76 2 2 Running
2011 2 14 1 75
2012 16 4 1 73 5 11 Accident
Ryan Newman – No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2002 15 8 12 70
2003 4 15 12 70
2004 16 16 12 69 1 4 Accident
2005 2 7 12 70 1 4 Running
2006 17 7 12 68
2007 20 9 12 46
2008 23 17 12 70
2010 19 4 39 74
2011 3 8 39 75 3 18 Running
2012 7 13 39 82
Tony Stewart – No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet
Year Fin St Car Laps Led Led Status
2000 4 3 20 25
2001 1 7 20 70
2002 1 3 20 70 2 31 Running
2003 15 12 20 70
2004 7 18 20 70
2005 4 8 20 70
2006 3 3 20 72 3 7 Running
2007 1 14 20 70 2 11 Running
2008 2 10 20 70 2 9 Running
2009 3 6 14 78 1 4 Running
2010 9 13 14 76 2 6 Running
2011 11 2 14 75 3 4 Running
2012 2 15 14 82 1 7 Running
2013 4 15 14 75 2 5 Running
NOTE: Danica Patrick (No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 17 Nationwide Insurance Ford) will make their Sprint Unlimited debuts on Saturday night.
Sprint Unlimited Tidbits
- The number of participants has ranged from a low of seven in 1981 to a high of 28 in 2009 (18 are entered in this year’s event).
- The drivers with the most Sprint Unlimited appearances:
o Mark Martin (24)
o Bill Elliott (23)
o Jeff Gordon (20)
o Ken Schrader (19)
o Rusty Wallace (19)
- Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon have appeared in the most consecutive Sprint Unlimited races, competing in 20 consecutive events. Martin from 1989-2008 and Gordon from 1994-2013.
- There have been eight multiple winners in the Sprint Unlimited:
o Dale Earnhardt won six events, most all-time (1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995).
o Dale Jarrett won in 1996, 2000 and 2004.
o Kevin Harvick won in 2009, 2010 and 2013.
o Tony Stewart won in 2001, 2002 and 2007.
o Other multiple winners: Neil Bonnett (1983-1984), Ken Schrader, (1989-1990), Jeff Gordon (1994 and 1997) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2008).
o Bonnett, Schrader, Stewart and Harvick are the only drivers to win back-to-back Sprint Unlimited races. No driver has won three consecutive Sprint Unlimited events.
- Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006) all won the first Sprint Unlimited in which they competed.
- Only five times in the 32-year history of the race has the winner gone on to win the Daytona 500:
Bobby Allison (1982)
Bill Elliott (1987)
Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)
Jeff Gordon (1997)
- There have been three winners from the pole: Darrell Waltrip (1981), Bill Elliott (1987) and Ken Schrader (1989).
- Two drivers have swept the Sprint Unlimited, Daytona 500 pole and Daytona 500 from 1979-2013: Dale Jarrett (2000) and Bill Elliott (1987).
- One driver has swept the Sprint Unlimited, Daytona 500 and the Coke Zero 400 from 1979-2013: Bobby Allison (1982).
- Seven drivers have won the Sprint Unlimited (1979-2013) and the same season’s championship. Dale Earnhardt is the only one to have accomplished it multiple times – four times.
Tony Stewart (2002)
Jeff Gordon (1997)
Dale Earnhardt (1993)
Dale Earnhardt (1991)
Dale Earnhardt (1986)
Darrell Waltrip (1981)
Dale Earnhardt (1980)
- Four drivers have won consecutive Sprint Unlimited races (1979-2013). None went on to win that year’s Daytona 500.
Kevin Harvick (2009-10)
Tony Stewart (2000-01)
Ken Schrader (1990-91)
Neil Bonnett (1983-84)
- The format for the Sprint Unlimited has changed 12 times since its inception into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 1979.
- The second starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field resulting in five wins over the 35 races.
Sprint Unlimited Manufacturer Recap
Manufacturer Victories Last Victory – Driver
Chevrolet 20 2013 – Kevin Harvick
Ford 7 2004 – Dale Jarrett
Buick 2 1982 – Bobby Allison
Oldsmobile 2 1980 – Dale Earnhardt
Pontiac 2 2002 – Tony Stewart
Dodge 1 2011 – Kurt Busch
Toyota 1 2012 – Kyle Busch
By the Numbers: Sprint Unlimited
.013 – Margin of victory in seconds by Kyle Busch over Tony Stewart in 2012, the closest margin in Sprint Unlimited history.
.058 – Margin of victory in seconds by Kurt Busch over Jamie McMurray in 2011, the second closest margin in Sprint Unlimited history.
.08 – Margin of victory in seconds by Dale Earnhardt over Sterling Marlin in 1995, the third closest margin in Sprint Unlimited history.
1 – Laps led by Rusty Wallace (1998), Neil Bonnett (1983-84), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Dale Jarrett (2000 and 2004) and Kevin Harvick (2009) in the Sprint Unlimited races they won.
2 – The starting position that has produced the most Sprint Unlimited wins (five).
2.75 – Average finish by Dale Earnhardt, best by any driver with multiple starts.
5 – Drivers who have won the event in their first appearance (Buddy Baker, 1979; Dale Earnhardt, 1980; Jeff Gordon, 1994; Dale Jarrett, 1996; Denny Hamlin, 2006).
6 – Number of Sprint Unlimited wins by Dale Earnhardt, the series leader.
7 – Number of fewest starters in the field for the Sprint Unlimited (1981).
9 – Number of races led, most since race began in 1979 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.)
11 – Number of starts before winning, most since race began in 1979 (Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin).
14 – Number of different leaders in the 2009 event, most since race began in 1979.
20 – Number of wins by Chevrolet in the Sprint Unlimited, leads all manufacturers.
20 – Most consecutive starts in the Sprint Unlimited by Mark Martin (1989-2008) and Jeff Gordon (1994-2013).
27 – Kevin Harvick’s starting position in 2009, the lowest by a race winner in the event’s history.
28 – Number of lead changes in the 2011 event, highest number since race began in 1979.
44 – Laps led by Greg Biffle in 2005, the most by a driver who did not win the event.
47 – Laps led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2008, the most in a single Sprint Unlimited.
124.095 mph – The slowest average speed of the race for the Sprint Unlimited was last season’s event won by Kyle Busch.
197.802 mph – The fastest average speed of the race for the Sprint Unlimited was in 1987 won by Bill Elliott.
