Statistically speaking: a look at the Sprint Unlimited

Twenty-five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers will take the green flag Saturday night at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race. It’s a 75-lap, two-segment race for the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers, 2014 pole sitters, former Sprint Unlimited winners and former Daytona 500 pole sitters.

Exactly 25 drivers are eligible by the aforementioned criteria, but four of those drivers — David Gilliland, A.J. Allmendinger, Brian Scott and Brian Vickers — for various reasons, have opted out of Saturday night’s race. Their slots were fill based on the driver standings at the end of the 2014 season.

As a resulte, below is the 25-driver line-up for the 2015 Sprint Unlimited:

Kyle Busch (2014 pole winner)

Austin Dillon (2014 pole winner)

Jeff Gordon (2014 pole winner)

Denny Hamlin (2014 pole winner)

Kevin Harvick (2014 pole winner)

Jimmie Johnson (2014 pole winner)

Matt Kenseth (2014 pole winner)

Brad Keselowski (2014 pole winner)

Kyle Larson (2014 pole winner)

Joey Logano (2014 pole winner)

Jamie McMurray (2014 pole winner)

Tony Stewart (2014 pole winner)

Kurt Busch (former Unlimited winner)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (former Unlimited winner)

Carl Edwards (former D500 pole winner)

Danica Patrick (former D500 pole winner)

Greg Biffle (former D500 pole winner)

Martin Truex Jr. (former D500 pole winner)

Ryan Newman (2014 Chase driver)

Aric Almirola (2014 Chase driver)

Kasey Kahne (2014 Chase driver)

Clint Bowyer (2014 Driver Points)

Paul Menard (2014 Driver Points)

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2014 Driver Points)

Casey Mears (2014 Driver Points)

Here are the past statistics for the drivers expected to race in this year’s Sprint Unlimited:

Aric Almirola – No. 43 Smithfield Ford – (Richard Petty Motorsports)
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2013     6          8          43         75                                 Running

Greg Biffle – No. 16 Ortho Ford – (Roush Fenway Racing)
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2005     5          2          16         70         1          44         Running
2007     13         5          16         70                                 Running
2008     20         17         16         48                                Accident
2009     17         26         16         72                                 Accident
2010     15         5          16         74         2          5          Accident
2011     5          11         16         75                                 Running
2012     6          7          16         82         3          17         Running
2013     2          4          16         75         1          2          Running

Clint Bowyer – No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota – (Michael Waltrip Racing)    
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2008     14         21         07         70                                 Running
2011     9          7          33         75         2          4          Running
2012     8          17         15         82                                 Running

Kurt Busch – No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet – (Stewart-Haas Racing)    
Times   Laps
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                                 Running
2007     3          19         2          70         2          6          Running
2008     18         1          2          70                                Running
2009     9          12         2          78                                 Running
2010     23         22         2          32                                 Accident
2011     1          17         22         75         3          3          Running
2012     17         6          51         82                                 Accident
2013     13         18         78         15                                 Accident
2014     14         10         41         35                                 Accident

Kyle Busch – No. 18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota – (Joe Gibbs Racing)     
Times   Laps
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                                 Running
2011     16         21         18         41         2          2          Accident
2012     1          2          18         82         2          3          Running
2013     16         13         18         14                                 Accident
2014     3          4          18         75         1          6          Running

Austin Dillon – No. 3 DOW Chevrolet – (Richard Childress Racing)
2015 will be Austin Dillon’s first appearance in the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet – (Hendrick Motorsports)      
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2001     6          10         8          70                                 Running
2002     2          16         8          70         1          20         Running
2003     1          19         8          70         4          13         Running
2004     2          19         8          70                                 Running
2005     7          12         8          70                                 Running
2006     2          19         8          72         1          1          Running
2007     14         17         8          70                                 Running
2008     1          7          88         70         7          47         Running
2009     18         9          88         64         4          23         Accident
2010     11         11         88         76                                 Running
2011     19         1          88         27         3          4          Accident
2012     20         8          88         54         2          12         Accident
2013     8          16         88         75                                 Running
2014     9          14         88         65         1          7          Accident

Carl Edwards – No. 19 Toyota – (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2006     16         11         99         71                                 Running
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                                 Accident
2012     9          11         99         82                                 Running
2013     12         1          99         75                                 Running
2014     13         7          99         35                                 Accident

Jeff Gordon – No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet – (Hendrick Motorsports)   
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
1994     1          6          24         20         1          2          Running
1995     4          5          24         20                                 Running
1996     9          7          24         20                                 Running
1997     1          3          24         20                                 Running
1998     14         5          24         25                                 Engine
1999     15         8          24         25                                 Running
2000     2          6          24         25                                 Running
2001     11         6          24         70                                 Running
2002     3          22         24         70                                 Running
2003     2          18         24         70         2          31         Running
2004     5          2          24         70         2          16         Running
2005     3          11         24         70                                 Running
2006     19         10         24         23                                 Accident
2007     21         11         24         31                                 Electrical
2008     4          22         24         70         1          1          Running
2009     4          28         24         78         2          2          Running
2010     6          23         24         76                                 Running
2011     6          12         24         75         1          1          Running
2012     15         14         24         73         3          16         Accident
2013     17         7          24         14                                 Accident
2014     12         13         24         35                                 Accident

Denny Hamlin – No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota – (Joe Gibbs Racing)    
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2006     1          15         11         72         3          16         Running
2007     17         21         11         70                                 Running
2008     9          12         11         70                                Running
2009     13         5          11         78         2          4          Running
2010     5          24         11         76                                 Running
2011     12         4          11         75                                 Running
2012     5          16         11         82                                 Running
2013     15         5          11         14                                 Accident
2014     1          1          11         75         6          27         Running

Kevin Harvick – No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet – (Stewart Haas Racing)  
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2003     9          16         29         70                                 Running
2004     3          5          29         70         2          10         Running
2006     20         18         29         15                                 Engine
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                                 Running
2012     22         22         29         54         3          4          Accident
2013     1          17         29         75         3          37         Running
2014     5          6          29         75         2          6          Running

Jimmie Johnson – No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet – (Hendrick Motorsports)
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2003     7          2          48         70         1          4          Running
2004     9          17         48         70                                 Running
2005     1          17         48         70         1          16         Running
2006     5          2          48         72         3          12         Running
2007     4          8          48         70                                 Running
2008     3          18         48         70                                Running
2009     14         21         48         77         1          2          Accident
2010     13         16         48         76                                 Running
2011     4          23         48         75         2          7          Running
2012     14         18         48         74         1          1          Accident
2013     14         11         48         14                                 Accident
2014     17         18         48         28                                 Accident

Kasey Kahne – No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet – (Hendrick Motorsports)
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2005     9          13         9          70                                 Running
2006     18         5          9          35                                 Accident
2007     15         15         9          70                                 Running
2008     10         8          9          70                                 Running
2009     6          14         9          78         1          2          Running
2010     2          19         9          76                                 Running
2011     24         5          9          7                                  Engine
2012     13         19         4          79                                 Running
2013     7          3          5          75                                 Running

Matt Kenseth – No. 20 Dollar General Toyota – (Joe Gibbs Racing)  
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2003     3          5          17         70         3          6          Running
2006     6          16         17         72                                 Running
2009     8          25         17         78         1          1          Running
2010     16         8          17         74                                 Accident
2011     13         19         17         74                                 Running
2012     21         23         17         54                                 Accident
2013     5          12         20         75         2          25         Running
2014     10         16         20         35                                 Accident

Brad Keselowski – No. 2 Miller Lite Ford – (Team Penske)  
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2012     4          3          2          82                                 Running
2014     2          5          2          75         3          8          Running

Kyle Larson – No. 42 Target Chevrolet –  (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates)        
2015 will be Kyle Larson’s first appearance in the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

Joey Logano – No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford – (Team Penske)     
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2009     28         19         20         3                                  Accident
2010     7          21         20         76                                 Running
2011     18         22         20         27                                 Accident
2012     18         10         20         54         1          1          Accident
2013     3          9          22         75                                 Running
2014     4          11         22         75         2          11         Running

Casey Mears – No. 13 GEICO Toyota – (Germain Racing)                                                                   
                                                            Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2005     13         18         41         70         1          2          Running
2008     6          24         5          70                                 Running
2009     15         24         07         77                                 Accident

Paul Menard – No. 27 PEAK / Menards Chevrolet – (Richard Childress Racing)                                                                      
                                                            Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2009     12         1          98         78         1          2          Running
2012     23         24         27         8                                  Accident

Jamie McMurray – No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet – (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates)   
Times   Laps
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                                 Accident
2009     2          15         26         78         4          16         Running
2010     3          9          1          76         2          2          Running
2011     2          14         1          75                                 Running
2012     16         4          1          73         5          11         Accident
2014     6          2          1          75         2          10         Running

Ryan Newman – No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet – (Richard Childress Racing)      
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2002     15         8          12         70                                 Running
2003     4          15         12         70                                 Running
2004     16         16         12         69         1          4          Accident
2005     2          7          12         70         1          4          Running
2006     17         7          12         68                                 Accident
2007     20         9          12         46                                 Engine
2008     23         17         12         70                                 Running
2010     19         4          39         74                                 Accident
2011     3          8          39         75         3          18         Running
2012     7          13         39         82                                 Running
2014     8          17         31         75                                 Running

Danica Patrick – No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet – (Stewart Haas Racing)
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2014     16         12         10         35                                 Accident

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – No. 17 Fastenal Ford – (Roush Fenway Racing)
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2014     15         3          17         35                                 Accident

Tony Stewart – No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet – (Stewart Haas Racing) 
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2000     4          3          20         25                                 Running
2001     1          7          20         70                                 Running
2002     1          3          20         70         2          31         Running
2003     15         12         20         70                                 Running
2004     7          18         20         70                                 Running
2005     4          8          20         70                                 Running
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
2014     11         9          14         35                                 Accident

Martin Truex Jr. – No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet – (Furniture Row Racing)
Times   Laps
Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status
2008     21         9          1          47                                 Accident
2012     19         1          56         54         2          7          Accident
2013     9          6          56         75         1          2          Running

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