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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