NASCAR: All-time record for lead changes in a race

With NASCAR action at a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic, let’s take a look back at the races that featured the most lead changes in the sport’s history.

Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway have been known for their tight, pack-style racing throughout NASCAR history, recently in large part due to the use of restrictor plates, which were discontinued altogether following the 2019 Daytona 500 at the latter.

The same kind of racing still exists at these track due to the altered package, however. In fact, Talladega Superspeedway saw its highest two-race lead change total in a single season since 2014 last year.

It should be no surprise, then, that the races that have feature some of the largest single-race lead changes totals in the history of the sport have come at these tracks. But even the Daytona International Speedway record of 74 in the Daytona 500 back on Sunday, February 20, 2011 didn’t crack the top three.

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The top three single-race lead change totals not only all came at Talladega Superspeedway, but they all came in a row back at the beginning of the decade — and they were all within one lead change of one another.

On Sunday, April 25, 2010, Kevin Harvick led only two laps of a 200-lap race, extended from its scheduled distance of 188 laps due to several late caution flag periods, to win at the four-turn, 2.66-mile (4.281-kilometer) high-banked oval in Lincoln, Alabama.

He was one of 29 drivers who led at least one lap of the race; only 14 competitors did not spend time at the front. He and these other 28 drivers exchanged the lead a record 88 times, and both of his stints of laps led lasted for only one lap. It is worth noting that lead changes are only officially classified when the leader of one lap is different from the next.

There were technically 89 different lead stints during the race, although one did not last for even a lap since race polesitter Jimmie Johnson was passed for the lead before the first lap came to an end.

Of these 89 stints, 48 lasted for only one lap and 81 lasted for no more than three laps. They averaged 2.25 laps in length, with the longest being a 23-lap stint by second place finisher Jamie McMurray just before Harvick took the lead on lap 200. Harvick beat McMurray to the finish line by just 0.011 seconds, which is the 16th closest finish in Cup Series history (10th at the time).

On Sunday, October 31, 2010, Clint Bowyer was one of 26 different leaders in the 43-car field. He led nine times for 19 laps and took the lead for the final time on the 188th and final lap of the race. He won under caution, as the white flag had already flown when the final caution flag came out.

This race featured 87 lead changes, one shy of the record set in the previous race at the track, but this race was also not extended by 12 laps due to several late caution flag periods. There were technically 88 different lead stints during the race, although one did not last for even a lap since race polesitter Juan Pablo Montoya was passed for the lead before the first lap came to an end.

Of these 88 stints, 49 lasted for only one lap and 72 lasted for no more than two laps. They averaged 2.14 laps in length, with the longest being a 16-lap stint by Kyle Busch late in the race.

Then on Sunday, April 17, 2011, the lead change record was tied, and in a 188-lap race, no less. Johnson took the lead on the final lap and held off Bowyer by just 0.002 seconds, tying the closest finish in Cup Series history, to secure the hard-fought victory. He was one of 26 leaders in the 43-car race, and he led 14 laps over the course of four stints.

This race featured 88 lead changes and there were technically 89 different lead stints. Race polesitter Jeff Gordon did actually lead the race’s opening lap, bucking that trend. Of these 89 stints, 51 lasted for only one lap and 81 lasted for no more than four laps. They averaged 2.11 laps in length, with the longest being only an 11-lap stint by Bowyer late in the race.

This year’s Daytona 500 featured 24 lead changes, and there are still three races at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway remaining on the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, one at the former and two at the latter.

However, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, there have been seven postponements in the Cup Series thus far, and one of them was the scheduled late April race at Talladega Superspeedway.

NASCAR postponements and cancellations: TRACKER

An official revised schedule has not been release yet, and even when it is, it would be subject to change.

When will NASCAR resume? TRACKER

NASCAR does still plan to run all 36 races that were originally on the schedule, despite the fact that the schedule officially contains 29 races as of this writing.

2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule: TRACKER

Race are still scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 29 at Daytona International Speedway and on Sunday, October 4 at Talladega Superspeedway during the round of 12 of the playoffs.