Statistical Advance: Analyzing The DAYTONA 500

Below is a statistical look at some of the top performers at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida going into the DAYTONA 500 on February 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90). The stats include both the DAYTONA 500 and the annual summer race and are among active drivers (listed in alphabetical order).

DAYTONA-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

(Driver loop stats in the below section are from 2005-Present)

Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford)

• One win, four top fives, six top 10s
• Average Finish of 18.133, seventh-best
• Average Running Position of 15.147, seventh-best
• Driver Rating of 84.4, sixth-best
• 39 Fastest Laps Run, 19th-best
• 1,692 Laps in the Top 15 (61.9%), ninth-most
• 2,503 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Kyle Busch (No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)

• One win, eight top fives, 11 top 10s, one pole
• Average Finish of 19.057, eighth-best
• Average Running Position of 13.601, second-best
• Driver Rating of 91.7, second-best
• 130 Fastest Laps Run, third-best
• 4,124 Laps in the Top 15 (66.1%), series-most
• 4,766 Quality Passes, series-most

Austin Cindric (No. 2 Team Penske Ford)

• One win, two top fives, two top 10s
• Average Finish of 6.333, series-best
• Average Running Position of 11.432, series-best
• Driver Rating of 93.4, series-best
• 10 Fastest Laps Run, 34th-best
• 394 Laps in the Top 15 (70.2%), 26th-most
• 258 Quality Passes, 28th-most

Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)

• Two wins, four top fives, nine top 10s, one pole
• Average Finish of 14.737, third-best
• Average Running Position of 17.146, 11th-best
• Driver Rating of 78.4, 11th-best
• 75 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-best
• 1,615 Laps in the Top 15 (47.4%), 10th-most
• 2,073 Quality Passes, 11th-most

Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

• Two top fives, four top 10s, three poles
• Average Finish of 20.929, 11th-best
• Average Running Position of 15.932, eighth-best
• Driver Rating of 80.6, ninth-best
• 64 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best
• 1,465 Laps in the Top 15 (57.9%), 11th-most
• 2,085 Quality Passes, 10th-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

• Three wins, 11 top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average Finish of 16.794, fourth-best
• Average Running Position of 14.693, fourth-best
• Driver Rating of 89.0, third-best
• 130 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best
• 3,628 Laps in the Top 15 (59.7%), second-most
• 4,729 Quality Passes, second-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford)

• Two wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s, one pole
• Average Finish of 18.111, sixth-best
• Average Running Position of 18.159, 14th-best
• Driver Rating of 82.3, seventh-best
• 136 Fastest Laps Run, second-best
• 3,316 Laps in the Top 15 (51.5%), fourth-most
• 4,334 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet)

• Three wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s, two poles
• Average Finish of 20.156, ninth-best
• Average Running Position of 14.829, fifth-best
• Driver Rating of 87.4, fifth-best
• 91 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best
• 3,545 Laps in the Top 15 (62.0%), third-most
• 4,614 Quality Passes, third-most

Brad Keselowski (No. 6 RFK Racing Ford)

• One win, three top fives, six top 10s
• Average Finish of 23.148, 13th-best
• Average Running Position of 17.553, 13th-best
• Driver Rating of 78.3, 12th-best
• 89 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best
• 2,562 Laps in the Top 15 (52.9%), seventh-most
• 3,675 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford)

• One win, six top fives, nine top 10s
• Average Finish of 18.036, fifth-best
• Average Running Position of 15.040, sixth-best
• Driver Rating of 88.3, fourth-best
• 111 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
• 3,053 Laps in the Top 15 (61.1%), sixth-most
• 4,352 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Ricky Stenhouse Jr (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet)

• One win, two top fives, three top 10s, one pole
• Average Finish of 20.190, 10th-best
• Average Running Position of 16.576, ninth-best
• Driver Rating of 79.0, 10th-best
• 89 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best
• 1,815 Laps in the Top 15 (48.1%), eighth-most
• 2,816 Quality Passes, eighth-most

Martin Truex Jr (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

• Three top fives, six top 10s, one pole
• Average Finish of 21.543, 12th-best
• Average Running Position of 17.408, 12th-best
• Driver Rating of 77.5, 13th-best
• 148 Fastest Laps Run, series-best
• 3,182 Laps in the Top 15 (50.6%), fifth-most
• 4,286 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Bubba Wallace (No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota)

• Four top fives, four top 10s
• Average Finish of 12.455, second-best
• Average Running Position of 16.992, 10th-best
• Driver Rating of 80.8, eighth-best
• 60 Fastest Laps Run, 15th-best
• 958 Laps in the Top 15 (48.6%), 16th-most
• 1,378 Quality Passes, 16th-most

Daytona International Speedway Track / Event Data

Race #: 1 of 36 (February 19, 2023)

Track Size: 2.5 miles

Banking/Corners: 31 degrees

Banking/Straights: 3 degrees

Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees

Total Race Length: 500 miles (200 laps)

Stage 1 Length: 162.5 miles (65 laps)

Stage 2 Length: 162.5 miles (65 laps)

Final Stage Length: 175 miles (70 laps)

DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Record

DAYTONA 500 Qualifying Record:

Bill Elliott, Ford Thunderbird, Melling Racing, Crew Chief: Ernie Elliott

(210.364 mph, 42.783 secs., 02-09-1987)

2022 Pole Winner:

Kyle Larson, Chevrolet Camaro, Hendrick Motorsports, Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

(181.159 mph, 49.680 secs., 02-16-2022)

2021 Pole Winner:

Alex Bowman, Chevrolet Camaro, Hendrick Motorsports, Crew Chief: Greg Ives

(191.261 mph, 47.056 secs., 02-10-2021)

2020 Pole Winner:

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet Camaro, JTG Daugherty Racing, Crew Chief: Brian Pattie

(194.582 mph, 46.253 secs., 02-09-2020)

DAYTONA 500 Race Record

DAYTONA 500 Race Record:

Buddy Baker, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, Ranier Racing, Crew Chief: Waddell Wilson

(177.602 mph, 02:48:55, 02-17-1980)

2022 Race Winner:

Ausin Cindric, Ford Mustang, Team Penske, Crew Chief: Jeremy Bullins

(142.295 mph, 03:31:53, 02-20-2022)

2021 Race Winner:

Michael McDowell, Ford Mustang, Front Row Motorsports, Crew Chief: Luke Lambert

(144.416 mph, 03:27:44, 02-14-2021)

2020 Race Winner:

Denny Hamlin, Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing, Crew Chief: Chris Gabehart

(141.110 mph, 03:42:10, 02-17-2020)

DAYTONA 500 – Stats & Tidbits

• The 2023 edition will be the 65th running of the DAYTONA 500 (1959-2023).
• Although the first DAYTONA 500 was held in 1959, it has been the season-opener only since 1982.
• Bob Welborn won the first NASCAR Cup Series event at Daytona International Speedway, a qualifying race for the DAYTONA 500 on February 20, 1959.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty won the inaugural DAYTONA 500 on February 22, 1959, in a photo finish.

STARTS

• A total of 571 different drivers have competed in at least one DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway; 349 have competed in more than one DAYTONA 500.
• Dave Marcis leads the NASCAR Cup Series all-time in DAYTONA 500 starts with 33 starts; followed by Richard Petty (32), Terry Labonte (32) and Michael Waltrip (30).
• Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in DAYTONA 500 starts with 21 appearances.
• A total of 67 different drivers have made their first NASCAR Cup Series start in the DAYTONA 500; the most recent were Noah Gragson and Todd Gilliland in 2022.

Average Starting Position

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the NASCAR Cup Series (all-time) in average starting position in the DAYTONA 500 with a 5.667 in 18 starts.
• Alex Bowman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position in the DAYTONA 500 with a 6.167 in seven races. Bowman has started on the DAYTONA 500 a record five consecutive times (2018-22).

Top 10 in Average Starting Position for the DAYTONA 500 (All-Time & Active)

POLES

• A total of 44 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers all-time have won a pole for the DAYTONA 500.
• Eight of the 44 DAYTONA 500 pole winners are active this weekend:

• NASCAR Hall of Famers Bill Elliott (1985-87, 2001), Cale Yarborough (1968, ’70, ’78, ’84) and Buddy Baker (1969, ’73, ’79, ’80) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in DAYTONA 500 poles with four each.
• Bob Welborn won the first DAYTONA 500 pole on February 20, 1959 with a speed of 140.121 mph.
• Hendrick Motorsport’s Kyle Larson won the pole for the 2022 DAYTONA 500 with a speed of 181.159 mph.
• A total of 11 drivers have posted multiple poles for the DAYTONA 500; Alex Bowman (two), Chase Elliott (two) and Jimmie Johnson (two) are the only active drivers with more than one DAYTONA 500 pole.
• Five drivers have won consecutive DAYTONA 500 poles – Fireball Roberts (1961-1963), Buddy Baker (1979-1980), Bill Elliott (1985, 1986, 1987), Ken Schrader (1988, 1989, 1990) and Chase Elliott (2016, 2017).
• Chase Elliott became the youngest DAYTONA 500 pole winner at the age of 20 years, 2 months, 17 days with his pole on 2/14/2016.
• Oldest DAYTONA 500 pole winner: Mark Martin (02/06/2010 – 51 years, 0 months, 28 days).
• Hendrick Motorsports has won 15 DAYTONA 500 poles, the series most: Ken Schrader (1988, 1989, 1990), Jeff Gordon (1999, 2015), Jimmie Johnson (2002, 2008), Mark Martin (2010), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2011), Chase Elliott (2016, 2017), Alex Bowman (2018, 2021), William Byron (2019), Kyle Larson (2022).
• Hendrick Motorsports has won a record five consecutive DAYTONA 500 poles – (2015-2019).
• Seven different manufacturers have won the pole for the DAYTONA 500, led by Chevrolet with 30; followed by Ford (12), Pontiac (eight), Mercury (five), Dodge (four), Oldsmobile (three), Plymouth (two).
• Three drivers have won the DAYTONA 500 pole in multiple manufactures: Cale Yarborough (Mercury 2, Chevrolet 1, Oldmobile 1); Buddy Baker (Dodge 2, Oldmobile 2); Bill Elliott (Ford 3, Dodge 1).
• The average finish of the DAYTONA 500 pole winner (1959-2022) in the race is 16.8.

DAYTONA 500 POLE WINNERS (ALL-TIME)

WINS

• A total of 41 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won the DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
• Seven of the 41 NASCAR Cup Series DAYTONA 500 winners are active this weekend:

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in DAYTONA 500 victories with seven (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981).
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty won the inaugural DAYTONA 500 on February 22, 1959; he led 38 laps and won by two feet in an Oldsmobile.
• Team Penske’s Austin Cindric won the 2022 DAYTONA 500, becoming the first rookie of the year candidate to win the prestigious event.
• Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in DAYTONA 500 wins with three (2016, 2019, 2020).
• Youngest DAYTONA 500 winner: Trevor Bayne (02/20/2011 – 20 years, 0 months, 1 days).
• Oldest DAYTONA 500 winner: Bobby Allison (02/14/1988 – 50 years, 2 months, 11 days).
• Nine drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series victory with a win in the DAYTONA 500 – Tiny Lund (1963), Mario Andretti (1967), Pete Hamilton (1970), Derrike Cope (1990), Sterling Marlin (1994), Michael Waltrip (2001), Trevor Bayne (2011), Michael McDowell (2021), Ausitn Cindric (2022).
• Three other drivers posted their career-first victory in (points-paying) qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway: Johnny Rutherford (1963), Bobby Isaac (1964) and Earl Balmer (1966).
• McDowell’s 358 starts prior to his 2021 DAYTONA 500 win are the second-most in series history by a driver before their first win; behind Michael Waltrip with 463 starts before his first win in the 2001 DAYTONA 500.
• Lee Petty, who won the inaugural DAYTONA 500, and Trevor Bayne, 2011 DAYTONA 500 champion, are the only two drivers to win the DAYTONA 500 in their first appearance.
• Sterling Marlin is the only driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to record his first two victories in the DAYTONA 500 (1994, 1995). Team Penske’s Austin Cindric, last season’s DAYTONA 500 winner, will have the opportunity to join Marlin in accomplishing the feat in this season’s DAYTONA 500.
• Four different drivers have won back-to-back DAYTONA 500s – Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84), Sterling Marlin (1994-95) and Denny Hamlin (2019-20).
• A total of 12 different drivers have won multiple DAYTONA 500s, led by Richard Petty with seven victories.

• In total 22 different starting positions on the grid have led to victories in the DAYTONA 500.
• The DAYTONA 500 has been won from the pole or first starting position nine times; a winning percentage of 14.1%. The most recent driver to win the DAYTONA 500 from the pole is NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett in 2000.

• NASCAR Hall of Famers Bill Elliott (1985, 1987) and Cale Yarborough (1968, 1984) are the only two drivers to accomplish the feat of winning the DAYTONA 500 from the pole more than once.

• The pole position is the most proficient starting position in the DAYTONA 500 field, producing more winners (nine) than any other position (14.1%).

• A total of 16 of the 64 DAYTONA 500s (25%) have been won from the front row – nine from the pole or first starting position and seven from the second-place starting position.

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Matt Kenseth won the DAYTONA 500 from the 39th starting position in 2009, the deepest a DAYTONA 500 race winner has started.

DAYTONA 500 Wins By Starting Positions

• Five reigning NASCAR Cup Series champions have gone on to win the DAYTONA 500 the season after winning the championship: Lee Petty (1959), Richard Petty (1973), Cale Yarborough (1977), Jeff Gordon (1999) and Dale Jarrett (2000).

• Five DAYTONA 500 winners have won the NASCAR Cup Series championship in the same season; Richard Petty pulled it off four times; most recent was Jimmie Johnson in 2013.

• A driver has swept both the DAYTONA 500 and the Summer Daytona race only five times at Daytona International Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2013), Bobby Allison (1982), LeeRoy Yarborough (1969), Cale Yarborough (1968) and Fireball Roberts (1962).

• Two drivers have won the DAYTONA 500 pole, won the Duel race they were entered in and then went on to win the DAYTONA 500 in the same week – Cale Yarborough (1984) and Bill Elliott (1985).

• Five drivers have won the Busch Light Clash and the DAYTONA 500 in the same season:

Driver – (Year)

• Bobby Allison (1982)
• Bill Elliott (1987)
• Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)
• Jeff Gordon (1997)
• Denny Hamlin (2016)

• A total of 19 different drivers have won both the DAYTONA 500 and Coca-Cola 600:

• Eight different drivers have won both the DAYTONA 500 and Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis:

• A total of 28 different car numbers have won the DAYTONA 500; below are the 10 car numbers that have produced three or more DAYTONA 500 victories:

Car Number – Drivers – (Years)

• No. 43 – (seven) Richard Petty (1964, ’66, ’71, ’73, ’74, ’79, ‘81)
• No. 21 – (five) Tiny Lund (1963), Cale Yarborough (1968), A.J. Foyt (1972), David Pearson (1976) and Trevor Bayne (2011)
• No. 28 – (five) Fred Lorenzen (1965), Buddy Baker (1980), Cale Yarborough (1983 and 1984) and Davey Allison (1992)
• No. 11 – (five) Mario Andretti (1967), Cale Yarborough (1977), Denny Hamlin (2016, 2019, 2020)
• No. 88 – (four) Bobby Allison (1982), Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2014)
• No. 4 – (three) Ernie Irvan (1991), Sterling Marlin (1994 and 1995)
• No. 15 – (three) Bobby Allison (1978), Michael Waltrip (2001 and 2003)
• No. 17 – (three) Darrell Waltrip (1989), Matt Kenseth (2009 and 2012)
• No. 24 – (three) Jeff Gordon (1997, 1999 and 2005)

• o 22 – (three) Fireball Roberts (1962), Ward Burton (2002), Joey Logano (2015)

• Nine different manufacturers have won the DAYTONA 500, led by Chevrolet with 24 victories; followed by Ford (17), Dodge (four), Plymouth (four), Buick (three), Mercury (three), Oldsmobile (three), Pontiac (three) and Toyota (three).

• Drivers who have won the DAYTONA 500 in more than one car manufacturer:

Driver – Manufacturer (Number of wins in that manufacturer)

• Richard Petty – Plymouth (3), Dodge (2), Oldsmobile (1) and Buick (1)
• Cale Yarborough – Chevrolet (2), Mercury (1) and Pontiac (1)
• Bobby Allison – Buick (2) and Ford (1)
• Dale Jarrett – Ford (2) and Chevrolet (1)

• The driver with the all-time most DAYTONA 500 starts without a victory is Dave Marcis with 33 races; Martin Truex Jr. (18) leads all active drivers with the most DAYTONA 500 starts without a win.

DAYTONA 500 WINNER STATS CHART

DUEL WINNER STATS CHART

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS: DAYTONA 500

Runner-Up Finishes:

• A total of 41 different drivers have finished runner-up in the DAYTONA 500, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt with five second-place finishes (1984, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999).

• Bubba Wallace (2018, 2022), Kevin Harvick (2009, 2015) and Ryan Blaney (2017, 2020) lead all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes in the DAYTONA 500 with two each.

Top-Five Finishes:

• In total 117 different drivers have posted at least one top-five finish in the DAYTONA 500, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt with 12 top fives in his 23 DAYTONA 500 starts.

• Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick lead all active drivers in DAYTONA 500 top-five finishes with eight each.

Top 10 Finishes:

• In total 192 different drivers have posted at least one top-10 finish in the DAYTONA 500, led by Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, who posted a series-leading 16 top 10s each in the DAYTONA 500.

• Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers in DAYTONA 500 top-10 finishes with 10.

Average Finish:

• Lee Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing positon with a 2.5 in two DAYTONA 500 appearances.

• Austin Cindric has the best average finish among active drivers (8.0) with more than one start; he has made two appearances in the DAYTONA 500.

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position for the DAYTONA 500 (All-Time & Active)

FEMALE COMPETITORS

• Danica Patrick on Sunday, February 19, 2013 became the first female in NASCAR Cup Series history to win a pole for the DAYTONA 500 posting a speed of 196.434 mph – to this day the only pole in the series by a female competitor.

• Janet Guthrie previously held the record for top starting position by a female NASCAR premier series driver, starting ninth twice in 1977 – at Talladega Superspeedway on Aug. 7, 1977 and at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 28, 1977.

• In 2012, Danica Patrick became the third female driver to compete in a DAYTONA 500 joining Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson. Below are the previous female driver performances in the DAYTONA 500.

• In 2013, Danica Patrick became the first female driver in a DAYTONA 500 to lead laps. She led five laps in the 2013 DAYTONA 500 and two laps in the 2014 DAYTONA 500 for a career total of seven laps led in the Great American Race.
• Danica Patrick also holds the record for most DAYTONA 500 starts for a female competitor with seven and best finish by a female competitor in the prestigious event, with her eighth-place result in 2013.

LAP LEADERS

• In total 169 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have led at least one lap in the DAYTONA 500.

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led in the DAYTONA 500 with 780 laps led in 32 starts – 16% of his total laps run in the DAYTONA 500 (4,860). Dale Earnhardt has led the second-most lasp in the DAYTONA 500 with 686 in 23 starts.

• Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in laps led in the DAYTONA 500 with 474 in 17 starts – and he is ranked fifth on the all-time lap leaders chart of the race.

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty has led the most laps in a single DAYTONA 500; leading 184 laps in the 1964 DAYTONA 500 and won the event. Petty started from the outside front row (second position).

• Among active drivers, Ryan Blaney has led the most laps in a single DAYTONA 500, when he led 118 laps in the 2018 DAYTONA 500 and finished seventh. Blaney started from the third position.

• Michael McDowell (2021), Kurt Busch (2017) and Austin Dillon (2018) have led the fewest laps in the DAYTONA 500 and won – both led just the final lap on their way to winning the prestigious event.

Top 10 Lap Leaders in the DAYTONA 500 (All-Time & Active)

TRACK / EVENT STATS

• Denny Hamlin’s 0.010-second margin of victory over Martin Truex Jr. in the 2016 DAYTONA 500 is the closest DAYTONA 500 finish and tied with Atlanta (3/12/2000) and Phoenix (3/13/2016) as the seventh closest MOV since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Kevin Harvick’s 0.020-second margin of victory over Mark Martin in the 2007 DAYTONA 500 is the second closest in DAYTONA 500 history and 12th-closest overall since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993.
• Austin Cindric’s 0.036-second margin of victory over Bubba Wallace in the 2022 DAYTONA 500 is the third closest DAYTONA 500 history, and the 22nd-closest overall since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993.

Top Five Closest Margins of Victory in the DAYTONA 500:

• The 2011 DAYTONA 500 had the most all-time lead changes with 74; which is 14 more than the race with the second-most lead changes – the 1974 DAYTONA 500 with 60 lead changes.
• The 1964 DAYTONA 500 won by Richard Petty had the fewest lead changes with a mere six. Petty led 184 of the 200 scheduled laps in 1964 – the most ever in a single DAYONA 500.
• 2011 DAYTONA 500 had the most all-time leaders with 22 – due to the rules package a ‘tandem-style drafting’ was used by the drivers, which led to the record number of leaders.
• 2011 DAYTONA 500 had the most all-time cautions with 16; last season’s DAYTONA 500 had seven cautions.
• 1968 and 2011 DAYTONA 500s had the most all-time Caution Laps with 60 laps each.
• The DAYTONA 500 has finished under NASCAR Overtime conditions 11 times:

• Due to the Overtime rules in NASCAR, the longest DAYTONA 500 ever run was the 2020 DAYTONA 500 with 209 laps (522.5 miles) – nine laps and 22.5 miles more than the scheduled distance. The next longest were the 2010 and 2011 DAYTONA 500 races – both went 208 laps/520 miles.
• The largest field to compete in the DAYTONA 500 was 68 cars in the 1960 race.

ADDITIONAL DAYONA STATS

• Groundbreaking for Daytona International Speedway was Nov. 25, 1957. The soil underneath the banked corners was dug from the infield of the track and the hole filled with water. It is now known as Lake Lloyd.
• The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona was a 100-mile qualifying race for the DAYTONA 500 on Feb. 20, 1959.
• Richard Petty won his 200th career race on July 4, 1984 at Daytona International Speedway.
• Lights were installed in the spring of 1998. However, the July race was delayed until October that year due to thick smoke from wildfires. The second DAYTONA race has been scheduled for under the lights ever since.
• The track underwent a repave in 2010.
• 2016 marked the next phase in the existence of Daytona International Speedway as the DAYTONA Rising project was completed, ushering in the first ‘motorsports stadium,’ a 400-million-dollar project.
• There have been 151 NASCAR Cup Series races since the track hosted its first race in 1959: 64 have been 500 miles, 60 were 400 miles and four 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were point races.
• Fireball Roberts won the inaugural pole at Daytona for the 1959 DAYTONA 500 Qualifier Race in a Pontiac with a speed of 140.581 mph.
• Bob Welborn won the first race at Daytona, the 100-mile DAYTONA 500 Qualifier Race on February 20, 1959.
• Fireball Roberts won the first 250-mile race at Daytona International Speedway, the Firecracker 250 on July 4, 1959
• Fireball Roberts also won the first 400-mile race at Daytona International Speedway, the Firecracker 400 on July 4, 1963.
• A total of 63 different drivers have posted poles at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Cale Yarborough leads all drivers with 12 poles in 52 Daytona International Speedway starts – (D500 = 4; Summer Race = 8).
• Chase Elliott (2016, 2017, 2018) leads all active drivers with three NASCAR Cup Series poles at Daytona International Speedway.

First Time Pole Winners & Race Winners at Daytona International Speedway

• In total 17 different drivers have scored their first NASCAR Cup Series career pole at Daytona International Speedway.

• A total of four active drivers have won their first career pole at Daytona – Chase Elliott (2016), Austin Dillon (2014), Kevin Harvick (2002) and William Byron (2019).

• 26 full-length points-paying races at Daytona have been won from the pole or first starting position; most recent Dale Earnhardt Jr. (July, 2015).

• A total of 69 different drivers have won at Daytona International Speedway.

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty with 10 points-paying victories at Daytona, leads the series.

• Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson lead all active drivers in Daytona wins with three each.

• A total of 23 different drivers scored their first win in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway. The most recent was Team Penske’s Austin Cindric in 2022 DAYTONA 500.

• Wood Brothers Racing and Hendrick Motorsports are tied for the most wins by an organization at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series with 15 each.

NASCAR in Florida

• There have been 353 NASCAR national series points-paying races among 11 tracks held in the state of Florida.

NASCAR DRIVERS FROM FLORIDA

• A total of 196 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Florida.

• There have been 12 race winners with their home state recorded as Florida in NASCAR’s three national series; totaling 101 victories among them: