Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Daytona 500

[NickHolt]

Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Daytona 500

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2012) – Below is a bulleted statistical look at some of the top performers at Daytona International Speedway, including both the Daytona 500 and the annual July race:

 

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-hour Energy Toyota)

 

· Two top fives, six top 10s

 

· Average finish of 15.1

 

· Average Running Position of 15.7, ninth-best

 

· Driver Rating of 87.0, eighth-best

 

· 2,550 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most

 

· Average Green Flag Speed of 186.792 mph, seventh-fastest

 

Jeff Burton (No. 31 CAT Chevrolet)

 

· One win, seven top fives, nine top 10s; one pole

 

· Average finish of 17.8

 

· Average Running Position of 16.2, 10th-best

 

· Driver Rating of 83.8, 11th-best

 

· 54 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most

 

· 2,927 Green Flag Passes, second-most

 

· Average Green Flag Speed of 186.946 mph, second-fastest

 

· 1,350 Laps in the Top 15 (53.7%), 10th-most

 

· 1,722 Quality Passes, fifth-most

 

Kurt Busch (No. 51 Tag Heuer Avant-Garde Chevrolet)

 

· 10 top fives, 12 top 10s

 

· Average finish of 16.3

 

· Average Running Position of 13.7, fourth-best

 

· Driver Rating of 96.0, third-best

 

· 56 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

 

· 2,719 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

 

· Average Green Flag Speed of 186.867 mph, third-fastest

 

· 1,693 Laps in the Top 15 (67.3%), second-most

 

· Series-high 1,927 Quality Passes

 

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)

 

· One win, five top fives, six top 10s

 

· Average finish of 17.6

 

· Series-best Average Running Position of 12.3

 

· Series-best Driver Rating of 98.7

 

· 66 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

 

· 2,507 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most

 

· Average Green Flag Speed of 186.817 mph, sixth-fastest

 

· Series-high 1,821 Laps in the Top 15 (72.4%)

 

· 1,918 Quality Passes, second-most

 

Landon Cassill (No. 83 Burger King Toyota)

 

· Average finish of 26.0

 

· Average Running Position of 14.4, sixth-best

 

· Driver Rating of 86.9, ninth-best

 

· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 187.060 mph

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet)

 

· Two wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole

 

· Average finish of 15.0

 

· Average Running Position of 15.3, eighth-best

 

· Driver Rating of 87.1, seventh-best

 

· 64 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

 

· 2,563 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most

 

· Average Green Flag Speed of 186.784 mph, ninth-fastest

 

· 1,501 Laps in the Top 15 (59.7%), fifth-most

 

· 1,657 Quality Passes, eighth-most

 

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford)

 

· Four top fives, six top 10s

 

· Average finish of 17.9

 

· Average Running Position of 17.0, 13th-best

 

· Driver Rating of 83.2, 12th-best

 

· 53 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most

 

· 2,785 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

 

· 1,450 Laps in the Top 15 (57.7%), eighth-most

 

· 1,918 Quality Passes, second-most

 

 

 

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)

 

· Six wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s; three poles

 

· Average finish of 15.5

 

· Average Running Position of 14.3, fifth-best

 

· Driver Rating of 89.4, fourth-best

 

· 1,479 Laps in the Top 15 (58.8%), seventh-most

 

· 1,521 Quality Passes, 12th-most

 

 

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)

 

· Two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s; one pole

 

· Average finish of 15.4

 

· Driver Rating of 86.3, 10th-best

 

· 67 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

 

· 2,732 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

 

· Average Green Flag Speed of 186.791 mph, eighth-fastest

 

· 1,316 Laps in the Top 15 (52.3%), 12th-most

 

· 1,526 Quality Passes, 11th-most

 

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)

 

· One win, six top fives, nine top 10s; two poles

 

· Average finish of 17.0

 

· Average Running Position of 13.0, second-best

 

· Driver Rating of 87.5, sixth-best

 

· 2,469 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most

 

· 1,612 Laps in the Top 15 (64.1%), fourth-most

 

· 1,680 Quality Passes, seventh-most

 

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Best Buy Ford)

 

· One win, four top fives, 11 top 10s

 

· Average finish of 17.4

 

· Average Running Position of 15.3, seventh-best

 

· Driver Rating of 89.0, fifth-best

 

· Series-high 68 Fastest Laps Run

 

· 2,415 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most

 

· 1,497 Laps in the Top 15 (59.5%), sixth-most

 

· 1,608 Quality Passes, ninth-most

 

Ryan Newman (No. 39 WIX Filters Chevrolet)

 

· One win, two top fives, three top 10s

 

· Average finish of 22.0

 

· Average Running Position of 16.6, 11th-best

 

· Driver Rating of 82.9, 13th-best

 

· 2,709 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

 

· 1,371 Laps in the Top 15 (54.5%), ninth-most

 

· 1,560 Quality Passes, 10th-most

 

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet)

 

· Three wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole

 

· Average finish of 16.7

 

· Average Running Position of 13.6, third-best

 

· Driver Rating of 98.2, second-best

 

· 66 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

 

· Average Green Flag Speed of 186.835 mph, fifth-fastest

 

· 1,617 Laps in the Top 15 (64.3%), third-most

 

Daytona International Speedway Data

 

Race #: 1 of 36 (2-26-11)

 

Track Size: 2.5 miles

 

Race Length: 500 miles (200 laps)

 

Banking/Corners: 31 degrees

 

Banking/Straights: 3 degrees

 

Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees

 

 

Driver Rating at Daytona

 

Kyle Busch 98.7

 

Tony Stewart 98.2

 

Kurt Busch 96.0

 

Jeff Gordon 89.4

 

Matt Kenseth 89.0

 

Jimmie Johnson 87.5

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. 87.1

 

Clint Bowyer 87.0

 

Landon Cassill 86.9

 

Kevin Harvick 86.3

 

Jeff Burton 83.8

 

Carl Edwards 83.2

 

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (13 total) at Daytona.

 

Qualifying/Race Data

 

2011 pole winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (186.089 mph, 48.364 seconds)

 

2011 race winner: Trevor Bayne (130.326 mph, 2-20-11)

 

Qualifying record: Bill Elliott (210.364 mph, 42.783 secs., 2-9-87)

 

Race record: Buddy Baker (177.602 mph, 2-17-80)

 

Daytona 500 Tidbits

 

The 2012 edition will be the 54th running of the Daytona 500.

Although the first Daytona 500 was held in 1959, it has been the season-opener only since 1982.

518 drivers have competed in at least one Daytona 500; 306 in more than one.

35 drivers have won a Daytona 500.

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)

Eight drivers have won more than one Daytona 500, led by Richard Petty with seven victories.

· The eight drivers who have won the Daytona 500 more than once: Richard Petty (seven), Cale Yarborough (four), Bobby Allison (three), Dale Jarrett (three), Jeff Gordon (three), Bill Elliott (two), Sterling Marlin (two) and Michael Waltrip (two).

 

Dale Earnhardt leads the series in runner-up finishes in the Daytona 500 with five; Kurt Busch leads all active drivers in Daytona 500 second-place finishes with three.

Dale Earnhardt finished in the top 10 in 16 of his 23 Daytona 500s.

Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty each had 16 top 10s in the Daytona 500, more than any other driver.

Dale Earnhardt had 12 top fives in the Daytona 500, more than any other driver.

Only 13 drivers have an average finish of 10th or better in the Daytona 500, six of those competed in the Daytona 500 only once.

Clint Bowyer has a 12.2 average finish in six appearances, the best of the active drivers who have competed in more than one 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.

 

· 28 of the 35 drivers who have won, participated in at least two Daytona 500s before visiting Victory Lane.

 

· Dale Earnhardt competed 19 times before winning his only Daytona 500 (1998), the longest span of any of the 35 race winners.

 

· Six drivers made 10 or more attempts before their first Daytona 500 victory: Dale Earnhardt (19), Buddy Baker (18), Darrell Waltrip (16), Bobby Allison (14), Michael Waltrip (14) and Sterling Marlin 12).

 

The most Daytona 500s all-time without a victory was Dave Marcis (33 races).

· Mark Martin (27) leads active drivers without a victory.

 

· Six drivers posted their career-first 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) and Trevor Bayne (2011).

 

· Three other drivers posted their career-first victory in (point-paying) qualifying races: Johnny Rutherford (1963), Bobby Isaac (1964) and Earl Balmer (1966).

 

· A driver has won back-to-back Daytona 500s three times. Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and Sterling Marlin (1994-95)

 

· Kevin Harvick’s 0.020-second margin of victory over Mark Martin in the 2007 Daytona 500 is the 12th-closest overall since the advent of electronic timing in 1993, and the closest in a Daytona 500.

 

26 of the 53 Daytona 500s have been won from a top-five starting position.

Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 from the 39th starting position in 2009, the deepest a race winner has started.

Nine have been won from the pole. The last to do so was Dale Jarrett in 2000.

16 Daytona 500s have been won from the front row.

Danica Patrick will become the third female driver to compete in a Daytona 500 joining Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson.

 

1977 - Janet Guthrie

1980 - Janet Guthrie

2002 - Shawna Robinson

 

Driver Ratings for Winners – Pre-Race Daytona 500 Driver Ratings heading into 2012 for past Daytona 500 winners (past 6 years)

 

Driver – Year – Driver Rating

Trevor Bayne – 2011 – 68.9

Jamie McMurray – 2010 – 80.2

Matt Kenseth – 2009 – 89.0

Ryan Newman – 2008 – 82.9

Kevin Harvick – 2007 – 86.3

Jimmie Johnson – 2006 – 87.5

 

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)

 

Drivers who have won the Shootout at Daytona and the Daytona 500 in the same season:

 

Driver – (Year)

Bobby Allison (1982)

Bill Elliott (1987)

Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)

Jeff Gordon (1997)

 

At Daytona International Speedway

History

 

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 Sprint 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.

· 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 held under the lights ever since.

Notebook

 

There have been 129 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the track hosted its first race in 1959: 53 have been 500 miles, 49 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.

Bob Welborn won the first race at Daytona, the 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500.

Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959.

Fireball Roberts won the first 400-mile race at Daytona, the 1963 Firecracker 400.

53 drivers have posted poles at Daytona.

Cale Yarborough leads all drivers with 12 poles at Daytona.

Bill Elliott leads all active drivers with five poles at Daytona.

54 drivers have won at Daytona.

Richard Petty leads all drivers in victories at Daytona with 10.

Jeff Gordon has six victories at Daytona, more than any other active driver.

The Wood Brothers have won 15 races at Daytona, more than any other car owner.

17 full-length races at Daytona have been won from the pole; the last to do it was Kevin Harvick in last year’s Coke Zero 400.

A driver has swept both races at Daytona only four times, most recently by Bobby Allison in 1982.

 

NASCAR in Florida

 

There have been 169 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Florida.

165 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Florida.

There have been nine race winners whose hometown is Florida in NASCAR’s three national series:

Fireball Roberts

LeeRoy Yarbrough

Marshall Teague

Joe Nemechek

Bobby Johns

David Reutimann

Shorty Rollins

Rick Wilson

Aric Almirola