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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
NASCAR - Sprint Cup - Daytona 500 Preview

From The Sports Network

 
DATE: Sunday, February 14th
SITE: Daytona International Speedway (1959) -- Daytona Beach, Florida
TRACK: 2.5-mile tri-oval - 3,800 feet (Frontstretch); 3,000 feet (Backstretch)
CAPACITY: 168,000 (Grandstand)
ANNUAL: 53rd
TELEVISION: FOX
ANNOUNCERS: Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds
RADIO: Motor Racing Network (MRN)/SIRIUS XM Satellite
START TIME: 1 p.m. (et)
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Jamie McMurray
RUNNER-UP: Dale Earnhardt Jr
POLE WINNER: Mark Martin (Finished 12th)
LAPS: 200
MILES: 500
QUALIFYING RECORD: Bill Elliott, 1987 (210.364 m.p.h.)
RACE RECORD: Buddy Baker, 1980 (177.602 m.p.h.)
TOTAL PURSE: $18,549,893 (2010 figures)
PAYOUTS: 1st Place - $1,508,449; 2nd Place - $1,096,995; 3rd Place - $793,370
 
2010 Finish
FinishDriverStartFinishDriverStart
1Jamie McMurray136Martin Truex Jr14
2Dale Earnhardt Jr.27Kevin Harvick5
3Greg Biffle238Matt Kenseth24
4Clint Bowyer99Carl Edwards27
5David Reutimann2010Juan Pablo Montoya8
2010 Daytona 500 Facts and Figures
AVERAGE SPEED: 137.284 m.p.h.
TIME OF RACE: 3 hours, 47 minutes, 16 seconds
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.119 seconds
CAUTION FLAGS: 9 for 40 laps
LEAD CHANGES: 52 among 21 drivers
POLE WINNER: Mark Martin (191.188 m.p.h.)
Past Daytona 500 Winners (Starting Position) Car -- Speed
2010 -- Jamie McMurray (13th) Chevrolet -- 137.284 m.p.h.
2009 -- *Matt Kenseth (39th) -- Ford -- 132.816 m.p.h.
2008 -- Ryan Newman (7th) -- Dodge -- 152.672 m.p.h.
2007 -- Kevin Harvick (34th) -- Chevrolet -- 149.335 m.p.h.
2006 -- Jimmie Johnson (9th) -- Chevrolet -- 142.667 m.p.h.
2005 -- Jeff Gordon (15th) -- Chevrolet -- 135.173 m.p.h.
2004 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 156.345 m.p.h.
2003 -- *Michael Waltrip (4th) -- Chevrolet -- 133.870 m.p.h.
2002 -- Ward Burton (19th) -- Dodge -- 142.971 m.p.h.
2001 -- Michael Waltrip (19th) -- Chevrolet -- 161.794 m.p.h.
2000 -- Dale Jarrett (1st) -- Ford -- 155.669 m.p.h.
1999 -- Jeff Gordon (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 161.551 m.p.h.
1998 -- Dale Earnhardt (4th) -- Chevrolet -- 172.712 m.p.h.
1997 -- Jeff Gordon (6th) -- Chevrolet -- 148.295 m.p.h.
1996 -- Dale Jarrett (7th) -- Ford -- 154.308 m.p.h.
1995 -- Sterling Marlin (3rd) -- Chevrolet -- 141.710 m.p.h.
1994 -- Sterling Marlin (4th) -- Chevrolet -- 156.931 m.p.h.
1993 -- Dale Jarrett (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 154.972 m.p.h.
1992 -- Davey Allison (6th) -- Ford -- 168.256 m.p.h.
1991 -- Ernie Irvan (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 148.148 m.p.h.
1990 -- Derrike Cope (12th) -- Chevrolet -- 165.761 m.p.h.
1989 -- Darrell Waltrip (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 148.466 m.p.h.
1988 -- Bobby Allison (3rd) -- Buick -- 137.531 m.p.h.
1987 -- Bill Elliott (1st) -- Ford -- 176.263 m.p.h.
1986 -- Geoff Bodine (2nd) -- Chevrolet -- 148.124 m.p.h.
1985 -- Bill Elliott (1st) -- Ford -- 172.265 m.p.h.
1984 -- Cale Yarborough (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 150.994 m.p.h.
1983 -- Cale Yarborough (8th) -- Pontiac -- 155.979 m.p.h.
1982 -- Bobby Allison (7th) -- Buick -- 153.991 m.p.h.
1981 -- Richard Petty (8th) -- Buick -- 169.651 m.p.h.
1980 -- Buddy Baker (1st) -- Oldsmobile -- 177.602 m.p.h. (race record)
1979 -- Richard Petty (13th) -- Oldsmobile -- 143.977 m.p.h.
1978 -- Bobby Allison (33rd) -- Ford -- 159.730 m.p.h.
1977 -- Cale Yarborough (4th) -- Chevrolet -- 153.218 m.p.h.
1976 -- David Pearson (7th) -- Mercury -- 152.181 m.p.h.
1975 -- Benny Parsons (32nd) -- Chevrolet -- 153.649 m.p.h.
1974 -- Richard Petty (2nd) -- Dodge -- 140.894 m.p.h.
1973 -- Richard Petty (7th) -- Dodge -- 157.205 m.p.h.
1972 -- A.J. Foyt (2nd) -- Mercury -- 161.550 m.p.h.
1971 -- Richard Petty (5th) -- Plymouth -- 144.462 m.p.h.
1970 -- Pete Hamilton (9th) -- Plymouth -- 149.601 m.p.h.
1969 -- LeeRoy Yarborough (19th) -- Ford -- 157.950 m.p.h.
1968 -- Cale Yarborough (1st) -- Mercury -- 143.251 m.p.h.
1967 -- Mario Andretti (12th) -- Ford -- 146.926 m.p.h.
1966 -- *Richard Petty (1st) -- Plymouth -- 160.627 m.p.h.
1965 -- *Fred Lorenzen (4th) -- Ford -- 141.539 m.p.h.
1964 -- Richard Petty (2nd) -- Plymouth -- 154.334 m.p.h.
1963 -- Tiny Lund (12th) -- Ford -- 151.566 m.p.h.
1962 -- Fireball Roberts (1st) -- Pontiac -- 152.529 m.p.h.
1961 -- Marvin Panch (4th) -- Pontiac -- 149.601 m.p.h.
1960 -- Junior Johnson (9th) -- Chevrolet -- 124.740 m.p.h.
1959 -- Lee Petty (15th) -- Oldsmobile -- 135.521 m.p.h.
 
NOTE: * - Rain shortened.
 
Past Daytona 500 Pole Winners (Finish)
2010 -- Mark Martin -- 12th
2009 -- Martin Truex Jr -- 11th
2008 -- Jimmie Johnson -- 27th
2007 -- David Gilliland -- 8th
2006 -- Jeff Burton -- 32nd
2005 -- Dale Jarrett -- 15th
2004 -- Greg Biffle -- 12th
2003 -- Jeff Green -- 39th
2002 -- Jimmie Johnson -- 15th
2001 -- Bill Elliott -- 5th
2000 -- Dale Jarrett -- 1st
1999 -- Jeff Gordon -- 1st
1998 -- Bobby Labonte -- 2nd
1997 -- Mike Skinner -- 12th
1996 -- Dale Earnhardt -- 2nd
1995 -- Dale Jarrett -- 5th
1994 -- Loy Allen Jr -- 22nd
1993 -- Kyle Petty -- 31st
1992 -- Sterling Marlin -- 35th
1991 -- Davey Allison -- 15th
1990 -- Ken Schrader -- 40th
1989 -- Ken Schrader -- 2nd
1988 -- Ken Schrader -- 6th
1987 -- Bill Elliott -- 1st
1986 -- Bill Elliott -- 13th
1985 -- Bill Elliott -- 1st
1984 -- Cale Yarborough -- 1st
1983 -- Ricky Rudd -- 24th
1982 -- Benny Parsons -- 26th
1981 -- Bobby Allison -- 2nd
1980 -- Buddy Baker -- 1st
1979 -- Buddy Baker -- 40th
1978 -- Cale Yarborough -- 2nd
1977 -- Donnie Allison -- 30th
1976 -- Ramo Stott -- 26th
1975 -- Donnie Allison -- 28th
1974 -- David Pearson -- 35th
1973 -- Buddy Baker -- 6th
1972 -- Bobby Isaac -- 33rd
1971 -- A.J. Foyt -- 3rd
1970 -- Cale Yarborough -- 37th
1969 -- Buddy Baker -- 5th
1968 -- Cale Yarborough -- 1st
1967 -- Curtis Turner -- 25th
1966 -- Richard Petty -- 1st
1965 -- Darel Dieringer -- 2nd
1964 -- Paul Goldsmith -- 3rd
1963 -- Fireball Roberts -- 21st
1962 -- Fireball Roberts -- 1st
1961 -- Fireball Roberts -- 20th
1960 -- Cotton Owens -- 40th
1959 -- Bob Welborn -- 41st
Last Race Results
RACE: Budweiser Shootout (February 12th)
SITE: Daytona International Speedway -- Daytona Beach, Florida
MILES: 187.5
LAPS: 75
WINNER: Kurt Busch
RUNNER-UP: Jamie McMurray
THIRD: Ryan Newman
FOURTH: Jimmie Johnson
FIFTH: Greg Biffle
POLE WINNER: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Finished 19th)
TIME OF RACE: 1 hour, 13 minutes, 15 seconds
AVERAGE SPEED: 153.584 m.p.h.
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.058 second
CAUTION FLAGS: 4 for 12 laps
LEAD CHANGES: 28 among 9 drivers
LAP LEADERS: D. Earnhardt Jr. - pole; T. Stewart 1-2; C. Bowyer 3-5; D.
Earnhardt Jr. 6; T. Stewart 7; J. Burton 8-10; D. Earnhardt Jr.
11; T. Stewart 12; J. Burton 13-16; D. Earnhardt Jr. 17-18; J.
Burton 19-21; Kyle Busch 22; J. Burton 23-25; Kyle Busch 26; C.
Bowyer 27; J. Burton 28-29; R. Newman 30-33; J. Burton 34-39; J.
Gordon 40; J. Burton 41-45; Kurt Busch 46; J. Johnson 47-52; J.
Burton 53-56; J. Johnson 57; Kurt Busch 58; R. Newman 59-60; J.
Burton 61-62; R. Newman 63-74; Kurt Busch 75.
Daytona 500 Entry List
CarDriver, HometownCar/Name
00David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL)Toyota/Aaron's Dream Machine
1 *Jamie McMurray (Joplin, MO)Chevrolet/Bass Pro Shops
2Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hills, MI)Dodge/Miller Lite
4Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA)Toyota/Red Bull
5Mark Martin (Batesville, AR)Chevrolet/GoDaddy.com
6David Ragan (Unadilla, GA)Ford/UPS
7Robby Gordon (Orange, CA)Dodge/Speed Energy
09Bill Elliott (Dawsonville, GA)Chevrolet/Phoenix Construction
9Marcos Ambrose (Launceston, Australia)Ford/Stanley
11Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield, VA)Toyota/FedEx Express
13Casey Mears (Bakerfield, CA)Toyota/GEICO
14Tony Stewart (Columbus, IN)Chevrolet/Office Depot/Mobil 1
15Michael Waltrip (Owensboro, KY)Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts
16Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA)Ford/3M
17Matt Kenseth (Cambridge, WI)Ford/Crown Royal Black
18Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV)Toyota/M&M's
20Joey Logano (Middletown, CT)Toyota/Home Depot
21Trevor Bayne (Knoxville, TN)Ford/Motorcraft/Quick Lane
22Kurt Busch (Las Vegas, NV)Dodge/Shell/Pennzoil
24Jeff Gordon (Vallejo, CA)Chevrolet/Drive to End Hunger
27Paul Menard (Eau Claire, WI)Chevrolet/Menards/Peak
29Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA)Chevrolet/Budweiser
31Jeff Burton (South Boston, VA)Chevrolet/Caterpillar
32Terry Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX)Ford/U.S. Chrome
33Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS)Chevrolet/Cheerios/Hamb. Helper
34David Gilliland (Riverside, CA)Ford/Taco Bell
36Dave Blaney (Hartford, OH)Chevrolet/Tommy Baldwin Racing
37Robert Richardson Jr. (McKinney, TX)Ford/North Texas Pipe
38Travis Kvapil (Janesville, WI)Ford/Long John Silver's
39Ryan Newman (South Bend, IN)Chevrolet/U.S Army
42Juan Pablo Montoya (Bogota, Colombia)Chevrolet/Target
43A.J. Allmendinger (Los Gatos, CA)Ford/Best Buy
46J.J. Yeley (Phoenix, AZ)Chevrolet/Red Line Oil
47Bobby Labonte (Corpus Christi, TX)Toyota/Kroger/USO
48Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon, CA)Chevrolet/Lowe's/Kobalt Tools
56Martin Truex Jr. (Mayetta, NJ)Toyota/NAPA
60Todd Bodine (Chemung, NY)Toyota/Tire Kingdom/Valvoline
64Derrike Cope (Spanaway, WA)Toyota/Sta-Bil
66Michael McDowell (Glendale, AZ)Toyota/HP Racing LLC
71Andy Lally (Northport, NY)Chevrolet/Adobe Road Winery
77Steve Wallace (Charlotte, NC)Toyota/5-Hour Energy
78Regan Smith (Cato, NY)Chevrolet/Furniture Row Racing
83Brian Vickers (Thomasville, NC)Toyota/Red Bull
87Joe Nemechek (Lakeland, FL)Toyota/AM FM Energy
88Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Kannapolis, NC)Chevrolet/Amp Energy/Nat'l Guard
92Brian Keselowski (Rochester Hills, MI)Dodge/K-Automotive
97Kevin Conway (Cornelius, NC)Toyota/Extenze
99Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO)Ford/Aflac
 
* - Defending champion
 
Leading Contenders (Finish the last nine years)
Driver200220032004200520062007200820092010
Jamie McMurray---31st36th32nd37th31st26th37thWon
Dale Earnhardt Jr29th36thWon3rd8th32nd9th27th2nd
Greg Biffle---21st12th25th31st25th10th20th3rd
Clint Bowyer------------6th18th24th4th4th
David Reutimann---------------40th18th12th5th
Martin Truex Jr---------34th16th29th20th11th6th
Kevin Harvick36th4th4th28th14thWon14th2nd7th
Matt Kenseth33rd20th9th42nd15th27th36thWon8th
Carl Edwards---------12th43rd23rd19th18th9th
Juan Pablo Montoya---------------19th32nd14th10th
Jeff Burton12th11th42nd29th32nd3rd13th28th11th
Mark Martin6th5th43rd6th12th2nd31st16th12th
Paul Menard------------------22nd38th13th
Kyle Busch---------38th23rd24th4th41st14th
Brian Vickers------39th21st7th---12th39th15th
Denny Hamlin------------30th28th17th26th17th
Joey Logano---------------------43rd20th
Tony Stewart43rd7th2nd7th5th43rd3rd8th22nd
Kurt Busch4th2nd16th2nd38th41st2nd10th23rd
Jeff Gordon9th12th8thWon26th10th39th13th26th
Kasey Kahne------41st22nd11th7th7th29th30th
A.J. Allmendinger---------------------3rd32nd
Ryan Newman7th43rd31st20th3rd38thWon36th34th
Jimmie Johnson15th3rd5th5thWon39th27th31st35th
Brad Keselowski------------------------36th
 
Sports Network Selections
Pick to Win - Dale Earnhardt Jr
Darkhorse - Greg Biffle
 
Last Week's Pick to Win (Jimmie Johnson) - Finished 4th
Last Week's Darkhorse (Tony Stewart) - Finished 11th
 
NOTES:
Jamie McMurray will seek to become the first back-to-back champion of the Daytona 500 since Sterling Marlin accomplished the feat in 1994-95. Last season, McMurray started 13th on the grid, but it was his late pass that produced victory, as he edged Dale Earnhardt Jr by less than a second for his fourth career Sprint Cup title.

In a race that featured 52 lead changes among 21 drivers, McMurray swept past Kevin Harvick with just two laps remaining to claim the checkered flag by 0.119 of a second. Harvick, who led for the most laps (41), finished seventh. Pole sitter Mark Martin, after leading twice for 11 laps, ended 12th.

McMurray became the ninth different winner in the last nine Daytona 500s, as well as the 34th driver overall in the 52-year history of the race. He led only two laps, which is the least amount by a Daytona 500 winner.

The Daytona 500 will be the first race under the restructured point system. First place will pay 43 points, second 42, third 41, etc. An additional three points will be added to the winner's total. A one-point bonus will be awarded to any driver who leads a lap, and another point for leading the most laps. The highest possible points total for the winner will be 48 points

Eligibility for qualification into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup has also changed slightly this year, with wins at a premium. The top 10 in points after race No. 26 will make it in, but spots 11 and 12 will go to the drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20 in points. That means the winner of the Daytona 500 - who will be the points leader AND the wins leader - will have a big advantage, after only one race.

In 2009, Matt Kenseth, the 2003 Cup Series champion, avoided a major wreck during the mid-stages of the race and then got help from Harvick to pass Elliott Sadler for the lead on lap 146. He held the top spot just before the eighth and final caution came for an incident involving Aric Almirola. Rain began falling on Daytona International Speedway by lap 149 and the red flag was displayed three laps later. NASCAR called the race shortly after, giving Kenseth his first victory in the Daytona 500 in his 10th attempt. Kyle Busch, who led for a race-high 88 laps, failed to finish the race due to an accident.

Ryan Newman overtook Tony Stewart on the final lap in 2008 to record his 13th career Sprint Cup title. Newman, who started in the seventh position on the grid, edged Kurt Busch by less than a second, while Stewart placed third. Newman led four times for a total of eight laps, while Kyle Busch, who placed fourth, led eight times for a race-high 86 laps. Pole sitter Jimmie Johnson finished 27th.

Harvick overcame Mark Martin in 2007 on the final lap to post a 0.090 of a seconds victory for his 11th Sprint Cup title. Pole sitter David Gilliland led for the first 18 laps, but Kurt Busch took over lead on three separate occasions for a race-high 95 laps. Busch however, would begin to fade due to tire problems and finished a disappointing 41st. Martin Truex Jr. replaced Kyle Busch at the front of the pack, but he yielded to Martin on lap 176. Martin held the lead for 26 laps, but Harvick, who led for just four total laps, clipped the veteran to take the checkered flag. Harvick tied Benny Parsons for fewest laps led by a winner. Parsons raced to victory in 1975.

The Daytona 500 has a different qualifying format than every other race. Only the two fastest drivers secure starting spots for the "500" in the first round. After qualifying ends, the speeds will be used to set the lineups for Thursday's Gatorade 150-mile qualifying races. Odd numbers - first, third, fifth and so on - go in the first race, even numbers in the second. Results from the 150s will set positions 3 through 30 for the 500. The next eight spots in the 500 field will go to the drivers with the eight best qualifying speeds who have not yet made the field. The final five spots go to provisional starters based on last season's car owner points standings.

In 2006, Jimmie Johnson outdueled Casey Mears down the stretch to capture his first career Daytona 500. Johnson, who had posted four straight top-five finishes at this race, won under the caution in front of an estimated crowd of 175,000. Johnson led the race on four separate occasions for a total of 24 laps, as he won for the 19th time in his career. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished eighth, led seven times for a race-high 32 laps. Pole sitter Jeff Burton, who led for the first 18 laps, finished 32nd.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. captured the 2004 Daytona 500, crossing the finish line a scant 0.273 of a second ahead of Tony Stewart. The prestigious victory was "Junior's" first in the "Great American Race." Earnhardt Jr.'s win came exactly six years to the day after his father, seven-time Sprint Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, won his only Daytona 500. Earnhardt competed 19 times before winning his only Daytona 500 (1998), the longest span of any of the race winners.

Only eight of the 33 Daytona 500 pole winners have won the pole more than once: Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough and Bill Elliott (four); Fireball Roberts and Ken Schrader (three); Donnie Allison, Dale Jarrett and Johnson (two).

Seven Daytona 500 winners have won by a margin of one lap or more, most recently by David Pearson in 1976. The winner of the Daytona 500 has gone on to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship eight times: Lee Petty (1959), Richard Petty (1964, 1971, 1974, 1979), Cale Yarborough (1977), Jeff Gordon (1997) and Jimmie Johnson (2006). The last pole sitter to win this race was Dale Jarrett in 2000. Only nine pole winners have captured the Daytona 500. Chevrolet has 21 Daytona 500 wins, while Ford is second with 11. Twenty-six of the 52 Daytona 500s have been won from the top-five starting positions. The only Daytona 500s won from outside a top-10 starting position since 1980 were by Derrike Cope (12th - 1990), Michael Waltrip (19th - 2001), Ward Burton (19th - 2002) and Jeff Gordon (15th - 2005), Kevin Harvick (34th - 2007), Kenseth (39th - 2009) and McMurray (13th - 2010).

In 52 years, only three drivers have recorded consecutive wins at the Daytona 500, Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and Marlin (1994-95).

Jeff Gordon has had remarkable success at Daytona International Speedway. "Speed Racer" has recorded six wins, 12 top fives and 18 top-10 finishes in 36 races at this track.

First held in 1959, the Daytona 500 has been the season-opener only since 1982. Bill Elliott has competed in the Daytona 500 27 times, more than any other active drivers. Elliott has raced 58 times at DIS, with four wins and 24 top-10s. When Lee Petty captured the inaugural Daytona 500, he became the first and only driver to win this race in his first appearance.

Six drivers have 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) and Michael Waltrip (2001).

A.J. Foyt is the only Indianapolis 500 winner to go on to win the Daytona 500. Foyt won at Indy in 1961 and at Daytona in 1965 and 1972. Mario Andretti also won both races but his Daytona 500 victory (1967) came before his win at Indy (1969).

Kevin Harvick's 0.020-second margin of victory over Mark Martin in the 2007 Daytona 500 was the ninth-closest overall since the advent of electronic timing in 1993, and the closest in a Daytona 500. Six of the last 14 Daytona 500s have ended under caution (2009, 2006, 2003, 2000, 1998 and 1997). The other eight have all had a margin of victory of less than three-tenths of a second: 1996 -0.120, 1999 - 0.124, 2001 - 0.128, 2002 - 0.193, 2004 - 0.273, 2005 - 0.158, 2007 - 0.020, 2008 - 0.092.

The next Sprint Cup Series race is the February 27 Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Ryan Newman is the defending race winner.

02/15 11:34:26 ET

As of February 15, 2011, at 11:34 AM ET

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