DAYTONA 500 NOTES Sunday, February 14, 2021
DAYTONA 500 NOTES
(6’2” 190 lbs.) 34-Michael McDowell (Michael Christopher McDowell)
36 Years Old (12/21/84)
Glendale, AZ
Front Row Motorsports Ford (3 Wins – Talladega 5/13, Pocono 8/16 & 2021 Daytona 500)
(Since 1/16/19) Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer Age: 44 (11/12/76) Decatur, IL (2009 & ‘21 Daytona 500 winning crew chief)
Car Owner: Bob Jenkins
14th Year in NASCAR Cup Series / 4th Season with Front Row Motorsports
No Playoff appearances
358 NASCAR Cup Series races
1 Career win (358th race) – 2021 Daytona 500
Best previous career finish: 4th – Daytona 7/17
Best career start: 3rd – Charlotte May 28, 2020
Best finish last season: 7th – Indianapolis
No Stage wins
2021 Daytona 500 champion – Started 17th, finished 15th in Stage 1 & 7th in Stage 2, avg. running pos.: 13.9, only final lap led
Finished 10th on 2020 Daytona Road Course – Started 30th, finished 19th in Stage 1 & 13th in Stage 2
13 Career top 10 finishes – 7 Daytona top 10 finishes
4 Top 10 finishes last season – Career-high
10 Daytona 500s
Best previous Daytona 500 finish: 5th (2019)
Finished 9th in 2021 Daytona Duel 1
Historic #34 wins:
6/19/49 – Jim Roper won first race at Charlotte Speedway
12/1/63 – Wendell Scott won at Speedway Park in Jacksonville, FL
Drew Blickensderfer: 2009 Daytona 500 winning crew chief (Matt Kenseth) & 2021 Daytona 500 winning crew chief
Wife: Jami / Kids: Trace, Emma, Rylie & Lucas
2/25/09: Trace Christopher born
9/12/12: Emma James born
5/27/14: Rylie Kristine born
2016: Lucas (Adopted 3-year-old from China)
12/14/17: Michael McDowell announced racing for Front Row Motorsports starting in 2018
2007 ARCA championship runner-up – Led all drivers with 4 wins
4/4/08: Crashed hard on 2nd qualifying lap at Texas
National attention of McDowell and the crash earned him a trip to the “Today Show,” MSNBC, “Inside Edition” and
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
1/6/06: Mother, Tracy, passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 45
| Michael McDowell Daytona 500 | ||||
| Qualified | Finish | Laps Led | Status | |
| 2010 | 29th | 33rd | 0 | Drive Shaft |
| 2012 | 11th | 30th | 0 | Running |
| 2013 | 38th | 9th | 0 | Running |
| 2015 | 23rd | 31st | 0 | Running |
| 2016 | 39th | 15th | 0 | Running |
| 2017 | 22nd | 15th | 0 | Running |
| 2018 | 22nd | 9th | 0 | Running |
| 2019 | 34th | 5th | 0 | Running |
| 2020 | 26th | 14th | 1 | Running |
| 2021 | 17th | 1st | 1 | Running |
| Failed to qualify 2011 & ‘14 |
DAYTONA 500
| Chip Ganassi Racing | ||
| Finish | ||
| 42 | Ross Chastain | 7th |
| 1 | Kurt Busch | 22nd |
| Front Row Motorsports | ||
| Finish | ||
| 34 | Michael McDowell | Winner |
| 38 | Anthony Alfredo | 32nd |
| 36 | David Ragan | 37th |
| Hendrick Motorsports | |||
| Finish | Laps Led | ||
| 9 | Chase Elliott | 2nd | 3 |
| 5 | Kyle Larson | 10th | 1 |
| 24 | William Byron | 26th | 0 |
| 48 | Alex Bowman | 35th | 1 |
| Joe Gibbs Racing | |||
| Finish | Laps Led | ||
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | 5th | 98 |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 14th | 0 |
| 20 | Christopher Bell | 16th | 32 |
| 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | 25th | 0 |
Denny Hamlin: Only Joe Gibbs Racing top 10 finisher – Finished 5th
| JTG Daugherty Racing | ||
| Finish | ||
| 37 | Ryan Preece | 6th |
| 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 18th |
| Richard Childress Racing | ||
| Finish | ||
| 3 | Austin Dillon | 3rd |
| 8 | Tyler Reddick | 27th |
| Rick Ware Racing | ||
| Finish | ||
| 53 | Joey Gase | 20th |
| 51 | Cody Ware | 21st |
| 52 | Josh Bilicki | 24th |
| 15 | Derrike Cope | 40th |
| Roush Fenway Racing | ||
| Finish | ||
| 17 | Chris Buescher | 31st |
| 6 | Ryan Newman | 38th |
| Spire Motorsports | ||
| Finish | ||
| 77 | Jamie McMurray | 8th |
| 7 | Corey LaJoie | 9th |
| Stewart-Haas Racing | |||
| Finish | Laps Led | ||
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | 4th | 17 |
| 41 | Cole Custer | 11th | 1 |
| 14 | Chase Briscoe | 19th | |
| 10 | Aric Almirola | 34th |
Kevin Harvick: Only Stewart-Haas Racing top 10 finisher – Finished 4th
| Team Penske | ||||
| Finish | Laps Led | |||
| 22 | Joey Logano | 12th | 26 | |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | 13th | ||
| 33 | Austin Cindric | 15th | 2 | |
| 12 | Ryan Blaney | 30th |
Joey Logano led 25 of final 26 laps – Finished 12th
No Team Penske top 10 finisher – 28 Laps led
| Champions | |||||
| Championships | Daytona 500s | Daytona 500 Wins | Finish | ||
| 9 | Chase Elliott | 1 (2020) | 6 | 0 | 2nd |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | 1 (2014) | 20 | 1 | 4th |
| 22 | Joey Logano | 1 (2018) | 13 | 1 | 12th |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | 1 (2012) | 12 | 0 | 13th |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 2 (2015 & ‘19) | 16 | 0 | 14th |
| 1 | Kurt Busch | 1 (2004) | 20 | 1 | 22nd |
| 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | 1 (2017) | 17 | 0 | 25th |
Champions winless in Daytona 500:
Chase Elliott finished 2nd (Winless in 6 races), Brad Keselowski finished 13th (Winless in 12 races),
Kyle Busch finished 14th (Winless in 16 races), Martin Truex Jr. finished 25th (Winless in 17 races)
| Daytona 500 Winners | |||
| Wins | Finish | ||
| 34 | Michael McDowell | 1 | Winner |
| 3 | Austin Dillon | 1 | 3rd |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | 1 | 4th |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | 3 | 5th |
| 77 | Jamie McMurray | 1 | 8th |
| 22 | Joey Logano | 1 | 12th |
| 1 | Kurt Busch | 1 | 22nd |
| 6 | Ryan Newman | 1 | 38th |
| 15 | Derrike Cope | 1 | 40th |
| Finished 2nd in Daytona 500, Winless | ||
| Finish | ||
| 9 | Chase Elliott | 2nd |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 14th |
| 23 | Bubba Wallace | 17th |
| 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | 25th |
| 12 | Ryan Blaney | 30th |
| First Daytona 500 | ||
| Finish | ||
| 33 | Austin Cindric | 15th |
| 14 | Chase Briscoe | 19th |
| 52 | Josh Bilicki | 24th |
| 16 | Kaz Grala | 28th |
| 38 | Anthony Alfredo | 32nd |
Best Daytona 500 first-time finisher: Austin Cindric – Finished 15th (2 Laps led)
| Go or Go Home | ||
| Finish | ||
| 37 | Ryan Preece | 6th |
| 33 | Austin Cindric | 15th |
| 16 | Kaz Grala | 28th |
| 36 | David Ragan | 37th |
| 13 | Garrett Smithley | DNQ |
| 62 | Noah Gragson | DNQ |
| 66 | Timmy Hill | DNQ |
| 96 | Ty Dillon | DNQ |
| Rookie of the Year Contenders | ||
| Finish | ||
| 14 | Chase Briscoe | 19th |
| 38 | Anthony Alfredo | 32nd |
| Youngest | |||
| Age | Finish | ||
| 38 | Anthony Alfredo | 21 | 32nd |
| Oldest | |||
| Age | Finish | ||
| 15 | Derrike Cope | 62 | 40th |
| Manufacturers | |||||
| Laps Led | Best Finisher | Finish | Top 10 | ||
| Toyota | 131 | Denny Hamlin | 5th | 1 | |
| Ford | 47 | Michael McDowell | Winner | 2 | |
| Chevrolet | 22 | Chase Elliott | 2nd | 7 |
Daytona 500 laps led – Toyota 131, Ford 47, Chevrolet 22
Top 10 finishers – Chevrolet 7, Ford 2, Toyota 1
| Teams | Laps Led | Top 10 |
| Joe Gibbs Racing | 130 | 1 |
| Team Penske | 28 | 0 |
| Stewart-Haas Racing | 18 | 1 |
| Hendrick Motorsports | 5 | 2 |
| Richard Childress Racing | 7 | 1 |
Daytona 500 laps led – Gibbs 130, Penske 28, Stewart-Haas 18, Childress 7, Hendrick 5
Top 10 finishers – Hendrick 2, Childress 1, Gibbs 1, Stewart-Haas 1, Penske 0
| SpeedWeek Winners | |
| Busch Clash | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| Daytona 500 Pole | Hendrick Motorsports |
| Duel 1 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| Duel 2 | Richard Childress Racing |
| Trucks | ThorSport Racing |
| Xfinity | Team Penske |
| Cups | Front Row Motorsports |
DRIVERS TO WIN CONSECUTIVE DAYTONA 500s
| Finish in 3rd Race | ||
| Richard Petty | 1973 & ‘74 | 7th |
| Cale Yarborough | 1983 & ‘84 | 36th |
| Sterling Marlin | 1994 & ‘95 | 40th |
| Denny Hamlin | 2019 & ‘20 | 5th |
DRIVERS WHO MADE DAYTONA 500 THEIR FIRST NASCAR CUP SERIES VICTORY
| Winner | Year | Career Race |
| Tiny Lund | 1963 | 133rd |
| Mario Andretti | 1967 | 7th |
| Pete Hamilton | 1970 | 21st |
| Derrike Cope | 1990 | 73rd |
| Sterling Marlin | 1994 | 279th |
| Michael Waltrip | 2001 | 463rd |
| Trevor Bayne | 2011 | 2nd |
| Michael McDowell | 2021 | 358th |
Daytona 500 win first career victory for 8 drivers
DAYTONA 500 WINNERS AGE GROUP BREAKDOWN
| AGE GROUP | NUMBER OF WINNERS |
| 20-25 | 3 |
| 26-30 | 16 |
| 31-35 | 12 |
| 36-40 | 21 |
| 41-45 | 9 |
| 46-50 | 2 |
FEWEST LAPS LED BY WINNER IN DAYTONA 500
| YEAR | DRIVER | LAPS LED |
| 2018 | Austin Dillon | 1 |
| 2017 | Kurt Busch | 1 |
| 2021 | Michael McDowell | 1 |
| 2010 | Jamie McMurray | 2 |
| 1975 | Benny Parsons | 4 |
| 2007 | Kevin Harvick | 4 |
DAYTONA 500 MOST LAPS LED
| Denny Hamlin | 4 | 2012,’16,’20 & ‘21 |
| Richard Petty | 4 | 1964,’66,’71 & ‘74 |
| Bobby Allison | 3 | 1981,’82 & ‘88 |
| Buddy Baker | 3 | 1973,’78 & ‘80 |
| Dale Earnhardt | 3 | 1990,’93 & ‘98 |
| Denny Hamlin | 3 | 2012, ’16 & ‘20 |
| Cale Yarborough | 3 | 1968,’77 & ‘84 |
DAYTONA 500 BIGGEST CRASHES SINCE 1988
| Lap | Involved | |
| 2019 | 191 | 21 |
| 2001 | 174 | 19 |
| 2020 | 184 | 19 |
| 2002 | 149 | 18 |
| 2017 | 128 | 17 |
| 2021 | 14 | 16 |
| 2011 | 29 | 14 |
| 2014 | 145 | 13 |
| 1992 | 92 | 13 |
| 2018 | 199 | 12 |
| 2004 | 71 | 12 |
| 1999 | 135 | 12 |
| 1997 | 196 | 12 |
| 2014 | 162 | 10 |
| 2009 | 124 | 10 |
| 2005 | 183 | 10 |
| 1994 | 63 | 10 |
DAYTONA 500 ODDS
| 2011 | Trevor Bayne | 125-1 |
| 2012 | Matt Kenseth | 25-1 |
| 2013 | Jimmie Johnson | 14-1 |
| 2014 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 10-1 |
| 2015 | Joey Logano | 12-1 |
| 2016 | Denny Hamlin | 8-1 |
| 2017 | Kurt Busch | 25-1 |
| 2018 | Austin Dillon | 40-1 |
| 2019 | Denny Hamlin | 11-1 |
| 2020 | Denny Hamlin | 19-2 |
| 2021 | Michael McDowell | 100-1 |
2021 Daytona 500
Winner pit stops & lap: Michael McDowell (8 Stops) 5, 18, 26, 67, 104, 114, 132, 170
Longest green flag run: 63 Laps (Lap 137-199)
Top 5 Stage 1 & 2: Denny Hamlin (1st & 1st), Austin Dillon (3rd & 5th)
Speeding: None
Rear of field:
Chastain 7th, Custer 11th, Keselowski 13th, Wallace 17th, Briscoe 19th, Truex 25th, Byron 26th, Grala 28th, Alfredo 32nd, Jones 39th
Best Hendrick Motorsports: 2nd Chase Elliott
Best Joe Gibbs Racing: 5th Denny Hamlin
Best Stewart-Haas Racing: 4th Kevin Harvick
Best Team Penske: 12th Joey Logano
40 Different winners in 63 Daytona 500s
Kyle Busch: 57 Career wins – 0 for 16 in Daytona 500 (Most career wins without a Daytona 500 win)
Denny Hamlin only repeat winner last 12 Daytona 500s (3 Wins) – 9 Others 1 win each
Daytona 500 won by defending NASCAR Cup Series champion 5 times – Last: Dale Jarrett 1999 Champ & 2000 Winner
(Chase Elliott finished 2nd in 2021 Daytona 500)
No Daytona 500 winner from pole last 21 Daytona 500s – Alex Bowman finished 35th
22 Won first career NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona
13 Daytona 500s settled by last lap pass – 4 of last 6 settled by last lap pass
First Daytona 500 win for 11 of last 16 winners
Pole winner finished outside top 5 last 20 Daytona 500s
Pole winner failed to finish 37% of Daytona 500s
Drivers in 36-40 age group won 21 Daytona 500s (33%) – Michael McDowell 36-years-old
7 36-year-old drivers won Daytona 500 – First Daytona 500 win for 5
(Michael McDowell, Geoff Bodine, Dale Jarrett, Matt Kenseth & Sterling Marlin)
14 Daytona 500s ended under caution
3 of last 5 Daytona 500 winners led only final lap – Kurt Busch 2017, Austin Dillon 2018 & Michael McDowell 2021
Denny Hamlin led most laps 4 of last 10 Daytona 500s – 2 Wins
8 Daytona 500 winners led 5 or fewer laps
Denny Hamlin led most laps 4 Daytona 500s – Tied for most all-time (Richard Petty)
Michael Waltrip won first career race in 463rd try – 2001 Daytona 500
Michael McDowell won first career race in 358th try – 2021 Daytona 500
Larry McReynolds won 2 Daytona 500s with 2 drivers – 1992 Davey Allison & 1998 Dale Earnhardt
Drew Blickensderfer won 2 Daytona 500s with 2 drivers – 2009 Matt Kenseth & 2021 Michael McDowell
In last 30 Daytona 500s, 17 crashes involved 10 or more drivers – Biggest crash: 21 involved (2019)
Trevor Bayne: 2011 Daytona 500 champion – 125-1 Odds
Michael McDowell: 2021 Daytona 500 champion – 100-1 Odds
28 Different car numbers won Daytona 500