Daytona 500 Sunday, November 7, 2021

DAYTONA 500 STATS HIGHLIGHTS

68 Different winners in 149 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona races

40 Different winners in 63 Daytona 500s

12 Won multiple Daytona 500s

6 Won 3 or more Daytona 500s including Denny Hamlin (2016, ’19 & ‘20)

Richard Petty leads all with 7 Daytona 500 wins

17 NASCAR Hall of Fame drivers won Daytona 500

16 Champions won Daytona 500

Cale Yarborough only driver to win 3 straight Daytona races – Longest Daytona winning streak

Last to win back-to-back Daytona races: Jimmie Johnson 2/13 & 7/13 (Ryan Blaney won 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400)

Most consecutive Daytona 500 top 3 finishes: 4 – Benny Parsons (1975-’78) & Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2012-’15)

5 Finished top 5 in 4 straight Daytona 500s – Most recent: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2012-’15)

Most consecutive Daytona 500 top 10 finishes: 10 – Dale Earnhardt (1987-’96)

Kyle Busch: 59 Career wins – 0 for 16 in Daytona 500 (Most career wins without a Daytona 500 win)

Denny Hamlin only repeat winner last 15 Daytona races (3 Wins) – 12 Others 1 win each

Denny Hamlin only repeat winner last 12 Daytona 500s (3 Wins) – 9 Others 1 win each 

Denny Hamlin won 3 of last 6 Daytona 500s with 2 different crew chiefs –

Mike Wheeler (2016) & Chris Gabehart (2019 & ‘20)

4 Won Daytona 500 for multiple car owners – B. Allison, Earnhardt Jr., Jarrett & Yarborough

4 Won Daytona 500 in multiple car makes – B. Allison, Jarrett, Petty & Yarborough

Richard Petty won in 4 different car makes – Buick, Dodge, Oldsmobile & Plymouth

4 Won consecutive Daytona 500s

Daytona 500 winner went on to win championship 9 times – Last 2 by Jimmie Johnson (2006 & ’13)

Richard Petty won Daytona 500 & championship in same season 4 times

Daytona 500 won by defending NASCAR Cup Series champion 5 times – Last: Dale Jarrett 1999 Champ & 2000 Winner

Denny Hamlin won the 2 closest Daytona 500s (2016 & 2020)

1-hundredth of a second over Martin Truex Jr. in 2016

14-hundredths of a second over Ryan Blaney in 2020

Daytona 500 won from pole 9 times – Last: Dale Jarrett 2000

No Daytona 500 winner from pole last 21 Daytona 500s

13 Daytona 500 pole winners did not lead a lap in race

Only 3 won pole, Duel & Daytona 500 in same year – Last: Bill Elliott 1985

Duel winner won Daytona 500 9 times – Last: Matt Kenseth 2012

Duel race #2 winner won only 3 Daytona 500s – Yarborough ’77, Earnhardt ’98 & Kenseth ‘12

5 Won Daytona Sportsman/Xfinity Series & Daytona 500 in same year – Last: Kevin Harvick 2007

Chevrolet leads all with 29 Daytona 500 poles including last 9

Hendrick Motorsports won 6 of last 7 Daytona 500 poles with 4 different drivers

Toyota has no Daytona 500 poles – First season 2007

3 Won 3 straight Daytona 500 poles – Last: Ken Schrader 1988, ’89 & ’90

5 Won consecutive Daytona 500 poles – Alex Bowman won last pole

2 Did not defend Daytona 500 win from previous year – Richard Petty (‘64 Winner) & Bobby Allison (‘88 Winner)

Daytona 500 win was first career victory for 8 drivers including Michael McDowell in 2021

22 Won first career NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona

First 2 career wins came at Daytona for A.J. Foyt & Sterling Marlin

First 3 career wins came at Daytona for Michael Waltrip

1 Postponed Daytona 500 – 2012 (Matt Kenseth winner)

1 Two-Day Daytona 500 –

First 20 laps run 2/16/20 & rest of race run 2/17/20 (Winner Denny Hamlin)

5 Daytona 500s ran shorter than 500 miles – 4 Rain shortened

Daytona 500 ended in Overtime 10 times including 3 of last 4

Denny Hamlin led at 500-mile mark 3 of last 4 Daytona 500s – 2 Wins (2019 & ‘20)

Leader at 500 miles failed to win 4 Daytona 500s

13 Daytona 500s settled by last lap pass – 4 of last 6 settled by last lap pass

5 Led lap 1 in their first Daytona 500 – Last: Chase Elliott 2016

9 Rookie contenders sat on front row in Daytona 500

6 Rookie of the Year contenders won pole for Daytona 500

Daytona 500 was first career pole for 10

Car owners swept Daytona 500 front row 11 times – 7 Times in last 12 seasons

Hendrick Motorsports swept Daytona 500 front row 7 times

14 Rookie of the Year winners won Daytona 500

Worst official starting position to win Daytona 500: 39th – Matt Kenseth 2009 (Started from rear in backup car)

Austin Dillon won 2018 Daytona 500 starting from rear in backup car

Denny Hamlin won 2020 Daytona 500 starting from rear after failing pre-race inspection multiple times

Chevrolet leads all with 24 Daytona 500 wins

Ford has 16 Daytona 500 wins

Toyota has 3 Daytona 500 wins – 2016, ’19 & ‘20 Denny Hamlin (First race: 2007)

First Daytona 500 win for 11 of last 16 winners

4 Different pole winners last 6 Daytona 500s – Alex Bowman 2, Chase Elliott 2, William Byron 1 & Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1

Teammates swept top finishing positions 8 times in Daytona 500

Hendrick Motorsports (1997) & Joe Gibbs Racing (2019) swept top 3 finishing positions in Daytona 500

Youngest Daytona 500 pole winners – Chase Elliott 2016 (20-Years-old) & William Byron 2019 (21-Years-old)

Oldest Daytona 500 pole winner – Mark Martin 2010 (51-Years-old)

Oldest to race in Daytona 500: Mark Thompson 2018 (66-Years-old)

Dave Marcis 60-Years-old 2002 & Derrike Cope 62-Years-old 2021

2nd & 3rd youngest NASCAR Cup Series winning drivers came at Daytona

Trevor Bayne (20-0-1) 2011 Daytona 500 & Justin Haley (20-2-9) Daytona 7/19

Bubba Wallace finished 2nd in 2018 Daytona 500 – Wendell Scott finished 13th in 1966 Daytona 500

3 Women drivers in Daytona 500 – Janet Guthrie, Danica Patrick & Shawna Robinson

Denny Hamlin only driver to win a Stage & Daytona 500 in same year – 2020 Stage 2

Denny Hamlin won Stage 1 & 2 in 2021 Daytona 500 – 98 Laps led & finished 5th

Daytona 500 pole winner failed to finish 23 of 63 races (37%)

Pole winner finished outside top 5 last 20 Daytona 500s

Alex Bowman: 5 Daytona 500s – 4 Straight Daytona 500 front-row starts

Alex Bowman: 4 Daytona 500 front-row starts (4 Straight) – 5 Drivers started on front row 5 times

William Byron & Alex Bowman youngest Daytona 500 front-row (2019) – Combined age: 46-Years-old

16 Daytona 500 winners started front-row – 9 From pole

26 Daytona 500 winners started from first 2 rows

44 Daytona 500 winners started top 10

5 Daytona 500 winners started 32nd or worse

Michael McDowell only Daytona 500 winner from 17th starting position (2021)

Winner from previous year failed to finish Daytona 500 the next year 22 of 63 times (35%)

Fastest Daytona 500: 177.602mph – Buddy Baker (1980)

Youngest winner: Trevor Bayne 20 (2011)

2nd youngest winner: Joey Logano 24 (2015)

3rd youngest winner: Jeff Gordon 25 (1997)

Oldest winner: Bobby Allison 50 (1988)

Drivers in 36-40 age group won 21 Daytona 500s (33%)

14 Daytona 500s ended under caution

5 Backup cars won Daytona 500 – Last: Austin Dillon 2018

3 Repaired crashed cars won Daytona 500 – Bobby Allison 1978, Dale Jarrett 2000 & Trevor Bayne 2011

Final lead change with 13 laps or less to go in last 7 Daytona 500s – 4 of last 6 settled by last lap pass

3 of last 5 Daytona 500 winners led only final lap – Kurt Busch 2017, Austin Dillon 2018 & Michael McDowell 2021

Leader of most laps won only 4 of last 21 Daytona 500s

Denny Hamlin led most laps 4 of last 10 Daytona 500s – 2 Wins

Fewest laps led by Daytona 500 winner: 1 – Kurt Busch (2017), Austin Dillon (2018) & Michael McDowell (2021)

8 Daytona 500 winners led 5 or fewer laps

Most Daytona 500 laps led: 184 – Richard Petty 1964

Most Daytona 500 laps led by non-winner: 170 – Fireball Roberts 1961

Denny Hamlin led most laps 4 Daytona 500s – Tied for most all-time (Richard Petty)

12 Drivers led most laps in a Daytona 500, but never won any Daytona 500:

Donnie Allison, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Matt DiBenedetto, Terry Labonte, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty,

Joe Ruttman, Ken Schrader, Jack Smith, Tony Stewart & Rusty Wallace

Most consecutive laps led: 149 – Richard Petty (1964)

10 Led first lap & won Daytona 500

Denny Hamlin led most consecutive laps 2020 Daytona 500 (42) & 2021 Daytona 500 (40)

Most starts before first Daytona 500 win: Dale Earnhardt won in 20th try (1998)

Lee Petty 1959 & Trevor Bayne 2011 only drivers to win Daytona 500 in first try

No driver won Daytona 500 in first career race

Dave Marcis raced in most Daytona 500s – 0 for 33

Terry Labonte 0 for 32, Mark Martin 0 for 29 & Ricky Rudd 0 for 29 in Daytona 500

Mid-race leader won 2 of last 29 Daytona 500s – Denny Hamlin 2016 & Denny Hamlin 2020

Dale Inman leads all crew chiefs with 5 Daytona 500 wins

Petty Enterprises leads all with 9 Daytona 500 wins

Hendrick Motorsports: 8 Daytona 500 wins – 2nd to Petty Enterprises

Hendrick Motorsports won 8 Daytona 500s with 5 different drivers

Joe Gibbs Racing won 4 Daytona 500s with 2 different drivers (Denny Hamlin 3 & Dale Jarrett 1)

Joe Gibbs Racing debut 1992 Daytona 500 & first win 1993 Daytona 500

Richard Childress Racing: 3 Daytona 500 wins (Dale Earnhardt 1998, Kevin Harvick 2007 & Austin Dillon 2018)

Michael Waltrip won first career race in 463rd try – 2001 Daytona 500

Michael McDowell won first career race in 358th try – 2021 Daytona 500

Dale Earnhardt ended 59-race winless streak 1998 Daytona 500

Only win of season for 15 Daytona 500 winners 

In last 30 Daytona 500s, 17 crashes involved 10 or more drivers – Biggest crash: 21 involved (2019)

21 Involved in lap 191 crash 2019 Daytona 500 – Most ever

19 Involved in lap 184 crash 2020 Daytona 500 – Tied 2nd-most ever (2001)

Biggest Daytona NASCAR Cup Series crash: 26 Involved (7/6/14)

Biggest Daytona crash: 37 Involved (2/13/60) – Modified-Sportsman race

Longest span between Daytona 500 wins: 10 years (Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2004 & ’14 winner)

2 Won Daytona 500 & Indianapolis 500 – A.J. Foyt & Mario Andretti

4 Won Rolex 24 at Daytona & Daytona 500 – Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Jeff Gordon & Jamie McMurray

22 Foreign-born drivers competed in Daytona 500

3 Father-Son Daytona 500 winners – Allison, Earnhardt & Petty

Michael McDowell: 2021 Daytona 500 champion – 66-1 Odds

2021 Fastest Open drivers: Ryan Preece (7th) & David Ragan (13th)

2021 Failed to qualify for Daytona 500: Ty Dillon, Noah Gragson, Timmy Hill & Garrett Smithley

Ty Dillon failed to qualify for 2021 Daytona 500 – Finished 6th in Duel

73 Seasons – 35 NASCAR Cup Series champions

Champions Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson & Martin Truex Jr. winless in Daytona 500

28 Different car numbers won Daytona 500

Car number 3 won 2 Daytona 500s – 1998 Dale Earnhardt & 2018 Austin Dillon

Car number 11 won 5 Daytona 500s – 1967 Mario Andretti, ’77 Cale Yarborough, 2016, ’19 & ‘20 Denny Hamlin

Car number 42 won only 1 Daytona 500 – 1959 Lee Petty

Hendrick Motorsports won 6 of last 7 Daytona poles when qualifying was run (2019 & ‘20 Coke Zero Sugar 400 pole canceled)

2019 Hendrick Motorsports top 4 fastest in Daytona 500 front-row qualifying

Hendrick Motorsports: 5 Straight Daytona 500 poles 2015-‘19 – Longest all-time Daytona 500 streak