2012 Gatorade Duels

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2012 Gatorade Duels
Race details [1] [2] [3] [4]
DateFebruary 23, 2012 (2012-02-23)
Location Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
CoursePermanent racing facility
2.5 mi (4 km)
DistanceRace 1:
60 laps, 150 mi (240 km)
Race 2:
60 laps, 150 mi (240 km)
Avg SpeedRace 1: 159.104 miles per hour (256.053 km/h)
Race 2: 194.175 miles per hour (312.494 km/h)
WeatherTemperatures up to 86 °F (30 °C); wind speeds up to 28 miles per hour (45 km/h) [5]
Race 1
Pole position Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway Racing
Most laps led Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs Racing – (27)
Winner Tony StewartStewart-Haas Racing
Race 2
Pole position Greg Biffle – Roush Fenway Racing
Most laps ledGreg Biffle – Roush Fenway Racing – (40)
Winner Matt Kenseth – Roush Fenway Racing
Television
Network Speed
Announcers Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds

The 2012 Gatorade Duels were a pair of stock car races held on February 23, 2012, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The 60-lap races, which drew 80,000 spectators, served as qualifiers for the 2012 Daytona 500, the premier event of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Stewart-Haas Racing's Tony Stewart won the first race, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. second, and Marcos Ambrose third. Roush Fenway Racing's Matt Kenseth won the second race, marking Kenseth's and his team's first victory in the Gatorade Duels. Regan Smith took second and Jimmie Johnson was third.

Contents

Carl Edwards led the first race from pole position on the first lap but shared the lead Stewart for the next three laps. Following that, Earnhardt took the lead on the fifth lap and held it until a caution period for a multi-car accident on lap nine. Denny Hamlin gained the lead on lap 15, but Stewart reclaimed it a lap later. With a pass on Stewart on the 17th lap, Hamlin reclaimed the lead and held it until his pit stop 26 laps later. Stewart took the lead on lap 43 and held it for the next 17 laps and two caution periods to win the first Gatorade Duel. There were three cautions and eight lead changes among five different drivers in the first race.

Greg Biffle was the early leader in the second race. Kenseth passed Biffle on the fourth lap for the lead. On the 13th lap, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch overtook him for the first two places. Biffle had passed Kyle Busch by lap 23 and retained the lead until his pit stop 14 laps later. Kenseth attempted a race-winning slingshot with three laps remaining in the race, overtaking Biffle when the final lap began, and he maintained it to win the second Gatorade Duel. There were five lead changes among five different drivers, and no cautions were given throughout the second race.

Background

Daytona International Speedway, where the race was held Daytona International Speedway.svg
Daytona International Speedway, where the race was held

The Gatorade Duels were a duo of stock car racing qualifiers held on February 23, 2012, in Daytona Beach, Florida, at Daytona International Speedway, [3] [4] a superspeedway that holds NASCAR races. [6] Its standard track is a four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.0 km) superspeedway. [7] Daytona's turns are banked at 31 degrees and the front stretch (the location of the finish line) is banked at 18 degrees. [7] The defending winners of the races were Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton. [8] [9]

In the early years, qualifying for the Daytona 500 took various forms: one timed lap, an average of two laps, or the better of two laps. The concept of having two separate races to determine the starting lineup of the Daytona 500 dates back to the first event in 1959. The first of the two 100 mi (160 km) qualification races featured Convertible class cars, while the second featured Grand National cars. [10] The races were 100 mi (160 km) from 1960 and 1967, and 125 mi (201 km) in 1969. [11] Prior to 1971, the races yielded points to the Drivers' Championship. [12] Large well-established teams regard the races as practice for the Daytona 500, although successfully qualifying for the event would allow smaller less-established teams to compete in future NASCAR events during the season. If the team did not qualify, it risked closing until sponsorship could be secured. [13]

The top 35 drivers were assigned to Gatorade Duel races based on their Daytona 500 qualifying positions. The first Duel featured drivers who qualified in odd-numbered positions, as well as the 2012 Daytona 500 pole winner. The second Duel featured competitors who qualified in even-numbered positions. The results of both Duels determined the drivers' starting places in the Daytona 500. The fastest drivers who did not qualify in the top 35 filled positions 40 to 42. An eligible previous champion took the 43rd spot. In the absence of a former champion, the 43rd position would be filled by the next-fastest driver. Two eligible drivers outside the top 35 qualified for the Daytona 500 by winning two transfer slots in each Duel. [14]

After some of the cars' engines overheated while traveling in packs during the 2012 Budweiser Shootout, NASCAR increased the engines' pressure release values from 25 psi (1.7 bar) to 28 psi (1.9 bar) to help reduce overheating and mitigate the consequences of high-temperature driving. [15]

Practice and qualification

Two 90-minute practice sessions were held on February 22. [2] Matt Kenseth was fastest in the first practice session with a time of 44.809 seconds. Trevor Bayne was second-quickest with a lap-time 0.009 seconds slower. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was third-fastest, ahead of Marcos Ambrose, Mark Martin, Clint Bowyer, Michael McDowell and Kevin Harvick. Paul Menard and Kasey Kahne. [16] During the session, Brad Keselowski slowed to avoid Ryan Newman, forcing Bowyer to turn into Keselowski, whose car spun into the grass on the backstretch. [2] [17] Keselowski's car sustained minor damage, which could be repaired and he did not need to use a backup car. [2] [17] Aric Almirola led the second practice, in which 25 drivers competed, with a lap of 45.065 seconds—nearly one-tenth of a second faster than David Stremme. David Ragan was third, ahead of Robert Richardson Jr. and Greg Biffle. Bobby Labonte, Joe Nemechek, Bill Elliott, Michael Waltrip and Kahne completed the top ten ahead of the races. [18]

During the session, which saw drivers running in packs and drafted off each other, [2] Juan Pablo Montoya collided with Kahne and sent his car spinning into the grass on the front stretch, tearing off some of its nose. [17] Kahne was required to use a backup car for the rest of Speedweeks. [17] Because the qualifying grids were determined by the order in which drivers qualified in Daytona 500 pole position qualifying, Carl Edwards started from pole in the first race and Biffle in the second. Edwards was joined on the grid's front row by Dale Earnhardt Jr., with Ambrose in third. Stenhouse and Bayne started in fourth and fifth positions respectively. Biffle was joined by Mears on the front row for the second race, with Jeff Gordon in third. Martin Truex Jr. started fourth, and Martin began from fifth. [19] The thirteen drivers who were not guaranteed to qualify for the Daytona 500 and were required to get into the event on speed or being the highest-placed two drivers who were not guaranteed entry were Elliott, Bayne, Robby Gordon, Kenny Wallace, Richardson, Tony Raines, Stremme, Dave Blaney, Mike Wallace, Waltrip, J. J. Yeley, Nemechek, and McDowell. [20]

Qualifying 1 and 2 results

Race 1Race 2
GridNo.DriverTeamManufacturerGridNo.DriverTeamManufacturer
199 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 116 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway RacingFord
288 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 213 Casey Mears Germain Racing Ford
39 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford324 Jeff Gordon Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
46 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway RacingFord456 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota
521 Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Racing Ford555 Mark Martin Michael Waltrip RacingToyota
614 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet648 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
743 Aric Almirola Richard Petty MotorsportsFord717 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway RacingFord
827 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet839 Ryan Newman Stewart-Haas RacingChevrolet
934 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford920 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
1022 A. J. Allmendinger Penske Racing Dodge 105 Kasey Kahne Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
112 Brad Keselowski Penske RacingDodge1126 Tony Raines Front Row MotorsportsFord
1229 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1218 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
1331 Jeff Burton Richard Childress RacingChevrolet1309 Kenny Wallace RAB Racing Toyota
1442 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet1436 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
1530 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Toyota 1551 Kurt Busch Phoenix Racing Chevrolet
161 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet1633 Elliott Sadler Richard Childress RacingChevrolet
1710 Danica Patrick Tommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet1787 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota
1832 Terry Labonte FAS Lane Racing Ford1878 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
1940 Michael Waltrip Hillman RacingToyota1947 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota
2011 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2097 Bill Elliott NEMCO MotorsportsToyota1
2198 Michael McDowell Phil Parsons Racing Ford2193 David Reutimann BK Racing Toyota
2283 Landon Cassill BK RacingToyota2223 Robert Richardson Jr. R3 Motorsports Toyota
2338 David Gilliland Front Row MotorsportsFord2349 J. J. Yeley Robinson-Blakeney Racing Toyota
2437 Mike Wallace Rick Ware Racing Ford2415 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip RacingToyota1
257 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge
1 Car moved to the rear of the grid for going to a backup car (#5), changing engines (#97) and for having a qualifying time disallowed (#15).
Sources: [19] [21] [22]

Races

The qualifying races for the 2012 Daytona 500 began at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and was broadcast live on television in the United States by Speed, [1] and by TSN2 in Canada. [23] Commentary was provided by Mike Joy, with analysis given by former driver Darrell Waltrip and former crew chief Larry McReynolds. [24]

Both races lasted for 60 laps over a distance of 150 mi (240 km), and attended by 80,000 spectators. [25] The weather on the grid before start of the first race were hot and humid, [26] with the air temperature was 82 °F (28 °C); a ten percent chance of rain was forecast. Dr. L. Ronald Durham of Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Florida began the pre-race ceremonies with an invocation. Vocalist Catrina Mack from Orlando, Florida performed the national anthem. [27]

The majority of the two-vehicle draft tandems observed at the 2011 Daytona races and greatly disliked by fans appeared to be absent; vehicles could not stay connected together for long periods of time until the engine in the following car overheated. [28] [29]

Race 1

Tony Stewart (pictured in 2015) was the winner of the first Gatorade Duel. TSM350 - 2015 - Tony Stewart - 1 - Stierch.jpg
Tony Stewart (pictured in 2015) was the winner of the first Gatorade Duel.

Following the invocation and performance of the National Anthem, three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Ryan Lochte commanded the drivers to begin their engines. Edwards maintained the lead into turn one with Earnhardt in second. Tony Stewart took the lead on lap two by passing Edwards on the outside. Edwards, with help from Bayne, passed Stewart into turn three to recover first place two laps later. Earnhardt took the lead on the fifth lap, while Ambrose took second. Earnhardt retook the lead after Edwards briefly had it back. Bayne, who was also battling for the lead, had fallen back by lap seven. McDowell collided with David Gilliland's left-rear quarter panel between turns one and two on lap nine; Gilliland went up the track towards the outside wall and collected Menard and Montoya, triggering the race's first caution and bringing out the pace car. Keselowski's car was also entangled in the wreckage and incurred minor damage. [27] [30] Gilliand, Menard, and Montoya retired their cars in the garage with substantial damage. [31] Most of the drivers, including Earnhardt, made pit stops for fuel. Earnhardt had to make another pit stop after a pit crew member went over the wall too soon, sending him down the race order. [27]

Ambrose led Denny Hamlin (both of whom chose not to pit), Almirola, Stewart, and Jamie McMurray when the race resumed on lap 14. One lap later, Hamlin passed Ambrose for the lead. Burton helped Stewart take the lead from Hamlin one lap later. Hamlin retook the lead on lap 17, while McDowell moved into second. Hamlin maintained his advantage for the next four laps while McMurray battled Stewart for second. McDowell had dropped to eighth place by lap 21, while Stewart continued in second by lap 25. McMurray was unable to complete a pass on the outside of Hamlin for the lead at turn three on the 28th lap, dropping him to eighth two laps later. [27] Crew chiefs asked their drivers to conserve fuel as early as halfway through the race. [32] On lap 32, the top five were Hamlin, Stewart, Harvick, Stenhouse and Ambrose. As the cars ran in single file, Edwards had dropped to 15th place one lap later. McDowell was told by his team to save fuel on lap 43. [27]

Green flag pit stops began on lap 44 when Hamlin and Ambrose stopped for tyres and fuel, promoting Stewart to the lead with Harvick in second and Stenhouse in third. [27] Waltrip lost control of his car on the backstraightaway after driving off the side of the track onto the high banking on the race circuit, and crashed into the backstretch wall eight laps later after leaving pit road and returning to racing speed. [27] [33] The incident prompted the second caution, as all drivers save Stewart, Harvick, and Edwards stopped for fuel. [27] This allowed drivers who were not drafting the race leader and teams that were conserving fuel to finish the race to return to contention. [32] Stewart, Harvick and Edwards led at the lap 57 restart. Two laps later, Earnhardt and Edwards temporarily moved to first and second places but Stewart retook the lead on the same lap. [27]

McMurray drove down from the top lane after exiting turn two and collided with Almirola in the middle lane, [34] causing Almirola to collide with Danica Patrick on the inside lane while on the backstraightaway, sending her spinning into the inside SAFER wall, which she struck with the right-hand side of her car, causing significant damage. [31] The impact broke up much of the car's front-end, [26] and she removed her hands from the steering wheel to avoid fracturing her wrists and thumbs from the sudden impact to the steering column. [26] [35] The crash resulted in the race's third and final caution. Patrick was unharmed and was able to walk to an ambulance, which transported her to the in-field medical center. [27] [36] She was evaluated and released from the medical center. [35] Bayne's splitter sustained minor damage when he drove over a spring from Patrick's car. [37] The field was frozen in place, with the order of finish determined by where the drivers were when the caution began. [27] This gave Stewart the win, his third Daytona 500 qualifier win in five years. [28] Earnhardt finished second, and Ambrose, Burton and Edwards completed the top five finishers. [3] McDowell and Robby Gordon earned the two transfers to enter the Daytona 500. [30] The first race saw three cautions and eight lead changes amongst five different drivers. Hamlin led the most laps of any racer with 27. Stewart took the lead three times for a total of 21 laps. [3]

Race 2

Matt Kenseth (pictured in 2009) was the winner of the second Gatorade Duel. Matt-kenseth-bristol-2009.jpg
Matt Kenseth (pictured in 2009) was the winner of the second Gatorade Duel.

Following the first Gatorade Duel, the Lead Category Manager at supermarket chain Harris Teeter, Steve Kravitz, commanded the drivers to start their engines. [38] The weather was similar to that in the first Duel, [38] albeit with a higher air temperature of 84 °F (29 °C). [39] During the pace laps, Kahne had to move to the rear of the order because he had switched to his backup car. [38] He was joined by Clint Bowyer—whose qualifying time was disallowed because his car twice failed the post-race inspection for height sticks, [40] and Bill Elliott—who had switched his car's engine. Biffle maintained the lead going into the first turn, followed by Casey Mears. On lap three, Kenseth moved to the outside line to prepare for a race-leading overtake and was assisted by Johnson. Kenseth took the lead on the next lap with Johnson second, and Biffle dropping to third. By the twelfth lap, the top ten drivers were separated by one second, with Joey Logano and Kyle Busch moving to the front two spots by lap 14. Elliott Sadler nearly lost control of his car between turns one and two on lap 16 but was able to continue. Kenseth attempted to pass Kyle Busch on the outside of turn four on lap 17 but was stopped by Busch. [38]

Kyle Busch moved into the lead on lap 18, while Logano lost positions. Blaney had advanced nine positions from 14th to fifth on lap 21; Logano had advanced to third by the same lap. On lap 23, Biffle took the lead. Kenseth, who was drafting off teammate Biffle, experienced overheating issues and dropped to ninth place. Biffle and Kyle Busch began battling for the lead on lap 26 through the fourth turn, and the duo switched positions for the next two laps.  Biffle took the lead on the 29th lap. Regan Smith and Sadler had moved into third and fourth place on lap 33. Biffle reported debris in turn two, but officials were unable to locate it. Green flag pit stops began on lap 40; Kenseth, Logano, and Kyle Busch stopped on lap 42, followed by Biffle, Smith, and Jimmie Johnson on the following lap. [38]

After the pit stops, Biffle retook the lead, Smith moved into second, and Johnson was in third. Sadler and Kenseth followed the top three drivers. Kyle Busch was drafting off Logano on lap 46 but developed engine troubles, allowing Logano to pull away. By the 50th lap, Biffle, Smith, Johnson, Sadler, and Kenseth were the top five. [38] Kenseth had fallen to 13th but recovered to fifth after his crew chief Jimmy Fennig put him on a fuel-only pit stop. [41] Johnson went up the track on lap 52 but regained control of his car. Six laps later, after the leaders ran single file, Johnson helped Kenseth on the outside line in preparation for a race-winning slingshot. [38] Kenseth passed teammate Biffle on the inside of the tri-oval shortly after they began the final lap; Biffle had ignored his crew chief Matt Puccia's order to stay on the yellow line and shield the bottom of the circuit, instead veering to the outside to try to block oncoming traffic, losing momentum. [32] [42] Smith passed Johnson for second on the backstraightaway after both cars collided. [41]

Kenseth maintained the lead and crossed the finish line on lap 60 to win the race. [38] Smith finished in second and Johnson third. Sadler and Biffle completed the top five finishers. [4] Blaney and Nemechek earned the second pair of transfer spots for the Daytona 500. [43] Bayne, Raines, and Stremme qualified for the race based on their qualifying speed, while Terry Labonte qualified using a champion's provisional. [31] Six drivers failed to qualify for the Daytona 500: Waltrip, Richardson, Bill Elliott, Mike Wallace, Kenny Wallace, and Yeley. They did not finish high enough in their respective Duels or set a fast enough qualifying lap. [44] The second race saw five lead changes between four different drivers, with no cautions issues. Biffle led the most laps of any racer, at 40. Kenseth took the lead twice for a total of ten laps. [4]

Post-race comments

After the first race, Stewart drove to the victory lane; the win earned him $55,725. [3] He said, "The fact that we've won 17 times here and not won on the right day is proof it's good momentum, but it's no guarantee obviously. It's nice to come here, especially for Steve and I, being our first race together, to be able to come out and have two really good strong and solid races back-to-back is an awesome start for us." [36] Earnhardt felt the race was "pretty good" and congratulated Stewart on his victory. He also said that he intended to begin the Daytona 500 not in a backup car. [45] Ambrose was happy with his finishing third, "We learned a lot for Sunday, we got a good result. We are smiling right now but it was very close to being the other way around." He also said he was hoping to carry his good form into the Daytona 500. [46]

Waltrip, who failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 after crashing on lap 52, said he felt he had let everyone down, adding, "It's just really hard. I don't know what to say. It's just sad." [33] Truex commented on his team owner Waltrip's non-qualification, "It's a tough one for him, He's been coming here a long time and this race means everything to him. It was hard to watch that." [33] Patrick, who was hit by Almirola on the final lap and crashed heavily into the wall, said, "It sucks [to hit the wall like that]. You just have to brace yourself. I guess in these situations, I just have to be glad that I'm a small driver and that I've got room. Kinda hug it in and let it rip." [36] She also said the crash was "a blessing in a big disguise". [36] Patrick, along with Gilliland, Montoya and Menard, were required to drive their backup cars for the Daytona 500. [31] After the wreck on lap nine, Gilliland cut his thumb on his helmet; the thumb required one stitch but he was confident about driving his backup car. [47] According to Menard, who was involved in the lap nine wreck, "Somebody turned (David) Gilliland; I saw him get sideways underneath me. I was three lanes up and I tried to clear him and didn't quite make it." [45] It took 56 minutes and 34 seconds to complete the first race; because it ended under caution, no margin of victory was recorded. [3]

After winning the second race, Kenseth drove to the victory lane; earning $56,726 for the victory. [4] Kenseth's victory awarded him and his team Roush Fenway Racing their first Gatorade Duels victory. [28] [42] Kenseth said, "Jimmie Johnson gave me a huge push there and really worked nice for me the whole race. Without that push it never would've got there. Greg lost his drafting partner. We were able to separate him and the #78 [Regan Smith] and we had such a big run that Greg was kind of a sitting duck." [43] Second-place finisher Smith stated while he would have preferred to win the race, he had no complaints, "It's good to know that we have a car capable of running up front." [48] Johnson, who finished third, said, "It was an awesome race. We really had a shot to win that one. It was unfortunate there at the end that there were some lapped cars that were kind of mixed in with the leaders. It would have been nice if they would have let us race there; at least from the white flag on." [49] Biffle admitted that he should have remained on the inside line. [42] It took 46 minutes and 23 seconds to complete the second race, and the margin of victory was 0.209 seconds. [4]

After the races, there was continued discussion about overheating engines in high temperatures. Harvick said the temperatures of around 80 °F (27 °C) had affected the racing, the grills were "too tight" and competitors chose to remain in a single-file formation because of overheating. Smith said he believed there was no efficient method of tackling the problem. McMurray advocated the widening of the grille, saying, "it was a little hard to race because you got too hot". [50] One day after the second race, NASCAR announced that no further changes would be made. [50] Menard criticized the style of driving that was observed during both races, saying, "NASCAR is trying to dictate physics. Physics says two cars are going to push and they're trying to make rule changes to keep us from doing it, so it's kind of hybrid pack racing and tandem racing. It's causing a pretty unsafe situation." [29] Robby Gordon was critical of Terry Labonte receiving a champion's provisional, saying, "When you look at it, besides pure speed, I think three guys make it on speed and, obviously, Terry takes a past champion. I disagree with that." [51] He conceded, "But it is what it is. It's the rules. Like I said, we don't make the rules, we just play by them, and sometimes you can't manipulate them." [51]

Race results 1 and 2

Race 1Race 2
PosGridCarDriverTeamManufacturerLapsPosGridCarDriverTeamManufacturerLaps
1614Tony StewartStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet601717Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFord60
2288Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6021878Regan SmithFurniture Row RacingChevrolet60
339Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFord603648Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet60
41331Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet6041633Elliott SadlerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet60
5199Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord605116Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord60
62198Michael McDowellPhil Parsons RacingFord6016920Joey LoganoJoe Gibbs RacingToyota60
71229Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet6071218Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota60
81022A. J. AllmendingerPenske RacingDodge608324Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet60
9257Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsDodge6019839Ryan NewmanStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet60
10161Jamie McMurrayEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet6010225Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet60
1146Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord6011555Mark MartinMichael Waltrip RacingToyota60
12521Trevor BayneWood Brothers RacingFord602121436Dave BlaneyTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet601
13112Brad KeselowskiPenske RacingDodge6013456Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip RacingToyota60
14934David RaganFront Row MotorsportsFord60141551Kurt BuschPhoenix RacingChevrolet59
15743Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord60152415Clint BowyerMichael Waltrip RacingDodge59
161710Danica PatrickTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet59161947Bobby LabonteJTG Daugherty RacingToyota59
172011Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota59171787Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsToyota591
181940Michael WaltripHillman RacingToyota52318213Casey MearsGermain RacingFord59
191530David StremmeInception MotorsportsToyota282192223Robert Richardson Jr.R3 MotorsportsToyota593
202437Mike WallaceRick Ware RacingToyota243202097Bill ElliottNEMCO MotorsportsToyota583
211832Terry LabonteFAS Lane RacingFord132211309Kenny WallaceRAB RacingToyota573
222338David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord8221126Tony RainesFront Row MotorsportsFord92
231442Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet8232193David ReutimannBK RacingToyota6
24827Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet8242349J. J. YeleyRobinson-Blakeney RacingToyota43
252283Landon CassillBK RacingToyota3
1 Qualified for the Daytona 500 by transfer spot.
2 Qualified for the Daytona 500 by speed or champion's provisional.
3 Did not qualify for the Daytona 500.
Sources: [3] [4] [19] [52]

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This article documents historical records, statistics, and race recaps of the Daytona 500, held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Daytona 500</span> Auto race held at Daytona, United States in 2012

The 2012 Daytona 500 was the first stock car race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The 54th iteration of the event, it was held between February 27 and 28, 2012 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, before a crowd of 140,000. Matt Kenseth driving for Roush Fenway Racing took the 202-lap race for his first win of the season and his second Daytona 500 victory. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second and Greg Biffle was third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Aaron's 499</span> Motor car race

The 2012 Aaron's 499 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on May 6, 2012 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. Contested over 194 laps, it was the tenth race of the 2012 season. Brad Keselowski of Penske Racing took his second win of the season, while Kyle Busch finished second and Matt Kenseth finished third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Coke Zero 400</span> Motor car race

The 2012 Coke Zero 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on July 7, 2012 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 160 laps, it was the eighteenth race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Tony Stewart of Stewart-Haas Racing took his third win of the season, while Jeff Burton finished second and Matt Kenseth finished third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series</span> 65th season of NASCAR stock-car racing

The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 65th season of NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 42nd modern-era Cup season. The season began on February 16, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway, with the Sprint Unlimited, followed by the Daytona 500 on February 24. The season ended with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Daytona 500</span> Auto race held at Daytona, United States in 2013

The 2013 Daytona 500, the 55th running of the event, was held on February 24, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida over 200 laps and 500 miles (800 km) on the 2.5-mile (4 km) asphalt tri-oval. It was the first race of the 2013 Sprint Cup season. Danica Patrick won the pole for the race, becoming the first woman to earn a pole position in NASCAR's highest division. She also achieved the best-ever finish by a woman at the Daytona 500, finishing 8th. Jimmie Johnson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, won the race, making this his first win of the season and his second win in the "Great American Race" and his first since the 2006 race. His teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 2nd while Mark Martin, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Newman rounded out the Top 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Coke Zero 400</span> Motor car race

The 2013 Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on July 6, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 161 laps, it was the eighteenth race of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports won the race, his fourth win of the season and his first Coke Zero 400 win, rendering him the first driver since Bobby Allison in 1982 to sweep the Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 in the same year. Tony Stewart finished second while Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, and Michael Waltrip rounded out the top five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Daytona 500</span> Auto race held in 2014

The 2014 Daytona 500, the 56th running of the event, was held on February 23, 2014 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 200 laps and 500 miles (800 km) on the 2.5 miles (4.0 km) asphalt tri-oval, it was the first race of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Dale Earnhardt Jr., driving for Hendrick Motorsports, won the race, making this his second Daytona 500 victory breaking a 55-race winless streak. Denny Hamlin finished 2nd, while Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the Top 5. This race had seven cautions and 42 lead changes among 18 different drivers. The top rookies of this race were polesitter Austin Dillon (9th), Alex Bowman (23rd), and Brian Scott (25th).

The 2014 Budweiser Duels were a pair of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car races that were held on February 20, 2014, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Both contested over 60 laps, they were the qualifying races for the 2014 Daytona 500. Joe Gibbs Racing swept the Duel races, with Matt Kenseth winning the first race. Kevin Harvick finished second, while Kasey Kahne, Marcos Ambrose and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top five. Denny Hamlin won the second race, ahead of Jeff Gordon, while Kurt Busch, Paul Menard and Brian Scott rounded out the top five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Daytona 500</span> Auto race held in 2015

The 2015 Daytona 500, the 57th running of the event, was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race which was held on February 22, 2015 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 203 laps – extended from 200 laps due to a green–white–checker finish – on the 2.5 mi (4.0 km) asphalt superspeedway, it was the first race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Joey Logano won the race, recording the second Daytona 500 win for Team Penske, and his ninth career Sprint Cup victory. Kevin Harvick finished second while Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top–five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series</span> 68th season of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 68th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 45th modern-era Cup series season. The season began at Daytona International Speedway with the Sprint Unlimited, the Can-Am Duel and the Daytona 500. The season ended with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports won his seventh drivers' championship, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most all-time. Toyota won the manufacturer's championship, becoming the first manufacturer to win the manufacturer's championship other than Chevrolet since 2002.

The 2015 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on February 14, 2015, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 75 laps, it was the first exhibition race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Matt Kenseth took the victory ahead of Martin Truex Jr. Carl Edwards, Casey Mears, and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Daytona 500</span> Overview of the auto race

The 2016 Daytona 500, the 58th running of the event, was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on February 21, 2016, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 200 laps on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) asphalt superspeedway, it was the first race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Denny Hamlin won the race in a photo finish over Martin Truex Jr. The top-five was rounded out by Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards.

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