Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Coke Zero Sugar 400

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida going into the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 28 at 7 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NASCAR Cup Series – Clinch Scenarios – Daytona International Speedway

Already Clinched

The following 15 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being ahead of the 4th winless driver in the standings. The same point requirements listed below would hold true if a new win comes from among Denny Hamlin or Kevin Harvick.

• Tyler Reddick: Would clinch with 31 points
• Austin Dillon: Could only clinch with help

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone: Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Matt DiBenedetto, Chris Buescher, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ross Chastain, Darrell Wallace Jr., Chase Briscoe, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, Cole Custer, Anthony Alfredo, Corey LaJoie.

Can Clinch Regular Season Championship

Additionally, the Regular Season Championship could be clinched by the following drivers:

• Kyle Larson: Would clinch with 32 points
• Denny Hamlin: Could only clinch with help

Last Two Regular Season Finales – Clinch History

2020 – Heading into the last race of the regular season at Daytona in 2020, six spots were still up for grabs in the Playoffs. Ultimately, William Byron won the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway to clinch his spot in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – the first driver since ‘Win & You’re In’ was introduced in the series to win his way into the postseason in the final race. The other five Playoff spots were clinched on points. Kevin Harvick clinched the Regular Season Championship in 2020.

2019 – Heading into the last race of the regular season at Indianapolis in 2019, just two spots were still up for grabs in the Playoffs and three drivers vying for the spots – Clint Bowyer, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Newman. Ultimately, Kevin Harvick won the regular season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but he had already clinched his spot in the Playoffs earlier in the season. Clint Bowyer (fifth-place finish) and Ryan Newman (eighth-place) raced their way into the postseason clinching the last two spots on points. Kyle Busch clinched the Regular Season Championship in 2019 for the second time in his career (2018, 2019).

NASCAR Cup Series 2021 Top 16 in the Driver Standings at Daytona

* – Based on last 33 races at Daytona International Speedway (2005 – 2021).

Daytona International Speedway
Season Race #: 26 of 36 (08-28-21)
Track Size: 2.5-mile
Banking/Turns: 31 degrees
Banking/Straights: 3 degrees
Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees
Frontstretch Length:  3,800 feet
Backstretch Length:  3,000 feet
Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles
Stage 1 & 2 Length: 50 laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 60 laps

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 Cup Series race at Daytona was a 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 on February 20, 1959 – the race was won by Bob Welborn.
• The first summer race at Daytona International Speedway was held on July 4, 1959 – won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts (140.581 mph).
• NASCAR Hall of Famer 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.
• The track underwent a repave in 2010.
• 2016 marked the next phase in the existence of Daytona International Speedway as the DAYTONA Rising project was completed, ushering in the first ‘motorsports stadium,’ a 400-million-dollar project.
• There have been 148 NASCAR Cup Series races at Daytona International Speedway since the track hosted its first race in 1959:  63 have been 500 miles, 58 were 400 miles and four were 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were point races.

STARTS

• A total of 692 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway; 529 have competed in more than one.
• A total of 479 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series summer race at Daytona International Speedway; 301 have competed in more than one.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Daytona with 74 starts. Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active series drivers in Daytona starts with 40 each.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in July race starts at Daytona with 32. Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active series drivers in July Daytona starts with 20 each.
• A total of 185 drivers have made their first career NASCAR Cup Series start at Daytona International Speedway; only 19 of the 185 have made their first start during the summer Daytona races.

Drivers that made their first career start in the Summer race at Daytona

• Eight active series drivers have made their first career start at Daytona International Speedway, though none were during the summer races:

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts leads the series in average starting position at Daytona with a 5.412 in 17 starts.
• Fireball Roberts also leads the series in average starting position in the Daytona summer race with a 2.200 in five starts.
• William Byron leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at Daytona with a 10.857 in seven total starts.
• Ryan Blaney also leads the series in average starting position in the Summer races at Daytona with a 10.400 in six starts.

Top 10 in Average Starting Position in the Daytona Summer Race (All-Time & Active)

POLES

• A total of 62 different drivers have won the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway; 25 drivers have won more than one pole at Daytona.
• Eight of the 62 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona pole winners are active this weekend.

• A total of 41 different drivers have won the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona for the Summer race; eight drivers have won multiple summer race poles at Daytona in the Cup Series.
• Only three active Summer race pole winners are entered this weekend: Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Daytona with 12 (Feb. 1968, July 1969, 1970 sweep, 1978 sweep, July 1980, July 1981, July 1983, 1984 sweep, July 1986). Eight of the 12 poles are from the summer race.
• Chase Elliott leads all active series drivers in poles at Daytona with three (Feb. 2016, Feb. 2017, and July 2018).
• Fireball Roberts won the inaugural pole for the Summer race at Daytona International Speedway in 1959 with a speed of 144.997 mph.
• Three drivers have won consecutive poles for the summer race at Daytona: Cale Yarborough (1969-’70; 1980-’81, 1983-’84), Sterling Marlin (1991-’92) and Dale Earnhardt (1994-’95).
• Youngest series Daytona pole winner: Chase Elliott (February 21, 2016 – 20 years, 2 months, 24 days).
• Oldest series Daytona pole winner: Mark Martin (July 2, 2011 – 52 years, 5 months, 23 days).
• A total of 17 different drivers have posted their first series career pole at Daytona International Speedway – 10 during Speedweeks in February and seven for the summer race.
• Hendrick Motorsports leads all organizations in Summer race poles at Daytona in the NASCAR Cup Series with seven: Darrell Waltrip (7/2/88), Greg sacks (7/7/90), Jeff Gordon (7/6/96 and 7/3/04), Mark Martin (7/2/11), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (7/1/17), Chase Elliott (7/7/2018).
• Nine different manufacturers have won the pole at Daytona, led by Chevrolet (51) and followed by Ford (25), Pontiac (15), Mercury (10), Dodge (nine), Oldsmobile (six), Plymouth (two), Toyota (one) and Buick (one).
• Eight different manufacturers have won the pole for the Summer race at Daytona, led by Chevrolet (22), and followed by Ford (13), Pontiac (six), Dodge (five), Mercury (five), Oldsmobile (three), Toyota (one) and Buick (one).

WINS

• A total of 67 different drivers have posted at least one NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway; 29 drivers have multiple Cup Series wins at Daytona. Of the 67 Cup Series Daytona winners, 40 of them have won the Summer race.
• 14 of the 67 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona winners are active this weekend; seven of the 14 have won during the Summer event.

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in wins at Daytona with 10 victories (Feb. 1964, Feb. 1966, Feb. 1971, Feb. 1973, Feb. 1974, July 1975, July 1977, Feb. 1979, Feb. 1981, July 1984).
• Denny Hamlin (Feb. 2016, Feb. 2019, Feb. 2020) leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in Daytona wins with three.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the series in Summer race victories at Daytona with five wins (1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1978).
• Youngest Daytona Summer race winner: Justin Haley (07/07/2019 – 20 years, 2 months, 9 days); all-time track record – Trevor Bayne (02/20/2011 – 20 years, 0 months, 1 day).
• Oldest Daytona Summer race winner: Bobby Allison (07/04/1987 – 49 years, 7 months, 1 day); all-time track record – Bobby Allison (02/14/1988 – 50 years, 5 months, 23 days).
• Five drivers have posted consecutive Summer race wins at Daytona International Speedway: Fireball Roberts (1962-1963), A.J. Foyt (1964-1965), Cale Yarborough (1967-1968) David Pearson (1972 – 1974) and Tony Stewart (2005-2006). None of the active drivers have multiple Summer race Daytona wins.
• Five drivers have swept both NASCAR Cup Series races at Daytona in a single season (Daytona 500 & Summer race): Fireball Roberts – 1962 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 250); Cale Yarborough – 1968 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 400); LeeRoy Yarborough – 1969 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 400); Bobbie Allison – 1982 (Daytona 500, Firecracker 400); Jimmie Johnson – 2013 (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola)
• A total of 22 different drivers have posted their first NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway; 11 of the 22 drivers posted their first win in the July race – the most recent was last season’s August race with race winner William Byron.

NASCAR Cup Series First-Time Winners at Daytona International Speedway (All-Time)

• Nine of the 62 summer Daytona International Speedway races (14.5%) in the NASCAR Cup Series have been won from the pole or first starting position. Six were from the pole. Three were from the first starting position when qualifying was cancelled.

• The youngest to win from the pole or first starting position at Daytona in the summer race was Fireball Roberts at the age of 30.
• The most recent to win from the pole or first starting position at Daytona in the NASCAR Cup Series was NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr.  in the 2015 July race.
• A total of 22 different starting positions have produced winners in the Cup Series at Daytona. The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (nine) than any other starting position in the July race at Daytona International Speedway.

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Daytona (Summer Races)

• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Daytona is 42nd, by Tony Stewart in the 2012 July race.
• Martin Truex Jr. leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona without visiting Victory Lane at 32; followed by Landon Cassill with 15 and Kyle Larson with 14.
• The Wood Brothers and Hendrick Motorsports are toed for the most wins at Daytona in the NASCAR Cup Series with 15 victories each; both have done it with seven different winning drivers.

Wood Brothers Racing

Hendrick Motorsports

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes:

• A total of 69 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished runner-up at Daytona.
• Buddy Baker leads the series in runner-up finishes at Daytona with eight second-place finishes.
• Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in runner-up finishes at Daytona with four.
• A total of 41 different drivers in the series have finished runner-up at Daytona in the summer race.
• Buddy Baker leads the series in runner-up finishes at Daytona in the summer race with five second-place finishes.
• Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in runner-up finishes in the summer race at Daytona with three (2006, ’07, ’16).

Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes in the Summer Race at Daytona (All-Time & Active)

Top-Five Finishes:

• A total of 156 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished in the top-five at Daytona.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Daytona with 28 top fives.
• Kurt Busch leads all active Cup Series drivers in top-five finishes at Daytona with 13.
• A total of 113 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished in the top-five in the summer race at Daytona.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the series in top-five finishes at Daytona in the summer race with 13.
• Kurt Busch leads all active drivers in top-five finishes in the summer race at Daytona with seven.

Top Five in Top-Five Finishes in the Summer Race at Daytona (All-Time & Active)

Top-10 Finishes:

• A total of 271 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished in the top-10 at Daytona.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Daytona with 37 top 10s.
• Kurt Busch leads all active drivers in top-10 finishes at Daytona with 18.
• A total of 184 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished in the top-10 in the summer race at Daytona.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the series in top-10 finishes at Daytona in the summer race with 19 top 10s.
• Kurt Busch leads all active drivers in top-10 finishes in the summer race at Daytona with 10.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes in the Summer Race at Daytona (All-Time & Active)

Average Finish:

• Justin Haley leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Daytona with a 7.0 in two starts.
• Cotton Owens leads the series in average finishing position at Daytona in the summer race with a 5.0 in two starts.
• William Byron leads the series in average finishing position at Daytona in the summer race with a 11.667 in three summer Daytona race starts.

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position in the Summer Race at Daytona (All-Time & Active)

LAP LEADERS

All Races at Daytona:

• A total of 198 different drivers have led at least one lap in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona; 145 different drivers have led laps in the summer Cup races at Daytona.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Daytona with 1,286 laps led out of 7,485 laps completed (17.1%) in 46 starts.
• Denny Hamlin leads all active series drivers in laps led at Daytona with 628 laps led out of 5,345 laps completed (10.4%) in 31 starts.
• The MOST laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway by the race winner is 184 of the scheduled 200 laps (92%) by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty in the 1964 Daytona 500.
• The MOST laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway by a driver that did not win the race is 170 of the 187 scheduled laps (90.9%) by NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts in the 1961 Daytona 500 – he finished 20th.

Top 10 Lap Leaders at Daytona (All-time & Active)

All Races at Daytona:

• Eight times the NASCAR Cup Series race winner at Daytona International Speedway has led just the final lap; most recent was the 2021 Daytona 500:

Summer Races at Daytona:

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough leads the series in laps led in the summer race at Daytona with 644 laps led of his 2,245 laps completed (28.6%) in 22 starts.
• Kyle Busch leads the series among active drivers in laps led in the summer race at Daytona with 172 laps led of his 3,206 laps completed in 16 starts.
• The MOST laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series summer race at Daytona International Speedway by the race winner is 151 of scheduled 160 laps (94%) by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in the 2005 event.
• The MOST laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway by a driver that did not win the race is 118 of 160 scheduled laps (74%) by Buddy Baker in the 1975 summer race – he ultimately finished second.

Top 10 Lap Leaders at Daytona (All-Time & Active)

TRACK / EVENT STATS

• Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway for the summer race is the July 7, 2007 event won by Jamie McMurray over Kyle Busch with a margin of victory of 0.005 second.

Top Five Closest Margins of Victory in the NASCAR Cup Series Summer Race at Daytona

• Nine of the 62 NASCAR Cup Series Summer races at Daytona have resulted with Overtime:

• Three of the 62 NASCAR Cup Series summer races at Daytona International Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions:

• Qualifying for the July race has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway four times: 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2015. Last season’s qualifying was also cancelled but due to the pandemic – starting lineups were set by Metric Qualifying.

FEMALE COMPETITORS

• A total of six female drivers have competed in the NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona. Danica Patrick, Janet Guthrie, Christine Beckers, Lella Lombardi, Patty Moise and Shawna Robinson. All six have competed in the July race.
• Janet Guthrie was the first female competitor to race at Daytona International Speedway in 1976. She started 33rd and raced her way up to a 15th-place finish.
• The best finish by a female driver in the NACAR Cup Series in the summer race at Daytona was Danica Patrick’s eighth-place finish in 2014.
• Below is a look at the female drivers in the summer race at Daytona:

NASCAR IN FLORIDA

• A total of 343 NASCAR national series races have been held in the state of Florida among 11 different tracks.

• The first NASCAR premiere series race in the state of Florida was held at the Daytona Beach & Road Course on July 10, 1949. The 40-lap event was won by Red Byron (Oldsmobile, 80.883 mph).

FLORIDA IN NASCAR

• A total of 191 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Florida.
• 12 of the 191 have recorded at least one victory in NASCAR national series competition.
• Eight Florida drivers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series; led by Fireball Roberts with 33 victories.
• Of the eight Florida native drivers who have won in the NASCAR Cup Series, only Fireball Roberts, LeeRoy Yarborough and Aric Almirola have won the summer race at Daytona.

— NASCAR —