Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Crown Royal presents Darlington Labor Day Race Weekend

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina going into the Crown Royal presents Darlington Labor Day Race Weekend on Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. ET on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Fast Facts: Race #1 (Darlington Raceway)

• The 2023 season marks the fourth year the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has opened at Darlington Raceway (2020-2023). Darlington Raceway is the fourth different track to open the postseason for the NASCAR Cup Series.
• New Hampshire Motor Speedway was the first race of the Playoffs from 2004–2010.
• Chicagoland Speedway was the first race of the Playoffs from 2011–2017.
• Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosted the first race of the Playoffs from 2018–2019.

• Prior to the 2020 season, Darlington Raceway hosted just one other Playoff race, the penultimate event in the inaugural Playoffs in 2004. The race was won by seven-time series champion and former Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson.
• Four times the winner of the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has gone on to win the championship – 2004, 2011, 2012, and 2017:
• In 2004 (inaugural Cup Playoffs), Kurt Busch won the opening race of the Playoff at New Hampshire and went on to win the title.
• In 2011 (race was delayed until Monday due to rain), Tony Stewart won his first race of the Playoffs at Chicagoland Speedway and went on to set the record for the most wins in a Playoff run with five victories and the title.
• In 2012, Brad Keselowski won the opening Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway and went on to win the title.
• In 2017, Martin Truex Jr. won the opening Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway and went on to win the title.
• The worst finish in the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs by a driver that went on to win the title was Jimmie Johnson’s 39th-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the 2006 postseason.
• The worst finish in the opening NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Chicagoland Speedway for a driver that went on to win the title was Jimmie Johnson’s 12th-place finish in 2016.
• Eventual champions and their finishes at Chicagoland:
  • 2015 Kyle Busch – ninth
  • 2014 Kevin Harvick – fifth
  • 2013 Jimmie Johnson – fifth
  • 2012 Brad Keselowski – first
  • 2011 Tony Stewart – first
• The worst finish in the opening race of the Playoffs at Las Vegas Motor Speedway by a driver that went on to win the title was Kyle Busch’s 19th-place finish in 2019.
• The worst finish in the opening race of the Playoffs at Darlington Raceway by a driver that went on to win the title was Chase Elliott’s 20th-place finish in 2020.
• Last season, Joey Logano finished fourth at Darlington Raceway to open the Playoffs and went on to win the title.
• Last season, Erik Jones became the first non-Playoff driver to win the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2004-2023).
• Since the inception of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs in 2014, entering the Playoffs as the No. 1 seed has been the most successful seeding producing four championships among three drivers – Kyle Larson (2021), Kyle Busch (2019, 2015) and Martin Truex Jr. (2017).
• The deepest seeding an eventual champion has started the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with is seventh and it has happened twice – by Kevin Harvick (2014) and Joey Logano (2018).
• Below are the seedings of the eventual champions as they entered the Playoffs (2014-2021):
  • Kevin Harvick, 2014 (seventh seed)
  • Kyle Busch, 2015 (No. 1 seed)
  • Jimmie Johnson, 2016 (fifth seed)
  • Martin Truex Jr., 2017 (No. 1 seed)
  • Joey Logano, 2018 (seventh seed)
  • Kyle Busch, 2019 (No. 1 seed)
  • Chase Elliott, 2020 (fifth seed)
  • Kyle Larson, 2021 (No. 1 seed)
  • Joey Logano, 2022 (second seed)

Darlington Raceway – Stats & Information
Track Length: 1.366-Miles
Race Length: 501.32 Miles (367 laps)
Stage 1 & 2 Length: 115 Laps (each)
Final Stage Length: 137 Laps
The Purse: $8,260,258
Degree of Banking in Corners: 25 degrees – Turns 1 & 2 and 23 degrees – Turns 3 & 4
Degree of Banking on Straights: 6 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,229 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,229 feet
First Race: Sept. 4, 1950 – Southern 500

Qualifying & Race Data

2022 Cook Out Southern 500 pole winner:
Joey Logano, Ford, 168.521 mph, 29.181 secs., September 3, 2022

Track Qualifying Record:
Aric Almirola, Ford, 184.145 mph, 26.705 secs., April 11, 2014, (Set in Round 1 of 2)

2022 Cook Out Southern 500 winner:
Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 120.406 mph, (04:08:49), September 4, 2023

Track Race Record (500 miles):
Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 141.383 mph, (03:32:45), May 11, 2013

HISTORY

• Darlington Raceway was built as a 1.25-mile paved superspeedway in 1949-1950 in Darlington, South Carolina.
• Darlington Raceway hosted the first 500-mile race in NASCAR history and the first on asphalt on September 4, 1950 – 75 cars competed in the event – Curtis Turner won the pole at 82.034 mph, and the race was won by Johnny Mantz (Plymouth, 75.250 mph, 6:38:40).
• The track was re-measured to 1.375 miles in 1953.
• The track was re-configured to 1.366 miles following the spring race in 1970.
• The track was repaved in 1995.
• The 2005 race was the first Saturday night race at Darlington.
• The track was repaved again prior to the 2008 season.
• In 2020, Darlington Raceway hosted the NASCAR Cup Series three times in one season as part of the reschedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
• In total there have been 124 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Darlington Raceway from 1950-2023.

STARTS

• A total of 751 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway; 472 drivers have competed in more than one race at Darlington.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Darlington with 65 starts.
• Kevin Harvick leads all active Cup Series drivers in starts at Darlington with 31 starts.
• A total of 124 different drivers have made their NASCAR Cup Series career debut at Darlington Raceway; the most recent was J. Bell on May 7, 2011.
• Of the 124 drivers making their NASCAR Cup Series career debuts at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte posted the best finish of fourth-place after starting 19th on September 4, 1978.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen (16 starts) leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Darlington Raceway with a 3.688.
• Kyle Larson leads all active Cup Series drivers in average starting position at Darlington Raceway with an 8.545 in 11 starts.

Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Darlington Raceway (All-Time and Active)

POLES

• A total of 53 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at least one pole at Darlington Raceway.
• Five of the 53 NASCAR Cup Series Darlington Raceway pole winners are active this weekend.

• NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Darlington Raceway with 12 poles – (1967, ’70, ’72, ’73 sweep, ’75 sweep, ’76 sweep, ’77, ’78 and ’82)
• Pearson’s 12 Darlington poles are tied with NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough (12 poles at Daytona) for the second-most poles all-time at a single track in the NASCAR Cup Series. Pearson also holds the series record with 14 poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Kevin Harvick (2014, 2017) and Joey Logano (2022 sweep) leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Darlington Raceway with two each.
• Curtis Turner won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series pole at Darlington Raceway in 1950 driving an Oldsmobile with an average speed of 82.034 mph.
• Youngest Darlington Cup pole winner: William Byron (09/01/2019 – 21 years, 9 months, 3 days).
• Oldest Darlington Cup pole winner: David Pearson (09/06/1982 – 47 years, 8 months, 15 days).
• In total, 10 drivers have won consecutive poles at Darlington Raceway – Fonty Flock (1952-1953), Fireball Roberts (three: 1959, 1960 sweep), Fred Lorenzen (three: 1963 sweep, 1964), Cale Yarborough (1969 sweep), David Pearson (1973 sweep and five straight: 1975 sweep, 1976 sweep, 1977), Bill Elliott (1985 sweep), Sterling Marlin (1992 sweep), Dale Jarrett (1996-1997), Kasey Kahne (2004, 2005) and Joey Logano (2022 sweep).
• NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive Cup poles at Darlington Raceway with five straight (1975 – 1977).
• Eight drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series pole at Darlington Raceway.

• Wood Brothers Racing leads all organizations in NASCAR Cup Series poles at Darlington Raceway with 12 poles among three drivers: David Pearson (’72, ’73 sweep, ’75 sweep, ’76 sweep, ’77, and ’78), Cale Yarborough (1969 sweep) and Donnie Allison (1971).
• A total of 12 different manufacturers have won at least one pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway.
• Ford leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Darlington Raceway with 45 poles; followed by Chevrolet (22), Mercury (13), Pontiac (10), Dodge (8), Buick (3), Oldsmobile (3), Plymouth (3), Toyota (3), Chrysler (1), Hudson (1) and Studebaker (1).

WINS

• A total of 53 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Darlington Raceway; 29 of the 53 have multiple wins at Darlington Raceway.
• Eight of the 53 NASCAR Cup Series Darlington race winners are active this weekend.

• NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in victories at Darlington Raceway with 10 wins (1968, ’70, ’72, ’73, ’74, ’76 sweep, ’77, ’79, 80); followed by Dale Earnhardt with nine and Jeff Gordon with seven.
• Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin (2010, 2017, 2020-2, 2021-2) leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in wins at Darlington with four victories.
• Youngest Cup Series Darlington winner: Kyle Busch (5/10/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 8 days).
• Oldest Cup Series Darlington winner: Harry Gant (09/01/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 22 days).
• 13 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Darlington; Dale Earnhardt (1989-1990) and Jeff Gordon (1995-1996) are tied for the series-most consecutive wins at Darlington with three each.
• Six drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series win at Darlington Raceway: Johnny Mantz (1950), Nelson Stacy (1961), Larry Frank (1962), Terry Labonte (1980), Lake Speed (1988) and Regan Smith (2011).
• A total of 20 different starting positions on the grid have resulted in victories in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (21) than any other starting position at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series (16.9%).
• The outside front row (second-place) has produced the second-most wins (18). The front row starting positions combined have produced 31.4% of the race winners at Darlington Raceway with 39 wins coming from the two spots.
• A total of 12 different drivers have won from the pole at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins from the pole at Darlington Raceway with four wins (1971, 1972, 1976 sweep).
• Kevin Harvick (2014) and Joey Logano (2022) are the only active drivers to win from the pole at Darlington Raceway.
• A total of 21 of the 124 (16.9%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway have been won from the pole or first starting position; the most recent was Joey Logano in 2022.
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Darlington is 43rd by Johnny Mantz in 1950 – the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series event held at the historic raceway.

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Darlington Raceway

• Ryan Newman leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington without visiting Victory Lane at 27; followed by Aric Almirola, Michael McDowell and JJ Yeley with 16 starts each.
• Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins by an organization at Darlington in the NASCAR Cup Series with 14 victories – Tim Richmond (1986), Ricky Rudd (1991), Jeff Gordon (1995, ’96 sweep, ’97, ’98, ’02, ’07), Terry Labonte (2003), Jimmie Johnson (2004 sweep and 2012) and Mark Martin (2009).
• A total of 11 different manufacturers have won in the series at Darlington; led by Chevrolet with 43 victories; followed by Ford (32), Mercury (10), Toyota (10), Oldsmobile (six), Dodge (five), Pontiac (five), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Hudson (three) and American Motor Company (two).

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes:

• A total of 63 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished runner-up at Darlington Raceway.
• NASCAR Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty lead the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes at Darlington Raceway with eight second-place finishes each.
• Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in second-place finishes at Darlington with four.

Top Five In Runner-Up Finishes at Darlington Raceway (All-Time & Active)

Top-Five Finishes:

• A total of 146 different drivers have finished in the top-five in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top-five finishes with 25.
• Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top-five finishes at Darlington with 14.

Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Darlington Raceway (All-Time & Active)

Top-10 Finishes:

• A total of 241 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted top-10 finishes at Darlington Raceway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott with 35 top 10s.
• Kevin Harvick leads all active NSCAR Cup Series drivers in top 10s at Darlington with 19 top 10s.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Darlington Raceway (All-Time & Active)

Average Finishing Position:

• Bob Burdick leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Darlington Raceway with a 3.0 in two starts.
• Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Darlington with a 7.682 in 22 starts.

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Darlington Raceway (All-Time & Active)

LAP LEADERS

• In total of 177 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have led at least one lap at Darlington Raceway.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Darlington Raceway with 2,648 laps led in 44 series starts.
• Martin Truex Jr. leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers with 914 laps led in 22 starts.
• The most laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway by the race winner was 351 laps of the scheduled 400 laps (87%) by Johnny Mantz on September 4, 1950. He started the race from the 43rd position.
• The most laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway by a driver that did not win the race was 284 laps of the scheduled 367 laps (77%) by Kyle Larson on September 2, 2018. He started the race from the second position.
• The fewest laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway by the race winner was just the final lap by Ricky Craven on March 16, 2003. He started the race from the 31st position.

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

FEMALE COMPETITORS

• Three female drivers have competed at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series – Danica Patrick, Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson. Patrick is the only female competitor to make multiple starts at Darlington.

TRACK / EVENT STATS

• Since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993, the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway is the March 16, 2003 race won by Ricky Craven with a margin of victory of 0.002 second over Kurt Busch.
• Darlington’s 0.002 sec. margin of victory is tied with the 2011 Spring Talladega race as the closest finishes in the series using electronic scoring.

Top Five Closest Margins of Victory at Darlington Raceway

• Four NASCAR Cup Series races have resulted in a NASCAR Overtime finish at Darlington Raceway:

• Darlington Raceway holds the top-five NASCAR Cup Series records of largest Place Differential in a single event (all-time). The series record for the most positions advanced from a driver’s starting position to their finishing position belongs to NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts, who in 1950 started 67th and finished runner-up advancing 65 positions.

• Nine of the 124 races at Darlington Raceway have been shortened from their scheduled number of laps; the most recent was in 2020.

• Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway seven times: 1952, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2016.
• The five qualifying sessions from 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and instead the starting lineup was determined by a random draw or inverted field.

NASCAR IN SOUTH CAROLINA

• South Carolina has hosted a total of 326 NASCAR national series races among 10 different tracks.

• The first NASCAR Cup Series race held in the state of South Carolina was at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 4, 1950 – the event was won by Johnny Mantz in a Plymouth.

SOUTH CAROLINA IN NASCAR

• A total of 140 different drivers have made at least one NASCAR national series start with their home state recorded as South Carolina.
• James Hylton leads all NASCAR drivers from South Carolina with the most NASCAR national series starts with 607.
• Four drivers from South Carolina have been inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame – David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Cotton Owens and Tiny Lund.
• 11 drivers from South Carolina have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; seven have won in the NASCAR Cup Series.

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