Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in Daytona Beach, Florida, going into the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 At DAYTONA this Sunday, February 21 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
PLAYOFF DRIVER-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
(Driver stats below are from 2005 – Present)
Aric Almirola (No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford)
- Average finish of 24.000, 13th-best
- Average Running Position of 15.908, 14th-best
- Driver Rating of 78.5, 11th-best
- 0 Fastest Laps Run
- 37 Laps in the Top 15 (56.9%), 11th-most
- 20 Quality Passes, 16th-most
Alex Bowman (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
- Average finish of 12.000, 10th-best
- Average Running Position of 23.123, 23rd-best
- Driver Rating of 84.8, ninth-best
- 2 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best
- 17 Laps in the Top 15 (26.2%), 19th-most
- 16 Quality Passes, 18th-most
Chris Buescher (No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford)
- One top five, one top 10
- Average finish of 5.000, fourth-best
- Average Running Position of 15.585, 13th-best
- Driver Rating of 75.7, 12th-best
- 0 Fastest Laps Run
- 35 Laps in the Top 15 (53.8%), 12th-most
- 24 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Kurt Busch (No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet)
- Average finish of 14.000, 11th-best
- Average Running Position of 8.923, fourth-best
- Driver Rating of 84.7, 10th-best
- 1 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best
- 59 Laps in the Top 15 (90.8%), third-most
- 23 Quality Passes, 12th-most
William Byron (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
- One top 10
- Average finish of 8.000, sixth-best
- Average Running Position of 12.769, seventh-best
- Driver Rating of 102.3, fourth-best
- 1 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best
- 45 Laps in the Top 15 (69.2%), eighth-most
- 40 Quality Passes, series-most
Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
- One win, one top five, one top 10
- Average finish of 1.000, series-best
- Average Running Position of 3.169, series-best
- Driver Rating of 135.3, series-best
- 18 Fastest Laps Run, series-best
- 64 Laps in the Top 15 (98.5%), series-most
- 29 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
- One top five, one top 10
- Average finish of 2.000, second-best
- Average Running Position of 5.015, second-best
- Driver Rating of 116.0, third-best
- 5 Fastest Laps Run, third-best
- 62 Laps in the Top 15 (95.4%), second-most
- 39 Quality Passes, second-most
Erik Jones (No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet)
- Average finish of 11.000, ninth-best
- Average Running Position of 13.046, eighth-best
- Driver Rating of 85.7, seventh-best
- 0 Fastest Laps Run
- 49 Laps in the Top 15 (75.4%), seventh-most
- 35 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford)
- One top 10
- Average finish of 9.000, seventh-best
- Average Running Position of 12.231, sixth-best
- Driver Rating of 86.3, sixth-best
- 2 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
- 49 Laps in the Top 15 (75.4%), fifth-most
- 26 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Michael McDowell (No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford)
- One top 10
- Average finish of 10.000, eighth-best
- Average Running Position of 11.000, fifth-best
- Driver Rating of 85.7, eighth-best
- 0 Fastest Laps Run
- 49 Laps in the Top 15 (75.4%), sixth-most
- 31 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Ricky Stenhouse Jr (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet)
- Average finish of 16.000, 12th-best
- Average Running Position of 18.215, 17th-best
- Driver Rating of 75.5, 13th-best
- 0 Fastest Laps Run
- 19 Laps in the Top 15 (29.2%), 18th-most
- 18 Quality Passes, 17th-most
Martin Truex Jr (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
- One top five, one top 10
- Average finish of 3.000, third-best
- Average Running Position of 8.292, third-best
- Driver Rating of 126.5, second-best
- 16 Fastest Laps Run, second-best
- 53 Laps in the Top 15 (81.5%), fourth-most
- 35 Quality Passes, third-most
Daytona Road Course Data
Season Race #: 2 of 36 (02-21-21)
Track Size: 3.61-miles
Track Type: Road Course
Number of Turns: 14
Elevation Change: 31 degrees
Race Length: 70 laps (252.7-miles)
Stage 1 and 2 Length: 16 laps
Stage 2 Length: 18 laps
Final Stage Length: 36 laps
Top 10 Daytona RC Driver Ratings
Chase Elliott……………………….. 135.3
Martin Truex Jr……………………. 126.5
Denny Hamlin……………………… 116.0
William Byron……………………… 102.3
Joey Logano………………………… 86.3
Michael McDowell………………….. 85.7
Erik Jones……………………………. 85.7
Alex Bowman……………………….. 84.8
Kurt Busch…………………………… 84.7
Aric Almirola…………………………. 78.5
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (one total) among active drivers at the Daytona Road Course.
| Daytona Road Course Loop Data Leaders | ||
| Category | Leaders | Stats |
| Driver Rating | Chase Elliott | 135.3 |
| Average Running Position | Chase Elliott | 3.169 |
| Laps Led | Chase Elliott | 34 Laps |
| Fastest Laps Run | Chase Elliott | 18 Laps (27.7%) |
| Laps In The Top 15 | Chase Elliott | 64 Laps (98.5%) |
| Green Flag Passes | Ryan Preece | 107 |
| Quality Passes | William Byron | 40 |
NASCAR Cup Series 2021 Top 16 in the Driver Standings at Daytona Road Course
| Rank | Driver | Races | Poles | Wins | Top Fives | Top 10s | DNFs | Average Finish | Driver Rating | ||
| 1 | Austin Dillon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | 116.0 | ||
| 3 | Kevin Harvick | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 | 74.7 | ||
| 4 | Chase Elliott | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 135.3 | ||
| 5 | Michael McDowell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10.0 | 85.7 | ||
| 6 | Ryan Preece | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23.0 | 67.7 | ||
| 7 | Kyle Larson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| 8 | Bubba Wallace | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25.0 | 52.5 | ||
| 9 | Joey Logano | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9.0 | 86.3 | ||
| 10 | Christopher Bell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21.0 | 71.5 | ||
| 11 | Ross Chastain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| 12 | Corey LaJoie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32.0 | 51.5 | ||
| 13 | Kyle Busch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 37.0 | 59.8 | ||
| 14 | Jamie McMurray | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| 15 | Cole Custer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.0 | 70.5 | ||
| 16 | Brad Keselowski | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.0 | 73.8 |
* – Based on one race at the DAYTONA Road Course (2005 – 2020).
Daytona International Speedway:
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 Feb. 20, 1959 – won by Bob Welborn.
- The first summer race at Daytona International Speedway was held on July 4, 1959 – won by Fireball Roberts (140.581 mph).
- The road course portion of the track, now know as Daytona Road Course, was constructed in 1959 and first hosted a three-hour sports car race call the Daytona Continental in 1962.
- Lights were installed in the spring of 1998. However, the July oval race was delayed until October that year due to thick smoke from wildfires. The second Daytona oval race has been held under the lights ever since.
- The entire 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.
- The first NASCAR Cup Series race held on the DAYTONA Road Course was August 16, 2020 and the event was won by Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott.
STARTS
- A total of 39 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series points-paying race at the Daytona Road Course.
- Driver Kaz Grala made his first career NASCAR Cup Series start at the Daytona Road Course in 2020.
POLES
- NASCAR Cup Series Pole Qualifying was not held for the inaugural series event at the Daytona Road Course. The starting lineups were set per Metric Qualifying – Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick started from the first position.
- During the 2020 season the NASCAR Cup Series visited two road course (Daytona and Charlotte) and both event’s starting lineups were set with Metric Qualifying. This weekend’s race will also be set by Metric Qualifying.
- Six different active drivers have posted at least one pole on a road course in the NASCAR Cup Series.
- Kurt Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in road course poles with three – each at a different track.
Active Road Course Pole Winners in the NASCAR Cup Series
| Active Road Course Pole Winners | Total | Sonoma | Watkins Glen | Charlotte |
| Kurt Busch | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Kyle Busch | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Denny Hamlin | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Joey Logano | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Elliott | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| William Byron | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
WINS
- Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Chase Elliott won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at the Daytona Road Course on August 16, 2020.
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in overall road course wins with nine (Sonoma, five; Watkins Glen, four);
- Tony Stewart has the second most road course wins all-time in the series with eight (Watkins Glen, five; Sonoma, three).
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison holds the series record for the most wins at a single road course track with six victories at Riverside International Raceway (1971, 1973, 1975, 1979, 1981 sweep).
- Seven active drivers have won at least one race on a road course in the NASCAR Cup Series.
- Chase Elliott leads all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series road course wins with five victories.
Active Road Course Winners in the NASCAR Cup Series
| Active Road Course Winners | Total Wins | Sonoma | Watkins Glen | Charlotte | Daytona |
| Chase Elliott | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Kyle Busch | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kevin Harvick | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Logano | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kurt Busch | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Blaney | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
- Youngest & oldest race winner at the Daytona Road Course: Chase Elliott (August 16, 2020 – 24 years, 8 months and 19 days).
- One manufacturer won in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Daytona Road Course – Chevrolet in 2020.
ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS
Runner-Up Finishes:
- Denny Hamlin finished runner-up in the inaugural race at the Daytona Road Course in 2020.
Top-Five Finishes:
- A total of five different drivers have finished in the top-five in the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Daytona Road Course – 1. Chase Elliott, 2. Denny Hamlin, 3. Martin Truex Jr., 4. Jimmie Johnson, 5. Chris Buescher.
Top-10 Finishes:
- A total of five different drivers have finished in the top-five in the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Daytona Road Course – 1. Chase Elliott, 2. Denny Hamlin, 3. Martin Truex Jr., 4. Jimmie Johnson, 5. Chris Buescher, 6. Clint Bowyer, 7. Kaz Grala, 8. William Byron, 9. Joey Logano, 10. Michael McDowell.
LAP LEADERS
- A total of six different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have led at least one lap at the Daytona Road Course.
All-Time Lap Leaders at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
| Rank | All-Time Drivers | Laps Led | Laps Completed | % Led |
| 1 | Chase Elliott | 34 | 65 | 52.3% |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 16 | 65 | 24.6% |
| 3 | Martin Truex Jr | 10 | 65 | 15.4% |
| 4 | Kaz Grala | 3 | 65 | 4.6% |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 1 | 65 | 1.5% |
| 6 | Kyle Busch | 1 | 53 | 1.9% |
- Chase Elliott leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at the Daytona Road Course with 34 laps led.
- The most laps led by the race winner in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at the Daytona Road Course was 34 laps led Chase Elliott on August 16, 2020.
- The fewest laps led by the race winner in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at the Daytona Road Course was 34 laps led Chase Elliott on August 16, 2020.
- The most laps led in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course by a driver that did not winthe race was 16 laps led by Denny Hamlin in the 2020 event – he ultimately finished second in the race.
TRACK / EVENT STATS
- The all-time margins of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Daytona Road Course:
| Margin of Victory | Winner | Runner-Up | Date |
| 0.202 | Chase Elliott | Denny Hamlin | Sunday, August 16, 2020 |
Daytona Road Course Inaugural Event Stats
| Categories | Last Race | Most/Largest | Fewest/Smallest |
| Cars: | 39 | 39 (08/16/2020) | 39 (08/16/2020) |
| Lead Changes: | 13 | 13 (08/16/2020) | 13 (08/16/2020) |
| Leaders: | 6 | 6 (08/16/2020) | 6 (08/16/2020) |
| Cautions: | 4 | 4 (08/16/2020) | 4 (08/16/2020) |
| Caution Laps: | 7 | 7 (08/16/2020) | 7 (08/16/2020) |
| Lead Lap Finish: | 32 | 32 (08/16/2020) | 32 (08/16/2020) |
| Running at Finish: | 35 | 35 (08/16/2020) | 35 (08/16/2020) |
NASCAR in Florida
- There have been 338 NASCAR national series races among 11 tracks held in the state of Florida.
| Track Name | City | Cup | Xfinity | Truck | Total | First Year |
| Daytona International Speedway | Daytona Beach | 148 | 59 | 22 | 229 | 1959 |
| Homestead-Miami Speedway | Homestead | 22 | 27 | 25 | 74 | 1999 |
| Daytona Beach & Road Course | Daytona Beach | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1949 |
| Palm Beach Speedway | W. Palm Beach | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1952 |
| Speedway Park | Jacksonville | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1951 |
| DAYTONA Road Course | Daytona Beach | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2020 |
| Volusia County Speedway | Barberville | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1989 |
| Walt Disney World Speedway | Orlando | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1997 |
| Five Flags Speedway | Pensacola | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1953 |
| Golden Gate Speedway | Tampa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1963 |
| Titusville-Cocoa Speedway | Titusville | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1957 |
| Total | 197 | 91 | 50 | 338 |
NASCAR DRIVERS IN FLORIDA
- A total of 186 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Florida.
- There have been 12 race winners with their home state recorded as Florida in NASCAR’s three national series; totaling 97 victories among them:
| Driver | Cup | Xfinity | Truck | Combined | |
| 1 | Fireball Roberts | 33 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| 2 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 3 | Marshall Teague | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 4 | Joe Nemechek | 4 | 16 | 0 | 20 |
| 5 | Aric Almirola | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 6 | Bobby Johns | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 | David Reutimann | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | Shorty Rollins | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Ross Chastain | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 10 | Rick Wilson | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Joey Coulter | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | Ben Kennedy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 65 | 24 | 8 | 97 |
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