Daff Stats: Daytona 500



Hello Readers!

 

As an avid NASCAR fan, there is nothing more exciting than the upcoming DAYTONA 500. As of the writing of this article, there are 25 days (about 3 and a half weeks) to the Daytona 500. I for one, am extremely excited to bring you an exclusive look at the upcoming race from a stats perspective.

In the sixty-two Daytona 500’s, only SIX drivers have ever won more than twice. Out of those six, only one of them is active today. The all-time leaderboard looks as follows:

1.      Richard Petty-7 wins

2.      Cale Yarborough-4 wins

3.      Bobby Allison-3 wins

4.      Dale Jarrett-3 wins

5.      Jeff Gordon 3-wins

6.      Denny Hamlin-3 wins

 

Now, to look at who has the best chance to win in 25 days (about 3 and a half weeks), I am including stats from all races at Daytona, not just the 500. All stats are for drivers that have had at least 10 races on the track. These are in no order of who I think will win.

Average finish:

1.      Bubba Wallace-12.4

2.      Austin Dillon-14.7

3.      Denny Hamlin-16.8

4.      Kevin Harvick-17.5

5.      Alex Bowman-17.7

Average Starting position:

1.      Chase Elliott-10

2.      William Byron-11.8

3.      Alex Bowman-12.4

4.      Ryan Blaney-12.9

5.      Kevin Harvick-14.1

Percentage of Races running at finish (A key factor at Daytona):

1.      Greg Biffle-89.7

2.      Kurt Busch-85.7

3.      Denny Hamlin-85.3

4.      Martin Truex Jr.-77.1

5.      Kevin Harvick-76.7

 

Adding all of this together, it is time for Mike Daffner’s pick for the 2023 Daytona 500.

And the pick goes to..........

 

KEVIN HARVICK

He is the only driver to appear on all three lists. I would not be surprised to see him win, but also would not be shocked to see Bowman or Hamlin give him a run for his money.

 

Thank you for reading the first Daffstats article of 2023, and as always,

 

RAISE HELL PRAISE DALE

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