NASCAR Sprint Unlimited Notes

The Sprint Unlimited Notes
The number of participants has ranged from a low of seven in 1981 to a high of 28 in 2009,  19 are scheduled to compete in this year’s event.

 The drivers with the most Sprint Unlimited appearances:
 Bill Elliott (23)
 Mark Martin (23)
 Rusty Wallace (19)
 Ken Schrader (19)
 Jeff Gordon (19)

 Mark Martin had appeared in the most consecutive Sprint Unlimited races, competing in 20 consecutive events from 1989-2008. With his start in this year’s race, Jeff Gordon, who currently has 19 consecutive starts in the event, will tie that mark.

 There have been eight multiple winners in The Sprint Unlimited:
 Tony Stewart has won three (2001, 2002 and 2007).
 Dale Earnhardt won six events, most all-time (1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995).
 Dale Jarrett won in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

 Other multiple winners: Neil Bonnett (1983-1984), Ken Schrader, (1989-1990), Jeff Gordon (1994 and 1997), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2008) and Kevin Harvick (2009-2010).

 Bonnett, Schrader, Stewart and Harvick are the only drivers to win back-to-back races. No driver has ever won three consecutive Sprint Unlimited races.

Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006) all won the first Sprint Unlimited in which they competed.

Only five times in the 32-year history of the race has the winner gone on to win the Daytona 500:
Bobby Allison (1982)
Bill Elliott (1987)
Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)
Jeff Gordon (1997)

There have been three winners from the pole: Darrell Waltrip (1981), Bill Elliott (1987) and Ken Schrader (1989).

Two drivers have swept The Sprint Unlimited, Daytona 500 pole and Daytona 500 from 1979-2012: Dale Jarrett (2000) and Bill Elliott (1987)

One driver has swept The Sprint Unlimited, Daytona 500 and the Coke Zero 400 from 1979-2012: Bobby Allison (1982).

Seven drivers have won The Sprint Unlimited (1979-2012) and the same season’s championship. Dale Earnhardt is the only one to have accomplished it multiple times – four times:
Tony Stewart (2002)
Jeff Gordon (1997)
Dale Earnhardt (1993)
Dale Earnhardt (1991)
Dale Earnhardt (1986)
Darrell Waltrip (1981)
Dale Earnhardt (1980)

Four drivers have won consecutive Sprint Unlimited races (1979-2012). None went on to win that year’s Daytona 500.
Kevin Harvick (2009-10)
Tony Stewart (2000-01)
Ken Schrader (1990-91)
Neil Bonnett (1983-84)

The Sprint Unlimited Manufacturer Recap
Manufacturer Victories Last Victory - Driver

Chevrolet 19 2010 – Kevin Harvick

Ford 7 2004 – Dale Jarrett

Buick 2 1982 – Bobby Allison

Oldsmobile 2 1980 – Dale Earnhardt

Pontiac 2 2002 – Tony Stewart

Dodge 1 2011 – Kurt Busch

Toyota 1 2012 – Kyle Busch

- NASCAR Statistics