NASCAR Sprint Unlimited stats, heading into tonight - MotorSportsTalk

Of the 18 drivers who will race in tonight’s Sprint Unlimited, 16 have past starts. Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. haven’t yet competed in the race.

Past winners entered include: Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Terry Labonte.

Here’s a stats breakdown, per NASCAR, of how everyone else has fared in the non-points opener that kicks off the 2014 season.

Marcos Ambrose – No. 9 Stanley Ford
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2012 3   21  9   82   1     1 Running
2013 11  10  9   75           Running

Kurt Busch – No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2002 14  1  97   70   1     3  Running
2003 11  3  97   70   1     11 Running
2005 6   6  97   70            Running
2007 3   19 2    70   2     6  Running
2008 18  1  2    70            Running
2009 9   12 2    78            Running
2010 23  22 2    32            Accident
2011 1   17 22   75   3     3  Running
2012 17  6  51   82            Accident
2013 13  18 78   15            Accident

Kyle Busch – No. 18 M&M’s Toyota
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2006 15  14 5   72   2     4   Running
2007 7   6  5   70   3     39  Running
2009 10  10 18  78   2     6   Running
2010 4   17 18  76             Running
2011 16  21 18  41   2     2   Accident
2012 1   2  18  82   2     3   Running
2013 16  13 18  14             Accident

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2001 6   10 8   70             Running
2002 2   16 8   70   1     20  Running
2003 1   19 8   70   4     13  Running
2004 2   19 8   70             Running
2005 7   12 8   70             Running
2006 2   19 8   72   1     1   Running
2007 14  17 8   70             Running
2008 1   7  88  70   7     47  Running
2009 18  9  88  64   4     23  Accident
2010 11  11 88  76             Running
2011 19  1  88  27   3     4   Accident
2012 20  8  88  54   2     12  Accident
2013 8   16 88  75             Running

Carl Edwards – No. 99 Fastenal Ford
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2006 16  11 99  71             Running
2008 12  20 99  70   1     1   Running
2009 7   11 99  78   2     11  Running
2010 17  1  99  74   2     42  Accident
2011 21  3  99  33             Accident
2012 9   11 99  82             Running
2013 12  1  99  75             Running

Jeff Gordon – No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
1994 1   6  24  20   1     2   Running
1995 4   5  24  20             Running
1996 9   7  24  20             Running
1997 1   3  24  20             Running
1998 14  5  24  25             Engine
1999 15  8  24  25             Running
2000 2   6  24  25             Running
2001 11  6  24  70             Running
2002 3   22 24  70             Running
2003 2   18 24  70   2     31  Running
2004 5   2  24  70   2     16  Running
2005 3   11 24  70             Running
2006 19  10 24  23             Accident
2007 21  11 24  31             Electrical
2008 4   22 24  70   1     1   Running
2009 4   28 24  78   2     2   Running
2010 6   23 24  76             Running
2011 6   12 24  75   1     1   Running
2012 15  14 24  73   3     16  Accident
2013 17  7  24  14             Accident

Denny Hamlin – No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2006 1   15 11  72   3     16  Running
2007 17  21 11  70             Running
2008 9   12 11  70             Running
2009 13  5  11  78   2     4   Running
2010 5   24 11  76             Running
2011 12  4  11  75             Running
2012 5   16 11  82             Running
2013 15  5  11  14             Accident

Kevin Harvick – No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2003 9   16 29  70             Running
2004 3   5  29  70   2     10  Running
2006 20  18 29  15             Engine
2007 5   20 29  70   2     11  Running
2009 1   27 29  78   1     1   Running
2010 1   2  29  76   5     21  Running
2011 7   18 29  75             Running
2012 22  22 29  54   3     4   Accident
2013 1   17 29  75   3     37  Running

Jimmie Johnson – No. 48 KOBALT TOOLS Chevrolet
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2003 7   2  48  70   1     4   Running
2004 9   17 48  70             Running
2005 1   17 48  70   1     16  Running
2006 5   2  48  72   3     12  Running
2007 4   8  48  70             Running
2008 3   18 48  70             Running
2009 14  21 48  77   1     2   Accident
2010 13  16 48  76             Running
2011 4   23 48  75   2     7   Running
2012 14  18 48  74   1     1   Accident
2013 14  11 48  14             Accident

Matt Kenseth – No. 20 Dollar General Toyota
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2003 3   5  17  70   3     6   Running
2006 6   16 17  72             Running
2009 8   25 17  78   1     1   Running
2010 16  8  17  74             Accident
2011 13  19 17  74             Running
2012 21  23 17  54             Accident
2013 5   12 20  75   2     25  Running

Brad Keselowski – No. 2 Miller Lite Ford
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2012 4   3  2   82             Running

Terry Labonte – No. 32 C&J Energy Services Ford
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
1982 2   1  44  20             Running
1983 10  11 44  19             Accident
1984 9   11 44  20             Running
1985 1   11 44  20   1     16  Running
1986 5   8  11  20             Running
1987 9   5  11  0              Accident
1988 9   5  11  20             Running
1989 3   4  11  20             Running
1992 13  7  94  20             Running
1996 4   11 5   20             Running
1997 11  1  5   20   1     10  Running
2001 15  12 5   69             Running
2002 7   7  5   70             Running
2003 14  17 5   70             Running
2004 8   6  5   70   3     17  Running
2013 19  19 32  2              Accident

Joey Logano – No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2009 28  19 20  3              Accident
2010 7   21 20  76             Running
2011 18  22 20  27             Accident
2012 18  10 20  54   1     1   Accident
2013 3   9  22  75             Running

Jamie McMurray – No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2004 17  3  42  69   2     8   Accident
2006 8   17 26  72   1     1   Running
2008 22  4  26  24             Accident
2009 2   15 26  78   4     16  Running
2010 3   9  1   76   2     2   Running
2011 2   14 1   75             Running
2012 16  4  1   73   5     11  Accident

Ryan Newman – No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2002 15  8  12  70             Running
2003 4   15 12  70             Running
2004 16  16 12  69   1    4    Accident
2005 2   7  12  70   1    4    Running
2006 17  7  12  68             Accident
2007 20  9  12  46             Engine
2008 23  17 12  70             Running
2010 19  4  39  74             Accident
2011 3   8  39  75  3    18    Running
2012 7   13 39  82             Running

Tony Stewart – No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet
                     Times Laps
Year Fin St Car Laps Led   Led Status
2000 4   3  20  25             Running
2001 1   7  20  70             Running
2002 1   3  20  70   2     31  Running
2003 15  12 20  70             Running
2004 7   18 20  70             Running
2005 4   8  20  70             Running
2006 3   3  20  72   3     7   Running
2007 1   14 20  70   2     11  Running
2008 2   10 20  70   2     9   Running
2009 3   6  14  78   1     4   Running
2010 9   13 14  76   2     6   Running
2011 11  2  14  75   3     4   Running
2012 2   15 14  82   1     7   Running
2013 4   15 14  75   2     5   Running

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Ryan Hunter-Reay was named to replace Conor Daly in Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet, starting in the NTT IndyCar Series event next week at Road America.

Hunter-Reay is the 2012 series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner. He finished 11th for Dreyer & Reinbold last month in the 107th Indy 500, his first start since the 2021 season finale. He drove full time for Andretti Autosport from 2010-21.

“We need to improve our competitiveness and I wanted to add a fresh perspective from a driver like Ryan who has a massive amount of experience and success as well as a reputation as a team leader. I am excited to welcome Ryan to the team,” team owner Ed Carpenter said in a team release. “We have worked together in the past as teammates and he tested for ECR at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2021, where he made an immediate impact as we were able to qualify one of our cars on the pole following that test. I am confident that his experience and technical abilities will be an asset to ECR as we move forward toward our goals as a team.”

Hunter-Reay has 18 IndyCar victories, most recently in 2018. He also is a winner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, having been a part of winning entries in the 2020 Twelve Hours of Sebring and 2018 Petit Le Mans. Last year, he was an endurance driver for Cadillac Racing while being on standby for Chip Ganassi Racing.

He replaces Daly, whose departure was announced a day earlier in what the driver and team said was a mutual decision.

“I was surprised when I got the call from Ed,” Hunter-Reay said in a team release. “He described how frustrated he was that his team has not been able to realize its potential despite their efforts, investments, as well as technical and personnel changes over the past few years and asked for my help. Ed and I are very close friends and have been for a long time. I’ve worked with the team in the past and they are a very talented group with high expectations and a committed partner in BITNILE.COM.

“This will certainly be a challenge for me as well. It’s a tough situation jumping in a car in the middle of the season without any testing in what I believe to be the most competitive series in the world. Certainly, part of my motivation in saying ‘yes’ to Ed is the great challenge ahead. The last time I turned right driving an NTT IndyCar Series car was in October of 2021 with this team at Barber. However, I remain very confident in both my driving and technical abilities and believe by working with the talented people at ECR and Team Chevy, while representing BITNILE.COM, we will make progress. I am going to do everything I can do to help the team achieve its long-term objectives.”

Said Milton “Todd” Ault, the chairman of sponsor BitNile.com: “It is great for BitNile.com to be aligned with an Indy 500 Winner and an NTT IndyCar Series champion. I have followed Ryan’s career for years and I am confident he will challenge the entire ECR team to perform at higher levels. I wish everyone luck at Road America.”