The 2014 Daytona 500, the 56th running of the event, was held on February 23, 2014 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 200 laps and on the asphalt tri-oval, it was the first race of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Dale Earnhardt Jr., driving for Hendrick Motorsports, won the race, making this his second Daytona 500 victory breaking a 55-race winless streak. Denny Hamlin finished 2nd, while Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the Top 5. This race had seven cautions and 42 lead changes among 18 different drivers. The top rookies of this race were polesitter Austin Dillon (9th), Alex Bowman (23rd), and Brian Scott (25th).
Background
Daytona International Speedway is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Michigan International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees. Jimmie Johnson was the defending race winner.
In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, USCC, SCCA, and Motocross. The track features multiple layouts including the primary high speed tri-oval, a sports car course, a motorcycle course, and a karting and motorcycle flat-track. The track's infield includes the Lake Lloyd, which has hosted powerboat racing. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The track was built to host racing that was being held by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. at the former Daytona Beach Road Course and opened with the first Daytona 500 in 1959. The speedway has been renovated three times, with the infield renovated in 2004, and the track repaved in 1978 and 2010.
This was the 56th running of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in all of NASCAR. This race also saw the Sprint Cup Series debut of five drivers of the eight in the 2014 rookie class. It also marked Terry Labonte's 32nd and final start in the Daytona 500. His 32 starts in the race are second all-time to Dave Marcis and his 33 starts. This edition of the race turned out to be Marcos Ambrose’s final start in the Daytona 500.
Entry list The entry list for the 2014 Daytona 500 was released on Friday, February 14, 2014 at 1:45 p.m. Eastern time. Forty-nine drivers were entered to qualify for the race.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Jamie McMurray (W) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick (W) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 7 Michael Annett Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 16 Greg Biffle Roush-Fenway Racing Ford 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush-Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Matt Kenseth (W) Joe Gibbs Racing Ford 21 Trevor Bayne (W) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Alex Bowman (R) BK Racing Toyota 24 Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26 Cole Whitt (R) Swan Racing Toyota 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 30 Parker Kligerman (R) Swan Racing Toyota 31 Ryan Newman (W) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32 Terry Labonte Go FAS Racing Ford 33 Brian Scott Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 35 Eric McClure Front Row Motorsports Ford 36 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 40 Landon Cassill Circle Sport Chevrolet 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 42 Kyle Larson (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Justin Allgaier (R) HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 52 Bobby Labonte HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 66 Michael Waltrip (W) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 77 Dave Blaney Randy Humphrey Racing Ford 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 83 Ryan Truex (R) BK Racing Toyota 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 93 Morgan Shepherd BK Racing Toyota 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 99 Carl Edwards Roush-Fenway Racing Ford Official Entry List Key Meaning (R) Rookie (W) Past winner
Practice
First practice February 15 Paul Menard was the fastest in the first practice session on February 15 with a time of 46.144 and a speed of .
Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 46.144 195.042 2 31 Ryan Newman (W) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 46.192 194.839 3 20 Matt Kenseth (W) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 46.258 194.561Official first practice results
Second practice February 15 Ryan Newman was the fastest in the second practice session later that day with a time of 46.072 and a speed of .
Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 31 Ryan Newman (W) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 46.072 195.346 2 3 Austin Dillon (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 46.104 195.211 3 42 Kyle Larson (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 46.217 194.734Official second practice results
Qualifying
Rookie Austin Dillon won the pole position with a lap time of 45.914 and a speed of , while Martin Truex Jr. was second. "This is awesome," Dillon said. "It is all for our guys, and this guy right here Danny Lawrence, (head engine builder at RCR), it is his birthday. So we got him a one-two start at Daytona! That is pretty awesome." "It's a tremendous amount of motivation for us and momentum for us," said Gil Martin, Dillon's crew chief. "I mean, because every day you drive onto our complex, you see Richard's '3' and you see the heritage of that 3 there, so to be able to be a part of this, it's a dream come true for me, and I know it is for everybody in our whole team and our whole organization because I've watched Austin come from being a little guy to where he's at today, and it's been an amazing journey to watch. And to be a part of it now, I'm looking forward to it. I think it's going to be a great run."
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 45.914 196.019 2 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 45.953 195.852 3 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 45.961 195.818 4 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 45.986 195.712 5 31 Ryan Newman (W) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 45.987 195.707 6 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 46.084 195.296 7 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet46.104 195.211 8 24 Jeff Gordon (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 46.144 195.042 9 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 46.153 195.004 10 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 46.173 194.91911 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 46.179 194.89412 33 Brian Scott (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 46.207 194.77613 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 46.235 194.65814 48 Jimmie Johnson (W) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 46.240 194.63715 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 46.253 194.58216 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 46.253 194.58217 20 Matt Kenseth (W) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 46.255 194.57418 7 Michael Annett (R) Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 46.255 194.57419 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 46.262 194.54420 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 46.267194.52321 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 46.272 194.50222 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 46.278 194.47723 4 Kevin Harvick (W) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 46.291 194.42224 42 Kyle Larson (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 46.294 194.41025 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 46.301 194.38026 21 Trevor Bayne (W) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 46.312 194.33427 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 46.366 194.10828 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 46.373 194.07829 36 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 46.376 194.06630 51 Justin Allgaier (R) HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 46.436 193.81531 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 46.455 193.73632 40 Landon Cassill Hillman Racing Chevrolet 46.456 193.73233 30 Parker Kligerman (R) Swan Racing Toyota 46.489 193.59434 66 Michael Waltrip (W) Identity Ventures Racing Toyota 46.529 193.42835 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 46.544 193.36536 35 Eric McClure (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 46.655 192.90537 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 46.681 192.79838 1 Jamie McMurray (W) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 46.706 192.69539 26 Cole Whitt (R) Swan Racing Toyota 46.744 192.53840 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 46.795 192.32841 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 46.804 192.29142 32 Terry Labonte Go FAS Racing Ford 46.842 192.13543 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 46.860 192.06144 52 Bobby Labonte HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 46.999 191.49345 87 Joe Nemechek Identity Ventures Racing Toyota 47.249190.48046 83 Ryan Truex (R) BK Racing Toyota 47.282 190.34747 23 Alex Bowman (R) BK Racing Toyota 47.447 189.68548 93 Morgan Shepherd BK Racing Toyota 47.483 189.54249 77 Dave Blaney Randy Humphrey Racing Ford No time No speedOfficial qualifying results
Practice (post-qualifying)
Third practice February 19 A. J. Allmendinger was the fastest in the third practice session on February 19 with a time of 45.096 and a speed of . During the session, Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth made contact, which sent rookie Parker Kligerman into the catchfence and caused his car to land on its roof. As a result, Logano, Kligerman, Menard and Ryan Truex had to switch to backup cars for the Budweiser Duels. Dave Blaney withdrew from the race after his team was unable to secure another car.
Kligerman stated that it was the first flip of his career, and that he "assumed it would be rougher. It was pretty soft. I was up in the fence floating along. Then it just slid over softly". Logano stated that Kenseth had "started making a move to go down" and that he "was making the run, and I was going to fill that hole. He started to come back up and I was there".
Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 45.096 199.574 2 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 45.152 199.327 3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 45.350 198.456Official third practice results
Budweiser Duels
Race One