2014 Sprint Unlimited Preview

"RJ Turnbull" (rodrant64) 02/12/2014 at 05:08 • Filed to: NASCAR, Sprint Cup, Sprint Unlimited, racing, motorsports

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The official start of the 2014 Sprint Cup Series season isn't until next weekend with the running of the Daytona 500, but this weekend marks the unofficial start as the Sprint Unlimited gives 2013 polesitters and former Unlimited/Bud Shootout/Busch Clash champions an extra opportunity during Speedweeks to all wreck each other!

Twenty drivers are eligible to run the race, (17 through winning poles, 3 by being former winners), and 18 have entered. Ken Schrader and Mark Martin are the two not running, and Mark's absence is notable in that he holds the record for the most Unlimited starts with 24 (1982, 1989-2008, 2010-11, 2013).

If Terry Labonte and the #32 Go FAS Racing team decide to start and park again this year (yes, they pulled a start-and-park in a season-opening exhibition race) then the competitive field will consist of 17 teams.

There's 9 former winners in the field, including 5 multiple time winners. Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart's 3 wins tie them with Dale Jarrett for 2nd all time, and a win by either would put them into sole possession of 2nd and 2 wins back of Dale Earnhardt's record of 6 Unlimited wins. Stewart stands out as not just the best active driver in the Unlimited but 2nd all time based on overall stats; his 10 top 5's and 119 laps led rank 2nd all time while his 4.7 average finish is 2nd only to Earnhardt among drivers with 10 or more starts. Harvick is the defending race winner and stands to become the first driver to win back-to-back Unlimiteds twice and make it 4 wins in the last 6 seasons (2009-10) which might be enough to leapfrog Stewart on the all time Unlimited power rankings.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s always a favorite to win at Daytona, even though his 2008 Unlimited win is his only Cup win at the track since he won the Daytona 500 back in 2004. And his track record in the Unlimited since that '08 win has consisted of 2 finishes of 11th and 8th and 3 wrecks (15.2 average finish).

Nine drivers will attempt to become the 21st different driver to win the Unlimited, including 2 sophomore drivers who won poles as rookies in 2013. Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who are also the only Unlimited debutants this year. Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006, only rookie to win), are the only ones to date who've won in their first Unlimited start (not counting the inaugural event), and of course another plate track race gives Danica another one of her best chances of becoming the first female driver to win a NASCAR national touring series race. Even if it doesn't count as an actual win.

Three drivers will make their debuts for their new organizations for 2014: Kevin Harvick (#4) and Kurt Busch (#41) for Stewart Haas Racing, and Ryan Newman (#31) for Richard Childress Racing. Bobby Allison in 1982 with DiGard, Neil Bonnett in 1983 with Junior Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2008 with Hendrick Motorsports are the only prior 3 who've won the Unlimited in their debuts with a new team. With Kurt being a former Unlimited winner (2011), Ryan Newman being a former Daytona 500 winner (2008), and Harvick being Harvick, there's a reasonable chance that one of them will make it 4.

As the first restrictor plate track race of the season, the Unlimited's where we get to see the debut of new rules packages. The rear spoilers have had half an inch added to them for 2014 in the plate races, up to 5" from 4.5" in 2013. The extra downforce is so the cars will be more stable in the pack, so we'll get to see how much, if any, it'll affect the on-track product.

Other notes:

Brad Keselowski only has one prior Unlimited start, a 4th place finish in 2012, but has 2 wins in 10 Talladega starts (14.2 avg fin) and finished 4th in last year's Daytona 500. So he'll be in the mix to get Ford their first Unlimited win since Dale Jarrett won for Yates Racing in 2004.

Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in the race with 20 Unlimited starts, but his 2 wins came back in the Busch Clash days in 1994 and 1997. He finished runner-up in 2000 and 2003 but in the last 8 races he has a best finish of 4th and an 11.8 avg fin.

Hurting Ford's chances of an Unlimited win is that Joey Logano (14.8 in 5 starts) and Carl Edwards (13.5 in 7 starts) rank in the bottom two among this year's drivers in average finish. Carl's had 2 DNF's but that includes a crash in 2010 after leading 42 laps, while Logano finished 3rd in last year's race in his Penske Racing debut.

Matt Kenseth is a two time Daytona 500 winner and has 3 restricor plate wins total in his career, but his best Unlimited finish was 3rd in his first start back in 2003; since then his best finish is 5th (2013) with an 11.5 avg fin.

desertdog5051 > RJ Turnbull 02/12/2014 at 10:34

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"If Terry Labonte and the #32 Go FAS Racing team decide to start and park again this year (yes, they pulled a start-and-park in a season-opening exhibition race) then the competitive field will consist of 17 teams".

It is sad that teams that are underfunded and really have no chance to win do that. But, the money is what drives them. It makes a lot of sense to just take the money and run.

Triborough > RJ Turnbull 02/12/2014 at 21:13

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So are they going to have the drivers talk on the phone whilst making left turns?

Axel-Ripper > RJ Turnbull 02/12/2014 at 21:35

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1.) Its likely Labonte will S&P, as that's probably their 500 primary car.

2.) Will be interesting with the Fords as they've got a new front end this year.

3.) Will also be interesting with Smoke. His first time back in a racecar will be Friday during practice. He hasn't even tested in the offseason. He literally gets Friday practice and then the Unlimited.

4.) I'm all about an SHR 1-2-3-4.

pisswizard69 > Triborough 02/12/2014 at 21:48

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edgy and fresh nascar joke. so fresh.

Clay_T > RJ Turnbull 02/12/2014 at 21:50

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"Danica another one of her best chances of becoming the first female driver to win a NASCAR national touring series race. Even if it doesn't count as an actual win."

If by chance she stumbles into a first place finish, I can't imagine it would being any less significant than her Indy car win.

We'll see how my date with Jennifer Aniston goes before we predict a Danica victory any time soon.

LXA_KA_1287 > Axel-Ripper 02/12/2014 at 22:06

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Ford's nose change was very minor. No aero advantage or anything. I think it was mostly to help alleviate debris issues.

LXA_KA_1287 > desertdog5051 02/12/2014 at 22:09

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However, there are stories of Start and Park teams that have been able to become true NASCAR forces. For example, Front Row Motorsports used to just slap the owner's restaurant logos on the hood, and on some occasions start and park three cars. Now they have a Cup win sponsorship money (albeit limited). The smaller teams are able to focus on the "most winnable" races, and potentially grow the sport with a win or two. It was originally figured that bayne may get to go full time with his Cup win, but that never happened (and wouldn't have with his prolonged sickness that year).

F1guy hates duck billed F1 cars > RJ Turnbull 02/12/2014 at 22:45

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Mark Martin is the Stirling Moss of NASCAR.

Finally, I said it. I wish he'd take a competitive car and make a run at Johnson. He's got the skills.

dataPOG > RJ Turnbull 02/12/2014 at 23:42

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What's funny is the race is called the Sprint Unlimited, and they are using restrictor plates...

ItshouldahadaV8 > F1guy hates duck billed F1 cars 02/12/2014 at 23:49

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He raced on john sons team for some odd number of years, never managed a challenge to him

sammyjay > RJ Turnbull 02/13/2014 at 00:45

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Been waiting since I was 8 for it to be Jr's year. That's 14 years. It was so close last year too...oh well, guy's still one of the coolest on the circuit.

Steve Is Here! > RJ Turnbull 02/13/2014 at 00:50

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Steve believes that Sprint is misleading and this preview is indeed limited to Dec. 31 2014!

kschang > RJ Turnbull 02/13/2014 at 01:09

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Wonder how the "new" rear spoiler affects drafting?

I drove the IMS X times in RR3 and it's one WEIRD track. Looks simple, but doing it at speed is crazy. Gives me new respect to the NASCAR drivers. Even superexotics can't do NASCAR speeds on those tracks without special setup.

For Sweden > Axel-Ripper 02/13/2014 at 01:43

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Smoke might get scared and quit. I hope you have your race suit ready, Ricky Bobby.

ramajastang > sammyjay 02/13/2014 at 03:09

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Well it's not all his fault though. He lost some years with bad team management crippling him mechanically. Once he moved to a new team, he's picked up but it may be too little too late for him to become a legend like his dad was. His dad was my favorite driver prior to his death.

sammyjay > ramajastang 02/13/2014 at 03:32

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I feel no ill will towards Jr. and have tried to not compare him to his father. That's such a standard to be held up to that it's practically impossible, look at Kyle Petty.

Jr. is a hell of a restrictor plate driver and a good fast track and road course driver too, it just seems that luck is never on his side, or someone is having a career day when he's this close.

ramajastang > sammyjay 02/13/2014 at 03:48

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Well when he came in to the big league and his dad was still around, he did alright, but after Sr. died, and all the BS that went on with DEI and the team and such afterwards, he really got kind of shafted. He could have been alot better during those years but got put into a situation where he was trying to run a NASCAR race in a childs pedal car with a go kart motor haphazardly duct taped to it.

He's a good driver and a good guy and getting out of that situation and into a team that knows what to do with a good driver was the best thing for him, and it's showing since he's getting better results on the track since then.

I didn't mean to compare him to his dad, just saying that he could have been better had he had the tools at the right time and really made a big mark on the sport like his dad did.

fritzo > RJ Turnbull 02/13/2014 at 07:21

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It's the Sprint Unlimited!*

*cars speed will be reduced after the first 5 laps

pfftballer > dataPOG 02/13/2014 at 08:23

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Hell yeah that's funny. I think they should remove the restrictor plates for this race.

pfftballer > sammyjay 02/13/2014 at 08:25

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Yeah but compared to Kyle Petty he is a much better person on and off the track so there's that.