NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona
Daytona International Speedway — February 25, 2012
James Buescher
Winner
120
Laps
43
Entries
16
Leaders
James Buescher won the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway on February 25, 2012, leading 1 of 120 laps. Brad Keselowski finished second; Elliott Sadler rounded out the podium. The race featured 16 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Season
2012
Winner
Leaders
16 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | +14 | James Buescher |
| 2 | 9 | +7 | Brad Keselowski |
| 3 | 3 | — | Elliott Sadler |
| 4 | 8 | +4 | Cole Whitt |
| 5 | 5 | — | Austin Dillon |
| 6 | 25 | +19 | Tayler Malsam |
| 7 | 29 | +22 | Timmy Hill |
| 8 | 7 | -1 | Tony Stewart |
| 9 | 11 | +2 | Kasey Kahne |
| 10 | 14 | +4 | Kurt Busch |
| 11 | 2 | -9 | Trevor Bayne |
| 12 | 33 | +21 | Benny Gordon |
| 13 | 41 | +28 | Danny Efland |
| 14 | 37 | +23 | Josh Wise |
| 15 | 4 | -11 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
| 16 | 22 | +6 | Joey Logano |
| 17 | 31 | +14 | Blake Koch |
| 18 | 24 | +6 | Kyle Busch |
| 19 | 10 | -9 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 20 | 6 | -14 | Sam Hornish Jr. |
| 21 | 21 | — | Johanna Long |
| 22 | 20 | -2 | Eric McClure |
| 23 | 27 | +4 | Joe Nemechek |
| 24 | 39 | +15 | T.J. Bell |
| 25 | 36 | +11 | Jeremy Clements |
| 26 | 23 | -3 | David Ragan |
| 27 | 16 | -11 | Michael Annett |
| 28 | 28 | — | Mike Wallace |
| 29 | 35 | +6 | Joey Gase |
| 30 | 26 | -4 | Kenny Wallace |
| 31 | 18 | -13 | Ryan Truex |
| 32 | 17 | -15 | Denny Hamlin |
| 33 | 12 | -21 | Justin Allgaier |
| 34 | 42 | +8 | Reed Sorenson |
| 35 | 34 | -1 | Robert Richardson Jr. |
| 36 | 32 | -4 | Casey Roderick |
| 37 | 19 | -18 | Brian Scott |
| 38 | 1 | -37 | Danica Patrick |
| 39 | 13 | -26 | Mike Bliss |
| 40 | 38 | -2 | J.J. Yeley |
| 41 | 40 | -1 | Jason Bowles |
| 42 | 30 | -12 | Johnny Sauter |
| 43 | 43 | — | Jeff Green |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 11 matched drivers, the model averaged 10.4 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | 16.0 | 2 | +14.0 |
| 5 | Austin Dillon | 23.4 | 5 | +18.4 |
| 7 | Timmy Hill | 22.8 | 7 | +15.8 |
| 16 | Joey Logano | 20.5 | 16 | +4.5 |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 15.1 | 18 | -2.9 |
| 19 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 18.5 | 19 | -0.5 |
| 29 | Joey Gase | 23.7 | 29 | -5.3 |
| 31 | Ryan Truex | 20.5 | 31 | -10.5 |
| 32 | Denny Hamlin | 16.0 | 32 | -16.0 |
| 33 | Justin Allgaier | 21.1 | 33 | -11.9 |
| 40 | J.J. Yeley | 25.2 | 40 | -14.8 |
Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.
Historical Context
- James Buescher: has 11 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 16.7 avg finish (1 win) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Kyle Busch: was the model’s top pick based on 69 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 17.3 avg finish (3 wins), finishing P18 on the day.
- Austin Dillon: was the biggest surprise, finishing P5 vs predicted P23. Track history: 36 starts, 14.7 avg finish.
Explore More
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona?
James Buescher won the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.
Where was the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona held?
The 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona was held at Daytona International Speedway on February 25, 2012.