NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington
Darlington Raceway — April 12, 2014
Kevin Harvick
Winner
374
Laps
43
Entries
12
Leaders
Kevin Harvick won the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington at Darlington Raceway on April 12, 2014, leading 238 of 374 laps. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished second; Jimmie Johnson rounded out the podium. The race featured 12 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Track
Season
2014
Winner
Leaders
12 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | — | Kevin Harvick |
| 2 | 15 | +13 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
| 3 | 26 | +23 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 4 | 25 | +21 | Matt Kenseth |
| 5 | 19 | +14 | Greg Biffle |
| 6 | 8 | +2 | Kyle Busch |
| 7 | 9 | +2 | Jeff Gordon |
| 8 | 17 | +9 | Kyle Larson |
| 9 | 23 | +14 | Tony Stewart |
| 10 | 7 | -3 | Ryan Newman |
| 11 | 20 | +9 | Austin Dillon |
| 12 | 16 | +4 | Clint Bowyer |
| 13 | 21 | +8 | Carl Edwards |
| 14 | 4 | -10 | Marcos Ambrose |
| 15 | 18 | +3 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 16 | 6 | -10 | Jamie McMurray |
| 17 | 5 | -12 | Brad Keselowski |
| 18 | 31 | +13 | Casey Mears |
| 19 | 10 | -9 | Denny Hamlin |
| 20 | 28 | +8 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 21 | 29 | +8 | Josh Wise |
| 22 | 33 | +11 | Danica Patrick |
| 23 | 24 | +1 | Justin Allgaier |
| 24 | 3 | -21 | Aric Almirola |
| 25 | 35 | +10 | Landon Cassill |
| 26 | 14 | -12 | Brian Vickers |
| 27 | 12 | -15 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 28 | 27 | -1 | David Gilliland |
| 29 | 34 | +5 | Alex Bowman |
| 30 | 38 | +8 | Parker Kligerman |
| 31 | 13 | -18 | Kurt Busch |
| 32 | 32 | — | David Ragan |
| 33 | 41 | +8 | Travis Kvapil |
| 34 | 43 | +9 | Joe Nemechek |
| 35 | 2 | -33 | Joey Logano |
| 36 | 37 | +1 | David Stremme |
| 37 | 22 | -15 | Kasey Kahne |
| 38 | 42 | +4 | Cole Whitt |
| 39 | 40 | +1 | Reed Sorenson |
| 40 | 39 | -1 | Ryan Truex |
| 41 | 11 | -30 | Paul Menard |
| 42 | 30 | -12 | Michael Annett |
| 43 | 36 | -7 | Dave Blaney |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 14 matched drivers, the model averaged 9.8 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Jimmie Johnson | 19.9 | 3 | +16.9 |
| 6 | Kyle Busch | 17.0 | 6 | +11.0 |
| 8 | Kyle Larson | 12.7 | 8 | +4.7 |
| 11 | Austin Dillon | 17.1 | 11 | +6.1 |
| 15 | A.J. Allmendinger | 18.3 | 15 | +3.3 |
| 17 | Brad Keselowski | 11.2 | 17 | -5.8 |
| 18 | Casey Mears | 16.9 | 18 | -1.1 |
| 19 | Denny Hamlin | 8.2 | 19 | -10.8 |
| 20 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 19.9 | 20 | -0.1 |
| 23 | Justin Allgaier | 18.3 | 23 | -4.7 |
| 27 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 15.4 | 27 | -11.6 |
| 29 | Alex Bowman | 13.5 | 29 | -15.5 |
| 35 | Joey Logano | 14.7 | 35 | -20.3 |
| 40 | Ryan Truex | 15.4 | 40 | -24.6 |
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
- Kevin Harvick: has 49 career starts at Darlington Raceway with a 13.0 avg finish (3 wins) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Denny Hamlin: was the model’s top pick based on 41 career starts at Darlington Raceway with a 7.6 avg finish (10 wins), finishing P19 on the day.
- Jimmie Johnson: was the biggest surprise, finishing P3 vs predicted P20. Track history: 29 starts, 16.0 avg finish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington?
Kevin Harvick won the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington at Darlington Raceway.
Where was the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington held?
The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington was held at Darlington Raceway on April 12, 2014.