DAYTONA 500

Daytona International Speedway, February 21, 2016

Denny Hamlin
Winner
200
Laps
40
Entries
15
Leaders

Denny Hamlin won the 2016 DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, 2016, leading 95 of 200 laps. Martin Truex, Jr. finished second; Kyle Busch rounded out the podium. The race featured 15 different leaders.

Race Details
Date
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Season
2016
Winner
Leaders
15 drivers
Pos Start +/- Driver
1 11 +10 Denny Hamlin
2 28 +26 Martin Truex, Jr.
3 4 +1 Kyle Busch
4 9 +5 Kevin Harvick
5 10 +5 Carl Edwards
6 5 -1 Joey Logano
7 14 +7 Kyle Larson
8 27 +19 Regan Smith
9 21 +12 Austin Dillon
10 8 -2 Kurt Busch
11 38 +27 Ryan Newman
12 34 +22 Aric Almirola
13 13 Kasey Kahne
14 2 -12 Matt Kenseth
15 39 +24 Michael McDowell
16 26 +10 Jimmie Johnson
17 6 -11 Jamie McMurray
18 37 +19 Paul Menard
19 7 -12 Ryan Blaney
20 25 +5 Brad Keselowski
21 30 +9 A.J. Allmendinger
22 19 -3 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
23 24 +1 Landon Cassill
24 35 +11 Brian Scott
25 12 -13 Ty Dillon
26 18 -8 Brian Vickers
27 22 -5 Michael Annett
28 23 -5 Trevor Bayne
29 29 David Ragan
30 36 +6 Michael Waltrip
31 33 +2 Bobby Labonte
32 32 Casey Mears
33 31 -2 Clint Bowyer
34 15 -19 Greg Biffle
35 16 -19 Danica Patrick
36 3 -33 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
37 1 -36 Chase Elliott
38 40 +2 Robert Richardson Jr.
39 17 -22 Chris Buescher
40 20 -20 Matt DiBenedetto
Model Performance

How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 15 matched drivers, the model averaged 10.5 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average

Pos Driver Predicted Actual Delta
1 Denny Hamlin 15.1 1 +14.1
2 Martin Truex, Jr. 20.5 2 +18.5
6 Joey Logano 18.5 6 +12.5
7 Kyle Larson 20.1 7 +13.1
9 Austin Dillon 21.1 9 +12.1
15 Michael McDowell 19.2 15 +4.2
16 Jimmie Johnson 20.0 16 +4.0
19 Ryan Blaney 10.4 19 -8.6
20 Brad Keselowski 18.5 20 -1.5
21 A.J. Allmendinger 22.9 21 +1.9
22 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 18.5 22 -3.5
25 Ty Dillon 22.9 25 -2.1
32 Casey Mears 20.0 32 -12.0
37 Chase Elliott 13.6 37 -23.4
39 Chris Buescher 13.6 39 -25.4

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

  • Denny Hamlin: has 50 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 18.0 avg finish (4 wins) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
  • Ryan Blaney: was the model’s top pick based on 26 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 16.5 avg finish (2 wins), finishing P19 on the day.
  • Martin Truex, Jr.: was the biggest surprise, finishing P2 vs predicted P21. Track history: 40 starts, 21.7 avg finish.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the 2016 DAYTONA 500?
Denny Hamlin won the 2016 DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
Where was the 2016 DAYTONA 500 held?
The 2016 DAYTONA 500 was held at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, 2016.