Daytona 500
Daytona International Speedway, February 26, 2017
Kurt Busch
Winner
200
Laps
40
Entries
18
Leaders
Kurt Busch won the 2017 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 26, 2017, leading 1 of 200 laps. Ryan Blaney finished second; A.J. Allmendinger rounded out the podium. The race featured 18 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Season
2017
Winner
Leaders
18 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | +7 | Kurt Busch |
| 2 | 36 | +34 | Ryan Blaney |
| 3 | 38 | +35 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 4 | 13 | +9 | Aric Almirola |
| 5 | 33 | +28 | Paul Menard |
| 6 | 15 | +9 | Joey Logano |
| 7 | 26 | +19 | Kasey Kahne |
| 8 | 30 | +22 | Michael Waltrip |
| 9 | 25 | +16 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 10 | 11 | +1 | Trevor Bayne |
| 11 | 39 | +28 | Brendan Gaughan |
| 12 | 16 | +4 | Kyle Larson |
| 13 | 35 | +22 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 14 | 1 | -13 | Chase Elliott |
| 15 | 22 | +7 | Michael McDowell |
| 16 | 27 | +11 | Landon Cassill |
| 17 | 4 | -13 | Denny Hamlin |
| 18 | 17 | -1 | Cole Whitt |
| 19 | 10 | -9 | Austin Dillon |
| 20 | 40 | +20 | Elliott Sadler |
| 21 | 14 | -7 | Ryan Newman |
| 22 | 5 | -17 | Kevin Harvick |
| 23 | 29 | +6 | Joey Gase |
| 24 | 31 | +7 | Corey LaJoie |
| 25 | 20 | -5 | David Ragan |
| 26 | 32 | +6 | Jeffrey Earnhardt |
| 27 | 7 | -20 | Brad Keselowski |
| 28 | 3 | -25 | Jamie McMurray |
| 29 | 19 | -10 | Daniel Suarez |
| 30 | 18 | -12 | Ty Dillon |
| 31 | 23 | -8 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 32 | 6 | -26 | Clint Bowyer |
| 33 | 12 | -21 | Danica Patrick |
| 34 | 24 | -10 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 35 | 37 | +2 | Chris Buescher |
| 36 | 28 | -8 | D.J. Kennington |
| 37 | 2 | -35 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
| 38 | 21 | -17 | Kyle Busch |
| 39 | 34 | -5 | Erik Jones |
| 40 | 9 | -31 | Matt Kenseth |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 18 matched drivers, the model averaged 9.3 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | 10.4 | 2 | +8.4 |
| 3 | A.J. Allmendinger | 22.9 | 3 | +19.9 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 18.5 | 6 | +12.5 |
| 12 | Kyle Larson | 20.1 | 12 | +8.1 |
| 13 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 20.5 | 13 | +7.5 |
| 14 | Chase Elliott | 13.6 | 14 | -0.4 |
| 15 | Michael McDowell | 19.2 | 15 | +4.2 |
| 17 | Denny Hamlin | 15.1 | 17 | -1.9 |
| 19 | Austin Dillon | 21.1 | 19 | +2.1 |
| 23 | Joey Gase | 23.7 | 23 | +0.7 |
| 24 | Corey LaJoie | 23.3 | 24 | -0.7 |
| 27 | Brad Keselowski | 18.5 | 27 | -8.5 |
| 29 | Daniel Suarez | 15.1 | 29 | -13.9 |
| 30 | Ty Dillon | 22.9 | 30 | -7.1 |
| 31 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 18.5 | 31 | -12.5 |
| 34 | Jimmie Johnson | 20.0 | 34 | -14.0 |
| 35 | Chris Buescher | 13.6 | 35 | -21.4 |
| 39 | Erik Jones | 16.0 | 39 | -23.0 |
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
- Kurt Busch: has 47 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 17.6 avg finish (2 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 P2 on the day.
- A.J. Allmendinger: was the biggest surprise, finishing P3 vs predicted P23. Track history: 34 starts, 18.8 avg finish.
Explore More
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2017 Daytona 500?
Kurt Busch won the 2017 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway driving for Richard Childress Racing.
Where was the 2017 Daytona 500 held?
The 2017 Daytona 500 was held at Daytona International Speedway on February 26, 2017.