Expanded 2015 Sprint Unlimited Field to Feature Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers
Former Daytona 500 Pole Winners Also Added to Season-Opening Showcase at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 15, 2014) – Coming off an exciting 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup finale, NASCAR announced today all 16 Chase drivers will be eligible to compete in the 2015 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). The 75-lap, non-points race will once again kick off the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing season Saturday, Feb. 14 (FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and will feature an expanded field of drivers based on new eligibility requirements.
A minimum of 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers are eligible to participate in the Sprint Unlimited at DIS. In addition to the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup participants, the field also will include 2014 Coors Light Pole Award winners, as well as former Sprint Unlimited race winners and Daytona 500 pole winners who competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full time in 2014. Any remaining spots will be filled by drivers highest in 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship points who are not already eligible.
“The 2015 Sprint Unlimited has potential to be one of the most competitive ever,” said NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell. “With more drivers eligible, the intensity level increases for our fans and competitors, making for a compelling start to the 2015 season.”
The 2015 eligible participants include:
· Kyle Busch (2014 pole winner)
· Austin Dillon (2014 pole winner)
· Jeff Gordon (2014 pole winner)
· David Gilliland (2014 pole winner)
· Denny Hamlin (2014 pole winner)
· Kevin Harvick (2014 pole winner)
· Jimmie Johnson (2014 pole winner)
· Matt Kenseth (2014 pole winner)
· Brad Keselowski (2014 pole winner)
· Kyle Larson (2014 pole winner)
· Joey Logano (2014 pole winner)
· Jamie McMurray (2014 pole winner)
· Brian Scott (2014 pole winner)
· Tony Stewart (2014 pole winner)
· Brian Vickers* (2014 pole winner)
· Kurt Busch (former Unlimited winner)
· Dale Earnhardt Jr. (former Unlimited winner)
· Carl Edwards (former D500 pole winner)
· Danica Patrick (former D500 pole winner)
· Greg Biffle (former D500 pole winner)
· Martin Truex Jr. (former D500 pole winner)
· Ryan Newman (2014 Chase driver)
· AJ Allmendinger (2014 Chase driver)
· Kasey Kahne (2014 Chase driver)
· Aric Almirola (2014 Chase driver)
(* – Michael Waltrip Racing today announced that Brian Vickers will not be available to race during the early part of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season due to health issues.)
Tickets for the Sprint Unlimited are available online at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can follow @NASCAR and @MissSprintCup on Twitter to engage in the #SprintUnlimited conversation.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and follow NASCAR at www.Facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.
About Sprint
Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company dedicated to delivering the best value in wireless. Sprint served 55 million customers as of September 30, 2014 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America for the last four years. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
Sources: NASCAR PR