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The Sprint Unlimited is an annual invitation-only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series exhibition event held at Daytona International Speedway in February, the weekend before the Daytona 500. It is the first competitive event of the season and serves as a kickoff event for the NASCAR portion of Speedweeks. The event was originally known as the Busch Clash, and consisted of a 20-lap/50-mile, "all-out sprint" for the previous season's pole position winners (considered the ''de facto'' "fastest drivers on the circuit"). In its current format, it is made up of three segments, culminating in a 20-lap sprint to the finish. Like the All-Star Race held at Charlotte, the race awards no championship points but instead offers a large cash purse – circumstances which are supposed to encourage an all-out driving style not seen in regular-season races. As of 2015, the field consists of the 25 drivers who were a part of the Chase the previous season, as well as pole winners from the previous season, former Daytona 500 pole winners, former Sprint Unlimited winners, and the Chase contenders. The starting lineup is determined by random draw, not by time trials as all other races are determined, In 2016, the race will change back to the Busch Clash. The defending winner of the Unlimited is Matt Kenseth after winning in 2015. ==Background and history== The event was first known as the Busch Clash and was the brain child of Monty Roberts. Roberts was the brand manager of the newly formed Busch Beer (which had formerly been ''Busch Bavarian Beer''). And the race was seen as a way to promote the new brand. Roberts had been successful introducing Mercury into racing while working at Ford, and had also been a part of Ontario Motor Speedway. His experiences led him to believe that racing fans were loyal brand followers. The initial format was set up as a 50-mile sprint race, with no pit stops, with a field consisting of the previous season's pole position winners. Inviting the fastest drivers from the previous season, headlined the event as the "fastest race" of the season. The race established an incentive for drivers to earn pole positions during the NASCAR season, which up to that time, still offered relatively tiny cash prizes. Likewise, at no time have pole winners earned bonus championship points. The event was also seen as a way to expand the Speedweeks activities leading up to the Daytona 500. Previously, the weekend before the Daytona 500 featured only minor support events, and the Winston Cup competitors ordinarily would not have taken to the track until Wednesday. The Busch Clash allowed the Winston Cup regulars to kick off the week live on CBS. The 1987 race, won by Bill Elliott was completed at an average speed of 197.802 mph. It stands as the fastest sanctioned race in the history of NASCAR (though it was not an official points-paying event). The 2013 race (renamed the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona) introduced a new format incorporating the results of fan voting into certain aspects of the race.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sprint Unlimited」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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