Preview

Race fans are determining the competition format for the first time in this event's history. In a fan vote that closed on Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET, the three segments for the scheduled 75-lap race were set at 30 laps, 25 laps and 20 laps. The other two options for the segment lengths included: 40 laps, 20 laps and 15 laps or 35, 30 and 10.

Fans still have an opportunity to vote on two other competition elements of the race. They have until the green flag drops for the start of the event to vote for the type of pit stop each team must make following the first segment (30 laps). The options include: no pit stop, two-tire change or four-tire change. Fans also have until the start of the second segment to vote for the number of cars that will be eliminated after the second segment (25 laps). The choices are: none, two, four or six.

Votes for the remaining two categories can be cast on NASCAR's new mobile app, NASCAR Mobile '13, or at NASCAR.com/SprintUnlimited.

Twenty-two drivers are eligible for this year's Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, but 19 drivers are posted on NASCAR's preliminary entry list for this event. Those eligible are pole winners during the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season or past champions of the pre-season race at Daytona. A.J. Allmendinger, Bill Elliott and Ken Schrader have eligibility but are not on the entry list.

On Tuesday, officials from Daytona International Speedway announced that the fans will play even a bigger role in determining the format of this race. Fans will now be able to decide the starting lineup. Their three options for the lineup include: number of career wins for each driver (most to least), 2012 Sprint Cup final driver point standings or the order when drivers earned their pole position last season (Daytona 500 first place - season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway last place).

Voting for the starting lineup will take place on the day of the race from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET. Fans can cast their vote through a digital app at one of four Daytona Rewards Stations on the speedway's property or through texting.

The top-two drivers in the final 2012 Sprint Cup point standings -- Brad Keselowski and Clint Bowyer -- are not eligible for this race. Neither driver won a pole last year nor have they won a past preseason event at Daytona.

Mark Martin is expected to make his 24th appearance in the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, which will set a record for most starts in this race. Bill Elliott and Martin currently have 23 starts. Martin had appeared in the most consecutive preseason races with 20 (1989-2008). With his start in this year's event, Jeff Gordon will tie Martin with 20 straight appearances.

There have been eight drivers who have won this race multiple times. They are: Dale Earnhardt, Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart, Neil Bonnett, Ken Schrader, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick. Dale Earnhardt holds the record for most wins with six (1980, '86, '88, '91, '93 and '95).

Just five times in the 34-year history of this race has the winner gone on to win the Daytona 500: Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987), Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000) and Jeff Gordon (1997). Two drivers have won the preseason race and then gone on to capture the Daytona 500 pole and win the Daytona 500 during SpeedWeeks. Elliott did it in 1987, and Jarrett did so in 2000.

Kyle Busch won this race last year. Busch edged Tony Stewart to the finish line by 0.013 seconds, making it the closest margin in the history of this event.

The 2013 Sprint Cup points season kicks off with the 55th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 24. Matt Kenseth won last year's race, which was postponed one day due to rain.