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NASCAR SNCS (DAYTONA) - Chase For The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup


PHOTO

: Lowe's Motor Speedway

Below is a look at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 12 going into the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Oct. 13.

1– Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) The File: • 36 years old, Vallejo, Calif., 80 career wins • Five wins, 18 top fives, 24 top 10s this year • Six poles • Average finish of 7.7 • Led 20 of 30 races for 1,040 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • Four wins, 13 top fives, 15 top 10s; seven poles • Average finish of 17.3 • Finished 41st at LMS in May • Led 19 of 29 races for 460 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-best Average Running Position of 9.3

2– Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) The File: • 32 years old from El Cajon, Calif., 29 career wins • Six wins, 16 top fives, 19 top 10s; three poles • Average finish of 12.1 • Led 18 of 30 races for 974 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • Five wins, eight top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles • Average finish of 6.2 • Finished 10th in May • Led 11 of 12 races for 1,039 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 747 Fastest Laps Run

3 – Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet) The File: • 28 years old from Emporia, Kan., one career win • One win, four top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles • Average finish of 13.7 • Led 11 of 30 races for 307 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • Average finish of 23.7 • Finished 29th in May • Led one of three races for three laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Fifth-best Closer – 46 positions improved over the last 10% of races

4 – Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) The File: • 36 years old from Columbus, Ind., 32 career wins • Three wins, 10 top fives, 21 top 10s • Average finish of 12.6 • Led 20 of 30 races for 980 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • One win, six top fives, 10 top 10s • Average finish of 13.2 • Finished sixth in May • Led nine of 17 races for 530 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 587 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

5 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) The File: • 31 years old from Bakersfield, Calif., 11 career victories • One win, four top fives, 12 top 10s • Average finish of 15.5 this season • Led 11 of 30 races for 270 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • One top five, three top 10s • Average finish of 20.2 • Finished 21st in May • Led two of 13 races for two laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Tied for third-best Closer – 52 positions improved over the last 10% of races

6– Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) The File: • 28 years old from Columbia, Mo., seven career wins • Three wins, eight top fives, 12 top 10s • Average finish of 13.7 • Led 11 of 30 races for 428 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • Two top fives, four top 10s • Average finish of 7.8 • Finished 15th in May • Led four of five races for 34 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 6,238 Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most

7– Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) The File: • 29 years old from Las Vegas, Nev., 17 career wins • Two wins, five top fives, 11 top 10s • Average finish of 15.4 • Led 17 of 30 races for 747 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • Two top fives • Average finish of 22.1 • Finished 32nd in May • Led six of 14 races for 161 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 1,630 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green flag conditions)

8– Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet) The File: • 22 years old from Las Vegas, Nev., four career wins • One win, eight top fives, 16 top 10s • Average finish of 14.9 • Led 15 of 30 races for 296 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • One top 10 • Average finish of 29.1 • Finished 30th in May • Led four of seven races for 67 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Fifth-fastest average Green Flag Speed

9 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet) The File: • 26 years old, Chesterfield, Va., three career wins • One win, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 13.5 • Led 15 of 30 races for 839 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • Three top 10s • Average finish of 13.5 • Finished ninth in May • Led three of four races for 27 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 422 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

10 – Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) The File: • 27 years old from Mayetta, N.J., one career win • One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s • Average finish of 16.9 • Led 13 of 30 races for 355 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • One top 10 • Average finish of 18.6 • Finished 16th in May • Led one of four races for four laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 2,682 Green Flag Passes

11 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) The File: • 35 years old from Cambridge, Wis., 15 career wins • One win, eight top fives, 17 top 10s • Average finish of 13.9 • Led 16 of 30 races for 529 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • One win, five top fives, seven top 10s • Average finish of 14.6 • Finished 12th in May • Led 11 of 16 races for 219 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 8,009 laps run on the lead lap

12 – Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) The File: • 40 years old from South Boston, Va., 19 career wins • One win, seven top fives, 13 top 10s • Average finish of 15.1 • Led six of 30 races for 28 laps Lowe’s Motor Speedway Outlook: • Two wins, six top fives, 12 top 10s • Average finish of 15.6 • Finished 24th in May • Led seven of 27 races for 369 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 2,472 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

The Chase Is On The Top 12 Following 4 Chase Races (30 of 36 races overall)

Weeks Rank Season In Last Driver Driver Points Wins Top 12 Week Rating

1. Jeff Gordon 5,690 5 30 2 108.1 2. Jimmie Johnson 5,681 6 28 1 107.8 3. Clint Bowyer 5,627 1 28 3 87.1 4. Tony Stewart 5,536 3 27 4 103.5 5. Kevin Harvick 5,488 1 29 5 87.2 6. Carl Edwards 5,485 3 27 7 93.5 7. Kurt Busch 5,475 2 14 9 99.2 8. Kyle Busch 5,430 1 28 6 95.8 9. Denny Hamlin 5,428 1 28 12 97.6 10. Martin Truex Jr. 5,390 1 18 8 87.2 11. Matt Kenseth 5,372 1 29 11 92.8 12. Jeff Burton 5,354 1 30 10 86.6 ___________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL DRIVERS

13. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3,421 34. Paul Menard 1,993 14. Ryan Newman 3,306 35. Joe Nemechek 1,955 15. Casey Mears 3,305 36. Kyle Petty 1,795 16. Greg Biffle 3,303 37. Scott Riggs 1,765 17. Jamie McMurray 2,950 38. Brian Vickers 1,700 18. Bobby Labonte 2,935 39. Sterling Marlin 1,600 19. J.J. Yeley 2,934 40. David Reutimann 1,568 20. J.P. Montoya 2,904 41. Dale Jarrett 1,244 21. Kasey Kahne 2,843 42. Bill Elliott 1,156 22. David Ragan 2,801 43. Kenny Wallace 1,066 23. Reed Sorenson 2,771 44. Ken Schrader 932 24. Elliott Sadler 2,678 45. Ward Burton 856 25. David Stremme 2,654 46. AJ Allmendinger 823 26. Mark Martin 2,612 47. Jeremy Mayfield 809 27. Robby Gordon 2,574 48. Michael Waltrip 776 28. Jeff Green 2,553 49. John Andretti 752 29. David Gilliland 2,486 50. Regan Smith 516 30. Tony Raines 2,404 51. Boris Said 510 31. Johnny Sauter 2,398 52. Mike Bliss 325 32. Dave Blaney 2,220 53. Ron Fellows 283 33. Ricky Rudd 2,017 54. P.J. Jones 267

Note: The first 26 races of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season determine which 12 drivers qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, contested over the final 10 races of the season.