Pit Notes for Dodge/Save Mart 350 in Sonoma
Contact: John Cardinale
707-933-3907
Dodge/Save Mart 350 Pit Notes
Entering Race Weekend, June 23-25
SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) - The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Series will visit the Sonoma Valley for the 18th consecutive year with
the Dodge/Save Mart 350, June 23-25. Below are points of interest
regarding previous Cup races at Infineon Raceway for media use:
* Jeff Gordon is the only driver to win four NASCAR Cup races at
Infineon Raceway (1998 - 2000, '04). There have been only four two-time
winners: Ernie Irvan, ('92, '94), Ricky Rudd ('89, '02), Tony Stewart
('01, '05) and Rusty Wallace ('90, '96).
* A total of 10 different drivers have tasted victory on the
Infineon Raceway road course: Ricky Rudd ('89, '02), Rusty Wallace ('90,
'96), Davey Allison ('91), Ernie Irvan ('92, '94), Geoffrey Bodine
('93), Dale Earnhardt ('95), Mark Martin (`97), Jeff Gordon ('98-'00,
'04), Tony Stewart ('01, '05) and Robby Gordon ('03).
* Dale Earnhardt won his first and only NASCAR road-course race
at Infineon Raceway in 1995.
* The largest margin of victory at Infineon Raceway belongs to
Ernie Irvan (1994) by 9.56 seconds.
* The closest margin of victory for a NASCAR race at Infineon
Raceway occurred in 1989 when Ricky Rudd held off Rusty Wallace by .05
seconds.
* Jeff Gordon holds the record for the most poles at Infineon
Raceway with five ('98, '99, '01, '04, '05).
* Ernie Irvan (1994), Mark Martin (1997) and Jeff Gordon (1998,
'99 and 2004) are the only drivers to win a race starting from the pole.
* No NASCAR driver has come from farther back in the field to
win a race than Ernie Irvan in 1992. Irvan, who overcame an early-race
penalty that forced him to the back of the pack (43), passed Terry
Labonte on the inside portion of hairpin Turn 11 with eight laps
remaining to win the race. Irvan had qualified second.
* Michael Waltrip holds the record for most laps completed at
Infineon Raceway. Through 17 races, or 1,554 laps, Waltrip has
completed 1,548.
* There have been 10 different car owners who have claimed
NASCAR victories over the past 17 years at Infineon Raceway: King Racing
('89), Blue Max ('90), Morgan-McClure ('92), Bud Moore ('93), Richard
Childress (`95, '03), Roger Penske ('96), Roush Racing ('97), Rick
Hendrick ('98-'00, '04), Joe Gibbs ('01, '05) and Robert Yates ('91,
'94, '02).
* Terry Labonte and Michael Waltrip share the track record for
the biggest improvement from qualifying to finish at 36 positions. In
2002, Labonte started 39th and finished in 3rd place. Waltrip started
40th and finished 4th in 2004.
* Davey Allison holds the track record for the greatest winning
improvement when he started 13th and went on to win the race in 1991.
* Jeff Gordon is the top money winner with $1,507,217, competing
in 13 of 17 NASCAR events at Infineon Raceway.
* Rusty Wallace holds the record for the most races led at nine
(out of 17 total).
* Jeff Gordon has led eight races for a total of 376 laps, the
most of any driver.
* Jeff Gordon set the qualifying record at Infineon Raceway in
2005 at 94.325 mph. Ricky Rudd set the race record in 2002 at 81.007
mph.
* The Infineon Raceway record for the largest total purse will
be reset in 2006 with drivers taking home $5,362,868.
* Jeff Gordon reset the record for most laps led by a race
winner in 2004 when he led 92 laps on his way to Victory Circle.
* Mark Martin holds the record for the most top-10 finishes at
Infineon Raceway at 13. He has also claimed one victory (1997) and
eight top-five finishes on the road course.
* Six of the top-10 finishers in the 2005 Dodge/Save Mart 350
started farther back than 20th.
* A new track record for the most finishers on the lead lap was
set in 2005, with 34 cars finishing 110 laps.
* The 2005 Dodge/Save Mart 350 tied the record for the most cars
running at the completion of the race. In 1996 and 2005, 42 cars were
running at the checkered flag.
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John Cardinale
VP of Media/Community Relations
Infineon Raceway
Highways 37 &121, Sonoma, CA 95476
wk: 707-933-3907
cell: 707-334-9805
