NASCAR NNCS (DAYTONA) - FAST 12 REVIEW TO-DATE
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Below is a look at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 12 along with some other notable drivers, going into the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7.
1 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) The File: • 35-years-old, Vallejo, Calif., 79 career wins • Four wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s • Five poles • Average finish of 6.5 this season • Led 13 of 17 races for 755 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • Six wins, 10 top fives, 16 top 10s; three poles • Average finish of 14.2 • Finished 10th in the Daytona 500 • Led 21 of 29 races for 497 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-best Closer – 78 positions improved over the last 10% of races
2 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet) The File: • 26-years-old, Chesterfield, Va., three career wins • One win, seven top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 9.4 • Led 11 of 17 races for 711 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • Average finish of 25.0 in three races • Finished 28th in the Daytona 500 Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Average Running Position of 10.9, third-best
3 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) The File: • 35-years-old from Cambridge, Wis., 15 career wins • One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s • Average finish of 12.1 • Led 11 of 17 races for 255 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • One top five, five top 10s • Average finish of 20.1 • Finished 27th at the Daytona 500 • Led eight of 15 races for 58 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 4,925 laps run on the lead lap, second-most
4 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) The File: • 31-years-old from El Cajon, Calif., 27 career wins • Four wins, nine top fives, 10 top 10s • Average finish of 12.8 • Led 11 of 17 races for 681 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • One win, five top fives, seven top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 12.2 • Finished 39th at the Daytona 500 • Led five of 11 races for 54 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-best Average Running Position of 8.8
5 – Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) The File: • 40-years-old from South Boston, Va., 19 career wins • One win, six top fives, nine top 10s • Average finish of 12.8 • Led in five of 17 races for 27 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • One win, six top fives, eight top 10s; one • Average finish of 17.0 • Finished third at the Daytona 500 • Led five of 27 races for 91 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 972 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green flag conditions), second-most
6 – Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) The File: • 36-years-old from Columbus, Ind., 29 career wins • Four top fives, 11 top 10s • Average finish of 14.3 • Led 12 of 17 races for 658 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • Two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 17.2 • Finished 43rd at the Daytona 500 • Led nine of 17 races for 515 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 343 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
7 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) The File: • 27-years-old from Columbia, Mo., five career wins • One win, three top fives, five top 10s • Average finish of 14.1 • Led eight of 17 races for 136 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • Average finish of 30.0 • Finished 23rd at the Daytona 500 • Led one of five races for two laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 3,907 Laps in the Top 15, fifth-best
8 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) The File: • 31-years-old from Bakersfield, Calif., 11 career victories • One win, three top fives, eight top 10s • Average finish of 14.9 this season • Led in six of 17 races for 176 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • One win, three top fives, five top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 14.9 • Won the Daytona 500 • Led nine of 12 for 85 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 1,635 Green Flag Passes
9 – Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet) The File: • 22-years-old from Las Vegas, Nev., four career wins • One win, three top fives, nine top 10s • Average finish of 16.4 • Led in eight of 17 races for 135 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • One top five • Average finish of 23.6 • Finished 24th at the Daytona 500 • Led two of five races for nine laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 188 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best
10 – Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) The File: • 27-years-old from Mayetta, N.J., 1 career win • One win, four top fives, seven top 10s • Average finish of 16.6 • Led seven of 17 races for 333 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • Average finish of 27.0 • Finished 29th at the Daytona 500 • Led two of four races for 16 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 254 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best
11 – Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet) The File: • 28-years-old from Emporia, Kan. • One top five, eight top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 16.5 • Led five of 17 races for 23 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • Two top 10s • Average finish of 11.3 in three races • Finished 18th at the Daytona 500 Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Second-best Closer – 43 positions improved over the last 10% of races
12 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet) The File: • 32-years-old from Kannapolis, N.C., 17 career wins • Three top five, seven top 10s • Average finish of 15.1 • Led seven of 17 races for 302 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • Two wins, six top fives, nine top 10s • Average finish of 12.8 • Finished 32nd at the Daytona 500 • Led 10 of 15 races for 319 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 4,006 Laps in the Top 15, third-most
13– Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge) The File: • 29-years-old from South Bend, Ind., 12 career wins • Three top fives, seven top 10s; four poles • Average finish of 19.6 • Led eight of 17 races for 210 laps Daytona International Speedway Outlook: • One top five, two top 10s • Average finish of 20.7 • Finished 38th at the Daytona 500 • Led four of 11 races for 27 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 866 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Chase Contenders The Top 12 … And Beyond
Following Race 17 of 36
Weeks Rank Season In Last Driver Driver Pts Wins Top 12 Week Rating
1. Jeff Gordon 2,613 4 17 1 111.0 2. Denny Hamlin 2,457 1 15 2 102.3 3. Matt Kenseth 2,248 1 15 3 92.8 4. Jimmie Johnson 2,232 4 16 5 109.3 5. Jeff Burton 2,230 1 17 4 92.3 6. Tony Stewart 2,185 0 14 6 102.3 7. Carl Edwards 2,148 1 14 7 93.4 8. Kevin Harvick 2,106 1 16 8 85.8 9. Kyle Busch 2,040 1 15 10 94.4 10. Martin Truex Jr. 2,033 1 5 11 87.1 11. Clint Bowyer 1,986 0 15 9 81.8 12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1,985 0 5 12 97.5 ________________________________________________________
ADDITIONAL DRIVERS
13. Ryan Newman 1,858 14. Jamie McMurray 1,801 15. Kurt Busch 1,749 16. J.J. Yeley 1,701 17. Greg Biffle 1,686 18. Bobby Labonte 1,680 19. J.P. Montoya 1,662 20. Mark Martin 1,662 21. Casey Mears 1,650 22. Elliott Sadler 1,610 23. David Ragan 1,529 24. Robby Gordon 1,527 25. David Stremme 1,523 26. Kasey Kahne 1,479 27. Reed Sorenson 1,466 28. Sterling Marlin 1,463 29. Jeff Green 1,450 30. Ricky Rudd 1,427 31. Tony Raines 1,422 32. David Gilliland 1,402 33. Joe Nemechek 1,376 34. Johnny Sauter 1,328 35. Kyle Petty 1,172 36. Dave Blaney 1,103 37. Scott Riggs 1,099 38. Paul Menard 922 39. Brian Vickers 823 40. Dale Jarrett 753 41. David Reutimann 704 42. Kenny Wallace 559 43. Ken Schrader 544 44. AJ Allmendinger 464 45. Bill Elliott 461 46. Ward Burton 449 47. Regan Smith 409 48. Jeremy Mayfield 388 49. Boris Said 346 50. Mike Bliss 325 51. Michael Waltrip 191 52. John Andretti 180 53. Mike Wallace 160 54. P.J. Jones 127
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.