NASCAR NNCS (DAYTONA) - CHASE UPDATE
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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 Pennsylvania 500 at the Pocono Raceway on August 5.
1 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) The File: • 35 years old, Vallejo, Calif., 79 career wins • Four wins, 13 top fives, 18 top 10s • Five poles • Average finish of 6.4 this season • Led 14 of 20 races for 764 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • Four wins, 14 top fives, 20 top 10s • Two poles • Average finish of 10.4 • Won this season’s Pocono 500 • Led 19 of 29 races for 870 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-best Closer – 80 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 12.1 • Led 12 of 20 races for 721 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • Two wins, three top 10s • Average finish of 2.7 • Finished sixth at this season’s Pocono 500 • Led all three of his races for 283 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 328 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
3 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) The File: • 35 years old from Cambridge, Wis., 15 career wins • One win, seven top fives, 14 top 10s • Average finish of 11.2 • Led 12 of 20 races for 256 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • Three top fives, seven top 10s • Average finish of 14.9 • Finished ninth at this season’s Pocono 500 • Led six of 15 races for 26 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 5,504 laps run on the lead lap
4 – 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, 11 top 10s • Average finish of 12.4 • Led five of 20 races for 27 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • Six top fives, 13 top 10s • Average finish of 17.0 • Finished 13th at this season’s Pocono 500 • Led 15 of 27 races for 104 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 1,128 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green flag conditions), third-most
5 – Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) The File: • 36 years old from Columbus, Ind., 31 career wins • Two wins, six top fives, 13 top 10s • Average finish of 14.2 • Led 14 of 20 races for 831 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • One win, five top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 12.8 • Finished fifth at this season’s Pocono 500 • Led seven of 17 races for 100 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 456 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
6 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) The File: • 27 years old from Columbia, Mo., five career wins • One win, five top fives, seven top 10s • Average finish of 13.2 • Led eight of 20 races for 136 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • One win, two top fives • Average finish of 16.6 • Finished 14th at this season’s Pocono 500 • Led three of five races for 51 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 4,325 Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most
7 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) The File: • 31 years old from Bakersfield, Calif., 11 career victories • One win, four top fives, 10 top 10s • Average finish of 14.9 this season • Led nine of 20 races for 251 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • One top five, four top 10s • Average finish of 16.3 in 13 races • Finished 11th at this season’s Pocono 500 Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 1,755 Green Flag Passes, eighth-best
8 – Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet) The File: • 22 years old from Las Vegas, Nev., four career wins • One win, five top fives, 11 top 10s • Average finish of 14.9 • Led 10 of 20 races for 172 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • One top five, two top 10s • Average finish of 17.0 in five races • Finished eighth in this season’s Pocono 500 Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Fourth-fastest average Green Flag Speed
9 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) The File: • 31 years old from El Cajon, Calif., 27 career wins • Four wins, nine top fives, 11 top 10s • Average finish of 15.2 • Led 12 of 20 races for 763 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s • Average finish of 11.2 • Finish 42nd in this season’s Pocono 500 • Led four of 11 races for 275 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Average Running Position of 9.7, second-best
10 – Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet) The File: • 28 years old from Emporia, Kan. • One top five, 10 top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 15.5 • Led seven of 20 races for 79 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • One top 10 • Average finish of 24.0 • Finished 10th at this season’s Pocono 500 • Led one of three races for eight laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Fifth-best Closer – 31 positions improved over the last 10% of races
11 – 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 17.3 • Led eight of 20 races for 345 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • One top five, two top 10s • Average finish of 12.3 • Finished third in this season’s Pocono 500 • Led on of three races for one lap Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 265 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best
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 17.2 • Led nine of 20 races for 337 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • Three top fives, four top 10s • Average finish of 18.3 • Finished 12th at this season’s Pocono 500 • Led four of 15 races for 89 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 4,386 Laps in the Top 15, third-most
13 – Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) The File: • 28 years old from Las Vegas, Nev., 15 career wins • Three top fives, five top 10s • Average finish of 17.6 • Led 11 of 20 races for 361 laps Pocono Raceway Outlook: • One win, six top fives • Average finish of 15.7 • Finished 16th at this season’s Pocono 500 • Led six of 13 races for 172 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 1,166 Quality Passes
Chase Contenders The Top 12 … And Beyond
Following Race 20 of 36
Weeks Rank Season In Last Driver Driver Points Wins Top 12 Week Rating
1. Jeff Gordon 3,076 4 20 1 109.4 2. Denny Hamlin 2,705 1 18 2 97.5 3. Matt Kenseth 2,699 1 19 3 94.9 4. Jeff Burton 2,633 1 20 4 92.1 5. Tony Stewart 2,624 2 17 6 103.9 6. Carl Edwards 2,582 1 17 5 92.8 7. Kevin Harvick 2,488 1 19 8 88.4 8. Kyle Busch 2,479 1 18 9 97.4 9. Jimmie Johnson 2,469 4 18 7 107.3 10. Clint Bowyer 2,405 0 18 10 83.6 11. Martin Truex Jr. 2,335 1 8 11 87.1 12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.2,217 0 8 12 94.8 ________________________________________________________
ADDITIONAL DRIVERS
13. Kurt Busch 2,204 14. Ryan Newman 2,158 15. Jamie McMurray 2,104 16. Greg Biffle 2,089 17. Mark Martin 2,045 18. J.P. Montoya 2,017 19. Casey Mears 1,979 20. Bobby Labonte 1,952 21. J.J. Yeley 1,917 22. David Ragan 1,859 23. Elliott Sadler 1,817 24. Reed Sorenson 1,790 25. David Stremme 1,766 26. David Gilliland 1,759 27. Robby Gordon 1,757 28. Kasey Kahne 1,727 29. Ricky Rudd 1,688 30. Jeff Green 1,618 31. Sterling Marlin 1,600 32. Tony Raines 1,599 33. Johnny Sauter 1,561 34. Joe Nemechek 1,525 35. Dave Blaney 1,378 36. Kyle Petty 1,239 37. Scott Riggs 1,215 38. Paul Menard 1,162 39. Brian Vickers 999 40. David Reutimann 872 41. Dale Jarrett 835 42. Bill Elliott 730 43. Kenny Wallace 652 44. Ken Schrader 632 45. Ward Burton 610 46. Jeremy Mayfield 473 47. AJ Allmendinger 464 48. Regan Smith 409 49. John Andretti 368 50. Boris Said 346 51. Mike Bliss 325 52. Michael Waltrip 264 53. Mike Wallace 160 54. Terry Labonte 131
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.