NASCAR NNCS (BROOKLYN, MI) - STATISTICAL ADVANCE
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Statistical Advance: 3M Performance 400
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 13, 2007) – At Michigan International Speedway last June, Carl Edwards broke a 52-race NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series winless drought, and in the process cemented his status as a legitimate contender for his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship.
He returns to Michigan this Sunday, joining teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth as drivers looking for another win at the 2-mile track.
The Roush Fenway stable has nine wins at Michigan, trailing only the Wood Brothers in victories there. Since the start of 2005, the organization has put up some of the top statistics at MIS. For instance:
Driver Rating 1. Edwards, 114.2 2. Biffle, 109.9 3. Kenseth, 101.4
Average Running Position 1. Edwards, 7.5 2. Biffle, 9.0 10. Kenseth, 14.5
Laps Led 1. Edwards, 137 3. Kenseth, 96 6. Biffle, 77
Fastest Laps Run 1. Biffle, 76 2. Edwards, 74 3. Kenseth, 35
But both Biffle and Kenseth will look to improve on their June Michigan finishes this Sunday. Each struggled through uncharacteristic trouble in the June race – Kenseth finished 42nd after an early accident and Biffle finished 38th.
Selected Driver Highlights – Michigan-specific Note: All driver stats are from Michigan International Speedway. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005. That is why the Loop Data statistics in this release cover the last five races at Michigan.
Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) • Two wins, four top fives, six top 10s • Average finish of 12.8 • Driver Rating of 109.9, second-best • Average Running Position of 9.0, second-best • Series-high 76 Fastest Laps Run • Second-fastest Green Flag Speed • 781 Laps in the Top 15, second-most • 237 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), second-most
Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Light Dodge) • One win, five top 10s • Average finish of 20.3 • Driver Rating of 100.1, fifth-best • Average Running Position of 11.8, fifth-best • 58 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most • Fifth-fastest Green Flag Speed • 694 Laps in the Top 15, fourth-most • 209 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet) • Two top fives, five top 10s; two poles • Average finish of 17.6 • Average Running Position of 11.2, fourth-best • Driver Rating of 99.0, sixth-best • 49 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most • Sixth-fastest Green Flag Speed • 648 Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most • 229 Quality Passes, third-most
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) • One win, four top fives, five top 10s • Average finish of 7.3 • Series-best Driver Rating of 114.2 • Series-best Average Running Position of 7.6 • 74 Fastest Laps Run, second-most • Fastest Green Flag Speed • Series-high 806 Laps in the Top 15 • Series-high 274 Quality Passes
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) • Two wins, 15 top fives, 20 top 10s; four poles • Average finish of 10.0 • Driver Rating of 96.1, eighth-best • Average Running Position of 12.3, sixth-best • 51 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most • 626 Laps in the Top 15, eighth-most • 177 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet) • One top 10 • Average finish of 11.7 • Average Running Position of 13.2, eighth-best • Driver Rating of 91.5, 11th-best • 10th-fastest Green Flag Speed • 65% of his laps in the top 15 (344 total), ninth-highest percentage of any driver
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) • One top five, four top 10s • Average finish of 15.9 • Average Running Position of 9.7, third-best • Driver Rating of 100.6, fourth-best • 64 Fastest Laps Run, third-most • Third-fastest Green Flag Speed • 732 Laps in the Top 15, third-most • 200 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) • Two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s • Average finish of 10.1 • Average Running Position of 14.5, 10th-best • Driver Rating of 101.4, third-best • 35 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most • Fourth-fastest Green Flag Speed • 643 Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most
Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet) • One win, eight top fives, 11 top 10s • Average finish of 13.1 • Driver Rating of 96.2, seventh-best • 40 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most • Seventh-fastest Green Flag Speed • 642 Laps in the Top 15, seventh-most • 181 Quality Passes, seventh-most
At Michigan International Speedway:
History • Michigan International Speedway is located on 1,400-plus acres in the Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan. Groundbreaking took place on Sept. 28, 1967. • There have been 76 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Michigan International Speedway since the first race there in 1969. Other than 1973, which had just one race, there have been two races each season since 1969. • The first Michigan race was 500 miles in length; the second was scheduled for 600. The track was re-measured to 2.04-miles for the last race in 1970 and both races in 1971 – with the race distance being 402 miles. All other Michigan races have been scheduled for 400 miles.
Notebook • Donnie Allison won the first Bud Pole. • The first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race was in 1969, won by Cale Yarborough. • There have been 38 different Bud Pole winners at Michigan. Eighteen drivers have more than one. • There have been 29 different race winners, led by David Pearson (nine). Sixteen drivers have more than one victory. • The race winner has started from the pole 15 times, the most productive starting position. • Sixty-two of 76 races at Michigan have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 47 from the first four spots. However, four of the past seven winners have started outside the top 10. • The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 28th by Tony Stewart in 2001. • The Wood Brothers have won 11 races at Michigan – more than any other car owner. Their last victory was in 1991 with Dale Jarrett as the driver. • There have been 10 different pole winners in the past 12 Michigan races. Bobby Labonte swept the pole at MIS in 2003 and qualifying was canceled in August 2004. • There have been 14 different race winners in the past 16 races at Michigan. Only Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman have repeated as race winners there since August 1999. Both won back-to-back races.
Driver Rating at Michigan
Carl Edwards 114.2 Greg Biffle 109.9 Matt Kenseth 101.4 Jimmie Johnson 100.6 Kurt Busch 100.1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 99.0 Tony Stewart 96.2 Jeff Gordon 96.1 Casey Mears 93.6 Martin Truex Jr. 93.0
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005 and 2006 races (5 total) at Michigan.
Michigan International Speedway Data Race # 23 of 36 (8-19-07) Track Size: 2 miles • Race Length: 400 miles • Banking/Corners: 18 degrees • Banking/Frontstretch: 12 degrees • Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Qualifying/Race Data 2006 pole winner: Jeff Burton (187.936 mph, 38.311 seconds) 2006 race winner: Matt Kenseth, 135.097 mph, 8-20-06) Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (194.232 mph, 37.069 seconds, (6-18-05) Track race record: Dale Jarrett (173.997 mph, 6-13-99)
Estimated Pit Window: Every 40-44 laps, based on fuel mileage.