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NASCAR SNCS (DAYTONA) - Chase For The NASCAR Nextel Cup, Week 4: Talladega Superspeedway


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Below is a look at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 12, going into the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 7.

1 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) The File: • 32 years old from El Cajon, Calif., 29 career wins • Six wins, 15 top fives, 18 top 10s this year • Three poles • Average finish of 12.4 • Led 17 of 29 races for 968 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • One win, three top fives, four top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 19.3 • Finished second in April • Led 10 of 11 races for 180 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 744 Fastest Laps Run

2 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) The File: • 36 years old, Vallejo, Calif., 79 career wins • Four wins, 17 top fives, 23 top 10s; six poles • Average finish of 8.0 • Led 19 of 29 races for 1,039 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • Five wins, 12 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 15.4 • Won the Talladega race in April • Led 23 of 29 races for 800 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-best Average Running Position of 8.7

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 13.8 • Led 10 of 29 races for 306 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • Average finish of 36.7 • Finished 35th in April • Led one of three races for five laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Sixth-best Closer – 35 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, 20 top 10s • Average finish of 12.8 • Led 19 of 29 races for 942 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • Eight top fives, 10 top 10s • Average finish of 12.9 • Finished 28th in April • Led 11 of 17 races for 145 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 586 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 15.4 this season • Led 10 of 29 races for 269 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • Three top fives, seven top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 13.0 • Finished sixth in April • Led seven of 13 races for 54 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Fourth-best Closer – 48 positions improved over the last 10% of races

6 – 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 14.2 • Led 14 of 29 races for 295 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • Average finish of 30.8 • Finished 37th in April • Led one of five races for 10 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Fifth-fastest average Green Flag Speed

7 – 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 29 races for 428 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • One top five, three top 10s • Average finish of 23.0 • Finished 42nd in April • Led two of six races for nine laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 6,218 Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most

8 – 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 16.0 • Led 12 of 29 races for 354 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • One top five, two top 10s • Average finish of 20.0 • Finished 10th in April • Led one of five races for two laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 2,511 Green Flag Passes

9 – Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) The File: • 29 years old from Las Vegas, Nev., 17 career wins • Two wins, five top fives, 10 top 10s • Average finish of 15.7 • Led 17 of 29 races for 747 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • Six top fives, 10 top 10s • Average finish of 10.2 • Finished third in April • Led 11 of 13 races for 81 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 1,508 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green flag conditions)

10 – 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 14.1 • Led six of 29 races for 28 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • Two top fives, 10 top 10s • Average finish of 18.5 • Finished 34th in April • Led 10 of 27 races for 57 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 1,383 Quality Passes, fifth-most

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 13.5 • Led 16 of 29 races for 529 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • Three top fives, six top 10s • Average finish of 15.4 • Finished 14th in April • Led 12 of 15 races for 131 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 7,867 laps run on the lead lap

12 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet) The File: • 26 years old, Chesterfield, Va., three career wins • One win, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 13.9 • Led 14 of 29 races for 799 laps Talladega Superspeedway Outlook: • Average finish of 21.3 • Finished 21st in April • Led all three of his Talladega races for 50 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 420 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

The Chase Is On The Top 12

Following 3 Chase Races (29 of 36 races overall)

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

1. Jimmie Johnson 5,506 6 27 3 108.8 2. Jeff Gordon 5,500 4 29 1 109.2 3. Clint Bowyer 5,492 1 27 5 87.2 4. Tony Stewart 5,389 3 26 2 103.5 5. Kevin Harvick 5,380 1 28 9 88.0 6. Kyle Busch 5,370 1 27 4 96.1 7. Carl Edwards 5,364 3 26 6 94.4 8. Martin Truex Jr. 5,348 1 17 7 88.2 9. Kurt Busch 5,329 2 13 11 100.0 10. Jeff Burton 5,320 1 29 8 87.6 11. Matt Kenseth 5,287 1 28 10 94.8 12. Denny Hamlin 5,258 1 27 12 97.3 ___________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL DRIVERS

13. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3,373 34. Paul Menard 1,944 14. Greg Biffle 3,209 35. Joe Nemechek 1,888 15. Casey Mears 2,155 36. Scott Riggs 1,765 16. Ryan Newman 2,146 37. Kyle Petty 1,711 17. Jamie McMurray 2,898 38. Brian Vickers 1,649 18. Bobby Labonte 2,872 39. Sterling Marlin 1,600 19. J.J. Yeley 2,825 40. David Reutimann 1,466 20. J.P. Montoya 2,786 41. Dale Jarrett 1,204 21. David Ragan 2,740 42. Bill Elliott 1,156 22. Kasey Kahne 2,728 43. Kenny Wallace 1,066 23. Reed Sorenson 2,637 44. Ken Schrader 862 24. Mark Martin 2,612 45. Ward Burton 856 25. Elliott Sadler 2,582 46. AJ Allmendinger 823 26. David Stremme 2,537 47. Jeremy Mayfield 809 27. Robby Gordon 2,493 48. John Andretti 688 28. Jeff Green 2,424 49. Michael Waltrip 683 29. David Gilliland 2,404 50. Regan Smith 516 30. Johnny Sauter 2,266 51. Boris Said 510 31. Tony Raines 2,261 52. Mike Bliss 325 32. Dave Blaney 2,050 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.