NASCAR SNCS (DAYTONA) - Chase For The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup

Below is a look at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 12 going into the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 21.

1– Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) The File: • 36 years old, Vallejo, Calif., 81 career wins • Six wins, 19 top fives, 25 top 10s this year • Six poles • Average finish of 7.5 • Led 21 of 31 races for 1,112 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • Seven wins, 17 top fives, 23 top 10s; five poles • Average finish of 7.3 • Finished second at Martinsville in April • Led 21 of 29 races for 2,298 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-best Average Running Position of 9.2

2– Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) The File: • 32 years old from El Cajon, Calif., 29 career wins • Six wins, 16 top fives, 19 top 10s; three poles • Average finish of 12.1 • Led 19 of 31 races for 1,069 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • Three wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 6.6 • Won the Martinsville race in April • Led five of 11 races for 724 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 819 Fastest Laps Run

3 – Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet) The File: • 28 years old from Emporia, Kan., one career win • One win, five top fives, 15 top 10s; two poles • Average finish of 13.4 • Led 12 of 31 races for 386 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • Average finish of 18.7 in three races • Finished 11th in April Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Fifth-best Closer – 46 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, 22 top 10s • Average finish of 12.4 • Led 20 of 31 races for 980 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • Two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s; three poles • Average finish of 12.2 • Finished seventh in April • Led 10 of 17 races for 1,193 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 589 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

5– Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) The File: • 28 years old from Columbia, Mo., seven career wins • Three wins, nine top fives, 13 top 10s • Average finish of 13.4 • Led 11 of 31 races for 428 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • Average finish of 22.2 in six races • Finished 17th in April Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 6,449 Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most

6– Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet) The File: • 22 years old from Las Vegas, Nev., four career wins • One win, nine top fives, 17 top 10s • Average finish of 14.5 • Led 16 of 31 races for 300 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • Two top fives, three top 10s • Average finish of 15.0 • Finished fourth in May • Led one of five races for 10 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Fifth-fastest average Green Flag Speed

7– Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) The File: • 29 years old from Las Vegas, Nev., 17 career wins • Two wins, five top fives, 11 top 10s • Average finish of 15.7 • Led 18 of 31 races for 760 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • One win, two top fives, four top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 19.6 • Finished 12th in April • Led six of 14 races for 358 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 1,664 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green flag conditions)

8 – 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 16.1 this season • Led 11 of 31 races for 270 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • Four top 10s • Average finish of 20.1 • Finished 41st in April • Led four of 12 races for 147 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Fourth-best Closer – 51 positions improved over the last 10% of races

9 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet) The File: • 26 years old, Chesterfield, Va., three career wins • One win, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 13.7 • Led 15 of 31 races for 839 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • Two top fives, three top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 12.5 • Finished third in April • Led two of four races for 153 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 422 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

10 – Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) The File: • 40 years old from South Boston, Va., 19 career wins • One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s • Average finish of 14.7 • Led six of 31 races for 28 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • One win, nine top fives, 13 top 10s • Average finish of 15.0 • Finished sixth in April • Led six of 26 races for 574 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 2,542 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

11 – 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 16.9 • Led 13 of 31 races for 355 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • Average finish of 28.0 • Finished 29th in April • Led one of three races for one lap Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • Series-high 2,795 Green Flag Passes

12 – 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 14.6 • Led 17 of 31 races for 561 laps Martinsville Speedway Outlook: • One top five, four top 10s • Average finish of 16.3 • Finished 10th in April • Led six of 15 races for 60 laps Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight: • 8,166 laps run on the lead lap, second-most

The Chase Is On

The Top 12 Following 5 Chase Races (31 of 36 races overall)

Weeks Rank Season

In Last Driver

Driver Points Wins Top 12 Week Rating

1. Jeff Gordon 5,880 6 31 1 108.7

2. Jimmie Johnson 5,812 6 29 2 108.1

3. Clint Bowyer 5,802 1 29 3 88.4

4. Tony Stewart 5,682 3 28 4 103.0

5. Carl Edwards 5,640 3 28 6 93.5

6. Kyle Busch 5,600 1 29 8 96.3

7. Kurt Busch 5,565 2 15 7 99.2

8. Kevin Harvick 5,552 1 29 5 86.1

9. Denny Hamlin 5,531 1 29 9 97.3

10. Jeff Burton 5,514 1 30 12 86.9

11. Martin Truex Jr. 5,502 1 19 10 86.9

12. Matt Kenseth 5,438 1 30 11 92.5

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ADDITIONAL DRIVERS

13. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3,527 34. Paul Menard 2,090

14. Casey Mears 3,405 35. Joe Nemechek 1,955

15. Ryan Newman 3,390 36. Kyle Petty 1,909

16. Greg Biffle 3,385 37. Scott Riggs 1,820

17. Bobby Labonte 3,062 38. Brian Vickers 1,700

18. J.J. Yeley 3,058 39. David Reutimann 1,644

19. Jamie McMurray 3,046 40. Sterling Marlin 1,600

20. Kasey Kahne 2,985 41. Dale Jarrett 1,244

21. J.P. Montoya 2,956 42. Bill Elliott 1,214

22. David Ragan 2,844 43. Kenny Wallace 1,066

23. Reed Sorenson 2,819 44. AJ Allmendinger 941

24. David Stremme 2,792 45. Ken Schrader 932

25. Mark Martin 2,727 46. Michael Waltrip 910

26. Elliott Sadler 2,718 47. Ward Burton 890

27. Robby Gordon 2,628 48. Jeremy Mayfield 855

28. Jeff Green 2,620 49. John Andretti 789

29. David Gilliland 2,574 50. Regan Smith 516

30. Johnny Sauter 2,492 51. Boris Said 510

31. Tony Raines 2,474 52. Mike Bliss 325

32. Dave Blaney 2,375 53. Ron Fellows 283

33. Ricky Rudd 2,147 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.