NASCAR WCUP: Number of Lead Lap Cars About The Same Since '96
8 September 1999
Driver Who Stays On Lead Lap Of All 1999 NASCAR Races Would Be About 10th In
Points
#1 Pennzoil Monte Carlo driver Steve Park knows the old racing axiom that to
finish first, you must first finish. He also knows that in 1999, to be about
10th in the points, all you have to do is stay on the lead lap in each race.
A review of the 1999 points races to date show that about 14 cars will
finish on the lead lap in each race. If a driver were to average a
15th-place finish (the last car on the lead lap) despite never leading a lap
he would earn 118 points. That multiplied by the 24 races already run would
equal 2,832 points which would place him 10th in the standings.
A review of the lead lap cars over the last four years shows a remarkable
consistency in NASCAR Winston Cup competition. Since 1996 the average number
of cars on the lead lap for the races already run in 1999 is between 12.5
and 14.5. If you take out the restrictor plate and road course races which
lend themselves to keeping cars on the lead lap, the average drops to
between 12.9 and 10.3 cars on the lead lap.
NUMBER OF LEAD LAP CARS 1999-'96
1999 1998 1997 1996
Avg. Number Of Cars On the Lead Lap
14.5 13.7* 15.0* 12.5*
Avg. Minus Restrictor Plate and Road Races
11.5 11.7* 12.9* 10.3*
*As of the Southern 500 in that year.
Pennzoil Monte Carlo Driver Steve Park:
"I know the fans get tired of hearing the drivers and crew chiefs talk about
consistency but that is the name of the game in our sport. If you can finish
on the lead lap in every race then you are going to be in the top ten in the
points. That's something too many people forget. Everyone wants to run for
wins and that will never change, but the champion will always be the guy who
runs for wins and on a bad day will still find a way to stay on the lead lap
to collect the points. It's amazing how consistent the number of lead lap
cars has been over the last four years. I can't really explain that other
than the level of competition is pretty high and pretty consistent in
Winston Cup these days. I can't see these numbers changing any time soon."
Steve Hmiel, Dale Earnhardt Inc. Technical Director:
"This is just one more indication that consistency is what moves you
up in the points and what wins Winston Cup championships. It appears the
same number of people are going to finish on the lead lap week in and week
out. NASCAR is doing a good job of maintaining the status quo and teams are
doing a good job of maintaining the competition with each other."
Number of Lead Lap Cars
1999 1998 1997 1996
Daytona 500 (Daytona) 15 18 23 17
Dura Lube 400 (Rockingham) 10 13 11 7
Las Vegas 400 (Las Vegas) 10 10 No Race No Race
Cracker Barrel 500 (Atlanta) 12 8 11 6
TransSouth 400 (Darlington) 12* 9 12 7
PrimeStar 500 (Texas) 11 9 8 No Race
Food City 500 (Bristol) 10 12 14 6*
Goodys 500 (Martinsville) 12 6 15 5
Diehard 500 (Talladega) 22 13 15 16
California 500 (Fontana) 9 15 9 No Race
Pontiac 400 (Richmond) 12 13 3 13
Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte) 7 9 17 4
MBNA 400 (Dover) 2 4 5 4
KMART 400 (Michigan) 5 13 18 12
Pocono 500 (Pocono) 18 21 20 16
Save Mart 350 (Sears Point) 28 29 26 27
Pepsi 400 (Daytona) 28 19 24 28*
Jiffy Lube 300 (Loudon) 17 13 13 12
Pennsylvania 500 (Pocono) 17 18 18 11
Brickyard 400 (Indianapolis) 21 24 23 21
Frontier @ Glen (Wat. Glen) 29 26 26 24
Pepsi 400 (Michigan) 16 9 17 23
Goodys 500 (Bristol) 7 13 9 10
Pepsi Southern 500 (Darlington) 17* 4 9 3
Avg. Number Of 14.5 13.7 15.0 12.5
Average Number of Cars on Lead Lap
Excluding Restrictor Plate and Road Races
11.5 11.7 12.9 10.3
* Rain Shortened
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