News & Notes
CHASE REPORT: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet, currently holds the fifth position in the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup after finishing third on Monday at Chicagoland Speedway. Earnhardt sits just 13 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: In 24 Cup starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Earnhardt has six top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. He has an average start there of 17th and a 16.7 average finish. He has led 351 laps there.
LAPS IN THE TOP 15: Earnhardt ranks fourth among drivers for laps run in the top 15 at New Hampshire, according to NASCAR’s loop data statistics. During the last 13 races at the 1.058-mile oval, the Kannapolis, N.C., native has spent 74.3 percent of his laps (2,874 of 3,867 total) running in the top 15.
DRIVER RATING: According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Earnhardt is ranked fifth in the driver rating category at New Hampshire with a score of 97.1 during the past 13 races at the track. The driver rating is a formula that combines wins, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum a driver can earn in each race is 150 points. The driver rating number is used pre-race as a prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator.
NEW HAMPSHIRE CHASSIS: Crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-694 this weekend at New Hampshire. This is a brand new chassis that has not been raced.
HENDRICK AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: In 36 Cup races (118 starts) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has eight wins, 33 top-five finishes and 52 top-10s. Jeff Gordon leads three statistical categories among drivers all-time there. He owns the most top-five finishes (14), most top-10s (18) and has led the most laps (1,226 total).
APPROACHING 200: With Gordon’s win on Sept. 6 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 198 Cup victories. The organization ranks first in NASCAR’s modern era for wins and second all-time behind Petty Enterprises, which has 268 victories.
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