CIA Stock Photo Inc.
• The pole winner (or driver that started first in cases of no qualifying) finishing position:
First 0
2nd-5th 3
6th-10th 1
11th-30th 5
31st or beyond 1
• The lap-leader performance of the pole winner (or driver that started first in cases of no qualifying):
Led First Lap 5
Led Any Laps 9
Led Most Laps 2
Won Race 0
• The race winner’s starting positions:
Pole 0
2nd-5th 4
6th-10th 5
11th-30th 0
31st or beyond 1
• The lap-leader performance of the race winner:
Led First Lap 1
Led Most Laps 5
Led Mid-Race Lap 2
Led With 10 to Go 7
Led With One to Go 10
Note: Mid-Race lap is as scheduled regardless of shortened or extended race length.
Laps Led
• Denny Hamlin has led 630 laps this season, more than any other driver. More than half of his laps led came at Richmond.
• 37 drivers have led at least one lap this season. No one has led every race.
• Kyle Busch (two); Jimmie Johnson (two), Carl Edwards (two), Tony Stewart (two), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one) and Denny Hamlin (one) have led the most laps at least once this season.
• Denny Hamlin led 381 laps, setting the record for the number of laps led in a 400-lap race at Richmond. He eclipsed the mark of 369 set by Bobby Allison in September 1979. The record for laps led all-time at Richmond is 488 of 500 on the 0.500-mile configuration by David Pearson in September 1970.
Points
• Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards all led the points for one race in 2008 – the first time in their careers for each. Edwards lost the point lead mid-week due to a penalty.
• Jeff Burton became the fourth different driver to lead the points when he took the lead following Martinsville. It is his first time to lead the points since Oct. 14, 2006 (Charlotte).
• Kyle Busch retook the lead in the point standings following his second-place finish at Richmond.
Rookie Performance
• Four different drivers have been the highest-finishing rookie in 2008: Regan Smith (five), Sam Hornish Jr. (three), Dario Franchitti (one) and Patrick Carpentier (one).
• Regan Smith has the best finish by a rookie candidate in 2008: 14th at Martinsville.
Owner Highlights
• Ryan Newman won the season-opening Daytona 500, his career-first restrictor plate victory. Teammate Kurt Busch finished second, giving car owner Roger Penske his first restrictor plate victory and first 1-2 finish in 25 years of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing.
• Joe Nemechek won the pole at Talladega, giving car owner Barney Visser his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole.
Penalties
• There have been 172 on-track penalties issued this season.
• Every team that has competed in two or more races this season has received at least one on-track penalty.
• Penalty Recap:
Pitting Before Pit Road is Open 100
Too Fast Entering Pit Road 15
Too Fast Exiting Pit Road 10
Others 47
Manufacturer
• Chevrolet leads the manufacturer point standings with 64 points. Toyota has 60, Ford 56 and Dodge has 41.
• Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota each have three victories this season while Dodge has one.
• Ryan Newman posted the first Daytona 500 victory for Dodge since Ward Burton won in 2002. That victory was the only other restrictor-plate victory for Dodge.
Behind the Numbers
Speed MOV Leaders Changes Cautions Laps Lead Lap DNFs
Daytona 152.672 0.092 17 42 7 23 32 5
California 132.704 UC 15 33 11 43 22 2
Las Vegas 127.729 0.504 9 19 11 44 21 6
Atlanta 140.975 2.066 9 26 8 35 13 2
Bristol # 89.775 0.588 8 17 10 68 21 1
Martinsville 73.163 0.398 8 20 18 89 17 4
