NEWS & NOTES
DRIVE FOR FIVE: No driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup history has won more October races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway than Mark Martin. If the No. 5 team can reach Victory Lane on Saturday, he would break a three-way tie with Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough to become the only driver with four October wins. Martin also would join teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon as the only active drivers with five victories at the intermediate oval.
POP-TARTS ON THE HOOD: For the third time this season, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg’s most popular morning food product, will be on the hood of the No. 5 Chevrolet during this weekend’s events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. In its most recent race, the Pop-Tarts/CARQUEST Chevrolet finished second in Martin’s 1,000th Sprint Cup start at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Pop-Tarts will return to the hood for the final time this season at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in two weeks.
POINTS BATTLE: Martin, driver of the No. 5 Pop-Tarts/CARQUEST Chevrolet, currently ranks second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship standings. Martin, who was the points leader following the first three Chase for the Sprint Cup races, trails Hendrick Motorsports teammate Johnson by 12 points.
BEST AVERAGE FINISH: After finishing fourth last Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, Martin owns a 3.5 average finish in the four Chase races thus far. He is tied with Juan Pablo Montoya for the best average finish.
GUSTAFSON’S RECORD SEASON: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has recorded personal bests in wins (five), top-five finishes (12), pole positions (seven) and laps led (791) this season with the No. 5 team. With 18 top-10 finishes already under his belt, he is just three away from setting another personal record with the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team. Gustafson guided the No. 5 team to 20 top-10 finishes in 2007.
MARTIN AT LOWE’S: Martin is a four-time winner at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, taking the checkered flag in October 1992, October 1995, October 1998 and May 2002. In 49 Cup starts at the 1.5-mile racetrack, Martin has earned 17 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s. His 49 starts at a single track are a personal best for the NASCAR veteran, who has that many at Lowe’s and Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He also has completed more miles—23,545.5—at Lowe’s than any other track.
OF THE CHASERS: Of any Chase driver, Martin has the most career starts (49), top-five finishes (17) and top-10s (22) at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He has led the second-most laps (1,168) at Lowe’s and owns the fifth-best average finish (15.9).
LOOP STATISTICS: Of the drivers inside the Chase, Martin has the third-best average running position (12.136) in the past nine races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He also has the third-best driver rating at 91.7 and has run inside the top 15 for 2,371 laps—the second most for any Chase driver.
NO. 5 TEAM AT LOWE’S: Under the direction of Gustafson, the No. 5 team has earned two top-five finishes and three top-10s in 11 LMS starts. In that time, the No. 5 Chevy has paced 77 laps at the intermediate track.
HENDRICK AT LOWE’S: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, has 15 Cup wins, 13 pole positions, 45 top-five finishes and 69 top-10s in 51 races (166 starts) at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
HONORARY CREW MEMBERS: This weekend, CARQUEST and the No. 5 team will welcome honorary crew members Matt Krueger and Lyle Wuestenberg. Wuestenberg partnered with CARQUEST last November to help grant Krueger’s dream. The 19-year-old Krueger, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, got the chance to drive his personal 1999 Chevy Camaro around Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
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