In just 285 laps, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings got all shook up.
Sunday’s Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway provided a number of storylines that could have an affect on the rest of the season:
• Jeff Gordon now sits atop the standings. His sixth-place Las Vegas finish – which featured his 20,000th lap led – put him in the points lead for the first time in almost year and a half. The last time Gordon was the points leader was Oct. 28, 2007 after the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• Las Vegas native Kyle Busch won at his “home track.” The momentous victory also gave Busch a win in all three of NASCAR’s national series … again. It is the fifth consecutive season that Busch has accomplished the feat. Only two other drivers have ever done it: Terry Labonte in 1995 and Kevin Harvick in 2003.
• Bobby Labonte looks like the Labonte of old. Labonte, the 2000 series champion, scored a fifth-place finish at Las Vegas. The finish was Labonte’s first top five since Oct. 22, 2006 when he finished third at Martinsville.
• There’s no happy medium for Matt Kenseth. In three races this season, Kenseth has either finished first or last. Kenseth, who won the first two races of the season, suffered his second career 43rd-place finish after engine problems at Vegas.
• David Reutimann is in the top five in series points. Prior to this season, his best points position was 18th after last season’s Daytona 500. But a career-best finish of fourth at Las Vegas vaulted him to fifth in the standings.
Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Three top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 14.4
• Average Running Position of 10.2, second-best
• Driver Rating of 100.2, fifth-best
• 213 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 173.821 mph, fifth-fastest
• 2,163 Laps in the Top 15 (83.1%), third-most
• 253 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), third-most
Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
• Seven top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 16.6
• Average Running Position of 11.4, seventh-best
• Driver Rating of 91.0, eighth-best
• Average Green Flag Speed of 173.415 mph, ninth-most
• 1,945 Laps in the Top 15 (74.7%), seventh-most
• 225 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
• One win, two top fives
• Average finish of 18.2
• Average Running Position of 15.4, 12th-best
• Driver Rating of 90.2, ninth-best
• 125 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
• 458 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
• 1,506 Laps in the Top 15 (57.8%), 11th-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP/National Guard Chevrolet)
• One win, eight top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 11.7
• Average Running Position of 10.3, fourth-best
• Driver Rating of 103.7, third-best
• 216 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• 484 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
• Series-fastest Average Green Flag Speed of 174.094 mph
• 2,013 Laps in the Top 15 (77.3%), fifth-most
• Series-high 274 Quality Passes
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
• Three wins, five top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 11.6
• Average Running Position of 10.3, third-best
• Driver Rating of 107.4, second-best
• Series-high 260 Fastest Laps Run
• Average Green Flag Speed of 174.077 mph, second-fastest
• 2,204 Laps in the Top 15 (84.6%), second-most
• 250 Quality Passes, third-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Four wins, 13 top fives, 21 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 12.7
• Average Running Position of 11.1, sixth-best
• Driver Rating of 98.4, seventh-best
• 98 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
• 2,066 Laps in the Top 15 (79.3%), fourth-most
• 247 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• Three wins, nine top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.1
• Series-best Average Running Position of 7.2
• Series-best Driver Rating of 112.9
• 183 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 174.016 mph, third-fastest
• Series-high 2,375 Laps in the Top 15 (91.2%)
• 230 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
• Seven top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.9
• Average Running Position of 13.0, eighth-best
• Driver Rating of 98.6, sixth-best
• 129 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
• 464 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 173.823 mph, fourth-best
• 1,837 Laps in the Top 15 (70.5%), eighth-most
• 245 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet)
• Two wins, eight top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.3
• Average Running Position of 10.7, fifth-best
• Driver Rating of 101.1, fourth-best
• 132 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
• 1,994 Laps in the Top 15 (76.6%), sixth-most
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