Busch dominated the field, won the race off pit road on his final stop and held off teammate Denny Hamlin on a green/white/checkered finish to win the Food City 500 on Sunday.
Jimmie Johnson ran third, matching his best result at Bristol (August 2004). Jeff Gordon expanded his lead in the point standings with a fourth-place finish, and Kasey Kahne ran fifth to collect the second Bristol top-five of his career.
Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12, along with other notable drivers, going into the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29. (Note: Drivers listed below who are outside the top 12 are chosen based on past performances at the upcoming track and/or are within striking distance of the top 12.)
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1 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 118.2
2009 Rundown
• Three top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 5.4
• Led four races for a total of 142 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
• Seven wins, 20 top fives, 26 top 10s; seven poles
• Average finish of 6.9
• Finished fourth in October
• Led 24 of 32 races for 2,613 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-best Average Running Position of 6.1
2 – Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.1
2009 Rundown
• One win, two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 10.0
• Led three races for 237 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
• One win, two top fives, four top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 22.0
• Finished 36th in October
• Led six of 17 races for 358 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Tied for series-high 119 Fastest Laps Run
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Food City 500 - Race Results
3 – Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 84.8
2009 Rundown
• Two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 8.8
• Led one race for nine laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
• Three top 10s
• Average finish of 14.0 in six races
• Finished ninth in October
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 455 Green Flag Passes, third-most
4 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 113.0
2009 Rundown
• Two wins, three top fives
• Average finish of 12.8
• Led three races for 517 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
• Three top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 18.3
• Finished 29th in October
• Led two of eight races for 116 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Has been passed 167 times, the fewest on the series
5 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.1
2009 Rundown
• One top five, two top 10s
• Average finish of 12.0
• Led three races for 31 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
• One top five, two top 10s
• Average finish of 17.3 in nine races
• Finished third in October
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high 305 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)
6 – Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 84.3
2009 Rundown
• One top five, two top 10s
• Average finish of 12.8
• Led one race for one lap
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
• One top five, two top 10s
• Average finish of 18.5
• Finished 33rd in October
• Led two of 10 races for 18 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 1,326 Laps Run on the Lead Lap (87.2%), ninth-most
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7 – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.7
2009 Rundown
• Three top 10s
• Average finish of 13.4
• Led two races for 18 laps
Martinsville Speedway Outlook:
• Two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 12.6
• Finished 26th in October
• Led 10 of 20 races for 1,193 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 13.1, seventh-best
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