Very rarely is there a run-away favorite going into a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
With competition this tight – there have been 12 different winners this season – victory is never a foregone conclusion for any driver.
But somehow, Tony Stewart has become a near statistical lock at Watkins Glen International. His strength over the last four Watkins Glen races is nearly unprecedented. Only one other driver – at two different tracks – comes close to owning similar success at a given track. That is three-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson, at Martinsville Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway.
Below is Stewart’s race log at Watkins Glen:
Tony Stewart at Watkins Glen (Last Four Races)
Date Finish ARP FLR LT15% DR Led 8/05 1 1.5 39 100 150 83 8/06 2 3.4 14 100 130.1 7 8/07 1 5 23 91.1 133.6 20 8/08 2 4.4 8 95.6 122.2 1 Total 1.5 3.6 84 96.7 134.0 111
ARP: Average Running Position; FLR: Fastest Laps Run; LT15%: Percentage of Laps in the Top 15; DR: Driver Rating
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Below is a list of the top average finishes over the last four races at a specific track.
Average Finish At Last Four Races – Track
Driver Track Avg. Finish Tony Stewart Watkins Glen 1.5 Jimmie Johnson Phoenix 1.75 Jimmie Johnson Martinsville 1.75 Greg Biffle Dover 2.25 Tony Stewart Richmond 2.5
Stewart can clinch a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup this weekend, yet another accolade in his dream first season as a driver-owner. If Stewart leaves Watkins Glen with a 781-point lead on the 13th-place driver, he clinches. He currently has a 726-point lead on 13th-place Kyle Busch.
That goal seems increasingly likely – especially considering this weekend’s track. Stewart owns race-best statistics in practically every key Watkins Glen category since the inception of Loop Data in 2005:
Driver Rating
Driver Date DR 1. Tony Stewart 8/05 150.0 2. Kyle Busch 8/08 145.1 3. Tony Stewart 8/07 133.6 4. Jeff Gordon 8/07 131.6 5. Tony Stewart 8/06 130.1
Average Running Position
Driver Date ARP 1. Tony Stewart 8/05 1.5 2. Jeff Gordon 8/07 2.0 3. Kyle Busch 8/08 2.8 4. Tony Stewart 8/06 3.4 5. Jimmie Johnson 8/05 3.5
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Fastest Laps Run
Driver Date FLR 1. Tony Stewart 8/05 39 2. Kurt Busch 8/06 25 3. Tony Stewart 8/07 23 4. Kyle Busch 8/08 20 5. Tony Stewart 8/06 14
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