NASCAR Statistical Advance: AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway

Pole-sitter Travis Kvapil (No. 28) leads the field at the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AMP Energy 500 on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala.

Pole-sitter Travis Kvapil (No. 28) leads the field at the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AMP Energy 500 on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala.

Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR


Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12 going into the seventh race of the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Nov. 1.

1 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 114.9
2009 Rundown
• Six wins, 14 top fives, 21 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 10.9
• Led 27 races for 1,972 laps
Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:
• One win, four top fives, six top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 17.7 in 15 races
• Average Running Position of 16.4, 11th-best
• Driver Rating of 84.1, 11th-best
• 956 Laps in the Top 15 (56.0%), sixth-most
• 1,895 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fifth-most

2 - Mark Martin (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.6
2009 Rundown
• Five wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s; seven poles
• Average finish of 13.9
• Led 22 races for 798 laps
Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:
• Two wins, 10 top fives, 22 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 16.1 in 43 races
• Average Running Position of 29.9, 48th-best
• Driver Rating of 58.7, 43rd-best

3 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.3
2009 Rundown
• One win, 16 top fives, 23 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.9
• Led 17 races for 804 laps
Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:
• Six wins, 13 top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 16.4 in 33 races
• Average Running Position of 18.2, 14th-best
• Driver Rating of 85.9, 10th-best
• 916 Laps in the Top 15 (53.7%), eighth-most

4 - Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.4
2009 Rundown
• Four wins, 15 top fives, 22 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.0
• Led 17 races for 370 laps
Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:
• One win, nine top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.8 in 21 races
• Average Running Position of 13.3, second-best
• Driver Rating of 92.4, third-best
• 37 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
• 2,955 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 192.544 mph, 10th-fastest
• 1,034 Laps in the Top 15 (60.6%), fourth-most
• 1,661 Quality Passes, eighth-most

5 - Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.0
2009 Rundown
• Seven top fives, 17 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 12.8
• Led 10 races for 385 laps
Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:
• One top five, one top 10; one pole
• Average finish of 18.6 in five races
• Average Running Position of 13.6, fourth-best
• Driver Rating of 81.0, 15th-best
• Average Green Flag Speed of 192.510 mph, 11th-fastest

6 - Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.9
2009 Rundown
• One win, eight top fives, 18 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.1
• Led 18 races for 530 laps
Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:
• Six top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.1 in 17 races
• Average Running Position of 14.7, fifth-best
• Driver Rating of 87.7, eighth-best
• 2,969 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
• Series-high 1,100 Laps in the Top 15 (64.5%)
• 2,226 Quality Passes, third-most

7 - Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 83.0
2009 Rundown
• Five top fives, 15 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 13.7
• Led 14 races for 210 laps
Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:
• Four top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 18.5 in 15 races
• Average Running Position of 19.5, 18th-best
• Driver Rating of 80.0, 17th-best
• 2,745 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
• 740 Laps in the Top 15 (43.4%), 13th-most
• 1,576 Quality Passes, ninth-most

8 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.7
2009 Rundown
• Nine top fives, 14 top 10s
• Average finish of 14.5
• Led 13 races for 551 laps
Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:
• One top 10
• Average finish of 23.8 in 13 races
• Average Running Position of 23.6, 36th-best
• Driver Rating of 67.4, 28th-best
• 34 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most

9 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.9
2009 Rundown
• Three wins, 12 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 13.4
• Led 17 races for 1,296 laps
Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:
• Two top fives, two top 10s
• Average finish of 18.9 in seven races
• Average Running Position of 13.6, third-best
• Driver Rating of 94.8, second-best
• Average Green Flag Speed of 192.565 mph, ninth-fastest
• 795 Laps in the Top 15 (60.1%), 11th-most
• 1,495 Quality Passes, 13th-most

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