Jimmie Johnson will go for four-in-a-row at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday night.
The last driver to win four consecutive races at a given track: Johnson, himself. He won four straight at Lowe’s Motor Speedway from 2004-2005.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series record for consecutive wins at a track is seven, co-held by Richard Petty (Richmond, 1970-73) and Darrell Waltrip (Bristol, 1981-84).
Coincidentally, Phoenix is a track with a history of sustained success. Five drivers have posted multiple victories at Phoenix – each time in consecutive races: Davey Allison (1991-92), Jeff Burton (2000-01), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003-04), Kevin Harvick (both 2006) and Johnson (2007-08).
Likewise, single-race dominance has happened more than once at Phoenix. Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, two drivers have scored a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0 at Phoenix. In 2005, Kurt Busch posted the very first 150.0, leading 219 of 312 laps in his only Phoenix win. In 2006, Kevin Harvick completed the season sweep of Phoenix, leading 252 laps to score a perfect Driver Rating. Pocono Raceway is the only other track where two perfect Driver Ratings have been recorded (both by Kurt Busch, 2005 and ’07).
Surprisingly, Johnson is not on the perfect Driver Rating list at Phoenix, though he has come close. In his November win last season, Johnson posted a near-perfect Driver Rating of 149.9, leading 217 laps of the 313 laps and tallying 66 Fastest Laps Run. (Note: Johnson has scored one perfect Driver Rating in his career, at the second Auto Club Speedway race last season.)
Selected Driver Highlights – Phoenix International Raceway-specific
Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Phoenix International Raceway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last eight races at Phoenix. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.
Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 15.9
• Average Running Position of 14.6, 12th-best
• Driver Rating of 100.5, fourth-best
• 257 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 123.331 mph, fourth-fastest
• 1,601 Laps in the Top 15 (64.1%), 10th-most
• 145 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 10th-most
Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
• One win, three top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 13.3
• Average Running Position of 9.5, third-best
• Driver Rating of 99.2, sixth-best
• 142 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 123.075 mph, 11th-fastest
• 1,687 Laps in the Top 15 (77.2%), seventh-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota)
• One win, one top five, six top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 14.5
• Average Running Position of 13.6, ninth-best
• Driver Rating of 90.4, 11th-best
• 351 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
• 1,980 Laps in the Top 15 (79.3%), fourth-most
• Series-high 238 Quality Passes
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy Drink/National Guard Chevrolet)
• Two wins, four top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 17.1
• Average Running Position of 14.2, 11th-best
• Driver Rating of 92.1, 10th-best
• 77 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 123.235 mph, sixth-fastest
• 1,634 Laps in the Top 15 (65.4%), ninth-most
• 130 Quality Passes, 13th-most
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
• Four top fives, six top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 13.3
• Average Running Position of 12.7, seventh-best
• Driver Rating of 103.3, third-best
• 181 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 123.525 mph, second-fastest
• 1,897 Laps in the Top 15 (76.0%), sixth-most
• 185 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont/National Guard GED Plus Chevrolet)
• One win, eight top fives, 15 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 10.2
• Average Running Position of 9.8, fourth-best
• Driver Rating of 100.3, fifth-best
• 66 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
• 2,079 Laps in the Top 15 (83.3%), third-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
• Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 13.2
• Average Running Position of 7.9, second-best
• Driver Rating of 105.4, second-best
• 134 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 123.375 mph, third-fastest
• 2,113 Laps in the Top 15 (84.6%), second-most
• 177 Quality Passes, seventh-most
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