The “playoff push” is on, with seven of the 12 spots left to fill in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and 20 bonus points for race wins still up for grabs. The top drivers are all scrambling for both.
And, according to the stats, the best of the best shine at California.
Of the top-12 drivers in the pre-race Driver Rating, nine are currently in the top 12 in the series standings. Additionally, five past champions are in the top 12 in pre-race Driver Rating at California Speedway.
All this means one thing: fierce competition. Only the best will suffice.
The 10 potential bonus points will no doubt play a factor in race strategy this Sunday night.
Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, with four wins each, are tied atop the bonus points standings with 40.
Johnson has enjoyed more recent success here than Gordon, with an average finish of 6.8 over the last five races and a Driver Rating of 106.5.
Roush Fenway Racing drivers Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth also figure to run up front Sunday. Edwards picked up his second win last Saturday night at Bristol, and padded his bonus points total to 20. Kenseth won his second career race at California in February, and comes into this race with the best pre-race Driver Rating (116.4) and Average Running Position (6.8).
Then there’s Tony Stewart, who sits alone in third in the bonus points standings with 30. The good news for Stewart: he has finished in the top 10 in three of the last four California races. The bad news: California Speedway is one of four tracks at which Stewart has yet to win a race.
The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 12 at California Speedway
Selected Driver Highlights – California-specific
Note: All driver statistics that follow are from California Speedway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last five races at California. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ameriquest Ford)
• One win, two top fives
• Average finish of 20.4
• Driver Rating of 101.7, sixth-best
• Average Running Position of 12.0, eighth-best
• Series-high 131 Fastest Laps Run
• 364 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
• Third-fastest Green Flag Speed
• 831 Laps in the Top 15, 10th-most
Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Light Dodge)
• One win, three top fives, four top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 11.5
• Driver Rating of 93.1, 11th-best
• Average Running Position of 12.1, ninth-best
• 52 Fastest Laps Run, tied for ninth-most
• 903 Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most
Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
• One win, four top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 12.5
• Average Running Position of 10.7, fifth-best
• Driver Rating of 103.7, third-best
• 62 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
• Eighth-fastest Green Flag Speed
• 1,016 Laps in the Top 15, fourth-best
• 234 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fourth-most
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
• Four top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 8.5
• Driver Rating of 98.7, eighth-best
• Average Running Position of 12.8, 11th-best
• 47 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
• Sixth-fastest Green Flag Speed
• 880 Laps in the Top 15, eighth-most
• 216 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Three wins, seven top fives; two poles
• Average finish of 11.1
• Driver Rating of 91.8, 12th-best
• Average Running Position of 11.6, seventh-best
• 67 Fastest Laps Run, tied for fifth-most
• 436 Green Flag Passes, second-most
• 902 Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most
• Series-high 266 Quality Passes
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet)
• One top 10
• Average finish of 9.7
• Average Running Position of 11.3, sixth-best
• Driver Rating of 94.8, ninth-best
• 10th-fastest Green Flag Speed
• 68% of his laps in the top 15 (510 total), ninth-highest percentage of any driver
• 155 Quality Passes for an average of 51.7 per race, second-best average per race
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• One win, five top fives
• Average finish of 7.4
• Average Running Position of 8.4, second-best
• Driver Rating of 106.5, second-best
• 59 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
• Second-fastest Green Flag Speed
• Series-high 1,140 Laps in the Top 15
• 257 Quality Passes, third-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
• Two wins, four top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 10.6
• Series-best Average Running Position of 6.8
• Series-best Driver Rating of 116.4
• 86 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
• Fastest Green Flag Speed
• 1,120 Laps in the Top 15, second-most
Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet)
• Three top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 17.0
• Driver Rating of 103.1, fifth-best
• Average Running Position of 10.4, fourth-best
• 123 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• Fourth-fastest Green Flag Speed
• 889 Laps in the Top 15, seventh-most
• 207 Quality Passes, seventh-most
At California Speedway:
History
• Groundbreaking for California Speedway took place in November 1995.
• The first race at California Speedway was a NASCAR West Series race won by Ken Schrader on June 21, 1997.
• The first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race was held on June 22, 1997 – won by Jeff Gordon.
• September 2004 was the first night race at California Speedway and that was also the first year there were two races a year.
Notebook
• There have been 14 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at California Speedway since the track opened in 1997.
• Joe Nemechek won the Bud Pole for the inaugural race at California Speedway in 1997.
• There have been 11 different Bud Pole winners at California Speedway led by Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon (two). Qualifying was canceled in 1999.
• Eleven different drivers have posted victories at California Speedway. Jeff Gordon (three) and Matt Kenseth (two) are the only multiple race winners there.
• Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing have won five races at California, more than any other team.
• Eight of the 14 races were won from outside the top 10 starting positions. Six of the past eight have been won from outside the top 15.
• Matt Kenseth won in February 2006 from the 31st starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started.
• There have been no caution-free or shortened races at California.
• There have been two green-white-checkered finishes at California: 2005 fall (254) and 2006 spring (251).
California Speedway Data
Race #: 25 of 36 (9-2-07)
Track Size: 2 miles
• Race Length: 250 laps/500 miles
• Banking/Corners: 14 degrees
• Banking/Frontstretch: 11 degrees
• Banking/Backstretch: 3 degrees
Driver Rating at California
Matt Kenseth 116.4
Jimmie Johnson 106.5
Kyle Busch 103.7
Mark Martin 103.6
Tony Stewart 103.1
Greg Biffle 101.7
Kasey Kahne 99.4
Carl Edwards 98.7
Denny Hamlin 94.8
Clint Bowyer 94.4
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2007 races (5 total) at California.
Qualifying/Race Data
2006 pole winner: Kurt Busch (184.540 mph, 39.016 seconds)
2006 race winner: Kasey Kahne, 144.462 mph, 9-3-06)
Track qualifying record: Kyle Busch (188.425 mph, 38.248 seconds,
2-25-05)
Track race record: Jeff Gordon (155.012 mph, 6-22-97)
Estimated Pit Window: Every 40-44 laps, based on fuel mileage.
| 
|