Statistical Advance: Analyzing The LifeLock 400 At Kansas Speedway
Call Kansas Speedway the House of Spoilers. In two of the past three races at Kansas, a driver outside the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup field has won.
In 2004, Joe Nemechek accomplished the feat, and last year Tony Stewart worked his magic.
For it to happen again might be a long shot. Seven of the top 10 drivers in Kansas-specific Driver Rating are in the Chase.
And considering the gridlock at the top of the standings, figure the higher stakes will translate to a “cream rising to the top” phenomenon.
A mere four points separate first-place Jeff Gordon from fourth-place Jimmie Johnson.
And only 18 points separate sixth-place Clint Bowyer, a Kansas native, from first-place Gordon.
Bowyer could make up the little ground come this weekend. He did the hometown fans proud with an impressive ninth-place finish last season, his first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start at Kansas.
In that race, Bowyer earned a Driver Rating of 106.0, an Average Running Position of 8.8 and spent 199 of the 267 laps in the top 15.
Also figure Stewart to check in with a solid Kansas performance. Along with the win here last season, Stewart has three top fives and five top 10s. His average finish of 6.5 is best among the 12 Chase drivers.
The only Chase driver with more than one Kansas start to come close to Stewart in average finish is Dover winner Carl Edwards. Edwards, with a 10.3 average finish in three Kansas races, has finished third and sixth, respectively, in his last two races there.
Selected Driver Highlights
Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Kansas Speedway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last two races at Kansas. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ameriquest Ford)
• One win, two top fives, five top 10s
• 14.0 average finish
• Average Running Position of 6.5, third-best
• Driver Rating of 115.4, third-best
• 68 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• Second-fastest Green Flag Speed
• 496 Laps in the Top 15 (92.9%), third-most
Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet)
• One top 10
• Average finish of 9.0
• Average Running Position of 8.8, fifth-best
• Driver Rating of 106.0, fifth-best
• 21 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
• Fourth-fastest Green Flag Speed
• 199 Laps in the Top 15 (74.5), 10th-best percentage
• 31 Quality Passes in his only Kansas race, 11th-best percentage
Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
• One top 10
• Average finish of 21.7
• Average Running Position of 14.1, 12th-best
• Driver Rating of 90.3, 12th-best
• 34 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
• 132 Green Flag Passes, tied for eighth-most
• 67 Quality Passes, tied for second-most
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
• One top fives, two top 10s
• Average finish of 10.3
• Average Running Position of 10.1, sixth-best
• Driver Rating of 105.8, sixth-best
• 28 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
• Sixth-fastest Green Flag Speed
• 412 Laps in the Top 15 (77.2%), sixth-most
• 67 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), second-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) • Two wins, three top fives, tour top 10s
• Average finish of 11.5
• Average Running Position of 12.6, ninth-best
• Driver Racing fo 92.1, eighth-best
• 12 Fastest Laps Run, tied for 10th-most
• Seventh-fastest Green Flag Speed
• 435 Laps in the Top 15 (81.5%), fifth-most
• 64 Quality Passes, tied for seventh-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• Three top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 13.8
• Average Running Position of 5.9, second-best
• Series-best Driver Rating of 118.0
• Series-high 74 Fastest Laps Run
• Fastest Green Flag Speed
• Series-high 518 Laps in the Top 15 (97%)
• 66 Quality Passes, tied for fifth-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
• One top five, two top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 20.0
• Average Running Position of 12.8, 10th-best
• Driver Rating of 93.8, seventh-best
• 26 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
• 322 Laps in the Top 15 (60.3%), eighth-most
Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)
• Average finish of 11.0
• Average Running Position of 12.9, 11th-best
• Driver Rating of 91.0, tied for 10th-best
• Fifth-fastest Green Flag Speed
• 217 Laps in the Top 15 (81.3%), sixth-best percentage
• 43 Quality Passes in his only Kansas race, best average per race
Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet)
• One win, three top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 6.5
• Series-best Average Running Position of 5.7
• Driver Rating of 116.2, second -best
• Third-fastest Green Flag Speed
• 497 Laps in the Top 15 (93.1%), second-most
• Series-high 71 Quality Passes
At Kansas Speedway:
History
• Ground breaking was held on May 25, 1999.
• The official opening was in 2001, with the first event being an ARCA/NASCAR West Series race in June.
• The first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race was held on Sept. 29, 2001.
• There has been one NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series race each year at Kansas Speedway since 2001.
• All of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Kansas Speedway have been scheduled for 267 laps, 400 miles.
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