NASCAR Busch Series and Winston Cup Weekend Kansas Sweeps:
2004: Joe Nemechek (10/9 Mr. Goodcents 300 and 10/10 Banquet 400)

Top Finishers in the 2004 Kansas Speedway Race: Two started in the top 10.
POS DRIVER START MAKE LAPS LED
1st Joe Nemechek 19 C 6
2nd Greg Biffle 16 F 3
3rd David Stremme 9 D -
4th Ashton Lewis Jr. 18 C 28
5th Ron Hornaday Jr. 6 C 1
6th J.J. Yeley 15 C -
7th Jason Keller 30 F -
8th Casey Mears 25 D -
9th Stacy Compton 28 F -
10th Wally Dallenbach Jr. 20 F -

Pole Winner Paul Menard finished 17th.
DNFs: 14 (accident - 6, engine - 5, other - 3)
Last Place: Jeff Fuller, 15 laps (vibration)
Last Driver on Lead Lap: Brandon Miller, 15th
Most Positions Improved: +23, Jason Keller, 30th to seventh
Most Positions Lost: -25, three drivers
Leader of the Most Laps: Tony Stewart, 115 laps, 26th (accident)

Miscellaneous Kansas Stats:
1. Most Cars Starting a Race: 43 - 2001 - 2004
2. Most DNFs in a Race: 14 - 2004
3. Fewest DNFs in a Race: 12 - 2001
4. Most Laps Led by Winner: 48, Jeff Burton, 2002
5. Most Laps Led by a Non-Winner: 140, Michael Waltrip, 2003
6. Fewest Laps Led by Winner: six, Joe Nemechek, 2004
7. Race Top Five All Same Make: none
8. Average Lead Changes per Race: 13.8
9. Average Leaders Per Race: 10.0
10. Average Cautions Per Race: 8.0

Birthdays:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 31 on 10/10
Mike McLaughlin - 49 on 10/6
Tim Sauter - 41 on 10/13
David Starr - 38 on 10/11
J.J. Yeley - 29 on 10/5

Average Starting Position of Kansas Winners:
9.0

Kansas Fast Facts:
Greg Biffle is the only driver to score a top 10 finish in all four Kansas races. He has four top five finishes: third in the inaugural race, fourth in 2002, third in 2003, and second in 2004. Average finish - 3.0

2005 NASCAR Busch Series Pole Winners: 16 drivers
Driver Number Race Career NBS Poles
Clint Bowyer 2 Pikes Peak, California 2 3
Kyle Busch 1 Bristol 2 6
Carl Edwards 3 Las Vegas*, Atlanta, Kentucy 3
Jorge Goeters 1 Mexico* 1
Kevin Harvick 2 Daytona 2, Loudon 13
Shane Hmiel 1 Texas 3
Kasey Kahne 3 Phoenix, Richmond 1, Lowe’s 6
Jimmie Johnson 1 Darlington* 1
Mark Martin 1 Richmond 2 28
Paul Menard 1 Talladega 2
Joe Nemechek 1 Daytona 1 18
Ryan Newman 2 Chicago, Dover 2 8
Johnny Sauter 1 Milwaukee 3
Reed Sorenson 2 Nashville 1*, IRP 2
Tony Stewart 2 California 1, Watkins Glen 4
Martin Truex Jr. 1 Gateway 8
25**

*First NASCAR Busch Series Pole (four)
**No time trials at Bristol 1, Dover 1, Nashville 2 or Michigan 2.

Mark Martin’s 28th career Busch Pole at Richmond 2 ties for first place all-time with Tommy Ellis for most Busch Series pole wins.

2005 NASCAR Busch Series Race Winners: 14 drivers
Driver Number Race Career NBS Wins
Greg Biffle 1 Phoenix 17
Clint Bowyer 1 Nashville 2* 1
Kyle Busch 1 Lowe’s 6
Carl Edwards 4 Atlanta *, Richmond 1, Kentucky, California 2 4
David Green 1 Pikes Peak 9
Kevin Harvick 3 Bristol 1, Chicago, Richmond 2 16
Matt Kenseth 1 Darlington 18
Kasey Kahne 1 Texas 2
Mark Martin 2 California 1 47
Ryan Newman 4 Watkins Glen, Michigan, Bristol 2 4
Dover 2 Tony Stewart 1 Daytona 1* 1
Johnny Sauter 1 Milwaukee 3
Reed Sorenson 2 Nashville 1*, Gateway 2
Martin Truex Jr. 6 Mexico, Talladega, Dover 1, Daytona 2, Loudon, IRP 12
29

*First NASCAR Busch Series Win (four).

Carl Edwards tied the NASCAR Busch Series Raybestos Rookie record for least number of starts before a victory at seven. Other rookies to win for the first time in their seventh race are: Scott Riggs, Nashville, 4/02, and Johnny Rumley, at Hickory, 11/93.

Current Busch Series Consecutives:
Category Driver Streak
Races Competed In Jason Keller 265 (started 9/97 at Richmond)
Top Five Finish Jason Leffler two (started at Richmond 2)
Top 10 Finish Greg Biffle five (started at Michigan)
Running at Finish Stacy Compton 24 (started at Nashville 1)
Finish in Lead Lap Greg Biffle six (started at Watkins Glen)

Nextel Cup Regulars in the Busch Series:
Nextel Cup regulars have won 18 of the 29 races in 2005. Non-Cup regular driver winners are Clint Bowyer (1), Johnny Sauter (1), David Green (1), Reed Sorenson (2) and Martin Truex Jr. (6).
Dover winner Ryan Newman has four wins, all consecutive starts, and six top three finishes in his six NBS starts in 2005. Average finish, 1.9.
In six NBS starts in 2005 Mark Martin has two wins, one pole, and six top seven finishes. Average finish, 8.2.
Richmond 2 winner Kevin Harvick has three wins, two poles, and 10 top five finishes in his 16 NBS starts in 2005. Average finish 6.9.
Matt Kenseth had his first 2005 finish outside the top 10 at Dover2 (10 races). Many other Nextel Cup regulars have not fared so well in the Busch Series in 2005 – average finish, five or more races: Kasey Kahne, 17.2; Sterling Marlin, 21.4; Jeremy Mayfield, 24.0; Jamie McMurray, 21.2; Joe Nemechek, 15.4; Tony Stewart, 20.0; Michael Waltrip, 23.6.

2005 Busch Series Points Race: The Top Three Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates are in the Top Five.

1st place Martin Truex Jr. finished 12th at Dover, losing 43 points of his lead. It was his third consecutive finish outside the top 10. He was 27th at Richmond, losing 48 points of his lead (plus 25 due to penalty). He was 15th at California, ending a streak of top six finishes at four and lost 52 points of his lead. In four races his lead has been cut by 178 points, from 204 following Michigan to 26 now. Truex has won at: Mexico, Talladega, Dover, Daytona 2, Loudon and IRP. 16 races ago, he was 318 behind first, in fourth place. Average 2005 finish, 11.0. He started fifth and finished 30th in last year’s Kansas, his first NBS event at the track.

2nd place (-26) Clint Bowyer finished second at Dover, gaining 43 points on first place. He was 11th at Richmond, gaining 48 points on first place, plus 25 due to Truex’s penalty. He finished third from the pole and gained 52 points on first place at California. He was fourth at Bristol, 30th at Michigan, and 15th at Watkins Glen, ending a streak of consecutive top 10 finishes at three. He has nine top fives and 17 top 10s in 2005. Average 2005 finish, 10.2. He finished 24th in last year’s Kansas, his first NBS event at the track.

Head to Head
First vs. Second Place
Truex Bowyer
Top fives 14 10
Top 10s 18 18
Wins 6 1
Poles 1 2
Races Led 16 10
Laps Led 611 427
Average Finish 11.0 10.2
Lead Lap Fin. 20 26
Bonus Points 105 65
Run at End 26 28

Points Race Tightening:
In the last four races Martin Truex Jr.’s lead over second place Clint Bowyer has dwindled to just 26 from 204 after Michigan:
Bristol – lost 10 points
California – lost 52 points
Richmond – lost 73 points (includes 25 point penalty for Truex Jr.)
Dover - lost 43 points

3rd place (-258) Rookie Reed Sorenson finished fourth at Dover, his second consecutive top 10 finish. He was seventh at Richmond and gained a position in the standings. He was 12th at California and lost a position in the standings. He was 11th at Bristol after starting 42nd due to being designated a DNS in qualifying. Sorenson finished 36th (engine) at Michigan, his second consecutive finish worse than 35th and his fifth finish worse than 30th this season. He has 17 top 10 finishes in 2005 and 19 top 10 finishes in 34 career races. Average 2005 finish, 12.4. He has not previously competed at Kansas.

4th place (-330) Rookie Carl Edwards finished ninth at Dover. It was his 17th top 10 of 2005. He was 28th at Richmond and lost a position in the standings. He won his fourth race of the season at California. It was his 11th top five of 2005. He finished 29th at Bristol, third at Michigan, 11th at Watkins Glen, 20th at IRP and third at Gateway. Edwards did not compete at Nashville and lost the lead in the standings. He has two poles and four wins in 2005 (Atlanta, Richmond, Kentucky, California 2). Average 2005 finish, 12.7. He has not previously competed at Kansas.

5th place (-567) Denny Hamlin finished sixth at Dover and gained a position. He was 34th (engine) at Richmond and lost a position. He was 20th at California and 13th at Bristol, gaining a position to his best NBS ranking. Hamlin has one top five (third, Loudon) and nine top 10s. Average finish, 15.0. He has not previously competed at Kansas.

6th place (-580) Kenny Wallace finished 11th at Dover and dropped a position in the standings. He was 31st at Richmond and moved back into the top five. He had his first top 10 in six races at California (eighth). The previous week at Bristol, Wallace finished 35th and dropped out of the top five. Average 2005 finish, 15.4. He finished 15th in last year’s Kansas, his only top 20 finish in three Kansas NBS races.

2005 Point Leaders:
Driver # Led (After)
Kevin Harvick 4 (Daytona 1 - Las Vegas)
Carl Edwards 10 (Atlanta – Dover1)
Reed Sorenson 2 (Nashville 2 - Kentucky)
Martin Truex Jr. 13 (Milwaukee – Dover2)

Changes in Top 10 at Dover:
Four of the top 10 changed position after Dover.

Top 10 Turnover:
Only four of this season’s Top 10 were in the Top 10 at this point last season.

Martin Truex – At a Championship Pace: Slowing
After 29 Races
2005 2004
Races: 29 29
Wins: 6 5
Poles: 1 6
Top Fives: 14 14
Top 10s: 18 21
Laps Lead: 614 748
Races Led: 16 17
Finish in Lead Lap: 20 26
Running at Finish: 26 29
Average Finish: 11.0 7.9

*He had his third DNF and worst season finish of 2005 at Richmond in the 12th race of the season.

Championship Race With Six Races Remaining:
The difference between first place and second place with six races remaining is 26 points. Point races statistics in the prior 23 seasons of the NASCAR Busch Series with six races to go:

2005 Point Spread:
1st to 2nd - 26 points separate 1st place Martin Truex Jr. and 2nd place Clint Bowyer. 2nd to 3rd - 232 points separate 2nd place Clint Bowyer and 3rd place Reed Sorenson. 3rd to 4th - 72 points separate 3rd place Reed Sorenson and 4th place Carl Edwards. 4th to 5th - 237 points separate 4th place Carl Edwards and 5th place Denny Hamlin. 6th to 10th - 249 points separate 6th place Kenny Wallace from 10th place Jason Keller.

2005 Season Statistics:

2005 NASCAR Busch Series Bits: