Race 2 Win: Dodge/Save Mart 350

Nextel Cup Series

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Dodge/Save Mart 350 - Race Notes

Infineon Raceway

Track data
Race #: 16 of 36 (6-26-05)
Track Size: 1.99 Mile
Event: Dodge/Save Mart 350
Number of Laps: 110
Location: Sonoma, CA
Length of Event: 218.9 Miles
Length of Front Stretch: N/A
Length of Back Stretch: N/A
Degree of Banking in Corners: 12 Turns: Varies
Degree of Banking on Straights: Varies

Qualifying/Race Data*:
Last year's pole winner: Jeff Gordon 94.303 mph 6-25-04 75.968 seconds
Last year's event winner: Jeff Gordon 77.456 mph 6-27-04 2 hrs, 49 min, 34 sec
Track qualifying record: Boris Said 93.620 mph 6-20-03 76.522 seconds
Track race record: Ricky Rudd 81.007 mph 6-23-02 2 hrs, 42 min, 08 sec
* Records based upon new track size and distance, re-measured in 2002

Historical data:
Previous winners at Sonoma:
Jeff Gordon (4) Ernie Irvan (2) Rusty Wallace (2) Ricky Rudd (2) Davey Allison (1) Geoffrey Bodine (1) Dale Earnhardt (1) Mark Martin (1) Tony Stewart (1) Robby Gordon (1)
Races won from the pole: 5 of 16 events (31%)
Races won from in top 10: 14 of 16 events (88%)
Races won from outside top 10: 2 of 16 events (12%)

Track Milestones

Rusty Wallace won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole at Infineon Raceway in 1989.

Ricky Rudd won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Infineon Raceway, the 1989 Banquet 300.

The track was originally a 2.52-mile road course. The race was increased from 74 to 112 laps in 1998.

The track was re-configured to 1.949 miles for the 1999 and 2000 races and then re-configured again in 2001 to a two-mile road course. An 890-foot chute was inserted between turns four and seven for use in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Craftsman Truck events only.

The track was re-measured at 1.99 miles in 2002 and the race length changed to 110 laps. The track also was re-named Infineon Raceway.

Track Update
The Bud Pole starting position has been the most productive at Infineon Raceway - producing five race winners and in 13 of the 16 races the pole winner has scored a top-five finish. The worst finish by a Bud Pole winner at Sonoma was a 26th-place finish by Rusty Wallace in 2000.

Manufacturer Update
Chevrolet has posted seven victories in the 16 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup at Infineon Raceway while Ford has six. Chevrolet drivers have accounted for 33 top-five finishes to Ford's 28 at the California road course. Dodge has posted four top-fives in its four years of competition at Sonoma (two in 2003 and in 2004).

Qualifying Update
Tony Stewart has posted top-10 starts in five of his six races at Infineon Raceway, including one in each of the top-four positions.

The Money
Purse $5,322,397
NASCAR NEXTEL Leader Bonus $30,000
MBNA Mid-Race Leader Bonus $25,000

Tire/Fuel Data
Goodyear Tire Codes: Left-side — D-6836; Right-side -- D-6840
Other Tracks With This Same Tire Combination: Watkins Glen International
Estimated Pit Window: Every 36-38 laps, based on fuel mileage
Speed Limits: Pit Road – 45 mph; Caution Car – 50 mph

Not Here
Dale Earnhardt Jr's, 11th-place finishes in 2003 and 2004 are his best finishes in five races at Infineon Raceway. His average finish there is 19.000. Infineon is just one of two tracks currently run by NASCAR's premier series that Earnhardt Jr., has not posted a top-10 finish. He also has yet to finish in the top-10 at Homestead.

Track Tidbits

The field will consist of 43 cars. The 43rd position is reserved for a past NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion, if needed. If unused, it will go to the next eligible owner.

One qualifying lap will be used to determine the starting positions with the adjustments made afterwards as required.

There have been 16 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Infineon Raceway since the track was added to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup circuit in 1989.

Ricky Rudd (four), Jeff Gordon (four) and Rusty Wallace (two), have posted multiple Bud Poles at Infineon Raceway.

There have been nine different Bud Pole winners in the last 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Infineon Raceway. Jeff Gordon (1998, 1999, 2001 and 2004) is the only repeat Bud Pole winner in the 12-race period.

The race at Infineon Raceway has been won from the Bud Pole five times. Ernie Irvan (1994), Mark Martin (1997) and Jeff Gordon (1998, 1999 and 2004).

Jeff Gordon is the defending Bud Pole winner for the Dodge/Save Mart 350.

There have been 10 different race winners in the 16 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Sonoma. Ricky Rudd (1989 and 2002), Ernie Irvan (1992 and '94), Rusty Wallace (1990 and '96) and Jeff Gordon (1998, 1999, 2000 and 2004) are the repeat race winners at Sonoma.

Jeff Gordon is the defending champion of the Dodge/Save Mart 350.

Ten different car owners have scored victories at Infineon Raceway.

The furthest back a winner has started in the 16-race history at Infineon Raceway occurred when Davey Allison won the 1991 Banquet 300 from 13th.

Three of the four drivers who have won more than one race at Infineon Raceway did so in different car makes. Ricky Rudd won in a Buick in 1989 and a Ford in 2002. Rusty Wallace won in 1990 in a Pontiac and '96 in a Ford. Ernie Irvan won in a Chevrolet in 1992 and in a Ford in '94.

Would You Believe?
In 2002, Jeff Gordon failed to post a top-10 finish in a road-course race for the first time since his rookie season (1993), finishing 37th at Sonoma and 22nd at Watkins Glen. Gordon finished 11th, 31st and 37th in his first three road course races. He then posted 12 straight top-10 road-course finishes, including victories in six consecutive road-course races beginning at Watkins Glen in 1997, setting the NASCAR record for consecutive road-course victories. Gordon's string of victories ended with a 23rd-place finish at Watkins Glen in August 2000. Gordon returned to his dominating ways on road courses, finishing third at Sonoma and winning his seventh career road-course race at Watkins Glen in 2001 setting the all-time record for most victories on a road-course. His eighth career-road course victory came at Sonoma in 2004.

Sonoma Consistency
Jeff Gordon (eight of 12), Ricky Rudd (nine of 16) and Rusty Wallace (eight of 16) are the only active drivers with more than one race at Infineon Raceway to score top-five finishes in at least half of their races there.

Road-Course History
(Excludes the Daytona Beach and Road Course)

There have been 97 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup road-course races at 10 different courses since the first roadcourse event was held at Linden, New Jersey on June 13, 1954.
* Riverside International Raceway - 48
* Watkins Glen International – 22
* Infineon Raceway – 16
* Bridgehampton, NY – 4
* Willow Springs Speedway - Lancaster, CA – 2
* Linden Airport – Linden, NJ – 1
* Cocoa Speedway - Titusville, FL – 1
* Augusta International Speedway - Augusta, GA – 1
* Road America - Elkhart Lakes, IL – 1
* Kitsap County Airport - Bremerton, WA – 1

Six hundred and eighty-seven drivers have competed in a road-course event in NASCAR's premier series.

Richard Petty leads all other drivers with 60 road-course races.

Terry Labonte has competed in 54 road-course races, more than any other active driver.

Darrell Waltrip leads all drivers with nine road-course Bud Poles; David Pearson had eight.

Terry Labonte leads all other active drivers with eight road-course Bud Poles.

Thirty-seven different drivers have posted at least one victory on a road-course. Twenty-one drivers have more than one road-course victory.

Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with eight road-course victories.

Bobby Allison, Richard Petty, Ricky Rudd and Rusty Wallace all have six road-course victories.

Would You Believe?
Buck Baker won the 100-mile road-course race at Watkins Glen on Aug. 4, 1957. Just hours later, Parnelli Jones won the 72-mile road-course race at Kitsap County Airport in Bremerton, Washington - the only time two road-course events were held by NASCAR's premier division on the same day.

The Real Mr. Road-Course
Dan Gurney competed in nine road-course races posting six top-10 finishes - five of which were victories. His 55.56 winning percentage is the best among drivers who competed in more than one road-course race.

Road-Course Success

Three drivers won the only road-course race that they competed in:
Tim Flock - Elkhart Lakes - Aug. 12, 1956
Al Keller - Linden Airport - June 13, 1954
Chuck Stevenson - Lancaster - Nov. 20, 1955

Oops
The employment of road-course specialists, prevalent in recent years, has not been an unqualified success. Boris Said, Scott Pruett, Ron Fellows are winless in a combined 26 races; posting just one Bud Pole and nine top-10 finishes. The three have also racked up nine DNFs.

Road-Course Consistency
Only 123 of the 687 drivers that have competed in a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup road-course race have posted top-10 finishes in at least 50 per cent of their appearances. Thirty seven of those have completed in just one road course race and 84 have competed in five or less.

Fireball Roberts was nine-for-nine, posting top-10 finishes in everyone of his road-course appearances, including two victories: Cocoa Speedway - December 1956 and Augusta November 1963.

Buck Baker was nine-for-10; failing to finish in the top-10 only once: November Augusta November 1963. Baker won at Watkins Glen in 1957.

Mark Martin is the best among active drivers on the road-course top-10 list at 31-for-37 (83.8 percent).

Road-Course Specialists - Not
Three drivers have posted their only NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories on road courses: Dan Gurney, Ray Elder and Mark Donahue. None of the three competed exclusively in road-course races.

Point Leader at Infineon
Jimmie Johnson has competed in three races at Infineon Raceway, scoring one top-10 finish. His best finish at the California road-course, fifth, came there one year ago. Johnson finished 17th or worse in his other two races there.

Defending NEXTEL Cup Champion at Infineon Raceway
Kurt Busch has competed in four races at Infineon Raceway scoring one top-10 finish. He finished 23rd or worse in his other three races there. Busch finished 36th in this race one year ago, his worst Infineon finish.

Starting Up Front is the Ticket at Infineon Raceway
Davey Allison (1991) is the only driver to score a victory from outside the top 10 at Infineon Raceway. Allison started 13th and drove to victory, scoring his only career road-course victory. The 13 Infineon races since 1991 have been won by drivers who started seventh or better.

Winners Galore
There have been four different race winners in the last four races at Infineon.

Gordon Leads All Drivers
Jeff Gordon has scored four victories at Infineon Raceway, two more than any other driver at this track.

Tied for Bud Poles
Jeff Gordon and Ricky Rudd have each scored four Bud poles at Infineon Raceway, two more than any other driver at this track

Chevy Strong at Infineon
A Chevrolet has won five of the last seven races at Infineon Raceway. Ford won at Infineon in 2002 (Rudd) and Dodge has yet to score a victory at the California road course.

And the Beat Goes On
Michael Waltrip has been running at the finish in all 16 of his races at Infineon Raceway, the only driver to do so.

Starting and Finishing Up Front at Infineon
Jeff Gordon has a 4.67 starting average and a 8.750 average finish in 12 races at Infineon Raceway, the best among active drivers. Only Dale Earnhardt had a better finishing average at Infineon (8.53).

Leading The Way at Infineon
Jeff Gordon has led 361 laps in 12 races at Infineon Raceway, the most among all drivers that have competed there since the track opened in 1989. Gordon has led 200 more laps than closest competitor Mark Martin who has led 161.

Would you Believe?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has competed in five races at Infineon Raceway and has yet to score a top-10 finish.

Invaders

Boris Said finished sixth in his last two races at Infineon Raceway.

Scott Pruett finished third in this race one year ago.

Klaus Graf finished 17th in this race one year ago.

Latest Dominators at Infineon Raceway

Jeff Gordon has finished sixth or better in nine of his last 10 races at Infineon Raceway.

Mark Martin has posted top 10 finishes in 13 of his last 15 races at Infineon Raceway. “Last-Timers” at Infineon Raceway

Rusty Wallace has scored two victories and 10 top-10 finishes in his 16 races at Infineon Raceway. He has a 13.8 average finish at the California road-course.

Mark Martin has scored one victory and 13 top-10 finishes in his 16 races at Infineon Raceway. He has a 9.6 average finish at the California road-course.

Ricky Rudd posted his last Nextel Cup victory at. Infineon Raceway when he won the 2002 Dodge Save Mart 350, 107 races ago.

Infineon Standouts

Jeff Gordon and Ricky Rudd lead all drivers each with four Bud Poles at Infineon Raceway.

Jeff Gordon has scored four victories at Infineon Raceway, the most among all drivers.

Ricky Rudd has scored nine top-five finishes at Infineon Raceway, the most among all drivers.

Mark Martin has scored 13 top-10 finishes at Infineon Raceway, the most among all drivers.

Jeff Gordon has a 8.75 average finish in 12 races at Infineon Raceway, the best among active drivers.

Jeff Gordon has posted 11 straight starts of eighth or better in his 12 races at Infineon Raceway. His starting average is 4.67, the best among all drivers..

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