Race 2 Win: Pocono 500

Nextel Cup Series

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Pocono 500 - Race Notes

Pocono Raceway

Track data:
Race #: 14 of 36 (6-12-05) Track Size: 2.5 Mile
Event: Pocono 500 Number of Laps: 200
Location: Pocono, PA Length of Event: 500 Miles
Length of Front Stretch: 3,740 Feet Degree of Banking in Corner #1: 14 degrees
Length of Long Pond Stretch: 3,055 Feet Degree of Banking in Corner #2: 8 degrees
Length of Back Stretch: 1,780 Feet Degree of Banking in Corner #3: 6 degrees

Qualifying data:
Last year's event pole winner: Kasey Kahne 172.533 mph 6-11-04 52.164 seconds
Last year's event winner: Jimmie Johnson 112.129 mph 6-13-04 4 hrs, 27 min, 33 sec
Track qualifying record: Kasey Kahne 172.533 mph 6-11-04 52.164 seconds
Track race record: Rusty Wallace 144.892 mph 7-21-96 3 hr, 27 min, 03 sec

Historical data:
Previous winners at Pocono:
Bill Elliott (5) Darrell Waltrip (4) Tim Richmond (4) Rusty Wallace (4) Bobby Allison (3) Geoffrey Bodine (3) Jeff Gordon (3) Bobby Labonte (3) Dale Jarrett (3) Richard Petty (2) Harry Gant (2) Cale Yarborough (2) Dale Earnhardt (2) Terry Labonte (2) Jeremy Mayfield (2) Jimmie Johnson (2) David Pearson (1) Benny Parsons (1) Neil Bonnett (1) Alan Kulwicki (1) Kyle Petty (1) Ricky Rudd (1) Tony Stewart (1) Ryan Newman (1)
Races won from the pole: 9 of 54 events (17%)
Races won from in top 10: 39 of 54 events (72%)
Races won from outside top 10: 15 of 54 events (28%)

Track Milestones

Buddy Baker won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole at Pocono in 1974.

Richard Petty won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Pocono, the Purolator 500 on August 4, 1974.

Qualifying Update
Ken Schrader won three of the four Bud Poles at Pocono in 1992 and 1993. In the 22 races since then, there have been 18 different Bud Pole winners at Pocono. Jeff Gordon (June 1996 and 1998), Rusty Wallace (June 1994 and 2000) and Bill Elliott (July 1995 and 2002) are the only repeat Bud Pole winners in the 22-race period.

Track Update
There have been nine different race winners in the 10 races at Pocono since Bobby Labonte swept both races at the Pennsylvania track in 1999. Jimmie Johnson swept both Pocono races in 2004.

Manufacturer Update
Bill Elliott won the 2002 Pennsylvania 500, the first victory by a Dodge driver at Pocono since Richard Petty won the 1976 Purolator 500, the third race in Pocono history.

Hendrick Success
Hendrick Motorsports, the leading car owner at Pocono, has posted twice as many victories there than any other car owner. HMS has won 10 Pocono races with five different drivers: Tim Richmond (three), Jeff Gordon (three), Jimmie Johnson (two), Geoffrey Bodine (one) and Terry Labonte (one).

Would You Believe?
Mark Martin leads all drivers at Pocono, with and 18 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes in 36 races, yet has not posted a victory at the Pennsylvania speedway. He has six second-place finishes there, most recently in August 2004.

The Money
Purse $4,750,449
NASCAR NEXTEL Leader Bonus $20,000
MBNA Mid-Race Leader Bonus $15,000

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.

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

There have been 54 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Pocono Raceway since the first race was held there in 1974. There was one race a year from 1974 through 1981 and two-a-year since 1982.

Ken Schrader and Bill Elliott lead all other drivers, each with five Bud Poles at Pocono.

Kasey Kahne is the defending Bud Pole winner for the Pocono 500.

Jimmie Johnson is the defending race winner of the Pocono 500.

The pole position has been the most productive at Pocono, producing nine race winners.

Thirty-one of 54 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Pocono have been won from the first four starting positions.

Eleven of the last 15 races at Pocono Raceway have been won from a starting position of fifth or better. Only five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Pocono have ever been won from a starting position worse than 15th, most recently by Jeremy Mayfield who won the 2000 Pocono 500 from 22nd.

The farthest back that a race winner at Pocono has started was 27th by Terry Labonte in the 1995 Pocono 500.

In 23 years of twice-a-year NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Pocono since 1982, a sweep has occurred only five times: Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1985), Tim Richmond (1986), Bobby Labonte (1999) and Jimmie Johnson (2004).

Bobby Allison and Tim Richmond are the only drivers to win three straight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Pocono.

Mark Martin (18 of 36) and Ryan Newman (three of six) are the only active drivers to score top-five finishes in at least half of their Pocono races.

The race at Pocono has been shortened by rain four times: 1974, July 1986, July 1991 and July 2002.

Rudd Expected to Set Another Mark at Pocono Raceway
Ricky Rudd is expected to make his 52nd start at Pocono Raceway the most of any driver at the Pennsylvania superspeedway. Rudd has one victory (June 2001) and 21 top-10 finishes there. Career Milestones

Rusty Wallace is expected to make his 675th consecutive start in this week's race at Pocono Raceway.
Wallace ranks second among active drivers in consecutive starts behind Ricky Rudd who is expected to make his 765th a NASCAR Record.

Point Leader at Pocono Raceway
Jimmie Johnson has competed in six races at Pocono Raceway. He won both races there in 2004 and has scored top-15 finishes in all six.

Defending NEXTEL Cup Champion at Pocono Raceway
Kurt Busch has competed in eight races at Pocono Raceway scoring runner-up finishes in two. He still seeks his first Pocono victory.

Latest Dominators at Pocono
Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Robby Gordon and Jeremy Mayfield all scored top-10 finishes in both races at Pocono Raceway in 2004. Johnson scored victories in both races there last season.

Lately, Starting Up Front is the Ticket at Pocono
Thirty-four of the 54 races at Pocono have been won from a top-five starting position (63 percent). Four of the last five races have been won from a top-five starting position. Jimmie Johnson won the Pennsylvania 500 in July from a 14th-place starting position.

Winners Galore

There have been 16 different Bud Pole winners in the last 17 races at Pocono. Qualifying was rained out in the 2002 Pocono 500.

There have been nine different race winners in the last 10 races at Pocono. Only Jimmie Johnson has won two races during the period, both in 2004.

Mayfield and Mears “First-Timers” at Pocono

Jeremy Mayfield posted his career-first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory at Pocono Raceway.

Casey Mears posted his career-first Bud Pole at Pocono Raceway.

Pocono Standouts

Ken Schrader leads all active drivers with five Bud Poles at Pocono. Bill Elliott also scored five Bud poles at Pocono. Elliott also had five wins at Pocono, the most of all drivers.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has scored top 10 finishes in three of his last four races at Pocono Raceway.

Mark Martin has out scored all drivers with 18 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes in his 36 races at Pocono, however he has never won there.

Would You Believe?
Robby Gordon scored top-10 finishes in both races at Pocono in 2004.

Starting and Finishing Up Front at Pocono
Mark Martin has a 6.9 starting average in 36 races at Pocono, the best among drivers with more than 10 starts at the Pennsylvania superspeedway. He ranks second in average finish among active drivers behind Jeff Gordon with an 10.8 average finish. Gordon has a 10.04 average finish in 24 races, the best among drivers with more than 15 races at the Pennsylvania superspeedway.

Getting it Done at Pocono
Elliott Sadler has been running at the finish in all 12 of his races at Pocono Raceway, the longest streak among active drivers at the track. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth and Dave Blaney have all been running at the finish in each of their 10 races at Pocono.

Owner Domination at Pocono Raceway
Rick Hendrick is the all-time winning owner at Pocono Raceway, posting 10 victories with five different drivers: Tim Richmond (three), Jeff Gordon (three), Jimmie Johnson (two), Terry Labonte (one) and Geoffrey Bodine (one).

Pocono Sweeps
There have been five seasons with sweeps at Pocono since the track has hosted twice-a-year races beginning in 1982, including two in the last six seasons: Jimmie Johnson (2004) Bobby Labonte (1999), Tim Richmond (1986), Bill Elliott (1985) and Bobby Allison (1982).

Don't Tell Me You Can't
Terry Labonte won the 1995 UAW-GM Teamwork 500 at Pocono Raceway from the 27th starting position. This is the furthest back a race winner has started and won in the 31-year history at the Pennsylvania superspeedway.

Gordon Leads the Way at Pocono
Jeff Gordon has led 841 laps in 24 races at Pocono, more than any other driver in the speedway's history. Top 10 Lap Leaders at Pocono Raceway
Driver Starts Laps Led
1. Gordon, Jeff 24 841
2. Bodine, Geoffrey 39 806
3. Wallace, Rusty 42 735
4. Waltrip, Darrell 44 616
5. Jarrett, Dale 36 521
6. Petty, Richard 30 500
7. Earnhardt, Dale 41 455
8. Elliott, Bill 44 427
9. Martin, Mark 36 350
10. Allison, Bobby 21 344

Pocono May Spell Trouble for Some of the Top 10

Seventh-place Rusty Wallace has not scored a top-10 finish in his last five races at Pocono Raceway.

Ninth-place Carl Edwards has never raced a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup car at Pocono Raceway.

10th-place Kevin Harvick has scored only one top-10 finish in eight races at Pocono Raceway .

Pocono “Downs”

Tony Stewart has scored eight top-10 finishes in 12 races at Pocono, but has finished 37th, 27th and 35th in his last three races there.

Dale Jarrett has scored 18 top-10 finishes in 36 races at Pocono, but has finished 42nd, 21st, 26th and 24th in his last four races there.

Kyle Petty has finished 13th or worse in his last 14 races at Pocono Raceway.

Rusty Wallace has not scored a top-10 finish in his last five races at Pocono.

Winning Tougher than Ever in 2005
After 13 races in 2005, there are nine drivers who won in 2004 that have not won in 2005: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler, Jeremy Mayfield, Rusty Wallace and Joe Nemechek.

Manufacturer Dominance A Dodge has won six of the 13 Bud Poles in 2005, more than any other manufacturer. Starting Up Front Never Hurt
Only Ryan Newman has started every race in 2005 from a top-10 starting position. Newman has scored 20 straight top-10 starts, since Kansas last October. Bobby Issac set the record of 66 straight top-10 starts between September 1969 and March 1971.

Streaks
Rusty Wallace has been running at the finish in 26 consecutive races, since Bristol last fall, the longest current streak.

Get Those Bonus Points
Greg Biffle is the only driver to lead at least one lap in 10 of the 13 races in 2005. Biffle has led 890 laps this season, 346 more than Tony Stewart (544) the next highest lap leader.

Maintaining a Top-10 Standard

Kurt Busch has ranked in the top-10 of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings for 48 consecutive races since Rockingham in February 2004, the longest current streak.

Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch are the only drivers that have ranked in the top 10 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings after every race in 2005.

2005 Struggles

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (15th in points) has ranked among the top 10 after just three of the 13 races this season. He ranked first in the point standings after 13 races one year ago. He is now 418 points behind point leader

Jimmie Johnson.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has led only five laps in 2005. Dale Jarrett has led only one.

Mark Martin has led only 10 laps in 2005. Jeff Burton has led only six and Ricky Rudd has led only one..

Matt Kenseth ranks 22nd in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings after 13 races in 2005. One year ago he was third.

Sterling Marlin has dropped from sixth to 23rd in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings in the last six races.

2005 Superspeedway Standouts
In the first 10 superspeedway races in 2005:

Most Points Earned - Jimmie Johnson - 1,572 (75 more than Greg Biffle)

Most Bud Poles – Ryan Newman (four)

Most Victories – Greg Biffle (four)

Most Top-fives – Jimmie Johnson (seven)

Most Top-10s –Jimmie Johnson (eight)

Most Races Led – Greg Biffle (nine)

Winning Manufacturer – Ford (six-All Roush drivers)

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