Race 2 Win: Chevy Rock & Roll 400

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Chevy Rock & Roll 400 - Race Notes

Richmond International Raceway

Track data:
Race #: 26 of 36 (9-10-05)
Track Size: .75 Mile
Event: Chevy Rock & Roll 400
Number of Laps: 400
Location: Richmond, VA
Length of Event: 300 Miles
Length of Front Stretch: 1,290 Ft.
Length of Back Stretch: 860 Ft.
Degree of Banking in Corners: 14 degrees
Degree of Banking on Straights: 8 degrees Front/2 degrees Back

Qualifying/Race data:
Last year's event pole winner: Ryan Newman 128.700 mph 9-10-04 20.979 seconds
Last year's event winner: Jeremy Mayfield 98.946 mph 9-11-04 3 hrs, 01 min, 55 sec
Track qualifying record: Brian Vickers 129.983 mph 5-14-04 20.772 seconds
Track race record: Dale Jarrett 109.047 mph 9-6-97 2 hr, 45 min, 04 sec

Historical data
Previous winners at Richmond:
Richard Petty (13) Bobby Allison (7) David Pearson (6) Darrell Waltrip (6) Rusty Wallace (6) Dale Earnhardt (5) Cale Yarborough (3) Joe Weatherly (3) Terry Labonte (3) Tony Stewart (3) Benny Parsons (2) Neil Bonnett (2) Dave Marcis (2) Davey Allison (2) Ernie Irvan (2) Dale Jarrett (2) Jeff Gordon (2) Ricky Rudd (2) Lee Petty (2) Cotton Owens (2) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (2) Tim Flock (1) Buck Baker (1) Paul Goldsmith (1) Speedy Thompson (2) Tom Pistone (1) Mark Martin (1) Harry Gant (1) Bill Elliott (1) James Hylton (1) Ned Jarrett (1) Kyle Petty (1) Junior Johnson (1) Rex White (1) Tim Richmond (1) Jeff Burton (1) Matt Kenseth (1) Joe Nemechek (1) Ryan Newman (1) Jeremy Mayfield (1) Kasey Kahne (1)
Races won from the pole: 20 of 98 events (20%)
Races won from the top 10: 78 of 98 events (81%)
Races won from outside top 10: 19 of 98 events (19%)
Note: 97 races because the starting position of 1953 race is unknown

Track Milestones

Buck Baker won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup pole at Richmond International Raceway on dirt in 1953.

Lee Petty won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Richmond on dirt in April 1953.

In 1968 the track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt.

Kyle Petty became the first third-generation NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race winner when he won his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race on February 23, 1986, the Miller High Life 400 at Richmond. Richard posted his first Richmond victory in 1961 and Lee won the very first Richmond race in 1953.

Davey Allison won the first 3/4-mile race at Richmond from the Bud Pole, the 1988 Miller High Life 400, after the track was increased in distance from one-half mile between the two races that season.

The first night race was held in the fall of 1991.

1999 was the first season that both Richmond races were held at night.

Manufacturer Update
Ford has a slight lead in victory lane at Richmond since the track was re-constructed to its current configuration in 1988. Ford has 13 victories in the 34 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races there since the fall of 1988. Chevrolet has 10 victories; Pontiac has seven and Dodge has three, all scored in the last four races there. The other victory was by Harry Gant in an Oldsmobile (February 1991).

Qualifying Update
There has been a different Bud Pole winner in each of the past 11 races at Richmond International Raceway.

Track Update
Ray Evernham has accumulated seven victories as a car owner and has posted two victories at Richmond – the only track he has won more than once. Though they came in the past two races, each victory came with a different driver: Jeremy Mayfield (September 2004) and Kasey Kahne (May 2005).

The Money
Purse $5,840,067
NASCAR NEXTEL Leader Bonus $30,000
MBNA Mid-Race Leader Bonus $5,000

Tire/Fuel Data
Goodyear Tire Codes: Left-side — D-6879; Right-side -- D-6832
Other Tracks With This Same Tire Combination: California, Chicago, Kansas, Michigan
Estimated Pit Window: Every 48-52 laps, based on fuel mileage

Track Tidbits

The field at Richmond 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 98 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Richmond since 1953 – two each season since 1959.

There have been 34 races at Richmond since the track converted from 1/2 to a 3/4-mile track in the fall of 1988.

One hundred and thirty-six drivers have competed on the 3/4-mile configuration at Richmond.

Sterling Marlin, Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader, Rusty Wallace and Michael Waltrip are the six drivers that have competed in all 34 races on the three quarter-mile configuration.

Ryan Newman is the defending Bud Pole winner for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

Retired drivers Richard Petty and Bobby Allison lead all other drivers each with eight Bud Poles at Richmond.

Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with four Bud Poles on the 3/4-mile track.

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Richmond have been won from the pole 20 times since 1953, the most of any starting position.

A race has been won from the Bud Pole only three times in 34 races on the 3/4-mile configuration.

The furthermost back in the field that a Richmond race winner started was 28th by Richard Petty in the 1971 Richmond 500 (spring).

The furthermost back in the field that a Richmond race winner has started on the 3/4-mile configuration was 25th by Matt Kenseth in the 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400.

Jeremy Mayfield is the defending champion of the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

Richard Petty scored 13 victories at Richmond, the most of all drivers.

Rusty Wallace leads all active drivers with six victories at Richmond, all occurring on the 3/4-mile configuration.

In the modern era of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing at Richmond (1972 to 2004), a sweep has occurred five times. Rusty Wallace (1989) is the most recent driver to win both Richmond races in the same year.

Richard Petty won seven consecutive races at Richmond International Raceway, winning the fall race in 1970 and then sweeping 1971, 1972 and 1973.

Between 1964 and 1975 Richard Petty won 12 of 24 races and David Pearson won six, giving them 75 percent of the wins at Richmond in the 12-year period.

There have been eight different race winners in the last eight races at Richmond International Raceway.

Forty-six of the 98 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races run at Richmond have been won from the top-three starting positions. However, only 12 of the 34 races run on the current configuration have been won from third or better. Ten races on the new configuration have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.

Rusty Wallace has a 8.264 average finish in 34 races under the current configuration at Richmond, the best of all drivers that have competed on the 3/4-mile configuration, except for Kyle Busch, who finished fourth in May 2005, his only Richmond appearance.

Would You Believe?
Twenty of the 98 races at Richmond since 1953, have been won by the Bud Pole winner, but only three times since the track was re-configured in September 1988, has the Bud Pole winner gone on to win the race: Davey Allison (fall 1988), Bill Elliott (spring 1992) and Kasey Kahne (spring 2005).

Mr. Consistency
Rusty Wallace has been the dominator on the 3/4-mile track at Richmond since 1988. In those 34 races Wallace has: three Bud Poles (second only to Jeff Gordon with four), six victories (twice as many as closest drivers Terry Labonte and Tony Stewart; three each), 20 top-fives and 26 top-10's (more than any other driver) and has led 2,933 laps (three times more than any other driver on the 3/4-mile). His 8.264 average finish is the best among all drivers with more than one start there.

Youthful Success

Tony Stewart scored his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory at Richmond in his 25th career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start, winning the 1999 Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., posted his career-first top-10 finish when he finished 10th in the 1999 Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400, his fourth career race. On his next visit to the Virginia track, he scored a victory, winning the 2000 Pontiac Excitement 400 in his 32nd career start.

Ryan Newman finished second in both of his races at Richmond in his rookie season (2002) and won in his fourth attempt there (fall 2003).

Brian Vickers won the Bud Pole and finished eighth in his career-first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Richmond.

Kasey Kahne posted his career-first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory when he won the 2005 Chevy American Revolution 400 in his 47th career start.

Kyle Busch started 10th and finished fourth in his career-first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Richmond.

Joe Gibbs Racing Richmond Success

Tony Stewart has three victories and eight top-10 finishes in his 13 races at Richmond.

Bobby Labonte has posted 10 top-10 finishes in his past 17 races at Richmond, including two runner-up finishes. Labonte followed teammate Tony Stewart across the finish line in the 1999 Exide Batteries Select 400 and then finished second to Joe Nemechek in May 2003.

Quick Facts
Prior Race Statistics - This Event Last Year Most Fewest
Leaders: 9 16 (9/94) 2 (9/61, 9/69, 9/70)
Lead Changes: 20 24 (9/98) 2 (9/61, 9/70)
Cautions: 10 14 (9/89, 9/03) 1 (9/62)
Caution Laps: 57 123 (9/73, 9/74) 9 (9/62, 9/70)
Cars on Lead Lap: 12 17 (9/01) 1 (10x)
Race Time: 03:01:55 04:13:17 (9/73) 01:34:08 (10/60)
Average Speed: 98.946 109.047 (9/97) 57.631 (9/67)

Prior Race Statistics - All Races Most Fewest
Leaders: 16 (9/94) 2 (8x)
Lead Changes: 25 (2/91, 3/96) 0 (9/62)
Cautions: 15 (5/03) 0 (3/76)
Caution Laps: 123 (9/73, 9/74) 0 (3/76)
Cars on Lead Lap: 23 (5/03) 1 (22x)
Race Time: 04:13:17 (9/73) 01:34:08 (10/60)
Average Speed: 109.047 (9/97) 45.535 (4/53)

Miscellaneous Stats
Most Cars Starting a Race: 43 (16x)
Average Finish of Pole Winner: 10.082
Most DNFs in a Race: 26 (4/53)
Fewest DNFs in a Race: 3 (9/92, 3/96, 9/97)
Most Cars Running at Finish: 39 (3/97, 9/97, 9/99)
Fewest Cars Running at Finish: 1 (4/53)
Most Cars Finishing on Lead Lap: 23 (5/03
)Fewest Cars Finishing on Lead Lap: 1 (22x)
Most Laps Led by Race Winner: 488 - Richard Petty 9/13/70
Fewest Laps Led by Race Winner: 0 - 0 (5x), most recently, Joe Weatherly
Most Laps Led by a Non-Winner: 348 - Darrell Waltrip 2/26/84
Most DNFs by a Driver: 16 - Bill Champion, J.D. McDuffie
Most Starts in Top 5 by a Driver: 25 - Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip
Most Starts in Top 10 by a Driver: 40 - Richard Petty

Current Consecutives
Category Driver Streak
Races competed in: Ricky Rudd 49
Top five starts: Ryan Newman 6
Top 10 starts: Ryan Newman 6
Top five finish: 5 drivers 1
Top 10 finish: 2 drivers 2
Races finished in the lead lap: Mark Martin 7
Races led: 2 drivers 3
Races running at end: Ken Schrader 31

Margin of Victory - Last Five Races
Year MOV (in Seconds)
2005 1.674 Seconds
2004 4.928 Seconds
2004 1.481 Seconds
2003 0.159 Seconds
2003 Under Caution

Race to the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup

Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson Greg Biffle, Rusty Wallace, and Mark Martin have clinched a spot in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

Kurt Busch will secure a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup by starting the race in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

The most points a winner can score in a race is 190. The drivers ranked seventh to 10th in the point standings are all just 145 points or less ahead of 11th-place Ryan Newman The drivers ranked 11th thru 17th in the current point standings are all 174 or less behind 10th-place Jamie McMurray.

Eleven drivers will be racing for the four remaining unsecured spots in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup at Richmond: Any of the following drivers have a mathematical chance to secure a spot in the Chase. The final determination of which drivers secure these spots cannot be made until the end of the race.

Jeremy Mayfield (+145 from 11th)

Carl Edwards (+86 from 11th)

Matt Kenseth (+11 from 11th)

Jamie McMurray (+1 from 11th)

Ryan Newman (-1 from 10th)

Jeff Gordon (-30 from 10th)

Elliott Sadler (-52 from 10th)

Dale Jarrett (-117 from 10th)

Kevin Harvick (-131 from 10th)

Joe Nemechek (-135 from 10th)

Brian Vickers (-174 from 10th)

Seventh-place Jeremy Mayfield will clinch if he finishes 39th or better at Richmond, regardless of any other driver's performance.

Eighth-place Carl Edwards will clinch if he finishes 19th or better at Richmond, regardless of any other driver's performance.

Ninth to 13th in the point standings are separated by just 62 points.

Richmond May Spell Trouble for Some of the Chase Contenders

Dale Jarrett has finished 13th or worse in his last seven races at Richmond International Raceway.

Joe Nemechek has finished 18th or worse in his last four races at Richmond International Raceway.

Richmond Milestones
Virginia native Ricky Rudd.is expected to make his 778th consecutive start at Richmond International Raceway, the all-time record for consecutive races by a driver.

Defending NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Champion at Richmond International Raceway
Kurt Busch has competed in nine races at Richmond International Raceway scoring just one top-10 finish (eighth in May 2003). His last four finishes at Richmond have been 17th or worse. Busch has a 20.3 average finish at Richmond International Raceway.

Point Leader at Richmond International Raceway
Tony Stewart has competed in 13 races at Richmond International Raceway scoring three victories and eight top-10 finishes. All four of Stewart's finishes outside the top 15 have occurred in his last six races there.

Starting Up Front is Important at Richmond
From 1953 to the fall of 1988 when the track at Richmond International Raceway changed to a 3/4 mile, only eight of the 64 races were won from outside a top-10 starting position. Since the change to 3/4-mile, 10 of the 34 races have been won from outside the top 10. The last five races have been won from starting positions of seventh or better.

Richmond Dominators
In what may be described as uncharacteristic when comparing to other speedways, there are no recent dominators at Richmond. There are no drivers with a current streak of more than two top-10 finishes making the results in the final race to the Chase difficult to predict.

Bud Pole Winners Galore
There have been 11 different Bud Pole winners in the last 11 races at Richmond International Raceway.

Race Winners Galore
There have been eight different race winners in the last eight races at Richmond International Raceway.

Richmond Streaks

Mark Martin has scored seven straight top-15 finishes at Richmond International Raceway.

Michael Waltrip has scored three straight top-15 finishes at Richmond International Raceway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has scored three straight top-15 finishes at Richmond International Raceway.

Kurt Busch finished 15th or worse in his last four races at Richmond International Raceway

Dale Jarrett has finished 13th or worse in his last seven races at Richmond International Raceway.

Dodge Domination
A Dodge has posted 17 victories in the 98 races at Richmond International Raceway since 1953. A Dodge has won three of the last four NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Richmond.

“Last-Timers” at Richmond

Rusty Wallace has scored six victories and 26 top-10 finishes in his 34 races on the 3/4 mile at Richmond International Raceway, the most of all drivers.

Mark Martin has scored one victory and 21 top-10 finishes in his 34 races on the 3/4 mile at Richmond International Raceway.

And the Beat Goes On
Jeff Burton has been running at the finish in all 22 of his races at Richmond International Raceway.

Owner Domination
Hendrick Motorsports has posted seven victories (by four different drivers) at Richmond International Raceway. Joe Gibbs and Jack Roush each have three victories at Richmond International Raceway while Teresa Earnhardt and Ray Evernham each have two.

Starting and Finishing Up Front

Ryan Newman has a 3.86 starting average and a 10.86 finishing average in seven races at Richmond International Raceway. His starting average is the best among active drivers.

Rusty Wallace has a 9.3 starting average and an 8.3 finishing average in 34 races on the 3/4-mile at Richmond International Raceway His finishing average is the best among active drivers.

Top 10 Lap Leaders on 3/4 mile at Richmond International Raceway
Driver Races Led
1. Wallace, Rusty 34 2,933
2. Burton, Jeff 22 874
3. Earnhardt, Dale 25 780
4. Stewart, Tony 13 764
5. Gordon, Jeff 25 754
6. Allison, Davey 10 617
7. Labonte, Terry 33 550
8. Elliott, Bill 31 482
9. Irvan, Ernie 19 458
10. Rudd, Ricky 34 417

Would you Believe?
Rusty Wallace won six of his first 18 races at Richmond on the 3/4-mile configuration (33 percent). Wallace last won at Richmond in March 1997. He has been winless at Richmond in his last 16 races.

Streak Leaders
Ricky Rudd has competed in 777 conseuctive races, the all-time record for consecutive races.
Rusty Wallace has been running at the finish in 38 consecutive races, the longest current streak.
Jimmie Johnson has ranked in the top-10 of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings for 58 consecutive races, the longest current streak.

Continuing Streaks
Jeff Gordon has won at least one Bud Pole in each season 1993-2005, 13 consecutive years.
Ryan Newman has won at least one Bud Pole in each season 2001-2005, five consecutive years.
Kasey Kahne has won at least one Bud Pole in each season 2004-2005, two consecutive years.
Jeff Gordon has won at least one race in each season 1994-2005, 12 consecutive years.
Tony Stewart has won at least one race in each season 1999-2005, seven consecutive years.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has won at least one race in each season 2000-2005, six consecutive years.
Jimmie Johnson has won at least one race each season 2002-2005, four consecutive years.
Matt Kenseth has won at least one race each season 2002-2005, four consecutive years.
Kurt Busch has won at least one race each season 2002-2005, four consecutive years.
Greg Biffle has won at least one race each season 2003-2005, three consecutive years.
Hendrick Motorsports has won at least one race each season 1986-2005, 20 consecutive years.
Joe Gibbs Racing has won at least one race each season 1993-2005, 13 consecutive years.
Roush Racing has won at least one race each season 1997-2005, nine consecutive years.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. has won at least one race each season 2000-2005, six consecutive years.
Evernham Motorsports has won at least one race each season 2001-2005, five consecutive years.
There has been at least one first time Bud Pole winner in each of the last 19 years (1987-2005).
There has been at least one Rookie-of-the-Year contender win a Bud Pole in each of the last 10 years (1996- 2005).

Pending Streaks
Jimmie Johnson has won at least one Bud Pole in each season 2002-2004, three consecutive years.
Ryan Newman has won at least one race each season 2002-2004, three consecutive years.
Joe Nemechek has won at least one race each season 2003-2004, two consecutive years.
Robert Yates Racing has won at least one race each season 1989-2004, 16 consecutive years.
Penske Racing has won at least one race each season 1991-2004, 14 consecutive years.
Jeff Gordon has finished in the top 10 in the points each season 1994-2004, 11 consecutive years.
Tony Stewart has finished in the top 10 in the points each season 1999-2004, six consecutive years.
Jimmie Johnson has finished in the top 10 in the points each season 2002-2004, three consecutive years.
Matt Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in the points each season 2002-2004, three consecutive years.
Ryan Newman has finished in the top 10 in the points each season 2002-2004, three consecutive years.

Who's Hot

Tony Stewart has scored 12 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes in 2005, both the most of all drivers.

Tony Stewart has scored 11 straight top-10 finishes, including five victories, in the last 11 races.

Greg Biffle has scored three straight top-10 finishes.

Matt Kenseth has posted top-10 finishes in four of his last five races.

Matt Kenseth has climbed from 16th to ninth in the point standings in the last three races.

Brian Vickers has posted top-10 finishes in four of his last five races.

Rusty Wallace has scored 20 top-15 finishes in 25 races in 2005, the most of all drivers.

Ricky Rudd has scored five top-10 finishes in his last 10 races.

Ryan Newman has posted 21 top-10 starts in 25 races this season, the most of all drivers.

Roush Racing drivers have won 10 of the 25 races in 2005. Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won six and Joe Gibbs Racing has five victories. Evernham Motorsports has two and Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Richard Childress Racing each have one.

Top 10 in 2005

First
Tony Stewart finished fifth in the SONY HD 500 at California Speedway and remained first in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings. This is the fifth straight week that Stewart has sat atop of the point standings. Stewart has scored 11 straight top-10 finishes, including five victories, in his last 11 races. He has scored 12 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes this season, both the most of all drivers. He leads second-place Greg Biffle by 209 points. Stewart was the first driver to clinch a spot in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP. He did so at Michigan with three races remaining in the Chase. Stewart ranked fourth in the point standings after 25 races one year ago. He has competed in 13 races at Richmond International Raceway scoring three victories and eight top-10 finishes. Stewart has finished 19th or worse in four of his last six races there. His other two finishes were top fives. He finished 19th in this race one year ago and second there in May. Stewart has a 12.5 average finish at Richmond International Raceway.

Second
Greg Biffle finished second in SONY HD 500 at California Speedway and climbed from third to second in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings. Biffle has ranked among the top-five in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings since race No. 2 at California. Biffle became the third driver to secure a spot in the 2005 Chase to the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP, doing so at Bristol with two races remaining. He trails first-place Tony Stewart by 209 points. Biffle ranked 22nd in the point standings after 25 races one year ago. He has scored five victories in 2005, tied with Tony Stewart for the most of all drivers. He has scored 14 top-10 finishes in 25 races this season, three less than Stewart. Biffle has competed in six races at Richmond International Raceway scoring top-10s in his last two races there. His first four finishes at Richmond were all 17th or worse. Biffle finished eighth in this race one year ago and sixth there in May, his best Richmond finish. He has led in just two of his six races at Richmond International Raceway. Biffle has a 17.5 average finish at Richmond International Raceway.

Third
Jimmie Johnson finished 16th in SONY HD 500 at California Speedway and dropped from second to third in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings. Johnson secured a spot in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP at Bristol with two races remaining. Johnson led the point standings after 16 of the 25 races this season. He has scored two victories in 2005 (Las Vegas and Charlotte). He has scored 15 top-10 finishes in 2005, two less than Stewart. Johnson ranked first after 25 races one year ago, 50 points ahead of second-place Jeff Gordon. One year later he is 258 points behind first-place Tony Stewart. He has ranked among the top-10 drivers since Las Vegas in March 2004, 58 straight races. Johnson has competed in seven races at Richmond International Raceway scoring only one top-10 finish there. Johnson finished 36th in this race one year ago and 40th there in May, his worst Richmond finish and only DNF at the Virginia short-track. Johnson has a 24.0 average finish at Richmond International Raceway.

Fourth
Rusty Wallace finished 15th in the SONY HD 500 at California Speedway and remained fourth in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings. He is 313 points behind first-place Tony Stewart and trails third-place Jimmie Johnson by 55 points. Wallace was 14th in the point standings after race No. 10 at Darlington. He has scored 20 top-15 finishes in 25 races this season, the most among all drivers. Wallace ranked 20th in the point standings after 25 races one year ago. Wallace became the fourth driver to secure a spot in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP doing so by starting the Sony HD 500 at California Speedway. Wallace has competed in 43 races at Richmond International Raceway scoring six victories and 29 top-10 finishes, the most of all active drivers. He has led in 24 of his 43 races at Richmond International Raceway, leading 3,023 laps and ranks second overall in laps led at the Richmond short-track. Wallace has not led a lap at Richmond in his last seven races there, the longest he has ever gone at Richmond without leading. He finished 10th in this race one year ago and 19th there in May. Wallace has a 9.39 average finish at Richmond International Raceway.

Fifth
Mark Martin finished 11th in the SONY HD 500 at California Speedway and remained fifth in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings. Martin became the fifth driver to clinch a spot in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP. He trails point leader Tony Stewart by 421 points and is 108 points behind fourthplace Rusty Wallace. Martin ranked 10th in the point standings after 25 races one year ago. He has posted 12 top-10 finishes in 2005. Martin has competed in 39 races at Richmond International Raceway scoring one victory (February 1990) and 22 top-10 finishes. Martin has led in 15 of his 39 races at Richmond International Raceway, leading 414 laps, ranking 20th overall among drivers who have led at Richmond. Martin finished fifth in this race one year ago and 15th there in May extending a streak of seven straight top-15 finishes at Richmond. Martin has a 12.3 average finish at Richmond International Raceway.

Sixth
Kurt Busch finished 12th in the SONY HD 500 at California Speedway and climbed from seventh to sixth in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings. Busch will become the sixth driver to clinch a spot in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP when he starts at Richmond. He trails point leader Tony Stewart by 456 points and is just 35 points behind fifth-place Mark Martin. Busch ranked seventh in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings after 25 races one year ago. He has scored 13 top-10 finishes in 25 races this season. Busch has competed in nine races at Richmond International Raceway scoring just one top-10 finish there. He finished 15th in this race one year ago and 17th there in May. Busch has a 20.3 average finish at Richmond International Raceway.

Seventh
Jeremy Mayfield finished 26th in the SONY HD 500 at California Speedway and dropped from sixth to seventh in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings. Mayfield will clinch a spot in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP if he finishes 39th or better at Richmond. Mayfield has scored just six top-10 finishes but has 15 top-15 finishes in 25 races in 2005. He trails point leader Tony Stewart by 497 points and is just 41 points behind sixth-place Kurt Busch. Mayfield ranked 14th in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings after 25 races one year ago. He has competed in 23 races at Richmond International Raceway scoring one victory and six top-10 finishes. He finished first in this race one year ago securing his spot in the 2004 Chase. He finished 13th there in May. Mayfield has a 21.0 average finish at Richmond International Raceway.

Eighth
Carl Edwards finished fourth in the SONY HD 500 at California Speedway and remained eighth in the NASCAR NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings. Edwards has scored 14 top-15 finishes in 25 races in 2005. He trails point leader Tony Stewart by 556 points and is 59 points behind seventh-place Jeremy Mayfield. Edwards has scored 10 top-10 finishes in 2005. He finished sixth in this race one year ago and 21st there in May. Edwards is 86 points ahead of 11th-place Ryan Newman and will clinch a spot in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP if he finishes 19th or better at Richmond, regardless of any other drivers performance. Edwards has a 13.5 average finish at Richmond International Raceway.

Ninth
Matt Kenseth finished seventh in the SONY HD 500 at California Speedway posting his fourth top-10 finish in his last five races. Kenseth has climbed from 16th to ninth in the point standings in the last three races. He trails point leader Tony Stewart by 631 points and is 75 points behind eighth-place Carl Edwards. He ranked fifth in the point standings after 25 races one year ago. Kenseth has scored 14 top-15 finishes including 10 top- 10 finishes in 2005. Kenseth has competed in 11 races at Richmond International Raceway scoring one victory (September 2002) and six top-10 finishes. He finished 28th in this race one year ago and 12th there in May. Kenseth has a 14.2 average finish at Richmond International Raceway. Kenseth is only 11 points ahead of 11thplace Ryan Newman and is one of 11 drivers seeking one of the four remaining coveted spots in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP.

10th
Jamie McMurray finished eighth in the SONY HD 500 at California Speedway and climbed from 12th to 10th in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings. McMurray trails point leader Tony Stewart by 641 points and is just 10 points behind ninth-place Matt Kenseth. McMurray ranked 11th in the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP point standings after 25 races one year ago. He has scored eight top-10 finishes in 25 races this season. He has competed in five races at Richmond scoring two top-10 finishes. He finished ninth in this race one year ago and 10th there in May. McMurray has a 19.6 average finish at Richmond International Raceway. McMurray is only one point ahead of 11th-place Ryan Newman, 30 points ahead of 12th-place Jeff Gordon and 52 points ahead of 13th-place Elliott Sadler and is one of 11 drivers seeking one of the four remaining spots in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL CUP.

The Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
The Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup was introduced in 2004. Under the new format to determine a champion, all drivers competed in the first 26 races of the season for a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. The new format guaranteed over $5 million to the 2004 champion who would be determined in a season-ending 10-race Chase. The 11th-place driver, while not in the Chase (if not eligible by the 400-point margin exception), was guaranteed a minimum of $1 million, effectively creating two races in the final 10 events. At the conclusion of race No. 26 (Richmond), the top-10 drivers, or any drivers within 400 points of the point leader, would be eligible for the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. Once the drivers were determined based upon their point totals after Race No. 26, their individual point totals were adjusted to a maximum of 5,050 for first, 5,045 for second, 5,040 for third and so on to 5,005 for 10th. This placed the Chase drivers within five points of one another, with first to 10th separated by just 45 points when the Chase began at Race No. 27 (New Hampshire). These new point totals were selected to ensure that the driver in 11th could not mathematically catch the 10th-place driver even if the 11th-place driver won the final 10 races. Effectively, there were three important things happening within the new format. First there was the race for the championship among the Chase drivers. Second there was a race for 11th among the remaining drivers. Finally, the opportunity to still win races remained for all drivers.

The Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup produced the closest points race in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup history. Additionally, the top-four drivers in the final standings finished just 107 points apart, the closest final finish among the top-four in NASCAR history. There were six different race winners in the final 10 races; four Chase drivers and two non-Chase drivers. Jimmie Johnson (four) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two) were the only multiple race winners in the Chase. Johnson claimed the top spot in four of the final six races. Johnson made the biggest gain the the final 10 races, recovering from a drop to ninth at Talladega to finish second in the final point standings.

The Other Chase
Approximately $1 million was awarded to Jamie McMurray who finished 11th in the final NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings – an increase of more than $400,000 from over in 2003. McMurray barely missed making the Chase, coming up 15 points short at the Richmond cutoff. That included a $250,000 bonus, which was paid to the 11th-place finisher. Additionally, McMurray joined the top-10 drivers on the stage at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Awards Ceremony in New York. McMurray held the 11th-position throughout the 10-race Chase and won the 11th-place position by 320 points over Bobby Labonte.

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