Texas Motor Speedway
Track data:
Race #: 7 of 36 (4-17-05) Track Size: 1.5 Miles
Event: Samsung/RadioShack 500 Number of Laps: 334
Location: Fort Worth, TX Length of Event: 501 Miles
Length of Front Stretch: 2,250 Feet Degree of Banking in Corners: 24°
Length of Back Stretch: 1,330 Feet Degree of Banking on Straights: 5°
Qualifying/Race data:
Last year’s event pole winner: Bobby Labonte 193.903 mph 4-2-04 27.849 seconds
Last year’s event winner: Elliott Sadler 138.845 mph 4-4-04 3 hrs, 36 min, 30 sec
Track qualifying record: Bill Elliott 194.224 mph 4-5-02 27.803 seconds
Track race record: Terry Labonte 144.276 mph 3-28-99 3 hrs, 28 min, 21 sec
Historical data:
Previous winners at Texas:
Jeff Burton (1) Mark Martin (1) Terry Labonte (1) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (1) Dale Jarrett (1)
Matt Kenseth (1) Ryan Newman (1) Elliott Sadler (1)
Races won from the pole: 0 of 8 events (0%)
Races won from the top 10: 6 of 8 events (75%)
Races won from outside the top 10: 2 of 8 events (25%)
Track Milestones
Jeff Burton won the inaugural NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, the 1997 Interstate Batteries
500 on April 6, 1997.
Jeremy Mayfield won the first timed qualifying and the Bud Pole Award at Texas on April 4, 1998. Qualifying for
the inaugural race in 1997 was rained out.
2005 will be the first year of twice-a-season races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Track Update
Texas Motor Speedway had two first-time winners in the first four NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races held there: Jeff
Burton posted his career-first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory in the inaugural Interstate Batteries 500 in 1997 and Dale
Earnhardt Jr., won his career-first race in the 2000 DirecTV 500.
Manufacturer Update
Ford has won five of the eight races at Texas. Chevrolet posted back-to-back victories in 1999 and 2000 for their two
wins there and Dodge won the race there in 2003.
Qualifying Update
Mark Martin is the only driver to start the first six NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Texas from a top-10 starting
position. Despite qualifying 32nd there in 2003 and 28th in 2004, Martin still has more top-10 starts at Texas than any
other driver.
Last Victory at This Track
in a Chevrolet..........................Dale Earnhardt Jr....................2000 DirecTV 500
in a Dodge..............................Ryan Newman .......................2003 Samsung/RadioShack 500
in a Ford.................................Elliott Sadler .........................2004 Samsung/RadioShack 500
Car Owner Victories
Jack Roush 3
Robert Yates 2
Rick Hendrick 1
Teresa Earnhardt 1
Roger Penske 1
Total 8
Tire/Fuel Data
Goodyear Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-6852; Right-side -- D-6874
Other Nextel Cup Tracks With This Same Tire Combination: None
Estimated Pit Window: Every 60-65 laps, based on fuel mileage.
Speed Limits: Pit Road - 45 mph; Caution Car - 60 mph
Track Tidbits
The field at Texas will be set in one session with two qualifying laps will be run to determine the starting positions
with adjustments made afterward.
There have been eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway since the track opened in
1997.
Sixteen drivers have competed in all eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Texas.
There have been six different Bud Pole winners at Texas Motor Speedway. Bobby Labonte (2003 and 2004) is the
only repeat Bud Pole winner.
Qualifying for the inaugural Texas Motor Speedway race was rained out with the field being set in accordance with
the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Rule Book. Dale Jarrett started the race from the pole based on his lead in the
NASCAR point standings entering that race.
Bobby Labonte is the defending Bud Pole winner of the Samsung/RadioShack 500.
There have been eight different race winners in eight races at Texas.
Ryan Newman is the defending champion of the Samsung/RadioShack 500.
Six of the eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Texas have been won from a starting position of seventh or better.
Matt Kenseth started 31st in route to his victory there in the 2002 Samsung/RadioShack 500, the deepest in the field
that a race winner has started at Texas.
Notebook
Jeff Burton finished seventh or better, including a victory in the inaugural race, in three of his first four races at
Texas Motor Speedway. His best finish in his past four races there was 19th in 2001.
Kurt Busch has three top-10 finishes in four races at Texas Motor Speedway but has led only two laps there.
Jeff Gordon has competed in all eight races at Texas Motor Speedway. Until his fifth-place finish in 2001, his best
finish there had been 25th in the 2000 DirecTV 500 and he had posted two DNFs. He has posted four consecutive topfive
finishes there, finishing fifth in 2001, second in 2002 and third the past two seasons.
Dale Jarrett has a victory and two second-place finishes, in his eight races at Texas, all occurring in odd-numbered
years. His best finish in an even-numbered year at the Texas speedway was 11th in 1998.
Bobby Labonte finished eighth or better in his first four races at Texas Motor Speedway. His best finish in his past
four races there was 25th in 2004.
Jamie McMurray has finished 10th in both of his races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Ryan Newman has on victory in three races at Texas Motor Speedway. His other two finishes are 39th and 40th.
Tony Stewart has scored four top-10 finishes in his six races at Texas.
Michael Waltrip finished ninth in both of his first two races at Texas Motor Speedway. His best finish in his past six
races there was 14th in 1999.
Would You Believe?
Dale Earnhardt Jr., posted his career-first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory with his win in the 2000 DirecTV 500 at
Texas. He has posted four top-10 starts and four top-10 finishes there and in spite of a 42nd-place finish in 2002, is the
only driver that has led in all of his Texas Motor Speedway events.
Texas Tidbit
Texas natives Terry and Bobby Labonte were the only drivers that finished in the top 10 in each of the first four
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway. Both finished outside the top 10 in 2001. Terry returned to the
top 10, finishing 10th in 2002 and is the only driver with five top-10s at Texas Motor Speedway.
At the Front
Dale Jarrett has led 407 laps at Texas, the most of any driver. Jarrett is the only driver to have led in seven of the
eight races there, failing to lead a lap in 2004. Dale Earnhardt Jr., has the second highest total of Texas laps led with
253. He has led in all five of his Texas races. Both led only one lap in a race – Earnhardt Jr., in 2002 and Jarrett in 2003.
Selected Modern Era Performance at this Track
(Minimum of two starts)
A total of 91 drivers have competed in the eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Category All-time
Starts 16 Drivers - 8
Poles (Races) Bobby Labonte – 2 (8)
Wins (Races) 8 Drivers - 1
Top Fives Jeff Gordon (4)
Top 10s Terry Labonte (5)
Laps Led Dale Jarrett - 407
DNFs (Races) Johnny Benson – 4 (8); Joe Nemechek – 4 (7); Jimmy Spencer – 4 (8)
Average Start (Races) Bobby Labonte – 6.25 (8)
Average Finish (Races) Jimmie Johnson – 7.67 (3)
NOT at Texas
No repeat race winners.
No race won from the front row.
No race won by the reigning champion.
No caution–free races.
No weekend sweeps.
Texas Participation
Sixteen drivers have participated in all eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Texas Milestones
Robby Gordon is expected to make his 175th career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start at Texas Motor Speedway.
Dale Jarrett is expected to make his 350th consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start at Texas Motor Speedway.
Ricky Rudd continues to reset the record book every week. Rudd is expected to make his 759th consecutive start at
Texas, the all-time record.
Strong Starter at Texas
Bobby Labonte is the only driver to post five starts of fourth or better in the eight races at Texas. Labonte is also the
only driver to score two Bud Poles at Texas, occurring back-to-back in 2003 and 2004.
Don’t Tell Me You Can’t
Six of the eight races at Texas Motor Speedway were won from a starting position of seventh or better. Matt
Kenseth won the 2002 Samsung/RadioShack 500 from the 31st-place starting position, the deepest that a race winner has
started there, and Elliott Sadler won from 19th one year ago.
Different Winners at Texas
There have been eight different race winners in the eight races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Texan Up Front at Texas
Terry Labonte has scored five top-10 finishes in the eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway,
more than any other driver.
Jarrett Leads the way at Texas
Dale Jarrett is the only driver that has led at least one lap in seven of the eight races at Texas. Jarrett failed to lead a
lap there one year ago.
Would You Believe?
Only two drivers have been running at the finish in all eight races at Texas Motor Speedway: Dale Jarrett and
Ken Schrader.
Texas Domination
Jeff Gordon has scored four straight top-five finishes at Texas Motor Speedway, more than any other driver.
Jimmie Johnson has scored three straight top-10 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway.
Jamie McMurray has scored two straight top-10 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway, both 10th-place finishes.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has scored two straight top-five finishes at Texas Motor Speedway. He has posted four top-10
finishes, including his career-first victory (April 2000) in his five races at Texas.
Dale Jarrett has led 407 laps at Texas Motor Speedway, more than any other active driver.
Bobby Labonte has a 6.25 starting average in eight races at Texas Motor Speedway the best of all drivers with more
than two starts there.
Jimmie Johnson has a 7.67 average finish in three races at Texas Motor Speedway, the best of all active drivers with
more than two starts there.
Jack Roush Winning Owner at Texas
Jack Roush-owned cars have scored three victories at Texas, the most of any car owner. Each victory came with a
different driver: Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth.
2005 Superspeedway Standouts (after four superspeedway races)
In the first four superspeedway races in 2005:
Most Points Earned - Jimmie Johnson - 680 (82 more than Greg Biffle)
Most Bud Poles –Ryan Newman (two)
Most Victories – One each by Johnson, Biffle, Edwards and J. Gordon
Most Top-fives –Jimmie Johnson (four)
Most Top-10s – Jimmie Johnson (four)
Most Races Led – Jimmie Johnson is only driver to lead at least one lap in all four of the superspeedway races
Winning Manufacturers – Chevrolet (two) and Ford (two).
Top 10 Lap Leaders at Texas Motor Speedway
Driver Starts Laps Led
1. Dale Jarrett 8 407
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5 253
3. Terry Labonte 8 231
4. Matt Kenseth 5 150
5. Kasey Kahne 1 148
6. Jeff Burton 8 145
7. Elliott Sadler 6 145
8. Jeff Gordon 8 132
9. Jeremy Mayfield 8 125
10. Jeremy Martin 8 116
Manufacturer Update
A Ford has won five of the eight races at Texas Motor Speedway, including three of the last four. Chevrolet has two
Texas victories and Dodge has one.
Defending NEXTEL Cup Champion at Texas
Kurt Busch has competed in four races at Texas Motor Speedway scoring three top-10 finishes. He finished sixth in
this race one year ago.
Point Leader at Texas
Jimmie Johnson has scored three top-10 finishes in his three races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Texas May Spell Trouble for Some of the Top 10
Greg Biffle has never posted a top-25 finish at Texas Motor Speedway.
Ryan Newman has two DNFs in three races at Texas. His other finish there was a victory.
Dale Jarrett has finished 13th or worse in his last three races at Texas Motor Speedway.
Starting Up Front Never Hurt
Only Ryan Newman has started every race in 2005 from a top-10 starting position.
Streaks
Jimmie Johnson has posted 12 consecutive top-10 finishes, extending a streak that began at Charlotte last October.
Mark Martin has been running at the finish in 28 consecutive races, the longest current streak.
Get Those Bonus Points
Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to have led at least one lap in five of the six races in 2005. He failed to lead at
Martinsville.
Johnson Has Commanding Lead
Jimmie Johnson has a 160-point lead after six races. He could finish last at Texas and remain the NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup point leader regardless of any other driver’s performance.
Maintaining a Top-10 Standard
Tony Stewart has ranked in the top-10 of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings for 51 consecutive
races (since Dover - September 2003), the longest current streak.
Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Rusty Wallace have each ranked in the top 10 in
the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings after every race in 2005.
2005 Struggles
Matt Kenseth ranks 21st in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings after six races in 2005. One year ago he was
the point leader.
Bobby Labonte has posted four DNFs in six races in 2005 and ranks 37th in the point standings. One year ago he was
13th. He ranks lowest among the drivers that have competed in all six races in 2005.
