Race 2 Win: Dickies 500

Nextel Cup Series

News and Results | Point Standings | 2005 Schedule | 2005 Teams | 2004 Schedule and Results

Dickies 500 - Race Notes

Texas Motor Speedway

Track data:
Race #: 34 of 36 (11-6-05)
Track Size: 1.5 Miles
Event: Dickies 500
Number of Laps: 334
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Length of Event: 501 Miles
Length of Front Stretch: 2,250 Feet
Length of Back Stretch: 1,330 Feet
Degree of Banking in Corners: 24 degrees
Degree of Banking on Straights: 5 degrees

Qualifying/Race data:
Last year's event pole winner: NA
Last year's event winner: NA
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) Greg Biffle (1)
Races won from the pole: 0 of 9 events (0%)
Races won from the top 10: 7 of 9 events (78%)
Races won from outside the top 10: 2 of 9 events (22%)

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.

The Dickies 500 will be the first fall race at Texas Motor Speedway.

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. He has not posted a top-10 start there since.

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 six of the nine 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.

Would You Believe?
Texas Motor Speedway is just one of the four tracks that Ryan Newman has not posted top-10 starts in more than half of his races: Daytona (1 of 8); Pocono (4 of 8); Sonoma (0 of 4) and Texas (2 of 4).

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 one of only two drivers 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 nine races there, leading in each of the first seven races there. He has not led since 2003, when he led just one lap.

The Money
Purse $6,880,880
NASCAR NEXTEL Leader Bonus $60,000
MBNA Mid-Race Leader Bonus $20,000

Tire/Fuel Data
Goodyear Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-6852; Right-side -- D-6874
Other Nextel Cup Tracks At Which This Tire Combination Is Run: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Estimated Pit Window: Every 60-65 laps, based on fuel mileage.

Notebook

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 nine NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway since the track opened in 1997.

Thirteen drivers have competed in all nine NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Texas.

There have been seven 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 point standings entering that race.

There have been nine different race winners in eight races at Texas.

Seven of the nine NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Texas have been won from a top-10 starting position, all 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.

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 five races there was 12th in the first race this season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., has posted five top-10 finishes, including victory in the 2000 DirecTV 500 - his careerfirst, in his six races at Texas. His other finish there was 42nd in 2002.

Kurt Busch has four top-10 finishes in five races at Texas Motor Speedway but has led only four laps there.

Jeff Gordon has competed in all nine 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 then posted four consecutive top-five finishes and finished 15th in the first race this season.

Dale Jarrett has a victory and two second-place finishes, in his nine races at Texas, all occurring in oddnumbered years prior to 2002. His best finish in the past four races there was 13th in 2004.

Jimmie Johnson has posted top-10 finishes in all four of his races at Texas Motor Speedway. His best finish is third in the first race this season.

Matt Kenseth won the 2002 Samsung-RadioShack 500 and finished sixth in 2003. His other four finishes at Texas were all 16th or worse.

Bobby Labonte finished eighth or better in his first four races at Texas Motor Speedway. His best finish in his past five races there was 25th in 2004.

Jamie McMurray finished 10th in his first two races at Texas Motor Speedway and second earlier this season.

Ryan Newman has one victory in four races at Texas Motor Speedway. His other finishes are 16th or worse.

Tony Stewart has scored four top-10 finishes in his seven races at Texas.

Rusty Wallace has posted four top-10 finishes at Texas and has not finished worse than 14th in the eight races following his 37th-place finish in the inaugural race there in 1997.

Michael Waltrip finished ninth in his first two races at Texas Motor Speedway. He finished sixth earlier this season, his only other top-10 finish.

The Chase Drivers at Texas

Four Chase drivers have scored one victory at Texas: (Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman).

Tony Stewart has posted four top-10 finishes in his seven races at Texas Motor Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson has scored four straight top-10 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway.

Greg Biffle has scored only one top-10 finish in his three races at Texas Motor Speedway, a victory in April 2005.

Carl Edwards has raced in only one race at Texas (April 2005) finishing 19th.

Ryan Newman has scored only one top-10 finish in his four races at Texas Motor Speedway, a victory in 2003.

Mark Martin has scored four top-10 finishes in his nine races at Texas, including a victory in 1998.

Matt Kenseth has scored two top-10 finishes in his six races at Texas Motor Speedway including a victory in 2002.

Rusty Wallace has scored four top-10 finishes in his nine races at Texas, including the last two races there.

Kurt Busch has scored three straight top-10 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway

Jeremy Mayfield has scored two top-10 finishes in his nine races at Texas Motor Speedway.

Driver Milestones at Texas

Ricky Rudd.is expected to make his 786th consecutive start, extending the all-time record for consecutive races by a driver.

Ryan Newman is expected to make his 150th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start this week at Texas Motor Speedway.

Defending NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Champion at Texas Motor Speedway
Kurt Busch has competed in five races at Texas, scoring four top-10 finishes including in the last three.

Point Leader at Texas Motor Speedway
Tony Stewart has competed in seven races at Texas Motor Speedway, scoring four top-10 finishes. He finished 31st in April, posting his second DNF in his last three races at Texas.

Strong Starter at Texas Motor Speedway
Kasey Kahne has started third in both his races at Texas Motor Speedway.

Winning From Up Front at Texas Motor Speedway
Seven of the nine races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.

Texas Dominator
Jimmie Johnson has finished ninth or better in his four races at Texas Motor Speedway, the longest current top-10 streak among active drivers.

Manufacturer Domination at Texas
A Ford has won four of the last five races at Texas Motor Speedway.

“Last-Timer” at Texas Motor Speedway
Rusty Wallace has scored top-10 finishes in his last two races at Texas Motor Speedway. Eight of his nine finishes at Texas have been top-15 finishes.

And Beat Goes On
Dale Jarrett and Ken Schrader have been running at the finish in all nine races at Texas Motor Speedway.

Owner Domination at Texas
Jack Roush Racing has scored four victories at Texas Motor Speedway, two more than the closest owner Robert Yates who has two.

Don't Tell Me You Can't
Matt Kenseth won the 2002 Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas from a 31st starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.

Leading the way at Texas Motor Speedway
Dale Jarrett has led at least one lap in seven of the nine races at Texas, but has not led in the last two races .

Would You Believe?
With just three races remaining before his scheduled retirement, Rusty Wallace is still 59 laps shy of leading 20,000 laps in his career. Wallace has led 19,941 laps and ranks seventh all-time. Wallace has led only one lap in the last nine races (since Bristol).

Winning Tougher than Ever in 2005
After 33 races in 2005, there are still three drivers who won in 2004 that have not won in 2005: Elliott Sadler, Rusty Wallace and Joe Nemechek. Wallace is the only driver ranked in the top 10 that has not won a race but is also the only driver among the top-50 without a DNF this season.

Manufacturer Notes

Chevrolet has clinched the 2005 Manufacturers' Championship, their 29th Championship and 25th of the modern era (since 1972). Chevrolet has won the championship in the last three years.

A Chevrolet has won 16 of the 33 races in 2005. Ford has won 14 and Dodge has three victories.

Streaks
Rusty Wallace has been running at the finish in 46 consecutive races (since Bristol in September 2004), the longest current streak.

Who's Hot

Tony Stewart has scored 16 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes in 2005, both the most of all drivers. Seventeen of those top-10 finishes have come in the last 19 races. Stewart has scored four top-five finishes in the seven races of the Chase, tied with Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth. He has also led the most laps (584) in the first seven races of the Chase, earning 45 lap leader bonus points, 15 more than any other Chase driver.

Jimmie Johnson has scored two victories in the first seven races in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

Five of the Chase drivers have scored five top-10 finishes in the first seven races of the Chase (Stewart,Johnson, Newman, Edwards and Martin).

Ryan Newman has posted 27 top-10 starts in 33 races this season, the most of all drivers.

Jeff Burton has scored top-10 finishes in the last two races.

The “Ford Five” drivers of Jack Roush Racing have won 13 of the 33 races in 2005. They also have scored 13 of the 14 Ford victories in 2005. The other was scored by Dale Jarrett for Robert Yates Racing. Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won nine while Joe Gibbs Racing has five victories. Evernham Motorsports has two and Robert Yates Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc., Richard Childress Racing and Penske Racing all have one each.

Top 10 in 2005 Points at This Track
First
Tony Stewart finished ninth in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and remained first in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. He remains at the top of the point standings for the 12th time in the last 13 races, falling to fifth after Dover. He has scored 16 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes this season, both the most of all drivers. Stewart has scored four top-five finishes in the seven races in the Chase, tied with Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth for the most. His worst Chase finish of 25th came at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He has earned 45 bonus points during the Chase, which is 15 more than any other Chase driver. That, along with his five top-10 finishes, give him a 43-point lead over second-place Jimmie Johnson. Stewart ranked sixth in the point standings after 33 races one year ago. He has competed in seven races at Texas Motor Speedway, scoring four top-10 finishes. Stewart finished 31st there this past April, posting his second DNF in his last three races at Texas. Stewart has a 16.571 average finish at Texas Motor Speedway and ranks sixth among the Chase drivers in average finish there.

Second
Jimmie Johnson finished 16th in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and remained second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. He has scored top-10 finishes in five of the seven races in the Chase for the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. His worst Chase finish of 31st came at Talladega Superspeedway. Johnson led the point standings after 17 of the 33 races this season, but has ranked first only once during the Chase, after Dover. He has scored four victories in 2005 (Las Vegas, both races at Charlotte and second Dover). He has scored 20 top-10 finishes in 2005, three less than Tony Stewart. Johnson ranked second in the point standings after 33 races one year ago. He has ranked among the top-10 drivers since Las Vegas in March 2004, 66 straight races – the longest active streak in the top 10. Johnson has competed in four races at Texas, scoring four top-10 finishes, the longest current streak there. Johnson finished third there in April, his best Texas finish. He has a 6.50 average finish at Texas Motor Speedway ranking first among the Chase drivers in average finish there.

Third
Greg Biffle finished seventh in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and climbed from fourth to third in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. He has scored five victories in 2005, tied with Tony Stewart for the most of all drivers. He has scored 19 top-10 finishes in 33 races this season. Biffle has ranked in the top five after 30 of the 33 races in 2005. Biffle is making his first appearance in the Chase. He now trails first-place Tony Stewart by 75 points after the seventh of 10 races in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. He has scored four top-10 finishes in the first seven races in the Chase. His worst Chase finish of 27th came at Talladega Superspeedway. Biffle has competed in three races at Texas Motor Speedway scoring one top-10 finish, a victory there this past April. Biffle has a 20.0 average finish at Texas Motor Speedway, ranking ninth among the Chase drivers in average finish there.

Fourth
Carl Edwards won the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and climbed from fifth to fourth in the point standings. Edwards has scored 19 top-15 finishes in 33 races in 2005, including 15 top-10 finishes. Edwards has scored five top-10 finishes in seven races in the Chase for the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and trails first-place Tony Stewart by 107 points. His worst Chase finish of 26th came at Martinsville. He finished 19th at Texas in April in his only race at the 1.5-mile superspeedway. Edward's 19.0 finishing average at Texas ranks seventh among the Chase drivers.

Fifth
Ryan Newman finished 23rd in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He dropped from third to fifth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, and along with Carl Edwards, is 107 points behind first-place Tony Stewart. Despite having the same championship points as fourth-place Edwards (5,993), Edwards gets the fourth-place position because he has more victories. Newman is one of five drivers that have scored five top-10 finishes in the seven races of the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. His worst Chase finish of 23rd occurred twice (Kansas and Atlanta). Newman ranked seventh in the point standings after 33 races one year ago. He has scored 15 top-10 finishes in 33 races this season. Newman has competed in four races at Texas Motor Speedway scoring one top-10 finish, a victory there in 2003. He finished 16th at Texas in April. Newman's 24.0 average finish at Texas is 10th among the Chase drivers.

Sixth
Mark Martin finished third in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and climbed from seventh to sixth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, now 143 points behind point leader Tony Stewart. He has scored five top-10 finishes in the first seven races in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. He has posted 17 top-10 finishes in 2005. Martin ranked fourth in the point standings after 33 races one year ago. He has competed in all nine races at Texas Motor Speedway, scoring one victory and four top-10 finishes. His Texas victory came in the April 1998. He finished 20th at Texas this past April. Martin has a 15.333 average finish at Texas Motor Speedway, which ranks fifth among the Chase drivers.

Seventh
Matt Kenseth finished fifth in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and climbed from ninth to seventh in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. He trails first-place Tony Stewart by 155 points – one less than can be made up in a single race. Kenseth has scored four top-five finishes in the first seven races in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, tied with Mark Martin and Tony Stewart for the most. Kenseth ranked ninth in the point standings after 33 races one year ago. Kenseth has scored 20 top-15 finishes including 15 top-10 finishes in 2005. Kenseth has competed in six races at Texas Motor Speedway scoring one victory (April 2002) and two top-10 finishes. He finished 18th at Texas this past April. Kenseth has a 15.333 average finish at Texas Motor Speedway, fourth among the Chase drivers.

Eighth
Rusty Wallace finished 37th in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and dropped from sixth to eighth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. He trails first-place Tony Stewart by 257 points, more than can be made up in a single race. He has scored 24 top-15 finishes in 33 races this season. He is making his first appearance in the Chase. Wallace has scored three top-10 finishes in the first seven races in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. He has competed in all nine races at Texas Motor Speedway, scoring four top-10 finishes. Eight of his nine Texas finishes have been top-15s. Wallace has scored top-10 finishes in his last two races at Texas. He finished 10th at Texas in April. Wallace's 12.111 average finish ranks third among the Chase drivers in average finish at Texas.

Ninth
Kurt Busch finished 36th in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and dropped from eighth to ninth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Busch is now 260 points behind first-place Tony Stewart, more than can be made up in a single race. Busch ranked first in the point standings after 33 races one year ago and went on to record his first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Championship by just eight points over Jimmie Johnson. He has scored 17 top-10 finishes in 33 races this season. Busch has competed in five races at Texas Motor Speedway, scoring four top-10 finishes. He finished seventh at Texas in April. His best Texas finish of fourth came there in his first Texas race in 2001. Busch has a 9.8 average finish at Texas Motor Speedway and ranks second among the Chase drivers in average finish there.

10th
Jeremy Mayfield finished 38th in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and remained 10th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. He has posted only one top-10 finish in the 2005 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, finishing seventh at Dover. Mayfield has scored only eight top-10 finishes in 33 races in 2005, but has 19 top-15 finishes. Mayfield ranked 10th in the point standings after 33 races one year ago. He has competed in all nine races at Texas Motor Speedway, scoring two top-10 finishes, but has not scored a top- 10 finish in his last five races at Texas. He finished 11th at Texas in April. Mayfield has a 19.555 average finish at Texas and ranks eighth among the Chase drivers in average finish there.

News and Results | Point Standings | 2005 Schedule | 2005 Teams | 2004 Schedule and Results