Daytona International Speedway
Track data
Race #: 17 of 36 (7-1-06)
Track Size: 2.5 Miles
Event: Pepsi 400
Number of Laps: 160
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Length of Event: 400 Miles
Length of Front Stretch: 1,900 Feet chutes to and from the tri-oval
Length of Back Stretch: 3,400 Feet
Degree of Banking in Corners: 31 degrees
Degree of Banking on Back Stretch: 3 degrees
Degree of Banking on Tri-Oval: 18 degrees
Qualifying/Race data:
Last year's pole winner: Tony Stewart 185.582 mph 7-1-05 48.496 seconds
Last year's race winner: Tony Stewart 131.016 mph 7-2-05 3 hr, 3 min, 11 sec
Track qualifying record: Bill Elliott 210.364 mph 2-9-87 42.783 seconds
Track 400-mile race record: Bobby Allison 173.473 mph 2-9-97 2 hr, 18 min, 21 sec
Track qualifying record (RP): Ken Schrader 198.823 mph 2-7-88 46.434 seconds
Track 400-mile race record (RP): Ernie Irvan 170.457 mph 7-2-92 2 hr, 20 min, 48 sec
Historical Data:
Previous winners at Daytona (Excluding 23 - 125-mile qualifiers)
Richard Petty (10) Cale Yarborough (8) David Pearson (6) Bobby Allison (6) Jeff Gordon (6)
Fireball Roberts (4) Bill Elliott (4) Dale Jarrett (4) A.J. Foyt (3) Sterling Marlin (3)
Dale Earnhardt (3) Michael Waltrip (3) Davey Allison (2) Ernie Irvan (2) Buddy Baker (2)
LeeRoy Yarbrough (2) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2) Donnie Allison (1) Mario Andretti (1) Benny Parsons (1)
Pete Hamilton (1) Bobby Isaac (1) Junior Johnson (1) Fred Lorenzen (1) Tiny Lund (1)
Marvin Panch (1) Sam McQuagg (1) Jack Smith (1) Lee Petty (1) Neil Bonnett (1)
Greg Sacks (1) Geoffrey Bodine (1) Tim Richmond (1) Darrell Waltrip (1) Derrike Cope (1)
Jimmy Spencer (1) John Andretti (1) Jeff Burton (1) Ward Burton (1) Greg Biffle (1)
Tony Stewart (1) Jimmie Johnson (1)
Races won from the pole: 15 of 95 events (16%)
Races won from the top 10: 73 of 95 events (77%)
Races won from outside the top 10: 22 of 95 events (23%)
Track Milestones
Bob Welborn won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup (Grand National) race at Daytona International
Speedway, the 100-mile qualifying race for the inaugural Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959.
Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959.
Fireball Roberts won the first 400-mile race at Daytona, the 1963 Firecracker 400.
The 125-mile qualifying races changed from points to non-points races in 1972.
Richard Petty won his 200th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Daytona on July 4, 1984.
Qualifying Update
The same driver has won both Bud Poles at Daytona in three of the last nine seasons: Mike Skinner (1997),
Bobby Labonte (1998) and Dale Jarrett (2000).
Track Update
Cale Yarborough won three straight races at Daytona, winning the 1967 Firecracker 400 and both races in
1968. He remains the only driver to score three straight victories at Daytona.
Manufacturer Update
Chevrolet has won 16 of the last 23 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Daytona (70 percent). Ford won six
races while Dodge claimed the other victory during the period. Chevrolet has won at least one race each year
since 1989 except 2000, which was swept by Ford.
The Money
The Purse $6,144,820
NEXTEL Leader Bonus $80,000
Fuel and Tire Data
Goodyear Tire Code: Left-side - D4000; Right-side - D4002
Other Tracks with same Tire Configuration: None
Estimated Pit Window: 36-38 laps (based on fuel mileage
Notebook
(Excludes 125-Miler qualifiers)
There have been 95 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at the Daytona International Speedway since the track
hosted its first race in 1959: 48 were 500 miles, 43 were 400 miles and four were 250 miles. There were also
23 qualifier races that were point races (1959-1971).
Tony Stewart is the defending Bud Pole winner for the Pepsi 400.
Cale Yarborough leads all drivers with 13 Bud Poles at Daytona.
Dale Jarrett and Sterling Marlin lead all active drivers, each with four Bud Poles at Daytona.
Bill Elliott won the 1988 Pepsi 400 from the 38th starting position, the deepest in the field that any Daytona
race winner has started.
Tony Stewart is the defending champion of the Pepsi 400.
Fifteen of 95 races at Daytona have been won from the Bud Pole. Thirteen have been won from the secondstarting
position giving 28 race winners from the front row (29 percent).
Tony Stewart (2005 Pepsi 400) is the most recent driver to win at Daytona from the Bud Pole.
There has not been a season sweep in the last 23 seasons. A driver has swept both races at Daytona only four
times: Fireball Roberts (1962), Cale Yarborough (1968), Lee Roy Yarbrough (1969) and Bobby Allison
(1982).
Qualifying has never been canceled at Daytona:
Other than qualifying races, there have been four Daytona races run caution free – all within the first four
years that the track was open: the inaugural Daytona 500 (1959); 1959 Firecracker 250; 1960 Firecracker 250;
1961 Daytona 500; 1961 Firecracker 250; 1962 Daytona 500.
Other than qualifying races, 13 races at Daytona have ended under caution.
Other than qualifying races, the race has been shorted four times at Daytona – all by rain: 1965 Daytona 500
(133/200); 1966 Daytona 500 (198/200); 1996 Pepsi 400 (117/160); 2003 Daytona 500 (109/200).
Would You Believe?
Sterling Marlin has led 589 laps in 48 races at Daytona, the most among active drivers. Jeff Gordon has
led 470 laps in 27 races, the second most among active drivers. Tony Stewart is third with 395 laps led in just 15
races at the famed superspeedway.
Track Update
Dale Jarrett has posted 11 top-10 finishes, including three victories, in his 21 races at Daytona since joining
the No. 88 Robert Yates Racing team. His victory in the 1996 Daytona 500 was the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
race for the No. 88 team.
Update of the Week
Jeff Gordon won back-to-back races at Daytona twice: July 1998 and February 1999; July 2004 and February
2005.
How Important is Track Position?
Seventeen of the 33 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Daytona since 1990, have been won from a top-five
starting position. Only seven of those races were won from outside the top 10:
Derrike Cope (1990 Daytona 500 – 12th)
Dale Jarrett (1999 Pepsi 400 – 12th)
Michael Waltrip (2001 Daytona 500 – 19th)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2001 Pepsi 400 – 13th)
Ward Burton (2002 Daytona 500 – 19th)
Greg Biffle (2003 Pepsi 400 – 30th)
Starting Up Front is Important at Daytona
Forty-one of the 118 races at Daytona have been won from a front-row starting position (35 percent). Only
nine races at Daytona have been won from a starting position below 15th. While the last five races at Daytona
were won from the top 15, three of the last 11 were won from outside the top 15. Those three races were the only
races won from outside the top 15 in the last 35 races at Daytona.
Daytona Bud Pole Winners
There have been 11 different Bud Pole winners in the last 11 races at Daytona International Speedway.
Daytona Streakers
Jimmie Johnson has posted three straight top-10 starts at Daytona, the longest current streak.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has posted six straight top-10 finishes at Daytona, the longest current streak.
Jimmie Johnson has posted five straight top-10 finishes at Daytona.
Owner Dominance at Daytona
The Wood Brothers have won 14 races at Daytona, the most of any car owner. The Petty's are the only other
owner to post double digits victories at Daytona with 11. The Wood Brothers last Daytona victory came there in
1983 when Buddy Baker won the 1983 Firecracker 400, 23 years ago.
Owner Wins at Daytona
Thirty-four different owners have scored victories in the 118 races at Daytona International Speedway.
Point Leader at Daytona
Jimmie Johnson has posted top-10 finishes in his each of his last five races at Daytona. His victory in the
2006 Daytona 500 was his first in a restrictor-plate race. Johnson then followed up with a victory at Talladega in
May.
Leading The Way
Jeff Gordon has led 1,172 laps in 54 restrictor-plate races, the most of all active drivers and second all-time.
Dale Earnhardt led 2,135 laps in his 53 restrictor-plate races, the most all-time. Sterling Marlin leads all active
drivers in laps led at Daytona. He has led 589 laps in 48 races there.
Only a Few
Mark Martin, Ken Schrader and Michael Waltrip are the only three drivers that have competed in all 74
restrictor-plate races.
Would you Believe?
A Dodge has won only one race in the last 57 races at Daytona. Ward Burton scored the first Dodge victory at
Daytona since Richard Petty won the 1975 Daytona 500, when he won the 2002 Daytona 500. A Chevrolet has
won the last five races at Daytona and seven of the last eight. A Ford has won only one race in the last 11 races at
Daytona.
Standouts
Kyle Petty has competed in 49 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Daytona, the most among full-time drivers.
Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with six victories at Daytona International Speedway.
Sterling Marlin leads all full-time active drivers with 12 top-five finishes at Daytona International
Speedway.
Ken Schrader leads all full-time, active drivers with 22 top-10 finishes at Daytona International Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with an 8.55 starting average in nine races at Daytona International
Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson has a 7.0 finishing average in his nine races at Daytona International Speedway, the best of
all active drivers.
Sterling Marlin leads all drivers with seven restrictor-plate Bud Poles.
Dale Earnhardt leads all drivers with 11 restrictor-plate victories. His 32 top-five and 40 top-10 finishes in
53 restrictor-plate races remain the most by any driver. Earnhardt had a 9.377 average finish in 53 restrictorplate
races, better than any other driver with more than two starts.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a 11.769 average finish in 26 restrictor-plate races, the second-best finishing average
among all drivers with more than two starts.
Kevin Harvick has just one DNF in 21 career restrictor-plate races. No other driver has gone more than six
races except Greg Biffle who went 14 races before posting one DNF in a restrictor-plate race.
Bobby Allison (3.5) and Davey Allison (5.739) have the best average starts among all drivers in restrictor
plate races. Jimmie Johnson ranks third all-time with an 8.0 starting average in his 18 restrictor-plate races.
Restrictor-Plate History
Since 1988 the primary method of limiting the speeds of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup cars on the Daytona
and Talladega superspeedways has been the reduction of the airflow through the carburetor by the use of
restrictor-plates.
There have been 74 restrictor-plate races since 1988: 37 at Daytona International Speedway and 37 at
Talladega Superspeedway.
Only three drivers have competed in all 74 restrictor-plate races: Mark Martin, Ken Schrader and Michael
Waltrip.
Twenty-nine different drivers have won Bud Poles for restrictor-plate events; 18 have won more than one
restrictor-plate pole.
Three drivers have accounted for 19 restrictor-plate poles: Sterling Marlin (seven) along with Ernie Irvan
and Dale Earnhardt (six each).
Twenty-six different drivers have won restrictor-plate races led by Dale Earnhardt with 11 victories
followed by Jeff Gordon (10), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (seven), Dale Jarrett (six) and Sterling Marlin (five).
Dale Earnhardt had a 9.377 average finish in 53 restrictor-plate races. Only Bobby Allison, who compiled a
1.5 average finish in only two restrictor-plate races, posted a better average finish.
Dale Earnhardt (Talladega 1990 and '99) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Talladega 2002) are the only drivers to
sweep both restrictor-plate races at a track in a single season.
Qualifying Update
There have been 12 different Bud Pole winners in the last 14 restrictor-plate races beginning at the Daytona
500 in 2003. Only Elliott Sadler (three) has repeated as Bud Pole winner on a restrictor-plate race since 2002
– all at Talladega. Four of those nine drivers posted their career-first restrictor-plate Bud Pole: Greg Biffle, Jeff
Burton, Ricky Rudd and Tony Stewart.
Manufacturer Update
Chevrolet has won 19 of the last 22 restrictor-plate races. Ford has had just two restrictor-plate victories
since 2001 and Dodge has one.
Notebook Items
Fifty-three restrictor-plate races have been won from a top-10 starting position but only seven have been won
from the Bud Pole.
Jeff Gordon (2004 Pepsi 400) and Tony Stewart (2005 Pepsi 400) are the only drivers in the past five years
to win a restrictor-plate race from the Bud Pole.
Eleven of the 22 restrictor-plate races since 2001, have been won from a starting position outside the top 10,
but four of the past eight have been won from the front row.
The average starting position of the race winner in the 74 restrictor-plate races is 7.81.
Restrictor-Plate Victories
No driver has ever won all four restrictor-plate races in a season. Dale Earnhardt won three of the four
restrictor-plate races in 1990. Including Earnhardt's three, a driver has won two restrictor-plate races in the same
season 16 times – including each of the past six seasons. Jimmie Johnson has already won two this season.
Restrictor-Plate Would You Believe?
Dale Earnhardt is the all-time lap leader with 2,135 laps led in 53 restrictor-plate races. The next three
places on the all-time list are active drivers. Jeff Gordon is second all-time and leads all active drivers with 1,172
laps led in 54 restrictor-plate events. Sterling Marlin is third with 1,004 laps led in his 73 restrictor-plate races.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., fourth all-time, has led 810 laps in just 26 restrictor-plate races.
Mr. Restrictor-Plate
Dale Earnhardt was undoubtedly the master of restrictor-plate racing. He still leads all other drivers in
five of the seven restrictor-plate performance categories and is second in the other two.
Poles – 6 (tied with Ernie Irvan; second to Sterling Marlin - 7)
Wins - 11
Top 5s - 32
Top 10s - 40
Avg. Start - 8.6 (second only to Davey Allison – 5.7 among drivers with 20 or more restrictor-plate starts)
Avg. Finish - 9.3**
Laps Led - 2,135
** Drivers with 3 or more starts
Mr. Restrictor-Plate – Page Two
Dale Earnhardt Jr., has assumed the restrictor-plate crown, winning seven restrictor-plate races since
his father's death. Earnhardt Jr., led 229 of the 736 restrictor-plate laps raced in 2001 and was the only driver to
score four restrictor-plate top-10s that season. He out-scored his nearest competitor, Jeff Burton, by 135 points
in points earned in restrictor-plate races (692-557). He continued his winning restrictor-plate program into 2002,
posting three top 10 finishes, including two more Talladega victories, in the four restrictor-plate races that season.
Earnhardt Jr., won the first Talladega race in 2003 – his record-setting fourth consecutive victory at the Alabama
superspeedway - and went on to post three top-10 finishes in the four restrictor-plate races in 2003. Earnhardt Jr.,
led 102 of 645 laps, second only to teammate Michael Waltrip who led 103. The 2004 season-opening Daytona
500 saw Earnhardt Jr., post his sixth restrictor-plate victory and he followed that with a second-place finish at
Talladega, a third Daytona in July and his seventh restrictor-plate victory at Talladega in October. He was the only
driver to post a top-five finish in each of the four races and led 216 of 736 restrictor-plate laps raced in 2004. In
2005 Earnhardt Jr. finished third twice, but was unable to score another DEI victory. In 2006 he begins the season
with an eighth-place finish at Daytona and a 31st-place finish at Talladega.
Page Three and Four
After being shutout of the restrictor-plate victory lanes for three years during the height of the Dale
Earnhardt Inc. dominance (2001-2003), Jeff Gordon has recently regained his restrictor-plate form. Gordon has
won four of the last 10 restrictor-plate races.
Tony Stewart has also gained success in recent restrictor-plate races. Stewart has posted nine top-10
finishes in his last 10 restrictor-plate races, including a victory in the 2005 Pepsi 400 - his first restrictor-plate
victory. He has also led the most laps (476) and posted the best average finish (5.40) over those 10 races.
Back-to-Back
A driver has won consecutive restrictor-plate races 14 times:
Davey Allison 1989 Winston 500 and Pepsi 400
Dale Earnhardt 1990 Winston 500, Pepsi 400 and DieHard 500 (three straight)
Davey Allison 1992 Daytona 500 and Winston 500
Ernie Irvan 1992 Pepsi 400 and DieHard 500
Dale Earnhardt 1993 Pepsi 400 and DieHard 500
Jimmy Spencer 1994 Pepsi 400 and DieHard 500
Sterling Marlin 1996 Winston Select 500 and Pepsi 400
Jeff Gordon 1996 DieHard 500, 1997 Daytona 500
Jeff Gordon 1998 Pepsi 400 and 1999 Daytona 500
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2001 Pepsi 400 and 2001 EA Sports 500
Jeff Gordon 2004 Aaron's 499 and 2004 Pepsi 400
Jeff Gordon 2005 Daytona 500 and 2005 Aaron's 499
Jimmie Johnson 2006 Daytona 500 and 2006 Aaron's 499
Who's Hot
Jimmie Johnson has scored 11 straight top-15 finishes and has scored a top-15 finish in 15 of the 16 races
in 2006.
Jeff Burton moved from 21st to sixth in the point standings since Martinsville. One year ago he ranked
16th. Burton scored eight top-10 finishes and 10 straight top-15s since Martinsville.
Denny Hamlin has posted seven straight top-15 finishes.
Greg Biffle has scored seven straight top-10 finishes, the longest top-10 streak of his career. After
Talladega, he was 232 points behind 10th-place in the point standings. Biffle climbed from 23rd to ninth
in the last seven races and is just 19 points behind eighth-place Jeff Gordon.
Kasey Kahne has won four races in 2006, the most of all drivers.
Matt Kenseth is the only driver to score nine top-five finishes in the 16 races this season.
Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to score 13 top-10 finishes in the first 16 races of 2006.
Greg Biffle is the only driver to lead at least one lap in 13 of the 16 races this season.
Matt Kenseth ranks second in the point standings. After 16 races one year ago, he ranked 20th.
Ryan Newman has scored four straight top-15 finishes.
Top 10 in Points at This Track
Point
Standing Driver Starts Wins Best Top 5s Top 10s
1st Johnson, Jimmie 9 1 1 (1 Time) 5 7
2nd Kenseth, Matt 13 *** 6 (1 Time) *** 4
3rd Kahne, Kasey 5 *** 11 (1 Time) *** ***
4th Martin, Mark 42 *** 3 (1 Time) 8 15
5th Earnhardt Jr, Dale 13 2 1 (2 Times) 6 9
6th Burton, Jeff 25 1 1 (1 Time) 5 7
7th Stewart, Tony 15 1 1 (1 Time) 4 8
8th Gordon, Jeff 27 6 1 (6 Times) 10 15
9th Biffle, Greg 7 1 1 (1 Time) 1 1
10th Harvick, Kevin 10 *** 4 (2 Times) 2 3
First
Jimmie Johnson finished 10th in the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway and remained first in
the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, 101 points ahead of second-place Matt Kenseth. Johnson scored
his 13th top-10 finish in 16 races this season, the most of all drivers. Johnson's has three victories (Daytona, Las
Vegas and Talladega) second only to Kasey Kahne who has four. In 2006, Johnson has scored 15 top-15s in the
first 16 races, the only driver to do so. Johnson ranked second in the point standings after Race No. 16 in 2005,
22 points behind then first-place Greg Biffle. Johnson has ranked among the top-10 for 85 straight races, since
Atlanta in March 2004. He has competed in nine races at Daytona International Speedway, scoring one victory
(February 2006) and seven top-10 finishes. Johnson has a 7.0 average finish at Daytona. Johnson has scored five
straight top-10 finishes at Daytona. He finished sixth in this race one year ago. He has led in five of his nine races
at Daytona. Johnson has finished on the lead lap in his last six races at Daytona. He has competed in 18 career
restrictor-plate races scoring two victories and 10 top-10 finishes. Johnson swept the first two restrictor-plate
races in 2006 (Daytona and Talladega). Several drivers have won two of the four restrictor-plate races in a season
and Dale Earnhardt won three in 1990 – but no one has ever won all four. Johnson has won at least one race each
season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).
Second
Matt Kenseth finished 17th in the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway ending a streak of five
straight top-15 finishes. Kenseth scored his first victory of 2006 at California. Kenseth remained second in the
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings for the fifth straight race. One year ago he ranked 20th in the point
standings after 16 races. Kenseth has ranked among the top-five in the point standings since his victory in
Race No. 2 at California, 15 straight races. He has competed in 13 races Daytona International Speedway and
has scored just four top-10 finishes there. Kenseth has been running at the finish in all but three of his races at
Daytona. He finished ninth in this race one year ago and 15th there in February. His best finish at Daytona, a
sixth-place finish, came in this race in 2003. Kenseth has a 20.769 finishing average at Daytona. He has led in six
races at Daytona. Kenseth has failed to finish on the lead lap in six of his 13 races at Daytona. He has never won
a restrictor-plate race. Kenseth has scored nine top-10 finishes in 26 career restrictor-plate races including three of
his last four restrictor-plate races. Kenseth has won at least one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-
2006).
Third
Kasey Kahne finished 31st in the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway ending a four-race streak
of top-10 finishes. He remained third in the point standings. Kahne has scored four victories (Atlanta, Texas,
Lowe's and Michigan) in 2006, the most of all drivers. Kahne has scored 11 top-15 finishes in the first 16 races
in 2006. One year ago he ranked 21st in the point standings. Kahne has competed in five races at Daytona
International Speedway, finishing outside the top-10 in all five. However, since his only Daytona DNF in his first
race there in 2004, Kahne has progressively improved, posting finishes of 41st, 25th, 22nd, 16th and 11th. Kahne
has a 23.0 average finish at Daytona. He has been running at the finish in his last four races at Daytona. Kahne
has finished on the lead lap in his last four races at Daytona. He has led in two of his five races at Daytona, but
has never led more than three laps in a race there. Kahne has competed in 10 restrictor-plate races but has never
scored a restrictor-plate top-10 finish. Kahne has won at least one race each season for two consecutive years
(2005-2006).
Fourth
Mark Martin finished 13th in the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway and climbed from fifth
to fourth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. At this point one year ago he ranked fifth in the point
standings. He has had only one DNF (Talladega in October 2005) in the 41 races since Dover in June 2005.
Martin has competed in 42 races at Daytona International Speedway, scoring 15 top-10 finishes there. He has
never won a restrictor-plate race at Daytona. He finished 39th in this race one year ago and 12th there in February.
Martin has a 17.666 average finish at Daytona. Martin has led in 11 races at Daytona but has led in just one of
the last 10. He led the most laps in just one of his 42 races at Daytona when he led 52 laps in the 1997 Daytona
500. He failed to finish on the lead lap in two of his last five races at Daytona. Martin is just one of three drivers
who has competed in all 74 restrictor-plate races joining Ken Schrader and Sterling Marlin. Martin has scored 34
top-10 finishes in 74 career restrictor-plate races, tied for second with Sterling Marlin behind Dale Earnhardt who
scored 40 top-10 finishes in 53 restrictor-plate races.
Fifth
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 26th in the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway and fell from fourth
to fifth in the point standings. One year ago he ranked 18th in the point standings. Earnhardt Jr. has scored 12
top-15 finishes in the 16 races in 2006. His only victory in 2006 came at Richmond. He has competed in 13 races
at Daytona International Speedway scoring two victories and nine top-10 finishes. His last Daytona victory came
there in February 2004. He finished third in this race one year ago and eighth there in February. Earnhardt Jr.
has scored six straight top-10 finishes at Daytona, the longest current streak. Earnhardt has an 11.307 average
finish at Daytona and ranks second among active drivers. He has led in nine of his 13 races at Daytona. Earnhardt
Jr. has finished on the lead lap in 10 of his 13 races at Daytona. He has competed in 26 restrictor-plate races
scoring seven victories and 17 top-10 finishes. His seven restrictor-plate victories ranks him third all-time behind
his father who had 11 and Jeff Gordon who has 10. Earnhardt Jr. has won at least one race 2000-2006 seven
consecutive years.
Sixth
Jeff Burton finished seventh in the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway and climbed from seventh
to sixth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Burton moved to his highest points ranking in 2006
and is at his highest points ranking since he ranked fourth after Las Vegas in March 2003, 122 races ago. He has
scored 10 top-10 finishes in 16 races this season. One year ago he ranked 16th in the point standings. Burton has
competed in 25 races at Daytona International Speedway and has scored one victory (July 2000) and seven top-10
finishes. His last Daytona top 10 came there in July 2003 when he finished second and is his only top-10 finish in
his last nine races there. He finished 11th in this race one year ago and 32nd there in February. He has led in just
five of his 25 races at Daytona. Burton has competed in 50 career restrictor-plate races scoring 17 top-10 finishes
and has a 17.6 average finish in those 50 races. Interestingly, he also has a 17.6 average finish at Daytona.
Seventh
Tony Stewart finished 28th in the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. He dropped from sixth to
seventh in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Stewart led at least one lap in 11 races in 2006, tied for
second with Matt Kenseth in races led this season. His 70 lap leader bonus points are second only to Greg Biffle
who has 85. Seven of his eight top-10 finishes in 2006 are top-fives. He has competed in 15 races at Daytona
International Speedway scoring one victory and eight top-10 finishes. Stewart has scored top-10 finishes in his
last five races at Daytona. Stewart finished first in this race one year ago, posting back-to-back victories winning
at both Infineon and Daytona which marked the first two of five victories in 2005. He has a 16.6 finishing average
at Daytona. He has led in seven of his 15 races at Daytona including the last five. He led the most laps in three
of the last five races at Daytona. He has finished on the lead lap in the last six races at Daytona. Stewart has just
one restrictor-plate victory (Daytona in July 2005) but has 18 top-10 finishes in 30 restrictor-plate races. He
has finished in the top-10 in the last eight restrictor-plate races, a streak that began at Daytona in July 2004. In
addition to his victory, he has scored three second-place finishes in the eight-race streak - all in his last three races
at Talladega. Stewart has won at least one race each season for eight consecutive years (1999-2006).
Eighth
Jeff Gordon finished first in the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway and climbed from 11th to
eighth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. It marked his second top-10 finish in as many weeks.
Gordon had not posted back-to-back top-10 finishes since Atlanta (fifth) and Las Vegas (fourth). He is now 50
points ahead of 11th-place Denny Hamlin. Gordon has won at least one race each season for 13 years (1994-
2006). Gordon has competed in 27 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Daytona International Speedway scoring six
victories and 15 top-10 finishes. Gordon is tied for fifth all-time in wins at Daytona with Bobby Allison. Gordon
finished seventh in this race one year ago and 26th there in February. Gordon has competed in 54 restrictor-plate
races scoring 11 victories, just one behind all-time leader Dale Earnhardt who scored 11 victories. Gordon scored
29 top-10 finishes in those 54 races. Gordon ranks second all-time in laps led in restrictor-plate races leading
1,172.
Ninth
Greg Biffle finished fourth in the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway and climbed from
10th to ninth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Biffle has scored seven straight top-10 finishes,
the longest top-10 streak of his career. Eight races ago Greg Biffle was 232 points behind 10th (after Talladega).
Biffle has climbed from 23rd to ninth in points in seven races since Talladega. After 16 races in 2005, he ranked
first in the point standings. Biffle is 19 points behind eighth-place Jeff Gordon. He has competed in seven races at
Daytona International Speedway, scoring just one top-10 finish there. He finished 36th in this race one year ago,
his worst finish at Daytona. Biffle finished 31st at Daytona in February. Biffle has been running at the finish in
all of his races at Daytona and has just one DNF at Talladega, which came there in May with a 38th-place finish.
He has led in two of his seven races at Daytona. Biffle has competed in 14 career restrictor-plate races and has
scored just one top-10 finish. It came as his career-first victory and was scored in the 2003 Pepsi 400 at Daytona.
10th
Kevin Harvick finished 24th in the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway and dropped from eighth
to 10th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Harvick has ranked among the top 10 in the last 10 races,
since Texas in April. One year ago he ranked 13th in the point standings after Infineon. Harvick has scored seven
top-10 finishes in 2006. He has competed in 10 races at Daytona International Speedway posting just three top-
10 finishes. He has not scored a top-10 finish in his last four races at Daytona. His best Daytona finish of fourth
twice, came there most recently in February 2004. He finished 24th in this race one year ago and 14th there in
February. He has a 16.9 average finish at Daytona. He has led in seven of his 10 races at Daytona and has posted
Season in Review
Nuggets
Greg Biffle is the only driver who has led at least one lap in 13 of the 16 races in 2006. Biffle has earned
85 lap leader bonus points, 50 more than point leader Jimmie Johnson who has 35. Biffle has climbed from
23rd to ninth in the point standings in the last seven races. One year ago Greg Biffle held the point lead after
Race No. 16. He led Jimmie Johnson by 22 points, the result of Johnson's 36th-place finish there. It marked
the only time that Biffle has held the point lead in his 130-race career.
Just two drivers that ranked in the top-10 after Race No. 16 in 2005 failed to make the Chase. Elliott Sadler
was third and finished 13th and Jamie McMurray was 10th and finished 12th.
After 16 races in 2006, just six drivers are within the 400-point window. One year ago there were 13 drivers
within the 400-point window.
Fifteen of the top-25 drivers in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings are separated by 25 points or
less.
Third to fifth in the point standings are separated by just 16 points.
Just 42 points separate ninth to 12th in the point standings.
After winning only three races in all of 2005, Dodge has won five of the first 16 races in 2006. Chevrolet has
eight victories while Ford has just three. One year ago Ford had eight victories at this point of the season.
Ken Schrader remains the only driver that has competed in every race and has yet to lead in 2006.
After just 16 races in 2006, 22 drivers have race winnings in excess of $2 million, including four drivers
have race winnings in excess of $3 million.
Four of the top-10 drivers have been running at the finish in every race in 2006: Jimmie Johnson, Mark
Martin, Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick.
Tony Stewart (seventh in the point standings), Jeff Gordon (eighth), Greg Biffle (ninth) and Carl Edwards
(13th) have each posted three DNFs in 2006, yet rank in the top 15.
At least one rookie has scored a top-15 finish in every race this season.
Dale Jarrett remains the only driver among the top 20 in points that has not scored a top-five finish in 2006.
Sixth-place Jeff Burton is exactly 400 points behind point leader Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie Johnson's 101-
point lead over second-place Matt Kenseth is the second largest of the season. Johnson leads third-place
Kasey Kahne by 313 points.
Tony Stewart has finished 42nd, 25th, 3rd, 41st and 28th in the last five races. He dropped from second
to seventh in the point standings in those five races and is now just 76 points ahead of 11th-place Denny
Hamlin.
Qualifying
Seventy-six drivers have attempted to make the field for at least one race in 2006 (including Ricky Rudd who
qualified for Tony Stewart at Dover).
There have been 10 different Bud Pole winners in 2006. Kasey Kahne (four), Greg Biffle (two) and Kurt
Busch (two) are the repeat Bud Pole winners this season.
Qualifying was canceled at Bristol.
Greg Biffle (7.13) has the best average start of all drivers that have competed in every race this season.
Six of the 34 drivers that have competed in every race this season have posted top-10 starts in at least half of
their races.
Two drivers have an average start of 10th or better to this point of 2006: Greg Biffle (7.13) and Kurt Busch
(8.06).
Michael Waltrip (32.88) has the worst average start of all drivers that have competed in every race this
season.
Qualifying - Tidbit
Jeff Gordon has gone 36 races without scoring a Bud Pole - the longest streak in his 453-race NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup career.
The Races
Sixty-four drivers have competed in at least one race in 2006; 34 have competed in every race.
There have been three green-white-checkered finishes this season; Daytona (which finished under caution),
California and Las Vegas.
There have been seven races with red-flag periods in 2006: Bristol, Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix, Pocono,
Michigan, Sonoma.
On 30 occassions, including three in the Daytona 500 qualifiers, drivers have dropped to the rear before the
start of a race this season; only five done so more than once.
Of the 30 times that a driver has dropped to the rear, the finish improved on the start of record (qualifying
position) 19 times.
No one dropped to the rear at Bristol, Martinsville or Pocono.
Finishes - Would You Believe?
Kasey Kahne has won from the Bud Pole in four of his five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories, inclduing
three times this season. He has two other top-five finishes when he has started from the Bud Pole and his worst
was 21st. Kahne's average finish in the races in which he has won the Bud Pole is 7.00.
Finishes
There have been 10 different race winners in 2006.
Kasey Kahne (four), Jimmie Johnson (three) and Matt Kenseth (two) are the multiple race winners in 2006.
Matt Kenseth is the only driver to post nine top-five finishes this season.
Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to post 13 top-10 finishes this season.
Jimmie Johnson (7.00) and Matt Kenseth (9.44) are the only drivers that have competed in every race this
season to average a top-10 finish over those races.
Michael Waltrip (29.88) has the worst average finish of the drivers that have competed in every race this
season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (3.17) has the best improvement of his average finish over his average start of all drivers
that have competed in every race this season.
Kurt Busch (-4.83) has the worst ratio of his average start to his average finish of all drivers that have
competed in every race this season.
Dale Jarrett is the only driver in the top 20 in points that has not posted a top-five finish this season.
Only five drivers in the current top 25 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings have yet to post a DNF
this season - including Scott Riggs who has competed in one less race than the rest.
Martin Truex Jr. and Bobby Labonte the only drivers in the top-25 in points that has failed to finish in more
races than they have posted top-10 finishes.
The Bud Pole winner (or driver that started first) has posted a top-10 finish in seven races this season - four
were victories: Kasey Kahne at Atlanta, Texas and Michigan and Denny Hamlin at Pocono.
Something to Shoot At?
Jimmie Johnson has won at least three races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only
driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first five full-time seasons. Kurt Busch has won
at least three races in his first four full-time seasons and has one victory so far this season.
Bud Pole to Victory Lane
Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin's victories formt he Bud Pole and Michigan and Pocno marks the first time
that back-to-back races have been won from the Bud Pole since Jeff Gordon did so at Sonoma and Daytona in
2004.
Car Owners
Ray Evernham (No. 10 Dodge) is the only car owner in the top 35 that has not competed in every race this
season. Evernham's Scott Riggs failed to qualify for the Daytona 500.
Lap Leaders
Greg Biffle is the only driver that has led in 13 races this season.
Nine different drivers have led the most laps in at least one race this season.
Greg Biffle has led the most laps in four races. Jeff Gordon (three) and Tony Stewart (three) are the only
other drivers that have led the most laps more than once.
The driver that led the most laps in the race went on to win that race five times this season.
Ken Schrader is the only driver hat has completed in every race this season and has yet to lead a lap. The last
time Schrader led was Martinsville in October 2005.
Lucky Dogs
Forty-one drivers have been the beneficiary of the free lap back rule in 2006; including Kurt Busch and
Kasey Kahne who received the lap back and went on to win the race.
Points
There have been five changes among two drivers in the points lead this season.
There have been eight changes among six drivers in the second position in the points this season.
Jimmie Johnson, resumed the lead in points following Talladega - the third time this season that he has held
the top spot in the point standings.
Jeff Gordon returned to the top 10 following Las Vegas after a 14-race absence, the longest streak outside the
top 10 since his full time career began in 1993.
Jeff Burton returned to the top-10 of the point standings following Las Vegas, ending a 90-race absence that
dated to Pocono in July 2003.
Top 10 Milestones
Jimmie Johnson has ranked in the top-10 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings for 85 consecutive
races. He moved into sole possession of ninth place on the modern era list of longest consecutive streaks in the
top-10 in points following Las Vegas, breaking a tie with Matt Kenseth.
Season Tidbits
Jeff Burton won the Bud Pole for the Daytona 500, posting his first Bud Pole since Richmond in September
2000.
Jimmie Johnson won the Daytona 500, posting his 19th career victory and his first in a restrictor-plate race.
He also became the 42nd driver to post a victory in 95 races at Daytona.
Four drivers posted their all-time career high finish with their finish in the Daytona 500: Casey Mears
(second), Clint Bowyer (sixth), Kirk Shelmerdine (20th), Brent Sherman (21st).
