Race 2 Win: Allstate 400 at the Brickyard

Nextel Cup Series

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Track data
Race #: 21 of 36 (8-6-06)
Track Size: 2.5 Mile
Event: Allstate 400 at the Brickyard
Number of Laps: 160
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Length of Event: 400 Miles
Length of Front Stretch: 3,300 Feet (5/8 Mile)
Length of Back Stretch: 3,300 Feet (5/8 Mile)
Length of Short Straights: 660 Feet (1/8 Mile)
Degree of Banking in Corners: 9?
Degree of Banking on Straights: 0?

Qualifying/Race data:
Last year's event pole winner: Elliott Sadler 184.116 mph 8-6-05 48.882 seconds
Last year's event winner: Tony Stewart 118.782 mph 8-7-05 3 hr, 22 min, 03 sec
Track qualifying record: Casey Mears 186.293 mph 8-6-04 48.311 seconds
Track race record: Bobby Labonte 155.912 mph 8-5-00 2 hr, 33 min, 56 sec

Historical data:
Previous winners at Indianapolis:
Jeff Gordon (4) Dale Jarrett (2) Dale Earnhardt (1) Ricky Rudd (1) Bobby Labonte (1) Bill Elliott (1) Kevin Harvick (1) Tony Stewart (1)
Races won from the pole: 1 of 12 events (8%)
Races won from the top 10: 7 of 12 events (58%)
Races won from outside top 10: 5 of 12 events (42%)

Track Milestones

Rick Mast won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway qualifying for the inaugural 1994 Brickyard 400.

Jeff Gordon won the 1994 inaugural Brickyard 400, the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The first and only time in the modern era that three brothers led at least one lap in the same race occurred in the inaugural race at Indianapolis (1994): Geoffrey, Brett and Todd Bodine.

Qualifying Update
There have been nine different Bud Pole winners in the 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Indianapolis. Jeff Gordon (1995, 1996 and 1999 and Ernie Irvan (1997 and 1998) are the only repeat Brickyard Bud Pole winners.

Track Update
There have been eight different race winners in the 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Indianapolis. Jeff Gordon (1994, 1998, 2001 and 2004) and Dale Jarrett (1996 and 1999) are the only repeat race winners.

Manufacturer Update
Ford leads the other manufacturers with five Bud Poles at Indianapolis. Chevrolet has four while Pontiac has two and Dodge one. Chevrolet leads with seven manufacturer victories at the Brickyard, including four of the past five. Ford has three while Pontiac and Dodge have one each. The only years that the same manufacturer won both the Bud Pole and the race was 1995, 1997 and 2003.

The Money
Purse $9,346,620
NASCAR NEXTEL Leader Bonus $120,000

Tire/Fuel Data
Goodyear Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4034; Right-side -- D-4036
Other Nextel Cup Tracks At Which This Tire Combination Is Run: None
Estimated Pit Window: Every 34-36 laps, based on fuel mileage

Double Duty

Nine drivers have raced in the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 during their careers: John Andretti, Geoff Brabham, A.J. Foyt, Larry Foyt, Robby Gordon, Jason Leffler, Scott Pruett, Tony Stewart and Danny Sullivan.

John Andretti, Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart are the only drivers to compete in an Indianapolis 500 and a Brickyard 400 in the same year: Andretti (1994), Gordon (1997, 2002 and 2003) and Stewart (1999 and 2001).

A.J. Foyt competed in the 1994 Brickyard 400, the final event of his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup career.

Open-Wheel Connection
With the exception of Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, the drivers with open-wheel backgrounds have not faired well at Indianapolis.

Dave Blaney has yet to finish better than 15th in seven appearances at the Brickyard.

Robby Gordon has only two top-10s in six races there.

Jimmie Johnson has one top-10 finish but his other finishes are 18th, 36th and 38th.

Ryan Newman has one top-10 in five races but has also finished 31st twice. 34th and 11th once.

Notebook

The field will consist of 43 cars. The 43rd position is reserved for a past NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion, if needed. If unused, it will go to the next eligible owner.

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

There have been 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Indianapolis since the first race was held there in 1994.

Elliott Sadler is the defending Bud Pole winner of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Nine drivers have won Bud Pole Awards at Indianapolis. Jeff Gordon (three) leads all Bud Pole winners there.

Tony Stewart is the defending champion of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Eight drivers have won at Indianapolis led by Jeff Gordon (four) and Dale Jarrett (two).

Six of the 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Indianapolis have been won from a top-four starting position and the two of the last four have been won from the front row: Bill Elliott (second in 2002) and Kevin Harvick (first in 2003).

The third-place starting position is the only position to produce more than one race winner at Indianapolis: Jeff Gordon (1994 and '98) and Bobby Labonte (2000).

The Brickyard 400 has been won from a top-10 starting position seven of 12 times.

The furthest back a race winner has started at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was 27th by Jeff Gordon in 2001.

Qualifying has not been canceled at Indianapolis and there have been no shortened races there.

The 2004 Brickyard 400 was the only overtime race at Indianapolis, running 161 laps.

Although he has not competed at Indianapolis since 1998, Morgan Shepherd has a 10.00 average finish in his four NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races there. Shepherd finished 10th in the first two Brickyard 400s, fifth in 1996 and 15th in 1998.

Would You Believe?
Eleven drivers competed in all 12 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Indianapolis. Of the 11, only Joe Nemechek has yet to post a top-10 finish. Nemechek's best finish at the Brickyard was 17th in 2004.

First-timers
Ten of the current top-50 drivers in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Championship point standings have never competed at the Brickyard.

Selected Modern Era Performance at this Track
(Minimum of two starts)
Category Driver (Races)
Drivers
Starts 11 drivers – 12
Poles Jeff Gordon – 3 (12)
Wins Jeff Gordon – 4 (12)
Top Fives Jeff Gordon – 7 (12)
Top 10s Jeff Gordon- 10 (12)
Laps Led Jeff Gordon – 433 (12)
Most DNFs Ricky Rudd – 4 (12)
Fewest DNFs Jeff Burton, Michael Waltrip – 0 (12)
Average Start Ryan Newman – 5.00 (5)
Average Finish Kasey Kahne – 3.00 (2)

Indianapolis Milestones
Dale Jarrett is expected to make his 400th consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start at Indianapolis.

Starting Up Front Not Important at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Three of the last five races at Indianapolis have been won from outside the top-10 starting positions. Only two of the 12 races at Indianapolis have been won from the front row.

Indianapolis Bud Pole Winner
Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with three Bud Poles at Indianapolis, but has not had a top-five start in his last six races there. His last Bud Pole came there in August 1999.

Indianapolis Streaks

Jeff Burton has competed in all 12 races at Indianapolis and has never started a race there from the top-15.

Ryan Newman has posted five straight top-10 starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the longest current streak.

Kasey Kahne has posted two top-five finishes in two races Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Jeff Gordon has posted five straight top-10 finishes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the longest current streak.

Owner Dominance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Rick Hendrick has four victories in 12 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the most of all car owners. All were all posted by Jeff Gordon.

Leading The Way
Jeff Gordon has competed in all 12 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He has led 433 laps in those races, the most of all drivers.

Indianapolis Starters
Eleven drivers have competed in all 12 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Those 11 drivers won nine of the 12 races there.

Bud Pole Winners Galore
There have been eight different Bud Pole winners in the eight races at Indianapolis since August 1998.

Would You Believe?
Rusty Wallace finished second in his 12 races at Indianapolis three times, but never visited victory lane there.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Standout

Jeff Gordon is the standout at Indianapolis, leading all drivers with three Bud Poles, four victories, seven topfives and 10 top-10 finishes and has led in nine of the 12 races leading 433 laps - all the most at Indianapolis.

Ryan Newman has a 5.0 starting average posting top-10 starts in all five of his races at Indianapolis.

Kasey Kahne has a 3.0 finishing average in his two races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the best of all drivers with more than one start there.

Who's Hot

Jimmie Johnson has scored a top-15 finish in 18 of the 20 races in 2006. His other two finishes were 30th or worse. Johnson has scored nine top-10 finishes in the last 10 races.

Jeff Burton has posted 14 straight top-15 finishes, a streak that began at Texas in April. He also scored top-10 finishes in his last three races.

Jeff Burton (1,464) has scored more points in the last 10 races than any other driver.

Kasey Kahne has won four races in 2006, the most of all drivers.

Matt Kenseth is the only driver to score 10 top-five finishes in the 20 races this season.

Kevin Harvick has scored four straight top-10 finishes.

Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to score 16 top-10 finishes in the first 20 races of 2006, three more than the closest driver.

Greg Biffle is the only driver to lead at least one lap in 15 of the 20 races this season.

Denny Hamlin has scored top-15 finishes in 10 of the last 11 races.

Matt Kenseth ranks second in the point standings. After 20 races one year ago, he ranked 17th.

Kyle Busch has scored six straight top-15 finishes.

Top 10 in Points at This Track

First
Jimmie Johnson finished sixth in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. He remained first in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, 97 points ahead of second-place Matt Kenseth. Johnson has scored 16 top-10 finishes in 20 races this season, three more than any other driver. Johnson's has three victories (Daytona, Las Vegas and Talladega) second only to Kasey Kahne who has four. In 2006, Johnson has scored 18 top-15s in the first 20 races, the only driver to do so. Johnson ranked first in the point standings after Race No. 20 in 2005, then 66 points ahead of second-place Tony Stewart. Johnson has ranked among the top-10 for 89 straight races, since Atlanta in March 2004. He moved to a seventh-place ranking on the consecutive races in the point's top- 10 list passing Bill Elliott. Johnson has competed in four races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway scoring just one top 10 finish, a ninth-place finish in his 2002 rookie season. Johnson has a 25.25 average finish at Indy, the worst finishing average among the current top 10. Johnson has finished 18th or worse in three of his four races at Indy. He finished 38th in this race one year ago, his worst finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Johnson has never led at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He posted DNFs in the last two races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Johnson has won at least one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).

Second
Matt Kenseth finished 14th in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway scoring his 16th top-15 finish in 20 races this season. Kenseth has scored victories at California and Dover in 2006. Kenseth remained second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings for the ninth straight race. One year ago he ranked 17th in the point standings after 20 races. Kenseth has ranked among the top-five in the point standings since his victory in Race No. 2 at California, 19 straight races. He has competed in six races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway scoring three top-10 finishes, all top fives. He has never won at Indy. His best finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway of second came there in August 2003. Kenseth has been running at the finish in five of his six races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He finished fifth in this race one year ago. Kenseth has led in just two of his six races at Indy, but has never led more than 10 laps in a single race. Kenseth has a 15.666 finishing average at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kenseth has won at least one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).

Third
Jeff Burton finished ninth in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway and remained third in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Burton remained third for the second straight week ranking at his highest points position since he ranked third after Las Vegas in March 2002. Burton ranked 21st after Race No. six at Martinsville. Burton has scored 14 straight top-15 finishes, extending a streak that began at Texas in April. He has scored 13 top-10 finishes in 20 races this season, second only to Johnson who has 15. One year ago he ranked 18th in the point standings. Burton has competed in all 12 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway scoring just two top-10 finishes there. He has never won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His best Indy finish of fifth came there in 1999. He finished 20th in this race one year ago, his fifth consecutive finish outside the top 10 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Despite that recent slump, he has been running at the finish in all 12 of his races at Indy. He has led in just three of his 12 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Burton has a 19.5 average finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Fourth
Kyle Busch finished 12th in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway and remained fourth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago he ranked 20th after 20 races. Busch has scored 10 top-10 finishes in 20 races in 2006. It marked his sixth straight top-15 finish, extending a streak that began at Michigan. Busch has posted just one DNF in 2006, an accident at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He ranked 12th in the point standings after Race No. 16 at Infineon. Busch has competed in just one race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway finishing 10th in this race one year ago. He has never led at Indy. Busch is just 120 points ahead of 11th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. with six races left in the “Race to the Chase.”

Fifth
Kevin Harvick finished fifth in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway and climbed from eighth to fifth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Harvick has ranked among the top 10 in the last 14 races, since Texas in April. One year ago he ranked 13th in the point standings. Harvick has scored 11 top-10 finishes in 2006. He has competed in five races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway scoring one Bud Pole, one victory (2003) and three top-10 finishes. He finished 19th in this race one year ago, his worst finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He has led in two of his five races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and has been running at the finish in all five of his races there. Harvick has an 8.8 average finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ranking fourth all-time. Harvick is 101 points ahead of 11th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. with six races left in the “Race to the Chase.”

Sixth
Mark Martin finished 19th in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway and dropped from fifth to sixth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. At this point one year ago he ranked seventh in the point standings. He has had only one DNF (Talladega in October 2005) in the 45 races since Dover in June 2005. Martin has competed in all 12 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, scoring seven top-10 finishes there. He has never won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His best Indy finish of second came there in 1998. He finished seventh in this race one year ago. He has scored top-10 finishes in two of his last three races at Indy. Martin has a 15.833 average finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He has led in five of his 12 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway but has never led the most laps in a race there. Martin has not won a race since his victory at Kansas in October 2005, 26 races ago. Martin is just 95 points ahead of 11th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. with six races left in the “Race to the Chase.”

Seventh
Kasey Kahne finished 31st in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. He dropped from sixth to seventh 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 13 top-15 finishes in the first 20 races in 2006. One year ago he ranked 21st in the point standings. Kahne has competed in two races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway finishing in the top five in both. Kahne finished second at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2005. That is his best finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kahne has a 3.0 average finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the best of all drivers. He led 39 laps in this race one year ago. Kahne has won at least one race each season for two consecutive years (2005-2006). Kahne is just 53 points ahead of 11th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. with six races left in the “Race to the Chase.”

Eighth
Denny Hamlin finished first in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway and climbed from 12th to eighth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, a career high ranking. Hamlin has scored two victories in 2006, sweeping both races at Pocono Raceway. He has scored eight top-10 finishes in 2006. Hamlin has been the highest finishing rookie in 11 of the 20 races this season. He has never competed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hamlin is just 52 points ahead of 11th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. with six races left in the “Race to the Chase.”

Ninth
Jeff Gordon finished third in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway, scoring his fifth top-15 finish in the last six races. Gordon has scored two victories in 2006, winning at Infineon and Chicago. Both of those victories came in the last five races. He remained ninth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. His four DNFs in 2006 are the most of any driver in the top-10. Gordon has scored 13 top-15 finishes in 20 races in 2006. Gordon has four victories and 10 top-10 finishes in his 12 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the most of all drivers. Gordon finished eighth in this race one year ago. He extended a five-race streak of top-10 finishes at Indy that dates to 2001, the longest streak among all drivers there. Gordon's last victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway came in 2004. Gordon is just 50 points ahead of 11th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. with six races left in the “Race to the Chase.”

10th
Tony Stewart finished seventh in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway, scoring his 12th top-15 finish of the season. Stewart ended his fall in the point standings climbing from 11th to 10th. Stewart had posted four finishes of 28th or worse in the five races leading to Pocono, dropping him from fourth to 11th. One year ago he ranked second in the point standings. He has competed in seven races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway scoring one victory and four top-10 finishes. Stewart finished first in this race one year ago, his second straight top-five finish there. He has been running at the finish in all seven of his races there. He has an 8.428 finishing average at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, second only to Kasey Kahne who leads all drivers with a 3.0 average finish. He has led in four races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Stewart has won a race each season 1999-2006, eight consecutive years. Stewart is just 15 points ahead of 11th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. with six races left in the “Race to the Chase.”

Season in Review

Qualifying

Eighty 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 11 different Bud Pole winners in 2006. Kasey Kahne (four), Greg Biffle (two), Kurt Busch (two), Jeff Burton (two), Ryan Newman (two) and Denny Hamlin (two) are the repeat Bud Pole winners this season.

Qualifying was canceled at Bristol.

Kurt Busch (9.05) has the best average start of all drivers that have competed in every race this season.

Three drivers have an average start of 10th or better to this point of 2006: Kurt Busch (9.05), Jeff Gordon (9.55), Greg Biffle (9.95)

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.

Michael Waltrip (32.95) has the worst average start of all drivers that have competed in every race this season.

Jeff Gordon has gone 40 races without scoring a Bud Pole - the longest streak in his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup career.

Season Nuggets

Current point leader Jimmie Johnson was the point leader at the mid-point of the season. He was also the point leader at the mid-point in 2004 and 2005 and also was the point leader after Race No. 20 in 2004 and 2005.

All 20 victories in 2006 have been scored by drivers ranked in the top-14 in the point standings.

Greg Biffle is the only driver who has led at least one lap in 15 of the 20 races in 2006. Biffle has earned 95 lap leader bonus points, 60 more than point leader Jimmie Johnson who has 35.

Jeff Burton, currently third in the point standings, has earned 1,464 points in the last 10 races, more than any other driver. Greg Biffle is currently second in points earned in the last 10 races earning 1,434 points, 30 less than Burton. Point leader Jimmie Johnson ranks fifth during the last 10 races earning 1,418 points, 46 less than Biffle. Burton posted eight top-10 finishes during the 10-race period while Johnson outscored the other four drivers with nine. Despite Johnson's nine top-10s, the difference is better finishes by the other drivers coupled with the fact that Johnson led in just three of those 10 races while Burton led in six and Bifffle led in seven of the 10 proving the value of the lap-leader bonus points.

Two drivers that ranked in the top-10 after Race No. 20 in 2005 failed to make the Chase. Elliott Sadler was ninth and finished 13th and Dale Jarrett was 10th and finished 15th. They were overtaken by Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. Kenseth finished seventh while Edwards finished third.

After 20 races in 2006, six drivers are within the 400-point window. One year ago there were seven drivers within the 400-point window.

In 2005 six of the top-13 drivers were separated by 21 points or less with twelfth to 11th and ninth to eighth each separated by just three points.

After 20 races in 2006, five of the top-11 drivers are separated by 19 points or less while nine of the top-12 are separated by 42 points or less.

Just 82 points separate 12th to seventh in the point standings.

Tony Stewart, currently 10th in the point standings, is 15 points ahead of 11th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. and just 44 ahead of 12th-place Greg Biffle.

Just 105 points separate 10th-place Tony Stewart and fourth-place Kyle Busch. That is the difference between a first to a 30th-place finish (lap leader points not considered).

After winning only three races in all of 2005, Dodge has won five of the 20 races in 2006. Chevrolet has 12 victories while Ford has just three. One year ago Ford had nine victories at this point of the season.

A Ford has failed to qualify among the top-10 in the last two races. A Ford also failed to finish among the top 10 in two of the last three races.

Ken Schrader became the 43rd driver to lead in 2006. The 34 drivers that have competed in all 20 races have each led at least one lap this season.

Four of the top-six drivers have been running at the finish in every race in 2006: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin.

Qualifying - Tidbit
Jeff Burton has posted two Bud Poles in 2006 - doubling his career total for the previous 10 years since he posted his career-first Bud Pole in 1996.

The Races

Sixty-six drivers have competed in at least one race in 2006; 34 have competed in every race.

There have been five green-white-checkered finishes this season; Daytona (which finished under caution), California, Las Vegas, Chicago and New Hampshire.

Three races have ended under caution in 2006, including both Daytona events.

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 seven drivers have done so more than once.

Of the times that a driver has dropped to the rear, the finish improved on the start of record (qualifying position) 20 times.

No one dropped to the rear at Bristol, Martinsville or either Pocono.

Races - Would You Believe?
There have been 16 green-white-checkered finishes since the rule was implemented in 2004. The 2006 Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire was extended the most laps since that time. The previous ?longest overtime' was the 2005 Aaron's 499 at Talladega, which ran six laps beyond the scheduled number.

Finishes - Would You Believe?
Denny Hamlin won both races at Pocono this season - both fromt he Bud Pole. Hamlin became the first driver to sweep both races from the Bud Pole at a track since Jeff Gordon at Martinsville in 2003. He also became the first rookie driver to sweep both races at a track since Jimmie Johnson won both races at dover in 2002.

Finishes

There have been 11 different race winners in 2006.

Kasey Kahne (four), Jimmie Johnson (three), Matt Kenseth (two), Tony Stewart (two), Jeff Gordon (two) and Denny Hamlin (two) are the multiple race winners in 2006.

Matt Kenseth is the only driver to post 10 top-five finishes this season, two more than any other driver.

Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to post 16 top-10 finishes this season, three more than any other driver.

Jimmie Johnson (8.25) is the only driver that has competed in every race this season to average a top-10 finish over those races.

Michael Waltrip (31.10) has the worst average finish of the drivers that have competed in every race this season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (3.36) has the best improvement of his average finish over his average start of all drivers that have competed in every race this season.

Ryan Newman (-5.22) has the worst ratio of his average start to his average finish of all drivers that have competed in every race this season.

Only five drivers in the current top 40 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 are the only drivers in the top-25 in points that have 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 nine races this season - five were victories: Kasey Kahne at Atlanta, Texas and Michigan and Denny Hamlin both races at Pocono.

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.

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 from the Bud Pole at Michigan and Pocono mark 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.

Winless
Several drivers that have posted NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories have gone more than 50 races without a victory: Only races competed in are included. Date of last win and races since:
Ken Schrader 6-2-91 499
Kyle Petty 6-4-95 346
Jeff Burton 10-28-01 168
Sterling Marlin 3-17-02 151
Jamie McMurray 10-13-02 132
Robby Gordon 8-10-03 99
Michael Waltrip 9-28-03 99
Bobby Labonte 11-16-03 92
Elliott Sadler 9-5-04 67
Joe Nemechek 10-10-04 62

Lap Leaders

Greg Biffle is the only driver that has led in 15 races this season.

Ten different drivers have led the most laps in at least one race this season.

Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart have each led the most laps in four races. Jeff Gordon (three), Matt Kenseth (two) and Denny Hamlin (two) 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 eight times this season.

Rookie Reed Sorenson did not lead a lap until Michigan in June. Including that race he has led in four of the past six races.

Every driver that has completed in every race this season has led at least one lap. Ken Schrader became the last of the 34 drivers that have competed in every race to lead when he led his first lap of the season in the second race at Pocono.

Lucky Dogs

Forty-two drivers have been the beneficiary of the free lap back rule in 2006; including Kurt Busch (Bristol) and Kasey Kahne (Michigan), who received the lap back and went on to win the race.

A driver has received the pass back more than once in the same race 20 times this season, including when Terry Labonte recevied it three times at Bristol.

Car Owner
Petty Enterprises has posted five top-10 finishes in 2006. The last time that Petty drivers posted more than three top-10s in a season was 1999: John Andretti (10) and Kyle Petty (nine).

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. He moved into the top five following Chicago - his first time in the top five since Las Vegas in 2003.

Manufacturer

All three manufacturers were represented in the top-three qualifers at California, Texas, Sonoma and 2nd Daytona.

The Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at New Hampshire was the first race this season that did not have all three manufacturers in the top-10 qualifiers. The best starting position by a Ford was 13th.

Ford also failed to post a top-10 starting position the following week at Pocono.

All three manufacturers were represented in the top-five finishers of 11 races this season. Atlanta, Bristol, Texas, Charlotte and Michigan had all three in the top three.

All three manufacturers were represented int he top-10 finishers in all but two races this season. The best finish by a Ford at Chicago was 11th and 14th at second Pocono.

Chevrolet posted the top-six finishers and eight of the top-10 at Chicago.

Top 10 Milestones
Jimmie Johnson has ranked in the top-10 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings for 89 consecutive races. He moved into seventh following New Hampshire in July.

Rookies

Five of the six of the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year active candidates have competed in every race this season. David Stremme did not compete at Infineon.

There has been at least one rookie candidate start in the top-10 in 14 races this season. Four had three rookies start from a top-10 position. At Darlington three started from the top five.

At least one rookie contender posted a top-10 finish in 15 races this season. Two rookies post top-10s at Texas, Richmond and Charlotte and three at Chicago.

Denny Hamlin's victories at Pocono are the best finishes by a rookie candidate in 2006.

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).

Kirk Shelmerdine finished 20th in the Daytona 500, the best finish of his 24-race NASCAR NEXTEL Cup career. His previous best finish was 26th at Talladega in May 1994 and it was only his sixth finish better than 40th.

The 18 drivers that led in the Daytona 500 set the record for lap leaders at Daytona. The previous record of 15 was set in 1974, 1989 and 1996 – all in the Daytona 500.

The 168 laps led by Greg Biffle in the Auto Club 500 is the highest single-race total by a driver at California Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson's pass for the victory in the UAW-DaimerChrysler 400 was the first last-lap pass for victory since Dale Jarrett beat Tony Stewart on the final lap at Talladega last October. Johnson has been involved in three of the last four last-lap passes for victory – winning two.

Kurt Busch won the Food City 500 at Bristol and joined brother Kyle, who won the Busch Series race, as the first brother combination to sweep a weekend since Ward and Jeff Burton at Darlington in September 2001.

The 11 different race winners since the inaugural race at Texas moved the Texas Motor Speedway into a tie with Martinsville for the most different race winners on a current NASCAR NEXTEL Cup track. Martinsville had 11 different race winners between the second race in 1997 and the second race in 2002.

Dale Jarrett failed to complete a single lap in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, posting his career-worst finish (43rd). He had finished last one other time in his 614 previous NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races - 42nd in a 42- car field at Sonoma in 1989. It was only the fourth time in his career that he completed less than 10 laps.

Denny Hamlin's victory in the Pocono 500 was the first by a Rookie contender in 2006 and marked the 12th season since 1994 that there was a first-time winner. 2004 was the only season since 1994 that failed to produce a first time winner.

In spite of only 129 of 200 laps being completed due to rain, the nine cautions at Michigan tied the track record for the most cautions.

The Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway was the 100th road-course race in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

Three records for 400-mile races at Daytona were set in the Pepsi 400: Leaders (15); Cars on Lead Lap (34) and Cars Running at Finish (40 [tied 2003]).

Jeff Gordon won the USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicago, posting his first superspeedway victory other than on a restrictor-plate track since he won at Indianapolis in August 2004. It was also his first win on a 1.5-mile track since Atlanta in October 2003.

Miles to Go
There are six races left before the final drivers that will participate in the Chase are set. Those races combine for a scheduled 1,600 laps covering 2,087 miles.

Preparing for the Chase - After 20 Races

In 2004
...the points leader, Jimmie Johnson was 232 points ahead of Jeff Gordon and 620 ahead of 10th-place, Kevin Harvick.
...eventual Champion, Kurt Busch, was in seventh place.
...three drivers were within 400 points of the leader.

...eight of the drivers ranked in the top-10 made the Chase that season.

...five of the current top-10 in points were in the top 10.

In 2005
...Jimmie Johnson was the points leader, 66 points ahead of Tony Stewart and 427 ahead of 10th-place Dale Jarrett
...eventual Champion, Tony Stewart, was in second place.
...seven drivers were within 400 points of the leader.

...eight of the drivers ranked in the top-10 made the Chase that season.

...only three of the current top-10 in points were in the top 10.

Chase - Would You Believe?
In two years of the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup - the furtherest out of the top-10 following Race No. 20 that a driver ranked and still made the Chase was last season when Matt Kenseth was 17th and rallied to make the final top 10.