Race 2 Win: Lenox Industrial Tools 300

Nextel Cup Series

New Hampshire International Speedway

Track data:
Race #: 19 of 36 (7-16-06)
Track Size: 1.058 Miles
Event: Lenox Industrial Tools 300
Number of Laps: 300
Location: Loudon, NH
Length of Event: 317.40 Miles
Length of Front Stretch: 1,500 Feet
Length of Back Stretch: 1,500 Feet
Degree of Banking in Corners: 12 degrees
Degree of Banking on Straights: 2 degrees

Qualifying/Race data:
Last year's event pole winner: Brian Vickers 130.327 mph 7-15-05 29.225 seconds
Last year's event winner: Tony Stewart 102.608 mph 7-17-05 3 hrs, 05 min, 36 sec
Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman 133.357 mph 9-12-03 28.561 seconds
Track race record: Jeff Burton 117.134 mph 7-13-97 2hr, 42 min, 35 sec

Historical data:
Previous winners at New Hampshire:
Jeff Burton (4) Jeff Gordon (3) Jimmie Johnson (2) Kurt Busch (2) Tony Stewart (2) Ryan Newman (2) Ricky Rudd (1) Rusty Wallace (1) Ernie Irvan (1) Joe Nemechek (1) Dale Jarrett (1) Robby Gordon (1) Ward Burton (1)
Races won from the pole: 2 of 22 events (9%)
Races won from in top 10: 11 of 22 events (50%)
Races won from outside top 10: 11 of 22 events (50%)

Track Milestones

Mark Martin won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole at New Hampshire International Speedway in July 1993.

Rusty Wallace won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at New Hampshire, the 1993 Slick 50 300.

1997 was the first year for twice-a-year NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at New Hampshire.

The 2001 New Hampshire 300 - the season finale – was run in November, after being rescheduled following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Jeff Burton led all 300 laps raced in the 2000 Dura-Lube 300, only the third time in the modern era that a driver has led all of the laps in a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race.

Qualifying Update
There have been 11 Bud Pole winners in 22 races at New Hampshire. Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman both have won three Bud Poles while Ricky Craven, Mark Martin, Ken Schrader and Rusty Wallace all have two. Bill Elliott, Ernie Irvan, Bobby Labonte, Brian Vickers and Tony Stewart all have one. Qualifying has been canceled three times due to weather – all in the last nine races.

Track Update
There has been only two sweeps of both races at New Hampshire International Speedway since the track went to twice-a-year races in 1997: Jimmie Johnson (2003) and Kurt Busch (2004).

Manufacturer Update
All three manufacturers have posted at least one victory in the last three races at New Hampshire.

Car Owner Victories at This Track
Jack Roush 6
Rick Hendrick 5
Roger Penske 3
Robert Yates 2
Joe Gibbs 2
Ricky Rudd 1
Felix Sabates 1
Richard Childress 1
Bill Davis 1
TOTALS 22

The Money
Purse $5,294,946
NEXTEL Leader Bonus: $100,000

Would You Believe?
Jeff Gordon has led 1,069 laps at New Hampshire, leading in 14 of the 22 races and leading the most laps in six races – all more than any other driver. Tony Stewart is second with 736 laps, leading in just seven of his 14 races. Jeff Burton is third with 605 laps led in eight races, including all 300 laps raced in September 2000. Ryan Newman is fourth with 499 laps led in just eight races – leading in all of his New Hampshire appearances.

Track Tidbits

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.

The best of two qualifying laps will be used to determine the starting positions with the adjustments made afterwards as required.

There have been 22 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at New Hampshire since the inaugural race there on July 11, 1993. There was one race per year prior to 1997 and twice-a-year races since.

Eleven different drivers have scored Bud Poles at New Hampshire. Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman lead all other drivers, each with three. Qualifying has been canceled three times.

Brian Vickers is the defending Bud Pole winner of the Lenox Industrial Tools 300.

Ken Schrader (1997) is the only driver to sweep both Bud Poles in a season at New Hampshire.

Only two of the 22 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at New Hampshire have been won from the Bud Pole. Both wins from the pole were scored in the second race of the season: Jeff Gordon (1998 CMT 300) and Ryan Newman (2002 New Hampshire 300).

There have been 13 different race winners in the 22 races at New Hampshire. Jeff Burton (four), Jeff Gordon (three), Jimmie Johnson (two), Kurt Busch (two), Tony Stewart (two) and Ryan Newman (two) are the repeat race winners at the New England track.

Tony Stewart is the defending champion of the Lenox Industrial Tools 300.

The race winner started in the top 10 in 11 of the 22 races at New Hampshire, including four of the past seven.

The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 38th by Jeff Burton in July 1999.

The 2000 Thatlook.com 300 was shortened to 273 laps due to rain, the only shortened race at New Hampshire.

The 2001 New Hampshire 300 took place in November and was the final race of the season after being rescheduled following the September 11 terrorist attacks – the only postponed/rescheduled race at New Hampshire.

Leading Worthwhile?

The driver that led the most laps has won the race at New Hampshire in nine of the 22 races. However only two of the last nine races at New Hampshire was won by the driver who led the most laps: Ryan Newman (2002 New Hampshire 300) and Tony Stewart (2005 New England 300).

Jeff Gordon is the only driver that has led in 14 of the 22 New Hampshire races. He led the most laps in six of those races.

Jeff Burton led the most laps en route to victory in the 1997 Jiffy Lube 300 and again in the 1998 Jiffy Lube 300. He scored his third straight Jiffy Lube 300 victory in July 1999, but did not lead the most laps. He then led all 300 laps in posting his fourth victory at New Hampshire in the 2000 Dura-Lube 300.

New Hampshire Milestones

Jeremy Mayfield is expected to make his 400th career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start at New Hampshire.

Mark Martin is expected to make his 600th consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start at New Hampshire. Ricky Rudd set the all-time record of 788 consecutive starts.

Starting Up Front NOT Important at New Hampshire International Speedway
Three of the last four races at New Hampshire have been won from outside the top-10 starting positions.

New Hampshire Bud Pole Winners
Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman lead all drivers, each with three Bud Poles at New Hampshire. However, neither driver has won a Bud Pole there in the last three races. Newman's last Bud Pole came in this race in 2004 while Gordon has not had a Bud Pole at New Hampshire since this race in 2001.

New Hampshire Streaks

Jimmie Johnson has posted six straight top-15 starts at New Hampshire International Speedway, the longest current streak.

Matt Kenseth has posted seven straight top-10 finishes at New Hampshire International Speedway, the longest current streak.

Owner Dominance at New Hampshire International Speedway
Jack Roush has six victories at New Hampshire International Speedway, the most of all car owners.

Leading The Way
Jeff Gordon has competed in all 22 races at New Hampshire International Speedway. He has led 1,069 laps those races, the most of all drivers. Tony Stewart has led 736 laps in 14 races there and ranks second.

Lots of Competition
Eleven drivers have competed in all 22 races at New Hampshire International Speedway. Six of those drivers have accounted for 11 of the 22 victories.

Would You Believe?
Ryan Newman has competed in eight races at New Hampshire. Newman is the only driver that has led in every race that he has competed in at New Hampshire.

New Hampshire International Speedway Standouts

Jeff Gordon has competed in all 22 races at New Hampshire International Speedway. He has led the most laps in six of those races (27 percent).

Jeff Burton leads all drivers with four victories at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with nine top-five finishes at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Dale Jarrett is one of just 11 drivers that has competed in all 22 races at New Hampshire International Speedway. Jarrett scored 14 top-10 finishes in those 22 races, the most among all drivers.

Ryan Newman leads all drivers with a 6.625 starting average in eight races at New Hampshire.

Ryan Newman has a 7.875 finishing average in his eight races at New Hampshire International Speedway, the best of all drivers with more than one start there. Jimmie Johnson, who also has competed in eight races at New Hampshire International Speedway, is second with an 8.625 finishing average there.

Top 10 in Points at This Track
Standings Driver Starts Wins Best Top 5s Top 10s
1st Johnson, Jimmie 8 2 1 (2 Times) 2 4
2nd Kenseth, Matt 12 *** 2 (1 Time) 5 8
3rd Earnhardt Jr., Dale 13 *** 3 (1 Time) 3 6
4th Burton, Jeff 22 4 1 (4 Times) 7 9
5th Kahne, Kasey 4 *** 4 (1 Time) 1 3
6th Martin, Mark 22 *** 2 (3 Times) 7 12
7th Stewart, Tony 14 2 1 (2 Times) 8 9
8th Busch, Kyle 2 *** 4 (1 Time) 1 1
9th Harvick, Kevin 10 *** 2 (1 Time) 1 5
10th Gordon, Jeff 22 3 1 (3 Times) 9 12

First
Jimmie Johnson finished sixth in the 2006 USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. He remained first in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, 51 points ahead of second-place Matt Kenseth. Johnson has scored 14 top-10 finishes in 18 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 16 top-15s in the first 18 races, the only driver to do so. Johnson ranked first in the point standings after Race No. 18 in 2005, 108 points ahead of second-place Greg Biffle. Johnson has ranked among the top-10 for 87 straight races, since Atlanta in March 2004, passing Darrell Waltrip to take sole possession of eighth in consecutive races in the point's top-10 since the point system was established in 1975. Johnson has competed in eight races at New Hampshire International Speedway scoring two victories and four top-10 finishes. Johnson has an 8.625 average finish at New Hampshire, second only to Ryan Newman among all drivers with more than one start. Johnson has scored top-15 finishes in all eight of his races at New Hampshire, the longest current streak. He finished 13th in this race one year ago and eighth there last September. Johnson has led in just three of his races at New Hampshire. He has been running at the finish in all eight of his races at New Hampshire. Johnson has won at least one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).

Second
Matt Kenseth finished 22nd in the 2006 USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway scoring his worst finish in the last eight races. Kenseth scored his first victory of 2006 at California. Kenseth remained second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings for the seventh straight race. One year ago he ranked 16th in the point standings after 18 races. Kenseth has ranked among the top-five in the point standings since his victory in Race No. 2 at California, 17 straight races. He has competed in 12 races at New Hampshire International Speedway scoring eight top-10 finishes there. Kenseth has been running at the finish in all of his races at New Hampshire International Speedway. He has scored seven top-10 finishes in the last seven races at New Hampshire, the longest current streak. He finished 10th in this race one year ago and third there last September. Kenseth has led in just three of his 12 races at New Hampshire. Kenseth has a 10.66 finishing average at New Hampshire International Speedway ranking third among all drivers with more than one start. Kenseth has won at least one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).

Third
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished fifth in the 2006 USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway and remained third in the point standings. It marked his eighth top-15 finish in the last nine races. One year ago he ranked 13th in the point standings. Earnhardt Jr. has scored 13 top-15 finishes in the 18 races in 2006. His only victory in 2006 came at Richmond. He has competed in 13 races at New Hampshire International Speedway scoring six top-10 finishes. Earnhardt Jr. has a 17.0 average finish at New Hampshire. He has led in five of his 12 races at New Hampshire. Earnhardt Jr. has been running at the finish in all but two of his races at New Hampshire International Speedway. He finished ninth in this race one year ago and fifth there last September. Earnhardt Jr. has won at least one race 2000-2006 seven consecutive years.

Fourth
Jeff Burton finished second in the 2006 USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway and climbed from seventh to fourth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Burton has scored 12 straight top-15 finishes, extending a streak that began at Texas in April. He has scored 11 top-10 finishes in 18 races this season. One year ago he ranked 17th in the point standings. Burton has competed in all 22 races at New Hampshire International Speedway and has scored four victories and nine top-10 finishes there. His four victories are the most of any driver at New Hampshire. He finished 14th in this race one year ago and ninth there last September. He has scored top-15 finishes in his last four races at New Hampshire. Despite his record, he has not led in the last five races at New Hampshire. Burton has a 13.772 average finish at New Hampshire.

Fifth
Kasey Kahne finished 23rd in the 2006 USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. He dropped from fourth to fifth 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 18 races in 2006. One year ago he ranked 21st in the point standings. Kahne has competed in four races at New Hampshire International Speedway, finishing sixth in this race one year ago and 38th there last September. That 38th-place finish was his first DNF at New Hampshire and ended a three-race streak of top-10 finishes there. Kahne has a 14.0 average finish at New Hampshire and has led in two of his four races there. Kahne has won at least one race each season for two consecutive years (2005-2006).

Sixth
Mark Martin finished 18th in the 2006 USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway and remained sixth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. This is his lowest points position since he was sixth after Race No. 2 at California. At this point one year ago he also ranked sixth in the point standings. He has had only one DNF (Talladega in October 2005) in the 43 races since Dover in June 2005. Martin has competed in all 22 races at New Hampshire International Speedway, scoring 12 top-10 finishes there. He has finished second at New Hampshire three times, most recently in August 1998. He finished 15th in this race one year ago and seventh there last September. He has scored top-15 finishes in his last four races at New Hampshire. Martin has an 11.272 average finish at New Hampshire International Speedway. He has led in seven races at New Hampshire. Martin is one of 11 drivers that have competed in all 22 races at New Hampshire International Speedway. Martin has not won a race since his victory at Kansas in October 2005.

Seventh
Tony Stewart finished 32nd in the 2006 USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, scoring his third finish of 28th or worse in the last four races. He dropped from fifth to seventh in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago he ranked third in the point standings. Stewart has led at least one lap in 13 races in 2006, tied for second in races led this season with Matt Kenseth. His 85 lap leader bonus points are second only to Greg Biffle who has 90. Eight of his nine top-10 finishes in 2006 are top-fives. He has competed in 14 races at New Hampshire International Speedway scoring two victories and nine top-10 finishes, eight of which were top fives. Stewart finished first in this race one year ago and second there last September. He has a 12.62 finishing average at New Hampshire International Speedway. He has led in seven of his 14 races at New Hampshire International Speedway and led the most laps in four of those races. His 736 laps led at New Hampshire International Speedway are second only to Jeff Gordon who has led 1,069. Stewart has won at least one race each season for eight consecutive years (1999-2006).

Eighth
Kyle Busch finished third in the 2006 USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway and remained eighth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago he ranked 20th after 18 races. It was his ninth top-10 finish in 18 races in 2006. It marked his fourth 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. Busch has competed in just two races at New Hampshire International Speedway finishing fourth in this race one year ago and 27th there in September. He was running at the finish in both races but has never led at New Hampshire International Speedway.

Ninth
Kevin Harvick finished fourth in the 2006 USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway and remained ninth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Harvick has ranked among the top 10 in the last 12 races, since Texas in April. One year ago he ranked 14th in the point standings. Harvick has scored nine top-10 finishes in 2006. He has competed in 10 races at New Hampshire International Speedway scoring five top-10 finishes. He finished 22nd in this race one year ago and 10th there last September. He has led in six races at New Hampshire International Speedway but led just one lap in three of those six races. He has been running at the finish in all 10 of his races at New Hampshire International Speedway. Harvick has a 14.6 average finish at New Hampshire.

10th
Jeff Gordon finished first in the 2006 USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, scoring his second victory in 2006. Both of his victories have come in his last three races. He climbed from 12th to 10th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. His four DNFs in 2006 are the most of any driver in the top-10. He has a 47–point lead on 11th-place Greg Biffle. Gordon has scored 11 top-15 finishes in 18 races in 2006. Gordon has three victories and 12 top-10 finishes in 22 races at New Hampshire. Gordon finished 25th in this race one year ago and 14th there last September. Gordon's last New Hampshire victory came there in August 1998, 15 New Hampshire races ago.

Who's Hot

Jimmie Johnson has scored a top-15 finish in 16 of the 18 races in 2006. His other two finishes were 30th or worse.

Kurt Busch has scored five straight top-10 finishes. He has climbed from 19th to 13th in the point standings since Lowe's.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has scored eight top-15 finishes in the last nine races.

Jeff Burton has scored 12 straight top-15s since Martinsville.

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 18 races this season.

Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to score 14 top-10 finishes in the first 18 races of 2006.

Greg Biffle is the only driver to lead at least one lap in 14 of the 18 races this season.

Matt Kenseth ranks second in the point standings. After 18 races one year ago, he ranked 16th.

Kyle Busch has scored four straight top-15 finishes.

Season Nuggets

Jimmie Johnson is the point leader at the mid-point of the season. He was also the point leader at the midpoint in 2004 and 2005.

Greg Biffle is the only driver who has led at least one lap in 14 of the 18 races in 2006. Biffle has earned 90 lap leader bonus points, 55 more than point leader Jimmie Johnson who has 35.

Two drivers that ranked in the top-10 after Race No. 18 in 2005 failed to make the Chase. Elliott Sadler was fifth and finished 13th and Jamie McMurray was eighth and finished 12th.

After 18 races in 2006, nine drivers are within the 400-point window. One year ago there were 10 drivers within the 400-point window.

Five of the top-10 drivers in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings are separated by 25 points or less.

Three positions in the top 10 are separated by 12 points or less.

Just three points separate 11th to 12th in the point standings.

After winning only three races in all of 2005, Dodge has won five of the first 18 races in 2006. Chevrolet has 10 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.

At the half-way point of the season, 30 drivers have race winnings in excess of $2 million, including eight drivers that have race winnings in excess of $3 million. Jimmie Johnson has surpassed the $5 million mark.

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.

Kasey Kahne (fifth), Tony Stewart (seventh) and Jeff Gordon (10th) are the only drivers among the top 10 in the point standings with more than one DNF. Gordon has four DNFs, the most DNFs of any driver ranked in the top 24.

At least one rookie has scored a top-15 finish in every race this season. .

Jeff Gordon, currently 10th in the point standings, is 47 points ahead of 11th-place Greg Biffle.

Eleven of the top-25 drivers changed point positions at Chicagoland Speedway.

Qualifying

Seventy-seven 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) and Jeff Burton (two) are the repeat Bud Pole winners this season.

Qualifying was canceled at Bristol.

Greg Biffle (8.50) 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: Greg Biffle (8.50), Kurt Busch (9.11) and Jeff Gordon (9.94).

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

Jeff Gordon has gone 38 races without scoring a Bud Pole - the longest streak in his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup career.

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

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

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 Pocono.

Finishes - Would You Believe?
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.

Finishes

There have been 10 different race winners in 2006.

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

Matt Kenseth is the only driver to post 10 top-five finishes this season.

Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to post 14 top-10 finishes this season.

Jimmie Johnson (8.33) and Matt Kenseth (9.89) are the only drivers that have competed in every race this season to average a top-10 finish over those races.

Michael Waltrip (30.33) has the worst average finish of the drivers that have competed in every race this season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (4.33) has the best improvement of his average finish over his average start of all drivers that have competed in every race this season.

Greg Biffle (-4.25) 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 eight races this season - four were victories: Kasey Kahne at Atlanta, Texas and Michigan and Denny Hamlin 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 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.

Lap Leaders

Greg Biffle is the only driver that has led in 14 races this season.

Nine 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) and Matt Kenseth (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 six 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-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 17 times this season, including when Terry Labonte recevied it three times at Bristol.

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.

Top 10 Milestones

Jimmie Johnson has ranked in the top-10 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings for 87 consecutive races. He moved eighth following Chicago in July.

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.

Season in Review

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]).