Race 2 Win: NEXTEL Cup Series Race Notes

Nextel Cup Series

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER NOTES FOR THE SUBWAY 500 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES RACE AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY, OCTOBER 21, 2007.

Jeff Gordon led twice for 168 laps to earn WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors in today’s Subway 500. Gordon claimed the award for the eighth time this season and has led 1,280 laps in 22 races this season. He has led at least one lap in each of the past FOUR consecutive races.

Gordon finished third, his FOURTH consecutive top-five finish. He claimed his 20th top-five and 26 top-10 finish in 32 starts this season.

Gordon leads Tony Stewart by three races (8-5) in the overall WIX Filters Lap Leader standings.

UNOFFICIALLY Gordon leads the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship standings by 53 points over second-place Jimmie Johnson and 115 over third-place Clint Bowyer.

GORDON QUOTES: “It was all over the place for us. Obviously it started out great. We were just up front, really cruising and the car was fantastic. Just trying to fine-tune on it and we had one problem in the pits and had to come back in and that pretty much made us play catch-up all day long. I was playing catch-up and also trying to be careful because we were just in a lot of traffic and trying not to get ourselves caught up in anything so that worked out really well. Steve Letarte [crew chief] did another fantastic job of calling the pit strategy. We got the lead and couldn’t maintain it so I really don’t think any of that affected whether we were going to win the race today or not. I was real good on the long runs but just not that good on the short runs so those cautions certainly didn’t play into our favor. But looking at what it could have been at one point, I’m very, very pleased to come out of here with a third-place finish. ”

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD STANDINGS
Jeff Gordon 8
Tony Stewart 5
Denny Hamlin 4 
Jimmie Johnson 4
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3 
Clint Bowyer 2
Matt Kenseth 1 
Martin Truex Jr. 1
Robby Gordon 1
Kasey Kahne 1
Kyle Busch 1
Kevin Harvick 1 

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD WINNERS BY RACE
EVENT DRIVER
Daytona 500 Tony Stewart (35 laps) 
Auto Club 500 Matt Kenseth (133 laps)
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Jeff Gordon (111 laps)
Kobalt Tools 500 Jimmie Johnson (135 laps)
Food City 500 Tony Stewart (257 laps)
Goody’s Cool Orange 500 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (137 laps)
Samsung 500 Jeff Gordon (173 laps)
Subway Fresh Fit 500 Tony Stewart (132 laps)
Aaron’s 499 Jeff Gordon (71 laps) 
Crown Royal 400 Jeff Gordon (114 laps)
Dodge Avenger 500 Denny Hamlin (179 laps)
Coca-Cola 600 Jimmie Johnson (83 laps)
Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa Martin Truex Jr. (216 laps)
Pocono 500 Denny Hamlin (49 laps) 
Citizens Bank 400 Jimmie Johnson (56 laps)
Toyota/Save Mart 350 Robby Gordon (48 laps)
LENOX Industrial Tools 300 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (64 laps)
Pepsi 400 Clint Bowyer (55 laps)
USG SHEETROCK 400 Tony Stewart (108 laps)
Allstate 400 at The Brickyard Tony Stewart (65 laps)
Pennsylvania 500 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (eight laps)
Centurion Boats at The Glen Jeff Gordon (51 laps)
3M Performance 400 Jeff Gordon (25 laps)
Sharpie 500 Kasey Kahne (305 laps)
Sharp AQUOS 500 Kyle Busch (97 laps)
Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Jeff Gordon (191 laps)
Sylvania 300 Clint Bowyer (222 laps)
Dodge Dealers 400 Denny Hamlin (61 laps)
LifeLock 400 Tony Stewart (13 laps)
UAW-Ford 500 Denny Hamlin (40 laps)
Bank of America 500 Jimmie Johnson (95 laps)
Subway 500 Jeff Gordon (168 laps)