Race 2 Win
Home
Sprint Cup
Nationwide Series
Photo Gallery
Forum
Silly Season
Newsletter
Television
Sprint Cup Series
News and Results | Point Standings | 2008 Schedule | 2008 Teams | 2007 Schedule and Results


Week 18: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 – and Beyond

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 30, 2008) – Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 along with other notable drivers, going into the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night.

(Note: Drivers listed below who are outside the top 12 are chosen based on past performances at the upcoming track and/or those within striking distance of the top 12)



1– Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)

  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 108.7

    2008 Rundown

  • Five wins, 10 top fives, 11 top 10s
  • Average finish of 10.5
  • Led 12 races for 869 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 95.3
  • Three top fives
  • Average finish of 17.7
  • Finished fourth in February
  • Led four of seven races for 115 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • Series-high Average Running Position of 10.1



    2 – Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.9

    2008 Rundown

  • One win, four top fives, 10 top 10s
  • Average finish of 8.7
  • Led seven races for 62 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 85.2
  • One win, six top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
  • Average finish of 16.8
  • Finished 13th in February
  • Led six of 29 races for 100 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • 786 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), second-most



    3 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.7

    2008 Rundown

  • One win, seven top fives, 11 top 10s
  • Average finish of 11.4
  • Led 12 races for 570 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 87.5
  • Two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s
  • Average finish of 13.9
  • Finished ninth in February
  • Led 12 of 17 races for 331 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • 359 Fastest Laps Run, third-most



    4 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.0

    2008 Rundown

  • Three wins, six top fives, 12 top 10s
  • Average finish of 11.5
  • Led eight races for 395 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 78.1
  • One top five
  • Average finish of 24.7
  • Finished 19th in February
  • Led one of seven races for two laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • Series-high 497 Fastest Laps Run



    5 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.3

    2008 Rundown

  • One win, four top fives, eight top 10s
  • Average finish of 13.8
  • Led 12 races for 600 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 95.5
  • One win, five top fives, eight top 10s; two poles
  • Average finish of 13.2
  • Finished 27th in February
  • Led six of 13 races for 55 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • Average Running Position of 10.6, second-most



    6 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.4

    2008 Rundown

  • Seven top fives, eight top 10s
  • Average finish of 13.9
  • Led eight races for 211 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 91.9
  • Six wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s; three poles
  • Average finish of 14.7
  • Finished 39th in February
  • Led 23 of 31 races for 511 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • Average Running Position of 12.3, sixth-best



    7 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.2

    2008 Rundown

  • One win, five top fives, nine top 10s
  • Average finish of 14.7
  • Led nine races for 664 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 72.2
  • Average finish of 27.0
  • Finished 17th in February
  • Led two of five races for 42 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • Series-high 811 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)



    8 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.5

    2008 Rundown

  • Five top fives, seven top 10s
  • Average finish of 14.8
  • Led eight races for 283 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 78.8
  • One win, three top 10s
  • Average finish of 20.8
  • Finished 10th in February
  • Led four of 11 races for 30 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • 257 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most



    9 – Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.9

    2008 Rundown

  • Five top fives, eight top 10s
  • Average finish of 16.5
  • Led eight races for 520 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 108.1
  • Two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
  • Average finish of 17.6
  • Finished third in February
  • Led 10 of 19 races for 531 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • 3,803 Laps in the Top 15 (72.3%), seventh-most



    10 – Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.5

    2008 Rundown

  • Two wins, three top fives, eight top 10s
  • Average finish of 16.9
  • Led seven races for 144 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 78.4
  • Three top 10s
  • Average finish of 18.1
  • Finished seventh in February
  • Led three of nine races for five laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • 207 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most



    11 – Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 80.4

    2008 Rundown

  • One win, four top fives, eight top 10s
  • Average finish of 16.4
  • Led four races for 150 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 88.0
  • Three top 10s
  • Average finish of 13.0
  • Finished 24th in February
  • Led two of five races for 59 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • 158 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most



    12 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.5

    2008 Rundown

  • Two top fives, five top 10s
  • Average finish of 15.8
  • Led four races for 88 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 83.2
  • One win, three top fives, five top 10s; one pole
  • Average finish of 16.2
  • Finished 14th in February
  • Led 10 of 14 races for 88 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • Eighth-fastest average Green Flag Speed rank



    13 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.9

    2008 Rundown

  • Three top fives, 10 top 10s
  • Average finish of 16.9; Led nine races for 191 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 92.4
  • One top five, six top 10s
  • Average finish of 20.4; Finished 36th in February
  • Led nine of 17 races for 59 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • 165 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most



    15 – Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge)
  • Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 80.6

    2008 Rundown

  • One win, two top fives, six top 10s
  • Average finish of 18.0
  • Led six races for 60 laps

    Daytona International Speedway Outlook:

  • Driver Rating of 98.6
  • One win, two top fives, three top 10s
  • Average finish of 18.7; Won the Daytona 500 in February
  • Led five of 13 races for 35 laps

    Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight

  • 19 “Closer” positions improved (positions improved in the last 10% of races), ninth-most


    News and Results | Point Standings | 2008 Schedule | 2008 Teams | 2007 Schedule and Results

    ©Copyright 2008 Race 2 Win