Statistical Advance-Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Week 1: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2008) – The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is one big Numbers Game; 10 races, 10 tracks, 12 drivers, one champion. Here are a few more:
4 – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions in this year’s field (Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth).
4 – Daytona 500 winners in this year’s Chase field (Gordon, Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick).
5 – Number of times Earnhardt has won “Most Popular Driver” award. He makes his third Chase appearance.
7 – Number of Raybestos Rookies of the Year winners in this year’s field (Gordon, Harvick, Kenseth, Stewart, Jeff Burton, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin).
11 – Number of wins by Jimmie Johnson during the Chase, best of any driver. Second-best is Greg Biffle with four.
18 – Total number of wins by Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Johnson this season. It’s the largest win total by a three-driver combination to start the Chase (the previous high was 13, in each of the four previous Chases).
87.2 – Percentage of laps led this season by those in the Chase. Chase drivers have led 6,534 of the 7,492 total laps in 2008.
98 – Number of top-five finishes by Chase drivers this season.
106.3 – Johnson’s Driver Rating over the last three Chases, best of any driver. Second-best is Gordon’s 99.8.
164 – Number of top-10 finishes by Chase drivers this season.
3,227 – Scheduled number of laps to be run during the Chase
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