Week 22: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 – And Beyond
A look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12, along with other notable drivers, going into the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9.
Courtesy: NASCAR Media Relations
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 4, 2009) – Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12, along with other notable drivers, going into the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 9. (Note: Drivers listed below who are outside the top 12 are chosen based on past performances at the upcoming track and/or are within striking distance of the top 12.)
1 – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 105.0
2009 Rundown
• Two wins, 12 top fives, 17 top 10s
• Average finish of 7.5
• Led 12 races for 239 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• Four wins, six top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 5.7
• Finished second in last season’s Watkins Glen races
• Led six of 10 races for 191 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-best Pass Differential of 249 (passes minus times passed)
2 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 110.7
2009 Rundown
• Three wins, nine top fives, 14 top 10s
• Average finish of 11.0
• Led 17 races for 991 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• Three top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 13.1
• Finished seventh last season
• Led four of seven races for six laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-best Average Running Position of 8.5
3 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.6
2009 Rundown
• One win, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s
• Average finish of 10.0
• Led 11 races for 570 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• Four wins, six fives, eight top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 13.4
• Finished 29th last season
• Led nine of 16 races for 227 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 385 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
4 – Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.3
2009 Rundown
• One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.0
• Led 12 races for 368 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• Two top 10s
• Average finish of 21.4
• Finished 10th last season
• Led two of eight races for 39 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 10.7, third-best
5 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.9
2009 Rundown
• One win, seven top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 13.8
• Led nine races for 668 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• One top five, three top 10s
• Average finish of 6.7 in three races
• Finished eighth last season
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 12.4, sixth-best
6 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.7
2009 Rundown
• Five top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 13.7
• Led eight races for 158 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• One top five, three top 10s
• Average finish of 10.3 in four races
• Finished ninth last season
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 12.3, fifth-best
7 – Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.1
2009 Rundown
• One win, four top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 14.0
• Led five races for 120 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• Average finish of 18.6 in five races
• Finished 14th last season
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 174 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
8 – Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.3
2009 Rundown
• One top five, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.7
• Led five races for 133 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• One top five
• Average finish of 21.5
• Finished fourth last season
• Led one of two races for two laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 1,936 Green Flag Passes, second-most
9 – Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.4
2009 Rundown
• Five top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 14.5
• Led 10 races for 156 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• One top five, three top 10s
• Average finish of 16.3
• Finished 26th last season
• Led two of seven races for 19 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Has run 82.6% of the laps on the lead lap, 12th-best
10 – Mark Martin (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.4
2009 Rundown
• Four wins, six top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 16.2
• Led 12 races for 438 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• Three wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 6.9
• Finished 20th in 2006, his last race at Watkins Glen
• Led six of 19 races for 204 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Has been passed 850 times, fewest in the series
11 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 84.4
2009 Rundown
• Two wins, four top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 15.6
• Led nine races for 188 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• Three top 10s
• Average finish of 16.2
• Finished 12th last season
• Led one of nine races for one lap
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 1,758 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
12 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.6
2009 Rundown
• Six top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 15.5
• Led nine races for 355 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• One top 10
• Average finish of 28.7
• Finished 21st last season
• Led one of six races for 23 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 364 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
13 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.5
2009 Rundown
• Three wins, four top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 18.0
• Led 11 races for 809 laps
Watkins Glen International Outlook:
• One win, three top 10s
• Average finish of 12.5
• Won last season’s race
• Led one of four races for 52 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 254 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
Chase Contenders
The Top 12 … And Beyond Following Race 21 of 36
Rank Season
Last Driver
Driver Points Wins Poles Week Rating
1. Tony Stewart 3,188 2 0 1 105.0
2. Jimmie Johnson 2,991 3 0 2 110.7
3. Jeff Gordon 2,989 1 0 3 101.6
4. Kurt Busch 2,751 1 0 4 99.3
5. Denny Hamlin 2,713 1 0 6 98.9
6. Carl Edwards 2,665 0 0 5 93.7
7. Kasey Kahne 2,642 1 0 8 90.1
8. Juan Pablo Montoya 2,631 0 1 10 87.3
9. Ryan Newman 2,627 0 1 7 82.4
10. Mark Martin 2,622 4 4 9 97.4
11. Matt Kenseth 2,564 2 1 12 84.4
12. Greg Biffle 2,563 0 0 11 89.6
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ADDITIONAL DRIVERS
13. Kyle Busch 2,462 34. Robby Gordon 1,672
14. Brian Vickers 2,459 35. Scott Speed 1,437
15. Clint Bowyer 2,448 36. John Andretti 1,419
16. David Reutimann 2,442 37. David Gilliland 1,187
17. Jeff Burton 2,301 38. Regan Smith 989
18. Marcos Ambrose 2,241 39. Joe Nemechek 798
19. Joey Logano 2,165 40. Brad Keselowski 787
20. Jamie McMurray 2,163 41. Dave Blaney 736
21. Casey Mears 2,086 42. Bill Elliott 622
22. Kevin Harvick 2,066 43. Max Papis 502
23. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2,062 44. Aric Almirola 451
24. Martin Truex Jr. 2,038 45. Scott Riggs 448
25. Elliott Sadler 2,015 46. Tony Raines 389
26. AJ Allmendinger 1,985 47. Travis Kvapil 292
27. Sam Hornish Jr. 1,966 48. Jeremy Mayfield 288
28. Reed Sorenson 1,941 49. Patrick Carpentier 287
29. Bobby Labonte 1,928 50. Sterling Marlin 258
30. David Ragan 1,896 51. Mike Bliss 243
31. David Stremme 1,766 52. Terry Labonte 155
32. Paul Menard 1,723 53. Mike Skinner 126
33. Michael Waltrip 1,712 54. Todd Bodine 123
Note: The first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season determine which 12 drivers qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, contested over the final 10 races of the season.
