Week 16: 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 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 21.
Courtesy: NASCAR Media Relations
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 15, 2009) – Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12, along with other notable drivers, going into the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on June 21. (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: 101.6
2009 Rundown
• One win, seven top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 8.9
• Led seven races for 99 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 10.0
• Finished 10th last season
• Led seven of 10 races for 66 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 10.2, second-best
2 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.4
2009 Rundown
• One win, eight top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 10.2
• Led nine races for 505 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• Five wins, 10 top fives, 12 top 10s; five poles
• Average finish of 9.3
• Finished third last season
• Led nine of 16 races for 437 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 326 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
3 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.9
2009 Rundown
• Two wins, six top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 12.9
• Led 13 races for 794 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• One top five, two top 10s
• Average finish of 19.3
• Finished 15th last season
• Led three of seven races for 30 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-best Average Running Position of 8.6
4 – Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.1
2009 Rundown
• One win, four top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 13.1
• Led eight races for 324 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• Three top fives; one pole
• Average finish of 19.1
• Finished 32nd last season
• Led three of eight races for 60 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 10.3, third-best
5 – Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 83.0
2009 Rundown
• Five top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 13.6
• Led eight races for 138 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• Two top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 9.4
• Finished seventh last season
• Led one of seven races for 11 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Has run 80.3% of the laps on the lead lap, 12th-best
6 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.3
2009 Rundown
• Four top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 13.7
• Led eight races for 158 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• Two top 10s
• Average finish of 17.8
• Finished ninth last season
• Led two of four races for 14 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 12.0, sixth-best
7 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.7
2009 Rundown
• Five top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 14.1
• Led eight races for 354 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• Two top fives
• Average finish of 14.0
• Finished 11th last season
• Led two of six races for nine laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 340 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
8 – Mark Martin (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.9
2009 Rundown
• Three wins, four top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 16.2
• Led eight races for 218 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• One win, seven top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 13.1
• Finished 13th in 2006, his last Infineon start
• Led five of 18 races for 161 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Has been passed 581 times, fewest in the series
9 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.2
2009 Rundown
• Three wins, four top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 16.5
• Led nine races for 798 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• One win, two top 10s
• Average finish of 15.0
• Won last season’s Infineon race
• Led one of four races for 78 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 241 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
10 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.0
2009 Rundown
• Three top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 15.1
• Led five races for 480 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• One top 10
• Average finish of 16.3
• Finished 27th last season
• Led one of three races for three laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 12.7, seventh-most
11 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.2
2009 Rundown
• Two wins, four top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 15.7
• Led seven races for 184 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• One top 10
• Average finish of 21.8 in nine races
• Finished eighth last season
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 1,277 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
12 – Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 81.2
2009 Rundown
• Two top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 15.0
• Led two races for 67 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• One top five, five tops 10s
• Average finish of 18.9
• Finished 13th last season
• Led one of 15 races for three laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 64.2%, ninth-best
13 – David Reutimann (No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.5
2009 Rundown
• One win, three top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 15.8
• Led five races for 72 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• Finished 40th last season, his only Infineon start
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 15.1, 10th-best
14 – Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.5
2009 Rundown
• Six top 10s
• Average finish of 15.8
• Led three races for 11 laps
Infineon Raceway Outlook:
• One win, two top 10s
• Average finish of 3.5
• Finished sixth last season
• Led one of two races for seven laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 1,442 Green Flag Passes, second-most
Chase Contenders
The Top 12 … And Beyond Following Race 15 of 36
Rank Season
Last Driver
Driver Points Wins Poles Week Rating
1. Tony Stewart 2,189 1 0 1 101.6
2. Jeff Gordon 2,142 1 0 2 103.4
3. Jimmie Johnson 2,047 2 0 3 107.9
4. Kurt Busch 1,961 1 0 5 100.1
5. Ryan Newman 1,934 0 1 4 83.0
6. Carl Edwards 1,927 0 0 6 95.3
7. Greg Biffle 1,913 0 0 7 95.7
8. Mark Martin 1,868 3 3 13 97.9
9. Kyle Busch 1,860 3 1 9 103.2
10. Denny Hamlin 1,849 0 0 12 95.0
11. Matt Kenseth 1,848 2 1 8 85.2
12. Jeff Burton 1,810 0 0 10 81.2
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ADDITIONAL DRIVERS
13. David Reutimann 1,807 34. Robby Gordon 1,213
14. J.P. Montoya 1,767 35. Scott Speed 1,036
15. Kasey Kahne 1,719 36. John Andretti 926
16. Clint Bowyer 1,710 37. David Gilliland 874
17. Brian Vickers 1,674 38. Regan Smith 734
18. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1,555 39. Joe Nemechek 592
19. Jamie McMurray 1,548 40. Dave Blaney 514
20. Marcos Ambrose 1,539 41. Brad Keselowski 479
21. Casey Mears 1,523 42. Bill Elliott 461
22. Martin Truex Jr. 1,502 43. Aric Almirola 451
23. Kevin Harvick 1,461 44. Scott Riggs 448
24. Sam Hornish Jr. 1,447 45. Max Papis 375
25. Joey Logano 1,445 46. Travis Kvapil 292
26. Reed Sorenson 1,444 47. Jeremy Mayfield 288
27. Elliott Sadler 1,436 48. Tony Raines 239
28. David Ragan 1,383 49. Sterling Marlin 209
29. Bobby Labonte 1,371 50. Mike Bliss 200
30. Michael Waltrip 1,338 51. Todd Bodine 123
31. AJ Allmendinger 1,321 52. Terry Labonte 91
32. David Stremme 1,316 53. Dexter Bean 55
33. Paul Menard 1,237 54. Mike Skinner 40
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.
