Statistical Advance: Price Chopper 400 Presented By Kraft Foods At Kansas Speedway
The official opening of Kansas Speedway was in 2001, with the first events being an ARCA race and a NASCAR Camping World Series West race on the same day – June 2.
Courtesy: NASCAR Media Relations
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 28, 2009) – Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12 going into the second race of the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – the Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 4.
1 - Mark Martin (No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.0
2009 Rundown
• Five wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s; six poles
• Average finish of 14.6
• Led 18 races for 775 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• One win, two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 13.1 in eight races
• Average Running Position of 11.9, fourth-best
• Driver Rating of 99.4, fifth-best
• 674 Laps in the Top 15 (66.7%), eighth-most
2 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 111.9
2009 Rundown
• Four wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 12.0
• Led 23 races for 1,537 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• One win, two top fives, five top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 10.4 in seven races
• Average Running Position of 6.4, second-best
• Series-best Driver Rating of 123.1
• Series-high 156 Fastest Laps Run
• 243 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
• Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 162.512 mph
• 929 Laps in the Top 15 (91.9%), second-most
• Series-high 153 Quality Passes
3 - Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Polaroid Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.1
2009 Rundown
• Four top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 13.1
• Led 7 races for 269 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• Average finish of 24.0 in two races
• Average Running Position of 26.4, 34th-best
• Driver Rating of 53.3, 37th-best
4 - Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.3
2009 Rundown
• One win, eight top fives, 16 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.4
• Led 15 races for 523 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• Two top 10s
• Average finish of 20.8 in eight races
• Average Running Position of 20.0, 20th-best
• Driver Rating of 80.3, 16th-best
• 45 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
• 247 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
5 - Tony Stewart (No. 14 Burger King Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.4
2009 Rundown
• Three wins, 13 top fives, 19 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.3
• Led 15 races for 327 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• One win, three top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 14.8 in eight races
• Average Running Position of 12.9, eighth-best
• Driver Rating of 91.3, ninth-best
• 30 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 161.444 mph, seventh-fastest
• 685 Laps in the Top 15 (67.8%), fourth-most
• 123 Quality Passes, sixth-most
6 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.0
2009 Rundown
• Two wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.3
• Led 13 races for 1,014 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• Average finish of 22.5 in four races
• Average Running Position of 21.1, 24th-best
• Driver Rating of 74.8, 21st-best
• Average Green Flag Speed of 161.227 mph, 12th-fastest
7 - Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.7
2009 Rundown
• Five top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 13.6
• Led 13 races for 187 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• One win, three top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 18.0 in eight races
• Average Running Position of 27.3, 38th-best
• Driver Rating of 51.6, 38th-best
• 262 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
8 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.6
2009 Rundown
• One win, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s
• Average finish of 10.9
• Led 14 races for 698 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• Two wins, five top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 9.8 in eight races
• Average Running Position of 10.1, third-best
• Driver Rating of 103.0, third-best
• 27 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 162.022 mph, third-fastest
• 861 Laps in the Top 15 (85.2%), third-most
• 142 Quality Passes, third-most
9 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.1
2009 Rundown
• Eight top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 14.3
• Led 11 races for 432 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• One win, four top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 9.9 in seven races
• Series-best Average Running Position of 6.4
• Driver Rating of 117.4, second-best
• 88 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 162.250 mph, second-fastest
• Series-high 962 Laps in the Top 15 (95.2%)
• 141 Quality Passes, fourth-most
10 - Brian Vickers (No. 83 Red Bull Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.1
2009 Rundown
• One win, four top fives, 13 top 10s; six poles
• Average finish of 14.9
• Led 10 races for 101 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• One top 10
• Average finish of 13.3 in four races
• Average Running Position of 15.2, 13th-best
• Driver Rating of 84.1, 14th-best
• 108 Quality Passes, ninth-most
11 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.6
2009 Rundown
• Seven top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 14.0
• Led 10 races for 161 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• Two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 14.0 in five races
• Average Running Position of 12.6, seventh-best
• Driver Rating of 95.8, seventh-best
• 69 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 161.452 mph, sixth-fastest
• 681 Laps in the Top 15 (67.4%), sixth-most
• 129 Quality Passes, fifth-most
12 - Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.9
2009 Rundown
• Two wins, five top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 14.6
• Led 6 races for 180 laps
Kansas Speedway Outlook:
• One top 10; one pole
• Average finish of 18.8 in five races
• Average Running Position of 17.1, 17th-best
• Driver Rating of 79.4, 17th-best
• 233 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 at Kansas Speedway
| Driver | Races | Poles | Wins | Top Fives | Top 10s | DNFs | Average Finish | Driver Rating* |
1 | Mark Martin | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 13.1 | 99.4 |
2 | Jimmie Johnson | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 10.4 | 123.1 |
3 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24.0 | 53.3 |
4 | Kurt Busch | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 20.8 | 80.3 |
5 | Tony Stewart | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 14.8 | 91.3 |
6 | Denny Hamlin | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.5 | 74.8 |
7 | Ryan Newman | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 18.0 | 51.6 |
8 | Jeff Gordon | 8 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 9.8 | 103.0 |
9 | Greg Biffle | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9.9 | 117.4 |
10 | Brian Vickers | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13.3 | 84.1 |
11 | Carl Edwards | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 14.0 | 95.8 |
12 | Kasey Kahne | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18.8 | 79.4 |
* – Based on last four Kansas Speedway races.
The Chase Is On
The Top 12 Following Race 28 of 36
Rank Season
Last Driver
Driver Points Wins Poles Week Rating
1. Mark Martin 5,400 5 6 1 100.0
2. Jimmie Johnson 5,390 4 2 2 111.9
3. Juan Pablo Montoya 5,335 0 2 4 92.1
4. Kurt Busch 5,325 1 0 5 101.3
5. Tony Stewart 5,294 3 0 6 101.4
6. Denny Hamlin 5,292 2 0 3 101.0
7. Ryan Newman 5,290 0 1 7 82.7
8. Jeff Gordon 5,278 1 0 10 100.6
9. Greg Biffle 5,262 0 0 9 89.1
10. Brian Vickers 5,249 1 6 8 87.1
11. Carl Edwards 5,247 0 0 11 90.6
12. Kasey Kahne 5,211 2 0 12 88.9
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ADDITIONAL DRIVERS
13. Matt Kenseth 3,424 34. Michael Waltrip 2,155
14. Kyle Busch 3,395 35. Scott Speed 2,022
15. Clint Bowyer 3,311 36. John Andretti 1,957
16. David Reutimann 3,275 37. David Gilliland 1,524
17. Marcos Ambrose 3,059 38. Regan Smith 1,181
18. Jeff Burton 2,968 39. Joe Nemechek 1,062
19. Casey Mears 2,875 40. Dave Blaney 1,001
20. Joey Logano 2,842 41. Brad Keselowski 927
21. Kevin Harvick 2,807 42. Max Papis 739
22. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2,789 43. Bill Elliott 737
23. Jamie McMurray 2,752 44. Aric Almirola 527
24. AJ Allmendinger 2,689 45. Tony Raines 494
25. Elliott Sadler 2,631 46. Scott Riggs 448
26. Martin Truex Jr. 2,625 47. Mike Bliss 412
27. Sam Hornish Jr. 2,571 48. Patrick Carpentier 351
28. Reed Sorenson 2,503 49. Travis Kvapil 292
29. Bobby Labonte 2,495 50. Jeremy Mayfield 288
30. David Ragan 2,469 51. Sterling Marlin 258
31. David Stremme 2,444 52. Terry Labonte 244
32. Paul Menard 2,374 53. Mike Skinner 166
33. Robby Gordon 2,167 54. Ron Fellows 158
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.
At Kansas Speedway:
History
• Groundbreaking was held on May 25, 1999.
• The official opening of Kansas Speedway was in 2001, with the first events being an ARCA race and a NASCAR Camping World Series West race on the same day – June 2.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was Sept. 30, 2001.
Notebook
• There have been eight NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Kansas
since the track opened in 2001.
• All of the races have been scheduled for 267 laps.
• 13 drivers have competed in all eight races at Kansas.
• Jeff Gordon won the first two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.
• Jason Leffler won the first pole in September 2001.
• Six different drivers have won poles, led by Jimmie Johnson with two.
• Seven different drivers have posted victories, led by Jeff Gordon (two).
• There have been six different winners in the last six races at
Kansas Speedway.
• Five of the eight races have been won from a top-10 start.
• Two drivers have won from the pole: Joe Nemechek in 2004 and Jimmie Johnson last season.
• The furthest back in the field that race winner started was 21st, by Tony Stewart in 2006.
• Denny Hamlin made his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup start at Kansas – a 32nd-place finish in 2005.
• Three drivers with more than one start have averaged a top- 10 finish: Greg Biffle (9.9), Clint Bowyer (7.7) and Jeff Gordon (9.8).
• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in top fives (five) and top 10s
(six).Gordon’s only two non-top 10s were a 39th in 2006 and
a 13th in 2004.
• Three of the last four races that ended under green had a margin of victory under one second. The 2007 race ended under caution.
NASCAR in Kansas
• There have been eight NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Kansas, all at Kansas Speedway.
• 15 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Kansas, including Jim Roper who won the very first NASCAR Sprint Cup race – Charlotte in 1949.
• There have been two race winners in the top three NASCAR series from Kansas:
Driver | NSCS | NNS | NCWTS |
Clint Bowyer | 2 | 7 | 1 |
Jim Roper | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Kansas Speedway Data Race #: 29 of 36 (10-4-09) Track Size: 1.5 miles Jimmie Johnson 123.1 Greg Biffle 117.4 Jeff Gordon 103.0 Clint Bowyer 100.2 Mark Martin 99.4 Matt Kenseth 98.4 Carl Edwards 95.8 Casey Mears 91.4 Tony Stewart 91.3 AJ Allmendinger 89.3 Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2008 races (4 total) at Kansas. Qualifying/Race Data 2008 pole winner: Jimmie Johnson (172.007 mph, 31.394 seconds) 2008 race winner: Jimmie Johnson, 133.549 mph, 9-28-08) Qualifying record: Matt Kenseth (180.856 mph, 29.858 seconds, 10-8-05) Race record: Mark Martin (137.774 mph, 10-9-05) Estimated Pit Window: Every 40-44 laps, based on fuel mileage. Driver Rating at Kansas
