Message #2248

[Darnell99Fan]

By the Numbers: Phoenix
By Josh Pate, NASCAR.COM
November 8, 2007
10:21 AM EST
   
With the championship wrapped up and just two races left in the Busch Series season, the focus now turns to two things: victories and owner points.

And two teams have the inside track on both of them at Phoenix for Saturday's Arizona.Travel 200 (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Sure, Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 20 Chevrolet has made a late-season surge in the owner standings to slide into second position and become an underdog threat at the underrated title (complete owner standings). But to get that trophy, Denny Hamlin is going to have to do some driving. And so is Carl Edwards.

The Nos. 20 and 60 can mathematically still be in the hunt for the car owner crown as the Joe Gibbs Racing 20 sits 113 points back and the Roush Fenway Racing No. 60 is 259 back.

Based on past Phoenix results, however, the Gibbs bunch may be squeezed out of the picture considering the RCR and Roush success at the 1-mile desert track.

Interesting Fact

556  Combined laps led in the last five Phoenix races by Richard Childress Racing drivers Clint Bowyer (186) and Kevin Harvick (103) as well as Roush Fenway Racing drivers Matt Kenseth (165), Greg Biffle (112) and Carl Edwards (111). They are the only two owners with multiple victories there and have combined to win the last five PIR races.
Fun Fact

4,800,000  Pennies that would be produced from the copper that is on the roof of the Capitol building in Phoenix. Arizona tops the nation in copper production.
All the Facts

1  Time in Busch Series history that the driver and owner championships were split among two teams: 2003, when Brian Vickers (Hendrick Motorsports) won the driver championship but RCR won the owner championship. Currently, Carl Edwards is the driver champion (Roush) but RCR leads the owner points (No. 29 Chevrolet).
1  Driver with multiple victories at Phoenix: Greg Biffle (2001, 2005 fall). Biffle has eight top-10s in nine starts, with his only other race resulting in a 12th-place finish (2006 fall).
2  Busch regulars who have led the most laps in a race this season: Marcos Ambrose (Montreal) and Jason Leffler (Bristol).
6   Drivers on Saturday's entry list with an average running position inside the top 10 in the last five Phoenix races, all Cup regulars: Matt Kenseth (4.049), Carl Edwards (6.461), Kevin Harvick (7.196), Clint Bowyer (9.057), Greg Biffle (9.196) and David Reutimann (9.890).
8  Former winners who are on the entry list for Saturday's race: Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray and Scott Wimmer. Past winners Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon are not racing.
8   Worst finish for Carl Edwards in his five Phoenix starts. Edwards has four top-fives including a victory in the 2005 fall race. His average finish is 4.4.
38  Times that Kevin Harvick has been passed under green-flag conditions in his last five races at Phoenix, fewest of those who have entered every race.
39  Drivers who have made their first career start at some point during the 2007 Busch Series season. Brian Pannone is on the entry list for Phoenix to make his series debut.
105  Drivers who have started the last five Busch Series races at Phoenix.
123.9  Driver Rating for Matt Kenseth at Phoenix, the highest among drivers entered in Saturday's race and third-highest overall behind Kurt Busch (125.1) and Jeff Burton (125.0).
125  Laps in which Clint Bowyer had the fastest car in the last five Busch Series races at Phoenix.
409  Laps led by Greg Biffle at Phoenix. The next closest is Matt Kenseth with 190.
818  Points scored by Kevin Harvick in the last five Phoenix races, more than any other driver and just one more than Carl Edwards, who is next on the list.
913  Laps in which Carl Edwards was in the top 15 in the last five Phoenix races