~Race2Win
Numbers Game: Analyzing the Checker Auto Parts 500 at PIR DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 5, 2007) – Jeff Gordon is living proof that there’s more of an emphasis on winning this season than ever before.
Gordon has three top-10 finishes over the last three races – yet has lost a whopping 98 points over that span.
The reason, of course, is Jimmie Johnson’s blistering performances. Johnson has won each of those three races, and this weekend looks to become the eighth driver since 1972 to win four consecutive races (the last driver to do it was, coincidentally, Gordon in 1998).
Johnson, storming back from a 68-point deficit four races ago, now holds a 30-point advantage over Gordon with two races remaining.
But Gordon need not worry just yet. Fifteen times this season, back-to-back races have resulted in Gordon “out-pointing” Johnson by more than 30 points. Twice, Phoenix was involved. Below are the 15 instances:
Dates Tracks Points Gained
2/18 & 2/25 Daytona/California +93
3/25 & 4/1 Bristol/Martinsville +40
4/1 & 4/15 Martinsville/Texas +106
4/15 & 4/21 Texas/Phoenix +151
4/21 & 4/29 Phoenix/Talladega +50
6/4 & 6/10 Dover/Pocono +173
6/10 & 6/17 Pocono/Michigan +185
6/17 & 6/24 Michigan/Infineon +61
6/24 & 7/1 Infineon/NHIS +44
7/1 & 7/7 NHIS/Daytona +41
7/7 & 7/15 Daytona/Chicago +107
7/15 & 7/29 Chicago/Indy +200
7/29 & 8/5 Indy/Pocono +124
10/7 & 10/13 Talladega/Lowe’s +74
10/13 & 10/21 LMS/Martinsville +44
The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 12 at Phoenix International Raceway
Driver Races Poles Wins Top Fives Top 10s DNFs Average Finish Driver Rating
1 Jimmie Johnson 8 0 0 3 6 0 7.3 112.5
2 Jeff Gordon 17 3 1 8 14 1 8.2 107.3
3 Clint Bowyer 4 0 0 1 1 1 20.5 79.9
4 Kyle Busch 5 1 1 1 3 0 18 87.8
5 Carl Edwards 6 0 0 2 4 0 11.7 101.7
6 Tony Stewart 11 0 1 5 7 0 9.9 102.6
7 Jeff Burton 16 0 2 5 8 0 11.6 84.6
8 Kevin Harvick 9 0 2 3 4 0 14.0 113.8
9 Kurt Busch 9 0 1 2 5 0 13.6 106.1
10 Matt Kenseth 10 0 1 4 5 3 18.4 92.2
11 Denny Hamlin 4 1 0 2 2 0 13.3 92.3
12 Martin Truex Jr. 3 0 0 0 0 0 18.0 83.5
Selected Driver Highlights – Phoenix International Raceway Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Phoenix International Raceway. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Dish Network Ford)
One top five
Average finish of 19.6
Driver Rating of 101.4, seventh-best
Series-high 195 Fastest Laps Run
Fifth-fastest Green Flag Speed
Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
One win, two top fives, five top 10s
Average finish of 13.6
Average Running Position of 8.0, third-best
Driver Rating of 106.1, fourth-best
117 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
Fourth-fastest Green Flag Speed
1,048 Laps in the Top 15 (84.0%), fourth-best percentage
71 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 10th-best average per race (17.
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
Two top fives, four top 10s
Average finish of 11.7
Average Running Position of 10.7, seventh-best
Driver Rating of 101.7, sixth-best
97 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
175 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
Third-fastest Green Flag Speed
1,268 Laps in the Top 15 (81.3%), fourth-most
121 Quality Passes, second-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; three poles
Average finish of 8.2
Average Running Position of 8.1, fourth-best
Driver Rating of 107.3, third-best
49 Fastest Laps Run, tied for ninth-most
Seventh-Fastest Green Flag Speed
1,384 Laps in the Top 15 (88.7%), third-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet)
Two top fives; one pole
Average finish of 13.3
Average Running Position of 15.0, 13th-best
Driver Rating of 92.3, ninth-best
70 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
10th-Fastest Green Flag Speed
809 Laps in the Top 15 (64.8%), 14th-best percentage
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
Two wins, three top fives, four top 10s
Average finish of 14.0
Series-best Average Running Position of 5.8
Series-high Driver Rating of 113.8
122 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
Second-Fastest Green Flag Speed
Series-high 1,452 Laps in the Top 15 (93.1%)
94 Quality Passes, tied for eighth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
Three top fives, six top 10s
Average finish of 7.3
Average Running Position of 6.1, second-best
Driver Rating of 112.5, second-best
130 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
No. 1-ranked Fastest Green Flag Speed
1,446 Laps in the Top 15 (92.7%), second-most
98 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
One win, four top fives, five top 10s
Average finish of 18.4
Driver Rating of 92.2, 10th-best
49 Fastest Laps Run, tied for ninth-most
Eighth-fastest Green Flag Speed
1,056 Laps in the Top 15 (67.7%), ninth-most
101 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet)
One win, five top fives, seven top 10s
Average finish of 9.9
Average Running Position of 10.4, sixth-best
Driver Rating of 102.6, fifth-best
72 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
Sixth-Fastest Green Flag Speed
1,166 Laps in the Top 15 (74.7%), fifth-best
97 Quality Passes, seventh-most
At Phoenix International Raceway: History Construction was completed in January 1964.
The configuration consisted of a one-mile oval and a 2.5-mile road course.
In 1988, Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at PIR.
In 1991, the infield course was redesigned to 1.5mile, 11 turns.
In 1995, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debuted at PIR. Mike Skinner became the series’ first winner.
The Turn 2 cross-over was eliminated and a new tunnel constructed in Turn 4 in 2003.
The first spring race at PIR was held on April 23, 2005. It was also the first night race there.
Notebook There have been 22 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988 through 2004 and two each season since.
Geoffrey Bodine won the first Bud Pole in 1988.
There have been 13 different pole winners, led by Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace (three each).
Ryan Newman is the only driver to win consecutive poles, winning three (2002-04).
There have been 18 different race winners.
Davey Allison (1991 and 1992), Jeff Burton (2000 and 2001), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2004) and Kevin Harvick (both 2006) are the only drivers to score two victories at Phoenix. All posted back-to-back victories.
Jack Roush has won five races, more than any other car owner.
A race has been won from the pole just once: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007).
A race has been won from a top-10 starting position only nine of 22 times.
Ricky Rudd won in 1995 from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
Qualifying has never been canceled at Phoenix.
There has been one green-white-checkered race: November 2004 (315 laps).
Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon both have posted eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes at Phoenix, each more than any other drivers. Martin has one victory and five second-place finishes in his 22 races while Gordon has one victory and three third-place runs in his 17 appearances. Both have just one DNF at Phoenix – both coming in their respective first race there. In Arizona…
There have been 27 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races in Arizona.
In NASCAR’s history, 23 drivers have had their home state recorded as Arizona.
There have been no race winners from Arizona in NASCAR’s three national series.
Phoenix International Raceway Data
Race #: 35 of 36 (11-11-07)
Track Size: 1 mile
Banking/1 and 2: 11 degrees
Banking/3 and 4: 9 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,179 feet
Backstretch: 1,551 feet
Driver Rating at Phoenix Kevin Harvick 113.8
Jimmie Johnson 112.5
Jeff Gordon 107.3
Kurt Busch 106.1
Tony Stewart 102.6
Carl Edwards 101.7
Greg Biffle 101.4
Brian Vickers 94.0
Denny Hamlin 92.3
Matt Kenseth 92.2
Qualifying/Race Data 2006 pole winner: Jeff Gordon (134.464 mph, 26.773 seconds)
2006 race winner: Kevin Harvick, 96.131 mph, 11-12-06)
Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (135.854 mph, 26.499 seconds, 11-5-04)
Track race record: Tony Stewart (118.132 mph, 11-7-99)
Pit Window: Every 70-78 laps, based on fuel mileage