Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Best Buy 400 Benefiting Students Clubs For Autism Speaks At Dover International Speedway

Two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers will attempt to change their fortunes this weekend.

One hopes for a change in Dover International Speedway success. The other’s just looking for any kind of success in 2008.

Kasey Kahne, coming off a NASCAR All-Star Race win, a Coca-Cola 600 victory and a return trip to the top 12, has struggled at Dover in his eight-race career there.

Kahne has only one top-10 finish at The Monster Mile, and four visits to Dover have resulted in finishes of worse than 30th. In all, Kahne has five DNFs there.

Momentum is on his side, though, as the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Fan Vote win sparked renewed optimism in the No. 9 camp. They also may have statistics on their side. Over the last nine races at Dover, there have been nine different winners. Kahne hopes to make it 10 of 10.

Then there’s Matt Kenseth, who desperately needs a return to his old form. Kenseth, one of two drivers to make all four Chases for NASCAR Sprint Cup, currently sits in 16th place – 190 points outside the top 12.

At this point last season, Kenseth already had a win and was in third place in the series standings.

But Dover has been kind to Kenseth. He won there in 2006, and has finished in the top 10 in three of his last four Dover races.

Since 2005 – a span which includes four top 10s – Kenseth has a Driver Rating of 111.9 and an Average Running Position of 7.2. He also leads the series in Fastest Laps Run with 222.



2-2-2-2

ANALYZING THE BEST BUY 400 BENEFITING STUDENTS CLUBS FOR AUTISM SPEAKS


The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 at Dover International Speedway


Driver Races Poles Wins Top Fives Top 10s DNFs Average Finish Driver Rating
1 Kyle Busch 6 0 0 4 4 1 11.8 101.5
2 Jeff Burton 28 0 1 6 11 5 16.9 90.6
3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 16 0 1 4 7 1 15.8 86.7
4 Denny Hamlin 4 0 0 1 2 0 15.5 86.2
5 Clint Bowyer 4 0 0 0 2 0 11.3 93.6
6 Carl Edwards 7 0 1 3 4 0 9.1 98.9
7 Kevin Harvick 14 0 0 2 5 1 17.9 78.3
8 Tony Stewart 18 0 2 9 12 2 10.6 67.7
9 Jimmie Johnson 12 1 3 4 7 2 11.9 101.5
10 Jeff Gordon 30 3 4 13 18 5 12.3 84.9
11 Greg Biffle 11 0 1 3 6 1 12.9 113.7
12 Kasey Kahne 8 0 0 0 1 5 25.3 73.2



Selected Driver Highlights

Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Dover International Speedway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last five races at New Hampshire. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.



Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)

One win, three top fives, six top 10s
Average finish of 12.9
Series-best Average Running Position of 7.0
Series-best Driver Rating of 113.7
190 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 142.061, second-fastest
Series-high 2,251 (93.6%) Laps in the Top 15
180 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the Top 15 while under green), second-most






3-3-3-3

ANALYZING THE BEST BUY 400 BENEFITING STUDENTS CLUBS FOR AUTISM SPEAKS


Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet)

Two top 10s
Average finish of 11.3
Average Running Position of 10.7, sixth-best
Driver Rating of 93.6, 10th-best
1,265 (79.1%) Laps in the Top 15, sixth-best percentage
119 Quality Passes (average of 29.8 per race), third-best percentage


Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)

Four top fives
Average finish of 11.8
Average Running Position of 13.6, 10th-best
Driver Rating of 101.5, fifth-best
104 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
243 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 141.925, third-fastest
1,659 (69.0%) Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most
137 Quality Passes, sixth-most


Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)

Two top fives, four top 10s
20.7 average finish
Average Running Position of 9.6, fifth-best
Driver Rating of 98.6, ninth-best
94 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 141.743 mph, seventh-most
1,925 (80.1%) Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most
146 Quality Passes, third-most


Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)

One win, four top fives, seven top 10s
Average finish of 15.8
Average Running Position of 11.6, eighth-best
Driver Rating of 98.9, eighth-best
158 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
226 Green Flag Passes, tied for 10th-most
144 Quality Passes, fourth-most


4-4-4-4

ANALYZING THE BEST BUY 400 BENEFITING STUDENTS CLUBS FOR AUTISM SPEAKS


Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

Three wins, four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 11.9
Average Running Position of 13.0, ninth-best
Driver Rating of 101.5, fourth-best
168 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best
262 Green Flag Passes, third-most
1,651 (68.7%) Laps in the Top 15, seventh-most


Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)

One win, five top fives, 10 top 10s
15.3 average finish
Average Running Position of 7.2, second-best
Driver Rating of 111.9, second-best
Series-high 222 Fastest Laps Run
Fastest Green Flag Speed of 142.122
2,188 (91.0%) Laps in the Top 15, second-most
Series-high 186 Quality Passes


Mark Martin (No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet)

Four wins, 20 top fives, 27 top 10s
12.7 average finish
Average Running Position of 8.4, fourth-best
Driver Rating of 104.4, third-best
174 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 141.907, fourth-fastest
2,062 (85.8%) Laps in the Top 15, third-most
140 Quality Passes, seventh-most


Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)

One win, two top 10s
10.5 average finish
Average Running Position of 11.0, seventh-best
Driver Rating of 100.2, seventh-best
129 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
1,186 (74.1%) Laps in the Top 15, seventh-best percentage
113 Quality Passes (average of 28.3 per race), fourth-best average
5-5-5-5

ANALYZING THE BEST BUY 400 BENEFITING STUDENTS CLUBS FOR AUTISM SPEAKS


At Dover International Speedway:

History

The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was held on July 5, 1969.
The first two races at Dover were 300 miles. The race length was changed to 500 miles in 1971.
The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Dover was May 15, 1982.
The track surface was changed to concrete in 1995.
The race length was changed to 400 miles beginning with the second race in 1997.
The first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race was held in September 2000.


Notebook

There have been 76 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover International Speedway since the track opened in 1969.
There was one race in 1969 and 1970. There has been two-a-year since 1971.
There have been 32 different pole winners at Dover led by David Pearson (six).
David Pearson won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole at Dover in July 1969.
Mark Martin and Ryan Newman lead all active drivers, each with four poles at Dover.
31 different drivers have posted victories at Dover led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty, each with seven.
Richard Petty won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover.
Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin lead all active drivers, each with four victories at Dover.
Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 races at Dover, more than any other organization.
44 races at Dover have been won from a top-five starting position while only 17 races, including the past four, have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
The furthest back in the field that a Dover race winner started was 37th,by Kyle Petty in 1995.
Ryan Newman won at Dover in June 2003 – the first victory for Dodge there since 1975. Newman repeated as the race winner in the fall race, the first time Dodge posted consecutive victories at Dover. Newman then won again in the fall of 2004, giving Dodge three of their five Dover victories in the four-race span.


NASCAR in Delaware

There have been 76 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Delaware – all at Dover International Speedway.
Eight NASCAR drivers (all-time) have their home state recorded as Delaware – none have posted victories.