 | | Three Nextel Cup Series races have been held at Kansas Speedway. Credit: Autostock |
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
October 7, 2004
03:11 PM EDT (19:11 GMT)
Sunday's Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway might have become the most critical race in the inaugural Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup, following the events last Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. What was a legitimate seven-man race for the first Nextel Cup championship has been narrowed considerably following the EA Sports 500 at Talladega. In the three previous Chase races, the point leader has changed four times, though one of those changes was a result of a NASCAR penalty to Talladega winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. for cursing in Victory Lane.  |  | KNOW YOUR NASCAR | |
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Coincidentally, in its three-year history of NASCAR Cup races, 2004 Chase contenders have won all the races at Kansas, but they obviously aren't the only contenders. With Jeff Gordon in third, 48 points behind leader Kurt Busch and Earnhardt Jr. 12 points behind Busch, the Chase for the Cup has suddenly become a pronounced three-horse race. Mark Martin remains in striking distance in fourth, 98 points behind. But the other seven contenders are 137 or more points behind, which means the misfortune they've suffered in the first three races will have to be spread through the entire 10-man Chase field to bring the group back together in the standings. The following numbers apply to the 10 Chase for the Nextel Cup contenders at Kansas, unless otherwise noted. 1 -- Ryan Newman's number of victories in three starts. 1 -- The number of Chase drivers who have scored top-five finishes in each of the first three Chase races, namely Kurt Busch. 1 -- The number of drivers who have led all three races, namely Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1.67 -- Ryan Newman's average finish in three starts. 2 -- Jeff Gordon's number of victories in three starts. | | CHASE FOR THE NEXTEL CUP | |
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2 -- The number of drivers who have scored top-10 finishes in all three Chase races, namely Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2.33 -- Jeff Gordon's average finish in three races. 3 -- The number of top-five finishes by Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman. 3 -- The number of top-10 finishes by Tony Stewart. 3 -- The number of Chase for the Nextel Cup drivers who have both won a Chase race and led the most laps, namely Kurt Busch at New Hampshire, Ryan Newman at Dover and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Talladega. 4 -- The number of consecutive top-10 finishes by Dale Earnhardt Jr. coming into Kansas. 5 -- The number of Chase contenders who led at least one lap in the 2003 Banquet 400, including Ryan Newman, Jeremy Mayfield, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch. 5 -- The number of 2004 Nextel Cup Series wins by Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5.3 -- The average number of Chase contenders who have finished in the top 10 in the first three Chase races: Five at NHIS, eight at Dover and three at Talladega. 7 -- The number of races remaining in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. 8 -- Mark Martin's number of consecutive top-15 finishes coming into Kansas. 9 -- Kurt Busch's number of consecutive top-15 finishes coming into Kansas. 22 -- The number of races Jeff Gordon has led this season, most in the Nextel Cup Series. 27.67 -- Elliott Sadler's average finish in three races, worst of the 10 Chase contenders, with no top-15 finishes. 28 -- The fewest number of laps led by a race winner. Ryan Newman accomplished the feat in 2003. 60 -- The number of times Jimmie Johnson has led a race this season, the most among Nextel Cup Series drivers. |  | VIDEO | |
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64 -- The number of races in which Matt Kenseth has ranked in the top 10 in the standings. That leads the series. 108 -- The point gap between ninth-place Jimmie Johnson and 10th-place Jeremy Mayfield, the widest between any two Chase contenders. 116 -- The most laps led by a race winner, by Jeff Gordon in 2002. 121.630 -- Ryan Newman's 400-mile race record average speed in miles per hour, set in three hours, 17 minutes and 34 seconds in October 2003. 180.373 -- Jimmie Johnson's Bud Pole Qualifying record lap, in miles per hour, set in 29.938 seconds in October 2003. 267 -- Jeremy Mayfield's point gap from his 10th position in the Chase to leader Kurt Busch. | 
