 | | Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman led the field down for last year's start. Credit: Autostock |
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM May 20, 2005 09:42 AM EDT (13:42 GMT)
CONCORD, N.C. -- Lowe's Motor Speedway, virtually by default, has become the preferred home of the Nextel All-Star Challenge, NASCAR's all-star race. Saturday night, the 1.5-mile quad-oval will host the latest edition of one of three special-event weekends in the Nextel Cup Series. Defending Nextel All-Star Challenge winner Matt Kenseth is in prime position to add to the event's statistical legacy. The following numbers refer to the Nextel All-Star Challenge.  |  | | Matt Kenseth celebrates his 2004 victory. Credit: Autostock |
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.002 -- Davey Allison's closest margin of victory, over Kyle Petty in 1992. 1 -- The number of back-to-back winners: Davey Allison (1991-1992). 1 -- The number of winning owner-drivers: Geoffrey Bodine (1994). 1 -- The number of father-son winners: Dale Earnhardt (1987, 1990, 1993) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000). 1 -- The number of winning brothers: Darrell Waltrip (1985) and Michael Waltrip (1996). 1 -- The number of All-Star Challenges held at Atlanta Motor Speedway (1986). 1 -- The fewest leaders, in 1990 and 1991. 2 -- Michael Waltrip's consecutive number of top-five finishes. 2 -- The number of drivers who qualified as past Cup champions: Bobby Labonte (2000) and Dale Jarrett (1999). 2 -- The number of drivers who qualified as former All-Star Challenge winners: Terry Labonte (1999) and Michael Waltrip (1996). 2 -- The number of winners to come out of the weekend's qualifying events: Michael Waltrip (1996) and Ryan Newman (2002). 3 -- The number of drivers who gained entry by winning a 2005 Nextel Cup race: Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne. 3 -- Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon's leading number of victories. 3 -- Sterling Marlin and Ken Schrader's leading number of runner-up finishes. 3 -- Rusty Wallace's leading number of poles by a driver entered in the race. 3 -- Ryan Newman's top-three finishes in four starts. 4 -- The number of multiple winners: Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Davey Allison and Terry Labonte. 5 -- Rick Hendrick's leading number of victories as a car owner, with three different drivers: Jeff Gordon (3), Terry Labonte and Jimmie Johnson. 5 -- Bill Elliott's leading number of career pole positions. 6 -- Matt Kenseth's average finish in four starts, the best of active drivers with more than two starts. 6 -- Ken Schrader's number of consecutive top-five finishes from 1989-1994. 6 -- The number of the 20 previous events that were caution-free. 6 -- The most caution periods, in 1998. 7.36 -- Jeff Gordon's average finish in 11 starts. 8 -- Jeff Gordon's leading number of career segment victories, including final shootouts. 9 -- Dale Earnhardt's leading number of top-five finishes, in 16 starts. 10 -- The most leaders, in 2004. 13 -- The number of drivers who gained entry by winning a 2004 Nextel Cup race: Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Jeremy Mayfield, Joe Nemechek, Ryan Newman, Elliot Sadler, Tony Stewart and Rusty Wallace. 17 -- Ricky Rudd's leading number of starts without a victory. 19 -- Terry Labonte's leading number of career starts. 19 -- The number of All-Star Challenges held at Lowe's Motor Speedway (1985 and 1987-2004). 22 -- The scheduled field of starters, including the Nextel Open winner and a driver voted into the field by fans. 27 -- The largest starting field, in 2002. 185.022 -- Jeff Gordon's 2001 average speed, in miles per hour, the event record. $1,004,350 -- The guaranteed dollar amount in posted awards for the winner. |