 |  | | Kurt Busch won last year at NHIS and jumped from seventh into a first-place tie in the point standings. Credit: Chris Stanford/Getty Images |
By B. Duane Cross, NASCAR.COM
September 15, 2005
10:42 AM EDT (14:42 GMT)
Loudon, N.H., is the first stop in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, the 10-race playoff to crown the premier series champion. The point standings entering New Hampshire:
|
| Rank |
Driver |
Points |
Behind |
| 1. |
Tony Stewart |
5,050 |
-- |
| 2. |
Greg Biffle |
5,045 |
-5 |
| 3. |
Rusty Wallace |
5,040 |
-10 |
| 4. |
Jimmie Johnson |
5,035 |
-15 |
| 5. |
Kurt Busch |
5,030 |
-20 |
| 6. |
Mark Martin |
5,025 |
-25 |
| 7. |
Jeremy Mayfield |
5,020 |
-30 |
| 8. |
Carl Edwards |
5,015 |
-35 |
| tie |
Matt Kenseth |
5,015 |
-35 |
| 10. |
Ryan Newman |
5,005 |
-45 |
|
|
Kurt Busch is the defending race champion. A dominating performance gave him a sweep of the 2004 events at the track and lifted him into a tie with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the points lead with nine races remaining. Busch led 155 of 300 laps on the 1.058-mile oval. Busch finished second to Tony Stewart in this season's first race at NHIS on July 17. The Sylvania 300 begins at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday on TNT. The following numbers refer to races only at NHIS:
|
1 -- Wins from the pole by a Chase driver: Ryan Newman (Sept. 15, 2002). Only one other winner started on the pole -- Jeff Gordon on Aug. 30, 1998. |
|
2 -- Most victories by a Chase driver: Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart. The track's all-time wins leader is Jeff Burton, with four. |
|
2 -- Season sweeps by a Chase driver: Jimmie Johnson (2003) and Kurt Busch (2004). Tony Stewart, who won the July race at NHIS, goes for the sweep Sunday. |
|
3 -- Most poles by a Chase driver: Ryan Newman (Sept. 15, 2002; Sept. 14, 2003; July 25, 2004). Newman and Jeff Gordon share the track record for poles. |
|
3 -- Most DNFs by a Chase driver: Jeremy Mayfield and Rusty Wallace. The track record for DNFs is six, by Morgan Shepherd in 12 starts. |
|
5.7 -- Best average starting position by a Chase driver: Ryan Newman, in seven starts. Newman's mark also is the track record; Kasey Kahne is second, 6.7. |
|
7 -- Most top-five finishes by a Chase driver: Mark Martin and Tony Stewart, two of five drivers tied for second all-time behind Jeff Gordon (9). |
|
8.7 -- Best average finishing position by a Chase driver: Jimmie Johnson. He has finished in the top 15 in each of his seven starts at the track. |
|
12 -- Most top-10 finishes by a Chase driver: Rusty Wallace. He has finished outside the top 15 only seven times and off the lead lap six times. |
|
20.5 -- Worst average starting position by a Chase driver: Carl Edwards, in two starts at Loudon he's rolled off the starting grid 21st and 20th. |
|
21 -- Most starts by a Chase driver: Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace. They are two of 11 drivers to start each race at NHIS. The fewest by a Chase driver is two, by Carl Edwards. |
|
25.4 -- Worst average finishing position by a Chase driver: Jeremy Mayfield. He has finished 20th or worse in 13 of his 19 starts at Loudon. |
|
100 -- Percent of laps completed by a Chase driver: Jimmie Johnson (2,007 in seven starts). Greg Biffle has the worst percentage, 86.8 (1,481 of 1,707). |
|
563 -- Most laps-led by a Chase driver: Tony Stewart. On the flips side, Greg Biffle (1,481 laps) and Carl Edwards (599) have not led a lap at NHIS. |
|
6,161 -- Most laps by a Chase driver: Mark Martin. He has raced 6,161 of 6,180 laps (99.7 percent) in his 21 starts at Loudon. |
|
$1,556,264 -- Most money won by a Chase driver: Rusty Wallace, fifth on the track's all-time list behind leader Jeff Gordon ($2,174,578). |
|
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