FOLLOW ON:

AUCTIONS

Bid Now

Learn More | Sign Up

Auto Service

Autostock

Jimmie Johnson's victory in the spring was a contrast to his usual Richmond performance.

By the Numbers: Richmond

By Jarrod Breeze, NASCAR.COM
September 6, 2007
04:28 PM EDT

type size: + -

Last week, Jimmie Johnson's victory did nothing for him in the point standings. He didn't move up any from his sixth position. He gained a minimal amount on leader Jeff Gordon. And he's still 60 points behind fifth-place Matt Kenseth.

But he did gain 10 extra bonus points, ensuring him no worse than a tie for the top position when the Chase field is reset according to bonus points picked up via race victories after Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond (7 p.m. ET, ABC).

The victory at California gave Johnson five on the season, one more than teammate Jeff Gordon. If neither win Saturday night, Johnson starts the Chase as the leader with 5,050 points and Gordon behind him at 5,040.

One note to keep an eye on heading into the Chase cutoff event is the spring race winner at Richmond: Jimmie Johnson.

Interesting Fact

20Races won at Richmond from the pole position. However, only three races have been won from the pole since the track was expanded to three-quarters of a mile in length beginning in September 1988.

Fun Fact

5Capital cities NASCAR visits each year: Atlanta, Dover, Indianapolis, Phoenix and Richmond.

Editor's Note: Thanks to all who informed me that Indianapolis is the capital of Indiana. Although, faithful reader Donald DeWeese pointed out that Indianapolis Motor Speedway is actually located in Speedway, Ind. However, Speedway is surrounded by Indianapolis, and thus we at NASCAR.COM recognize that capital city as the home to IMS. Geography wasn't my strongest subject. Then again, neither was math. Thanks readers and sorry, Indiana.

All the Facts (Top 20 at Richmond, May '07)

1Jimmie Johnson had finished 23rd or worse in four of his previous five starts at Richmond prior to his victory in early May. His win was only his second top-10 in 11 starts at RIR, and his 19.4 average finish is his worst among all tracks at which he has made at least 10 starts.

2Kyle Busch has never finished worse than fifth in five starts at Richmond, and he also finished as the runner-up in this race last September when he led a race-high 248 laps. Average finish: 3.4.

3Denny Hamlin posted his second top-three in three Richmond starts. He started from the pole last September but finished 15th. Average finish: 6.7.

4Jeff Gordon posted his first top-five, or top-10 for that matter, at Richmond since 2004. In four starts in between he never finished better than 30th. He also led a race-high 114 laps, marking the third time the two-time winner has led the most laps. Average finish (29 starts): 15.9.

5Kurt Busch had his best Richmond finish in the 2 car. The last of his 14 victories in Jack Roush's 97 car came at RIR in September 2005. Busch finished 29th and 27th in his two starts last year for Roger Penske. Average finish (13 starts): 18.8.

6Ryan Newman has seven top-10s in 11 Richmond starts, and five have come in the spring races. His lone win at RIR came in September 2003. Average finish: 11.1.

7Kevin Harvick has a streak of five consecutive top-10s at Richmond -- including a victory in this event last year -- in which he has led a total of 599 laps. Average finish (13 starts): 12.5.

8Tony Stewart has five top-10s in the past seven races at Richmond, but he finished 18th in this event last year -- and out of the Chase. Stewart is a three-time winner at RIR, but none since May 2002. Average finish (17 starts): 11.8.

9Clint Bowyer has never finished worst than 12th in three starts at Richmond, including top-10s in both spring races. Average finish: 10.3.

10Matt Kenseth has nine top-10s in 15 starts at Richmond and his one victory there came in September 2002. More recently, he has three top-10s in his past four RIR starts, including a runner-up finish in September 2005. Average finish: 14.3.

11Dave Blaney posted his first top-15 finish in Bill Davis' Toyota and has only two better showings in 25 starts this season. Blaney was fourth in this event last year, his best finish of 2006. Average finish (14 starts): 23.9.

12Carl Edwards has completed all but four of a possible 2,400 laps in six starts at Richmond, but has never led there. He finished three laps down and in 35th place last September. Average finish: 17.0.

13Dale Earnhardt Jr. has only one top-10 in the past five Richmond races: his victory in May 2006. Still, he has three wins, seven top-fives and nine top-10s in just 16 starts at RIR. Average finish: 10.1.

14J.J. Yeley has made three starts at Richmond, with his best finish of 13th last September. Average finish: 16.3.

15Bobby Labonte posted his best finish in three starts at Richmond in the 43 car, and best since his last top-10 May 2005. His 29 career starts at RIR are third-most of any one track at which Labonte has failed to win. Average finish: 17.2.

16Paul Menard has had only two finishes better this season than in his first career start at Richmond.

17Mark Martin has finished outside the top 20 at Richmond nine times in 43 starts. His 12.3 average finish is the best of any active driver with as many starts and fifth-best of all time.

18Casey Mears posted his third-best finish in nine Richmond starts. His best finish at RIR was 11th last September. Average finish: 25.9.

19Greg Biffle ended a string of five consecutive top-10s at Richmond. Average finish (10 starts): 13.7.

20David Ragan hasn't had a top-10 since finishing fifth in the Daytona 500. He has finished 12th twice, including last week at California. He'll make his second career start at RIR.

All the Facts (Notables at Richmond, May '07)

26Juan Montoya has a 22.8 average finish in four short-track starts. He'll make his second career start at RIR.

28Martin Truex Jr. was running at the finish, the first time he has done so in three Richmond starts. After finishing 28th or worse in five of the first 10 races this season, Truex has finished worse than that only once since. Average finish at RIR: 36.3.

40Kasey Kahne finished third at Richmond last September, helping him secure a Chase berth. He has nine finishes 31st or higher this year. Average finish at RIR: 19.7.

41Jamie McMurray has finished 40th or worse six times in 61 starts for Jack Roush. He finished 40th or worse four times in 114 starts for Chip Ganassi.

43Jeff Burton suffered his first DNF (engine) in 26 career starts at Richmond. He was ninth last September, his 12th top-10 at RIR. Average finish: 15.4.

Also

POPULAR ALERTS

Create Your Own

Richmond International Raceway

Winners (active drivers)

Year	Driver	Start	Led

1984	Ricky Rudd	4	36
1986	Kyle Petty	12	4
1990	Mark Martin	6	16
1996	Jeff Gordon	2	124
1997	Dale Jarrett	23	39
1998	Jeff Burton	3	203
1999	Dale Jarrett	21	32
1999	Tony Stewart	2	333
2000	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	5	31
2000	Jeff Gordon	13	15
2001	Tony Stewart	7	93
2001	Ricky Rudd	9	88
2002	Tony Stewart	3	28
2002	Matt Kenseth	24	134
2003	Joe Nemechek	2	156
2003	Ryan Newman	4	125
2004	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	4	115
2004	Jeremy Mayfield	7	151
2005	Kasey Kahne	1	242
2005	Kurt Busch	5	185
2006	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	10	47
2006	Kevin Harvick	5	54
2007	Jimmie Johnson	4	105