Autostock
Kevin Harvick won two in a row at Phoenix in 2006. Jeff Burton did it five years earlier.By the Numbers: Phoenix
RCR cars top standings, but can they top the desert?
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It was 2000 and Jeff Burton was driving a red, white and blue Ford for Jack Roush when he won the Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. A year later, he put the same car in Victory Lane to become the second driver to win back-to-back races at the track.
Five years later, Kevin Harvick drove a black No. 29 to victory at Phoenix in the 2006 spring race and again visited Victory Lane later in the fall to sweep the track's two races. He was the fourth driver to win consecutive events there.
And now, in 2008, the two are teammates at Richard Childress Racing. That's nothing new. But what is new is the consistent performance that has gotten them to the top of the point standings heading into Saturday night's Subway Fresh Fit 500 (8 p.m. ET, FOX).
Burton leads the standings by 59 points ahead of his teammate Harvick, as well as a few other statistical categories.
7.1Jeff Burton's average finish this season.
8.3Kevin Harvick's average finish this season.
11.4Jeff Burton's average finish at Phoenix for his career.
13.2Kevin Harvick's average finish at Phoenix for his career.
13Worst finish for Jeff Burton this season, which came in the Daytona 500.
14Worst finish for Kevin Harvick this season, which came in the Dayton 500.
1,089Jeff Burton's point total at Phoenix in the last four years.
1,085Kevin Harvick's point total at Phoenix in the last four years.
One aspect of Carl Edwards' three victories this season is that he is not leading the points. But it's not that unique, considering years past when 11 drivers have won three of the first seven races then gone on to win the Cup Series championship. Of them, only two since 1975 were leading the standings after seven races.
Early Indicators
Champions after winning three of the first seven races
| Year | Driver | Pos. after Race 7 | Total wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Jimmie Johnson | Fourth | 10 |
| 1997 | Jeff Gordon | Third | 10 |
| 1995 | Jeff Gordon | Third | 7 |
| 1989 | Rusty Wallace | Fourth | 6 |
| 1987 | Dale Earnhardt | First | 11 |
| 1982 | Darrell Waltrip | Third | 12 |
| 1981 | Darrell Waltrip | Fourth | 12 |
| 1977 | Cale Yarborough | First | 9 |
| 1975 | Richard Petty | First | 13 |
| 1971 | Richard Petty | N/A | 21 |
| 1962 | Joe Weatherly | N/A | 9 |
Back in Time
Nov. 6, 1988Alan Kulwicki won the Checker 500, the first Cup Series race held at Phoenix International Raceway. Of the 43 starters that day, only four are on the entry list for Saturday's race: Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty, Michael Waltrip.
10 Key Facts
2Times Jimmie Johnson has finished 15th at Phoenix. His other seven races resulted in top-10 finishes, including a victory in the fall 2007 race.
4Consecutive top-10 finishes for Clint Bowyer. At 11th in the standings, he is the lowest-ranking driver at Richard Childress Racing.
4Former Cup Series champions who are currently ranked outside of the top 12 in the standings and have started all seven races: Matt Kenseth (13th), Jeff Gordon (14th), Kurt Busch (15th) and Bobby Labonte (21st).
4Drivers who have multiple victories at Phoenix, all of whom won consecutive races: Davey Allison (1991-92), Jeff Burton (2000-01), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003-04), Kevin Harvick (both 2006).
5Starts at Phoenix in which Carl Edwards has finished 11th or better. His other two finishes were 37th and 42nd, the latter coming last fall.
5Drivers who have started 22 of the 23 races held at Phoenix. After this weekend, that list could drop to one name as Mark Martin is the only one guaranteed a starting position. The others are either not entered (Dale Jarrett, Sterling Marlin, Ken Schrader) or not in the top 35 in owner points (Kyle Petty).
11.1Average starting position for Phoenix winners. Jeff Gordon is the only driver to win from the pole (spring 2007).
20.6Average finish for Ryan Newman in his 11 starts at Phoenix, the worst among the top 12 drivers in the standings. Two drivers have averages better than 10th: Jimmie Johnson (6.6) and Tony Stewart (9.4).
342Laps led by Greg Biffle in his eight starts at Phoenix, the most among drivers entered in Saturday's race who have not won at the track. Mark Martin leads active drivers with 608 laps led in 22 starts.
817Points scored by Jimmie Johnson in the last five Phoenix races, more than any other driver. Jeff Gordon has scored more points in the last 10 races (1,561).
Also
- Crashes at Daytona affect battle for Chase position
- When winner is bothered, something clearly wrong
- Stewart survives last-lap crash for Daytona victory
- Mayfield plans a return to the track, just unsure when
- In the Mayfield case, there may be no real winners
- Mayfield: The worst two months of my entire life
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Phoenix International Raceway
Active drivers, based on victories
| Driver | Starts | Wins | Top-5 | Top-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Harvick | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Jeff Burton | 17 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| Tony Stewart | 12 | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| Jeff Gordon | 18 | 1 | 8 | 15 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 9 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| Bill Elliott | 18 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Matt Kenseth | 11 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Kyle Busch | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Kurt Busch | 10 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Mark Martin | 22 | 1 | 8 | 14 |
Active drivers, based on average finish
| Driver | Starts | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J. Johnson | 9 | 13.0 | 6.6 | 168 |
| J. Gordon | 18 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 247 |
| M. Martin | 22 | 12.2 | 9.4 | 608 |
| T. Stewart | 12 | 14.1 | 9.4 | 293 |
| J. Burton | 17 | 22.9 | 11.4 | 215 |
Sprint Cup Series
Official Standings
| Pos. | Driver | Points | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jeff Burton | 1065 | Leader |
| 2. | Kevin Harvick | 1006 | -59 |
| 3. | Kyle Busch | 1001 | -64 |
| 4. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 978 | -87 |
| 5. | Tony Stewart | 957 | -108 |
| 6. | Jimmie Johnson | 921 | -144 |
| 7. | Denny Hamlin | 913 | -152 |
| 8. | Greg Biffle | 901 | -164 |
| 9. | Carl Edwards | 881 | -184 |
| 10. | Ryan Newman | 876 | -189 |
| 11. | Clint Bowyer | 874 | -191 |
| 12. | Kasey Kahne | 874 | -191 |
• Complete Standings click here
Cup Series News
- Crashes at Daytona affect battle for Chase position
- Stewart survives last-lap crash for Daytona victory
- Mayfield plans a return to the track, just unsure when
- Mayfield: The worst two months of my entire life
- Notes: Junior not ruling out N'wide team going to Cup
- Move to the booth a natural one for TNT's Sheheen
Updated: Sunday 3:40 am
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