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Jimmie Johnson won last fall's race at Phoenix.Johnson's recent stats at PIR make him a favorite
By Official Release
April 11, 2008
03:27 PM EDT
April 11, 2008
03:27 PM EDT
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Twice a driver has scored a perfect Driver Rating at Phoenix International Raceway.
Kurt Busch accomplished the rare feat -- it has happened six times in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since the stat's inception in 2005 -- during the spring Phoenix race in 2005. Kevin Harvick did it a year later in the fall race of 2006. Both checked in with dominant statistics in their respective races. Below are the top five drivers in post-race stats for those races:
Phoenix Loop Data
April 2005
| Pos. | Driver | Rating | Driver | Avg. Pos. | Driver | Fastest Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kurt Busch | 150.0 | Kurt Busch | 1.9 | Kurt Busch | 76 |
| 2. | Brian Vickers | 118.4 | Brian Vickers | 4.1 | Michael Waltrip | 42 |
| 3. | Michael Waltrip | 118.0 | Kevin Harvick | 5.9 | Carl Edwards | 25 |
| 4. | Bobby Labonte | 105.7 | Michael Waltrip | 6.0 | Greg Biffle | 20 |
| 5. | Greg Biffle | 97.1 | Bobby Labonte | 8.7 | Matt Kenseth | 14 |
November 2006
| Pos. | Driver | Rating | Driver | Avg. Pos. | Driver | Fastest Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kevin Harvick | 150.0 | Kevin Harvick | 1.2 | Kevin Harvick | 72 |
| 2. | Jimmie Johnson | 123.1 | Jeff Gordon | 3.8 | Jimmie Johnson | 64 |
| 3. | Jeff Gordon | 117.7 | Carl Edwards | 4.1 | Carl Edwards | 30 |
| 4. | Carl Edwards | 117.6 | Jimmie Johnson | 5.2 | Denny Hamlin | 14 |
| 5. | Denny Hamlin | 108.7 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 6.6 | Mark Martin | 11 |
Can it happen again?
Possibly -- and if someone's going to do it, it just might be Jimmie Johnson. Johnson has been phenomenal at Phoenix, winning there last November and finishing in the top 10 in seven of his nine starts there.
Below is Johnson's race-by-race log at Phoenix over the past six races there
Jimmie Johnson
Phoenix Loop Data (2005-2007)
| Date | Finish | ARP | FLR | LT15 | DR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/05 | 15 | 11 | 5 | 76.9% | 92.6 |
| 11/05 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 97.8% | 106.9 |
| 4/06 | 7 | 5 | 24 | 97.8% | 117.3 |
| 11/06 | 2 | 5 | 64 | 91.0% | 123.1 |
| 4/07 | 4 | 3 | 37 | 100% | 122.8 |
| 11/07 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 100% | 132.4 |
| Total | 6.0 | 5.7 | 155 | 93.9% | 115.9 |
ARP: Average Running Position | FLR: Fastest Laps Run
LT15: Percentage of Laps in the Top 15 | DR: Driver Rating
LT15: Percentage of Laps in the Top 15 | DR: Driver Rating
Johnson leads the series in all of the above combined stats except for Fastest Laps Run, where he's second to Greg Biffle's 214.
On the other side of the equation sits Kasey Kahne, perilously close to losing his spot in the top 12. He's in 12th right now, 54 points ahead of 13th-place Matt Kenseth. Kahne flopped at Phoenix last season, finishing 31st and 40th.
Kasey Kahne
Phoenix Loop Data (2007)
| Date | Finish | ARP | FLR | LT15 | DR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/07 | 31 | 29 | 0 | 4.5% | 49.8 |
| 11/07 | 40 | 32 | 0 | 3.5% | 49.5 |
| Total | 35.5 | 30.5 | 0 | 4.0% | 49.7 |
ARP: Average Running Position | FLR: Fastest Laps Run
LT15: Percentage of Laps in the Top 15 | DR: Driver Rating
LT15: Percentage of Laps in the Top 15 | DR: Driver Rating
Also
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Subway Fresh Fit 500
Race Lineup
| Pos. | Driver | Make | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | R. Newman | Dodge | 133.457 | 26.975 |
| 2. | E. Sadler | Dodge | 133.412 | 26.984 |
| 3. | C. Edwards | Ford | 133.378 | 26.991 |
| 4. | M. Martin | Chevrolet | 133.368 | 26.993 |
| 5. | K. Kahne | Dodge | 133.304 | 27.006 |
| 6. | Ky. Busch | Toyota | 133.274 | 27.012 |
| 7. | J. Johnson | Chevrolet | 133.240 | 27.019 |
| 8. | J. McMurray | Ford | 133.190 | 27.029 |
| 9. | M. Truex Jr. | Chevrolet | 132.876 | 27.093 |
| 10. | S. Riggs | Chevrolet | 132.871 | 27.094 |
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