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Jimmie Johnson has led 1,134 laps at Lowe's Motor Speedway.By the Numbers: Charlotte
No matter last couple of years, only number to know: 48
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Call it a conspiracy if you wish: Lowe's is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.; the Charlotte racetrack is named Lowe's Motor Speedway; Jimmie Johnson drives the Lowe's-sponsored racecar.
At first, this marriage appeared to be quite rocky: Johnson made 192 laps in his Cup Series debut in the Oct. 7, 2001, race at Charlotte before crashing out. He finished 39th.
Since then, it's been a well-extended honeymoon.
Johnson has led laps in each of his 12 starts since that debut, the fewest coming in the 2005 Coca-Cola 600 when he paced the field for just 11 circuits. That race was the third in a string four consecutive victories at the 1.5-mile track in Concord, N.C. Three times he's led more than 100 laps, including his 334-lap scorching in 2004's 400-lap event.
His average finish of 6.8 ranks him fifth on the all-time list. The four better than him: Pedro Rodriguez, Bugs Stevens, Paul Connors and Ned Setzer. Sound familiar? Likely not since they each only made one start at LMS. The four of them have a grand total of 24 career Cup starts.
Twice has Johnson finished outside the top 10 at Charlotte in his 13 starts, his first (39th, fall 2001) and last (14th, fall 2007) races.
He bagged eight consecutive finishes of third or better, including all five of his victories, between the spring 2003 race and fall 2006 race at Charlotte.
What's it all gotten him? NASCAR's most coveted possession during the season: points.
342Points by which Jimmie Johnson has outscored all drivers in the last 10 Charlotte races, better than the equivalent of two second-place finishes (170 points).
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Points scored in last 10 races
| Duration | No. 1 Driver | Points | No. 2 Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last two races: | Tony Stewart | 301 | J.J. Yeley | 299 |
| Last three races: | Jimmie Johnson | 445 | Kasey Kahne | 426 |
| Last four races: | Jimmie Johnson | 620 | Kasey Kahne | 616 |
| Last five races: | Jimmie Johnson | 805 | Carl Edwards | 729 |
| Last six races: | Jimmie Johnson | 990 | Carl Edwards | 899 |
| Last seven races: | Jimmie Johnson | 1,175 | Jeff Burton | 927 |
| Last eight races: | Jimmie Johnson | 1,365 | Bobby Labonte | 1,048 |
| Last nine races: | Jimmie Johnson | 1,535 | Bobby Labonte | 1,203 |
| Last 10 races: | Jimmie Johnson | 1,715 | Bobby Labonte | 1,373 |
Back in Time
May 28, 1961David Pearson wins his first Cup race in the World 600 at Charlotte, although Pearson wasn't even supposed to be driving the car. Regular driver Darel Dieringer was not allowed to compete due to contract conflictions, and Pearson -- working as a roofer -- was summoned. He qualified third, led 225 of 400 laps and skated across the finish line in sparks after blowing a tire. It was the first of 105 career victories.
10 Key Facts
1Track in which Kasey Kahne has won multiple events: Lowe's Motor Speedway. He swept both races there in 2006.
2Drivers ranked in the top 12 that have a top-10 average finish at Charlotte: Jimmie Johnson (6.8) and Carl Edwards (7.3).
5Times the All-Star Race winner has also won the Coca-Cola 600 in the same season: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Davey Allison (1991), Dale Earnhardt (1993), Jeff Gordon (1997) and Jimmie Johnson (2003).
5Top-10 finishes for Carl Edwards in his six starts at Charlotte. His only finish worse than 10th came in last year's Coca-Cola 600 when he was 15th. His best finish at the track is third, both in the Coca-Cola 600 (2005, 2006).
7Victories in the last 10 Charlotte races by Hendrick Motorsports. Tony Stewart (fall 2003) and Kasey Kahne (both 2006) are the only non-Hendrick drivers to win at Lowe's Motor Speedway since 2003.
12Times that Ryan Newman has started fourth or better in his 14 Charlotte starts, including seven poles. His two other starts came in 2006 when he began 18th and 15th. His 243 laps led are the most among active drivers who have not won at the track.
13Back-to-back winners at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon won the fall race last year. A victory Sunday would make it 15 consecutive seasons in which Gordon has won a race.
16Laps led by Jeff Gordon in his first career victory, on May 29, 1994. Gordon started from the pole, but didn't make his winning move until late in the race and beat Rusty Wallace (187 laps led) by 3.91 seconds.
22Finishing position of Dale Earnhardt in his Cup Series debut on May 25, 1975, in the World 600. Richard Petty won the race.
38.5Average finish for David Ragan in his two starts at Charlotte. He finished 37th and 40th in last year's events.
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Lowe's Motor Speedway
Active drivers, based on wins
| Driver | Starts | Wins | Top-5 | Top-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmie Johnson | 13 | 5 | 8 | 11 |
| Jeff Gordon | 30 | 5 | 14 | 16 |
| Mark Martin | 46 | 4 | 17 | 21 |
| Bobby Labonte | 30 | 2 | 12 | 17 |
| Jeff Burton | 28 | 2 | 7 | 13 |
| Kasey Kahne | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Sterling Marlin | 53 | 1 | 7 | 13 |
| Casey Mears | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Matt Kenseth | 17 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Ken Schrader | 44 | 1 | 6 | 13 |
| Jamie McMurray | 11 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Kyle Petty | 52 | 1 | 6 | 12 |
| Tony Stewart | 18 | 1 | 6 | 11 |
Active drivers, based on average finish
| Driver | Starts | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmie Johnson | 13 | 8.7 | 6.8 |
| Carl Edwards | 6 | 21.2 | 7.3 |
| Bobby Labonte | 30 | 12.7 | 12.8 |
| Tony Stewart | 18 | 13.3 | 12.9 |
| Denny Hamlin | 5 | 17.2 | 14.8 |
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