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Matt Kenseth is 12th in points heading to New Hampshire.By the Numbers: NHMS
Kenseth tries to keep magic six-week stretch rolling
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Two months ago, some had already written off Matt Kenseth as a Chase contender. He was 22nd in points and trailed standings leader Kyle Busch by 537 points. He had just finished 38th at Richmond, his third consecutive finish of 38th or worse.
In that three-race span, Kenseth scored 138 points combined.
The six races since then have been a different story for the 2003 Cup Series champion. Dating back to Darlington, he has finished no worse than eighth in a race and has led laps in all but one of those events (Sonoma).
In that six-race span, Kenseth scored more than 142 points in every single race.
He still doesn't have a victory this season, but his quick turnaround has been a better overall production during that six-race stretch than the man who leads the series in victories.
913Points that Kyle Busch has scored in the last six races, during which he has remained the points leader while also winning three races.
934Points that Matt Kenseth has gained in the last six races, moving him from 22nd in the standings to 12th. Each of those races resulted in a top-10 finish, with his average finish during that span being 5.83.
Matt Kenseth
Point production last six races
| Race | Leader | Points | Kenseth Rank | Behind | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington | Kyle Busch | 1690 | 20th | -577 | |
| Charlotte | Kyle Busch | 1860 | 16th | -596 | |
| Dover | Kyle Busch | 2050 | 16th | -621 | |
| Pocono | Kyle Busch | 2084 | 15th | -504 | |
| Michigan | Kyle Busch | 2213 | 14th | -463 | |
| Sonoma | Kyle Busch | 2408 | 12th | -516 |
Back in Time
Sept. 17, 2000Jeff Burton wins the Dura Lube 300 by leading all 300 laps, the only race in which restrictor plates were used at New Hampshire. He beat Bobby Labonte as the race finished under caution. Ironically, Labonte started from the pole and Burton started second.
10 Key Facts
1Race at New Hampshire (fall 2006) that Ryan Newman has not led a lap during his career. Newman has two victories (fall 2002 and fall 2005) and a series-high four poles at the track.
2Finishing position for Jeff Gordon in both New Hampshire races last season, won by Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer.
4Drivers who have competed in all 26 Cup races held at New Hampshire: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Joe Nemechek.
4Victories at New Hampshire for Jeff Burton, a series-best, although all of them came with his former team, Roush Fenway Racing, prior to 2001.
4Races at New Hampshire that have been won from the pole, two of which have come in the last three races at the track.
9.6Average Running Position for Kyle Busch at New Hampshire, a series-best. He has one victory (spring 2006) and three top-fives in six starts.
12Races at New Hampshire in which the driver who led the most laps won the race, including three of the last four races. Dale Earnhardt Jr. led a race-high 64 laps in this race a year ago, but Denny Hamlin won (46 laps led).
22.3Average finish for Clint Bowyer in his four New Hampshire starts, the worst among the top 12 drivers in the standings. Denny Hamlin's 6.5 average finish is the best among that group.
243Laps led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. at New Hampshire, the most by a driver entered in Sunday's race who has not won at the track. Jeff Gordon's 1,141 laps led are more than any active driver.
764Points scored by Jeff Gordon in the last five New Hampshire races, more than any other driver. Gordon, who has three victories at the track, has not won there in 18 races.
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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New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Active drivers based on victories
| Driver | Start | Wins | Top-5 | Top-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Burton | 26 | 4 | 7 | 12 |
| Jeff Gordon | 26 | 3 | 12 | 15 |
| Ryan Newman | 12 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| Tony Stewart | 18 | 2 | 10 | 11 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| Kurt Busch | 14 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Denny Hamlin | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Kevin Harvick | 14 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Joe Nemechek | 26 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Robby Gordon | 16 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Kyle Busch | 6 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Clint Bowyer | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Active drivers based on average finish
| Driver | Starts | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denny Hamlin | 4 | 10.5 | 6.5 |
| Matt Kenseth | 16 | 19.1 | 10.5 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 12 | 8.2 | 10.7 |
| Ryan Newman | 12 | 6.2 | 11.1 |
| Jeff Gordon | 26 | 10.0 | 11.6 |
Updated: Sunday 9:00 pm
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
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