Autostock
Jimmie Johnson (three) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one) have combined for four victories at Atlanta.Atlanta favorites buried near bottom of Cup points
By Official Release
March 6, 2009
11:45 AM EST
March 6, 2009
11:45 AM EST
type size: + -
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Most preseason prognosticators figured Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr. would have strong 2009 Sprint Cup Series seasons. Three races in, none of the four are in the top 12.
But that's not to say they haven't performed like top-12 drivers. For the most part, all four have suffered bad luck.
They can take solace in their respective performances. Though Johnson's point standings position of 19th is the best of the four, all rank high in season-to-date Driver Rating.
Below are each driver's race-by-race finish, compared to their Driver Rating and rank:
Jimmie Johnson (19th in points)
| Track | Finish | Driver Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Daytona | 31 | 68.4 (22nd) |
| Fontana | 9 | 121.3 (4th) |
| Las Vegas | 24 | 119.9 (1st) |
| Average | 21.3 | 103.2 (3rd) |
Jamie McMurray (22nd in points)
| Track | Finish | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Daytona | 37 | 86.6 (13th) |
| Fontana | 16 | 89.1 (11th) |
| Las Vegas | 9 | 91.8 (11th) |
| Average | 20.7 | 89.2 (9th) |
Mark Martin (34th in points)
| Track | Finish | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Daytona | 16 | 93.2 (9th) |
| Fontana | 40 | 73.0 (17th) |
| Las Vegas | 40 | 87.0 (13th) |
| Average | 32.0 | 84.4 (12th) |
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (29th in points)
| Track | Finish | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Daytona | 27 | 88.5 (11th) |
| Fontana | 39 | 54.9 (27th) |
| Las Vegas | 10 | 92.9 (9th) |
| Average | 25.3 | 78.8 (16th) |
Among the four drivers, Atlanta may best suit Earnhardt -- comparatively speaking. Statistically, it's one of his best tracks:
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Best Avg. Driver Rating / Best Combined Avg. Finish
| Track | Driver Rating | Track | Avg. Finish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington | 104.2 | Richmond | 11.1 | |
| Atlanta | 103.7 | Bristol | 11.7 | |
| New Hampshire | 103.1 | Atlanta | 11.7 | |
| Martinsville | 102.4 | Texas | 13.4 | |
| Michigan | 101.4 | Martinsville | 13.6 |
Earnhardt has scored a Driver Rating above 90.0 in each of his last seven Atlanta races. Here is his race-by-race log at Atlanta over that span:
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Atlanta Motor Speedway (Last seven races)
| Date | Finish | ARP | FLR | LT15% | DR | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/05 | 4 | 2.6 | 62 | 99.7 | 131.6 | 142 |
| 3/06 | 3 | 13.9 | 15 | 62.8 | 96.7 | 0 |
| 10/06 | 3 | 5.6 | 46 | 92 | 126.8 | 95 |
| 3/07 | 14 | 8.4 | 4 | 94.5 | 96.1 | 0 |
| 10/07 | 25 | 13.8 | 27 | 69.3 | 92.9 | 0 |
| 3/08 | 3 | 3.9 | 37 | 99.4 | 123.7 | 62 |
| 10/08 | 11 | 7 | 25 | 99.4 | 105.0 | 1 |
| Total | 9 | 7.9 | 216 | 88.2 | 110.4 | 300 |
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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Sprint Cup Series
Driver Standings
| Pos. | +/- | Driver | Points | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | +1 | Jeff Gordon | 459 | Leader |
| 2. | +4 | Clint Bowyer | 441 | -18 |
| 3. | -2 | Matt Kenseth | 419 | -40 |
| 4. | +1 | Greg Biffle | 419 | -40 |
| 5. | +7 | David Reutimann | 408 | -51 |
| 6. | +12 | Kyle Busch | 405 | -54 |
| 7. | -4 | Kurt Busch | 393 | -66 |
| 8. | -4 | Tony Stewart | 379 | -80 |
| 9. | -- | Carl Edwards | 377 | -82 |
| 10. | +12 | Bobby Labonte | 360 | -99 |
| 11. | +5 | Kevin Harvick | 351 | -108 |
| 12. | -5 | Michael Waltrip | 346 | -113 |
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