Autostock
Tony Stewart is the first owner/driver to lead the points since Alan Kulwicki.Stewart trying to improve on runner-up showings
By Official Release
June 5, 2009
01:45 PM EDT
June 5, 2009
01:45 PM EDT
type size: + -
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Tony Stewart has already become the first owner/driver since 1992 to lead the Sprint Cup Series standings. The next step: a points win.
The last owner/driver to win a points race was Ricky Rudd at Martinsville Speedway on Sept. 27, 1998. The statistics suggest Stewart will end that drought sooner than later.
For one, Stewart is due. He's nearing a record for most second-place finishes before a win. He now has three on the season. The record is six:
Most Runner-Up Finishes Before First Victory
| Year | Driver | Runner-ups |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Jim Paschal | 6 |
| 1967 | Dick Hutcherson | 5 |
| 1989 | Mark Martin | 5 |
| 1954 | Buck Baker | 4 |
| 1958 | Jack Smith | 4 |
| 1970 | Bobby Isaac | 4 |
| 1983 | Bill Elliott | 4 |
| 1984 | Harry Gant | 4 |
| 1984 | Dale Earnhardt | 4 |
| 2002 | Ryan Newman | 4 |
| 2008 | Tony Stewart | 4 |
Second, Stewart is strong at Pocono, where he finished second last August. He ranks in the top five in a number of key Loop Data categories since the inception of the statistics in 2005:
Driver Rating
| Pos. | Driver | Driver Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Denny Hamlin | 123.6 |
| 2. | Kurt Busch | 106.8 |
| 3. | Tony Stewart | 102.4 |
| 4. | Jimmie Johnson | 100.8 |
| 5. | Mark Martin | 98.2 |
Average Running Position
| Pos. | Driver | Avg. Run. Pos. |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Denny Hamlin | 6.5 |
| 2. | Kurt Busch | 10.1 |
| 3. | Ryan Newman | 10.6 |
| 4. | Tony Stewart | 10.9 |
| 5. | Jimmie Johnson | 11.0 |
Laps in the Top 15 %
| Pos. | Driver | Pct. |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Denny Hamlin | 90.6% |
| 2. | Tony Stewart | 78.3% |
| 3. | Mark Martin | 77.2% |
| 4. | Jimmie Johnson | 75.8% |
| 5. | Ryan Newman | 75.0% |
Third, Stewart's start is as good as or better than any he has had in the past five seasons. The most eye-opening comparison is between this season and his championship-winning 2005 season. This season, Stewart is surpassing his championship numbers:
Tony Stewart
After 13 Races (2005-Present)
| Year | Rank | Avg. Finish | ARP | FLR | LT15% | Led | DR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 5 | 15.2 | 11.2 | 114 | 73.1 | 544 | 95.1 |
| 2006 | 5 | 13.8 | 12.8 | 349 | 67.6 | 801 | 100.1 |
| 2007 | 7 | 16.7 | 11.6 | 303 | 75.9 | 647 | 101.9 |
| 2008 | 11 | 16.7 | 14.6 | 152 | 70.4 | 373 | 90.7 |
| 2009 | 1 | 9.6 | 10.7 | 141 | 77.0 | 60 | 99.5 |
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
Dover marked the halfway point of the 26-race "regular season." Below are the drivers who improved the most in terms of Driver Rating since the end of last season:
Driver Rating
Most Improved
| Driver | 2008 | 2009 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kurt Busch | 73.8 | 100.4 | 26.6 |
| Sam Hornish Jr. | 49.6 | 66.6 | 17.0 |
| David Reutimann | 66.7 | 82.2 | 15.5 |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | 68.0 | 81.1 | 13.1 |
| Marcos Ambrose | 53.7 | 65.7 | 12.0 |
| Ryan Newman | 75.5 | 83.7 | 8.2 |
| Jeff Gordon | 95.8 | 103.7 | 7.9 |
| Mark Martin | 90.0 | 96.7 | 6.7 |
| Tony Stewart | 93.2 | 99.5 | 6.3 |
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Sprint Cup Series
Standings
| Pos. | +/- | Driver | Points | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | +1 | Tony Stewart | 1,853 | -- |
| 2. | -1 | Jeff Gordon | 1,807 | -46 |
| 3. | +1 | Jimmie Johnson | 1,789 | -64 |
| 4. | -1 | Kurt Busch | 1,762 | -91 |
| 5. | +2 | Ryan Newman | 1,680 | -173 |
| 6. | -- | Kyle Busch | 1,634 | -219 |
| 7. | -2 | Denny Hamlin | 1,630 | -223 |
| 8. | +1 | Matt Kenseth | 1,625 | -228 |
| 9. | +1 | Greg Biffle | 1,618 | -235 |
| 10. | -2 | Jeff Burton | 1,587 | -266 |
| 11. | -- | Carl Edwards | 1,582 | -271 |
| 12. | -- | Mark Martin | 1,567 | -286 |
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