Data shows Kenseth could have his bubble popped
Richmond Busch's best track, among Kenseth's worst
By Official Release
September 11, 2009
03:16 PM EDT
September 11, 2009
03:16 PM EDT
type size: + -
Just 37 points separate 12th-place Matt Kenseth, 13th-place Brian Vickers and 14th-place Kyle Busch heading into the Chase cut-off race at Richmond International Raceway.
Though positions five through 15 in the points standings could be jumbled in a number of ways following Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400, the proximity between 12th through 14th make those drivers a must watch.
The statistics say Busch may rise from the fray with the Chase spot. In terms of Driver Rating, Richmond ranks as Busch's best track. For Kenseth and Vickers, it ranks as one of their worst.
Driver Rating (By Track)
Kenseth, Vickers and Busch
| Matt Kenseth | Brian Vickers | Kyle Busch | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos. | Track | Rating | Pos. | Track | Rating | Pos. | Track | Rating | ||
| 1. | Dover | 113.9 | 1. | Chicagoland | 107.3 | 1. | Richmond | 112.1 | ||
| 2. | Homestead | 113.7 | 2. | Pocono | 93.9 | 2. | Las Vegas | 109.4 | ||
| 3. | Auto Club | 113.1 | 3. | Michigan | 93.6 | 3. | Auto Club | 107.9 | ||
| 4. | Chicagoland | 107.8 | 4. | Lowe's | 91.7 | 4. | Bristol | 105.5 | ||
| 5. | Texas | 105.8 | 5. | Talladega | 90.1 | 5. | Watkins Glen | 104.9 | ||
| 19. | Richmond | 80.8 | 20. | Richmond | 57.7 |
Comparing head-to-head match-ups at Richmond, Busch appears to have a definite chance at overtaking Kenseth. Busch currently trails Kenseth by 37 points. Vickers trails Kenseth by 20. In nine previous Richmond match-ups, Busch has gained more than 37 points on Kenseth four times. In eight races, Vickers has gained 20 on Kenseth at Richmond only once, in May 2008. Below are the four times Busch has gained at least 37 on Kenseth:
Busch vs. Kenseth at Richmond
Points Gains More Than 37 Points
| Date | Busch Points | Kenseth Points | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/6/06 | 160 | 49 | 111 |
| 5/3/08 | 170 | 49 | 121 |
| 9/7/08 | 123 | 51 | 72 |
| 5/2/09 | 190 | 124 | 69 |
Below are the driver logs for Kenseth, Vickers and Busch:
Loop Data at Richmond (2005-2009)
Matt Kenseth
| Date | Finish | Avg. Run Pos. | Fastest Laps Run | Laps T-15% | Rating | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/05 | 12 | 18.5 | 0 | 21.8 | 76.5 | 2 |
| 9/05 | 2 | 5.1 | 15 | 100 | 115.5 | 3 |
| 5/06 | 38 | 33.7 | 27 | 20 | 79.4 | 0 |
| 9/06 | 8 | 7.1 | 9 | 100 | 107.7 | 39 |
| 5/07 | 10 | 17.4 | 4 | 55.8 | 80.8 | 3 |
| 9/07 | 14 | 13.1 | 3 | 69.5 | 88.5 | 0 |
| 5/08 | 38 | 29.4 | 6 | 3.2 | 47.8 | 0 |
| 9/08 | 39 | 28.7 | 3 | 31 | 65 | 2 |
| 5/09 | 13 | 20.6 | 1 | 19 | 65.7 | 0 |
| Totals | 19.3 | 19.3 | 68 | 46.6 | 80.8 | 49 |
Brian Vickers
| Date | Finish | Avg. Run Pos. | Fastest Laps Run | Laps T-15% | Rating | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/05 | 32 | 29.8 | 0 | 0 | 44.9 | 0 |
| 9/05 | 37 | 28.2 | 0 | 17.8 | 58.1 | 0 |
| 5/06 | 37 | 10.5 | 1 | 96.8 | 74 | 0 |
| 9/06 | 24 | 23.7 | 0 | 0 | 52.9 | 0 |
| 9/07 | 24 | 29.2 | 6 | 0.3 | 51.4 | 0 |
| 5/08 | 28 | 30.4 | 2 | 0.2 | 42.4 | 0 |
| 9/08 | 36 | 26.7 | 2 | 1.5 | 52.8 | 0 |
| 5/09 | 15 | 22.6 | 8 | 31.5 | 85.4 | 21 |
| Totals | 29.1 | 25.1 | 19 | 18.4 | 57.7 | 21 |
Kyle Busch
| Date | Finish | Avg. Run Pos. | Fastest Laps Run | Laps T-15% | Rating | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/05 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 100 | 104.4 | 0 |
| 9/05 | 4 | 3.7 | 22 | 100 | 120.5 | 10 |
| 5/06 | 5 | 8.6 | 9 | 91.8 | 101.6 | 7 |
| 9/06 | 2 | 2.8 | 90 | 100 | 138.4 | 248 |
| 5/07 | 2 | 9.1 | 25 | 73.8 | 111.1 | 27 |
| 9/07 | 20 | 14.4 | 0 | 53.8 | 77.9 | 0 |
| 5/08 | 2 | 3 | 27 | 100 | 120 | 0 |
| 9/08 | 15 | 15 | 35 | 62.5 | 105.2 | 53 |
| 5/09 | 1 | 4.9 | 30 | 100 | 129.4 | 53 |
| Totals | 6.1 | 7.7 | 255 | 86.9 | 112.1 | 398 |
Also
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Sprint Cup Series
Standings
| Pos. | +/- | Driver | Points | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | -- | Tony Stewart | 3,694 | -- |
| 2. | +1 | Jeff Gordon | 3,457 | -237 |
| 3. | -1 | Jimmie Johnson | 3,404 | -290 |
| 4. | -- | Denny Hamlin | 3,296 | -398 |
| 5. | -- | Carl Edwards | 3,162 | -532 |
| 6. | +5 | Kasey Kahne | 3,153 | -541 |
| 7. | -1 | Kurt Busch | 3,152 | -542 |
| 8. | +1 | Juan Montoya | 3,145 | -549 |
| 9. | -2 | Ryan Newman | 3,138 | -556 |
| 10. | -- | Mark Martin | 3,126 | -568 |
| 11. | -3 | Greg Biffle | 3,125 | -569 |
| 12. | -- | Matt Kenseth | 3,077 | -617 |
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