DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 31, 2015) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina going into the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on September 6 (7 p.m. ET on NBC).
DARLINGTON-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ortho Ford)
· Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.800, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 10.597, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 105.7, fifth-best
· 296 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.175, fifth-fastest
· 2642 Laps in the Top 15 (71.7), seventh-most
· 326 Quality Passes, second-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota)
· One win, two top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 13.600, 11th-best
· Average Running Position of 8.995, third-best
· Driver Rating of 106.1, fourth-best
· 236 Fastest Laps Run, third-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.348, third-fastest
· 3134 Laps in the Top 15 (85.1), third-most
· 374 Quality Passes, series-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr (No. 88 Valvoline Chevrolet)
· Four top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 11.200, sixth-best
· Average Running Position of 11.404, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 94.3, eighth-best
· 110 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.954, ninth-fastest
· 2650 Laps in the Top 15 (71.9), sixth-most
· 312 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Carl Edwards (No. 19 ARRIS Toyota)
· Three top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 13.100, ninth-best
· Average Running Position of 13.732, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 91.0, 12th-best
· 151 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.807, 12th-fastest
· 2262 Laps in the Top 15 (61.4), 12th-most
· 287 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 3M Chevrolet)
· Seven wins, 19 top fives, 23 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 7.400, second-best
· Average Running Position of 7.629, series-best
· Driver Rating of 112.7, series-best
· 262 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.593, series-fastest
· 3356 Laps in the Top 15 (91.1), series-most
· 314 Quality Passes, third-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota)
· One win, four top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 6.889, series-best
· Average Running Position of 8.644, second-best
· Driver Rating of 107.1, second-best
· 186 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.315, fourth-fastest
· 2849 Laps in the Top 15 (86.0), second-most
· 303 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John’s/ Budweiser Chevrolet)
· One win, four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 16.300, 12th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.772, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 93.1, 10th-best
· 167 Fastest Laps Run, second-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.885, 10th-fastest
· 2531 Laps in the Top 15 (68.7), ninth-most
· 267 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
· Three wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 8.800, third-best
· Average Running Position of 9.992, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 106.8, third-best
· 256 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.443, second-fastest
· 2789 Laps in the Top 15 (75.7), fourth-most
· 291 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 HendrickRideAlong.com Chevrolet)
· Three top fives, four top 10s; four poles
· Average finish of 17.500, 13th-best
· Average Running Position of 10.665, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 97.9, sixth-best
· 230 Fastest Laps Run, series-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.069, seventh-fastest
· 2597 Laps in the Top 15 (70.5), eighth-most
· 233 Quality Passes, 13th-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
· One win, three top fives, ten top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 10.100, fourth-best
· Average Running Position of 13.487, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 93.2, ninth-best
· 123 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.814, 11th-fastest
· 2382 Laps in the Top 15 (64.7), 11th-most
· 264 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
· Seven top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.300, seventh-best
· Average Running Position of 11.409, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.8, seventh-best
· 64 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 160.086, sixth-fastest
· 2778 Laps in the Top 15 (75.4), fifth-most
· 259 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
· Four top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 10.900, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 14.805, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 88.1, 13th-best
· 105 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.791, 13th-fastest
· 2153 Laps in the Top 15 (58.4), 13th-most
· 311 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Martin Truex Jr (No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet)
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 13.111, 10th-best
· Average Running Position of 13.116, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 92.1, 11th-best
· 127 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.992, eighth-fastest
· 2153 Laps in the Top 15 (65.0), 10th-most
· 278 Quality Passes, ninth-most
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 10 at Darlington Raceway
|
Rank |
Driver |
Races |
Poles |
Wins |
Top Fives |
Top 10s |
DNFs |
Average Finish |
Driver Rating |
|
1 |
18 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
1 |
17 |
93.1 |
|
|
2 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
23 |
77.9 |
|
|
3 |
20 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
9 |
1 |
14.3 |
94.3 |
|
|
4 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
14.3 |
84.7 |
|
|
5 |
16 |
0 |
3 |
9 |
12 |
1 |
8.4 |
106.8 |
|
|
6 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
13.1 |
92.1 |
|
|
7 |
21 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
10 |
1 |
16 |
93.2 |
|
|
8 |
18 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
1 |
17.9 |
81.6 |
|
|
9 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
0 |
6.9 |
107.1 |
|
|
10 |
14 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
1 |
16.1 |
82.6 |
* – Based on last 10 races at Darlington Raceway (2005 – 2014).
Darlington Three Year Average Finishes Of Drivers Currently 17th – 30th In The Standings
|
Points Pos. |
Driver |
3 Yr. Average Finish (2012 – 2014) |
|
17 |
21.0 |
|
|
18 |
20.7 |
|
|
19 |
10.0 |
|
|
20 |
11.0 |
|
|
21 |
8.0 |
|
|
22 |
27.0 |
|
|
23 |
25.7 |
|
|
24 |
24.0 |
|
|
25 |
33.0 |
|
|
26 |
0.0 |
|
|
27 |
9.0 |
|
|
28 |
0.0 |
|
|
29 |
19.0 |
|
|
30 |
23.0 |
* Sam Hornish Jr. and Trevor Bayne have not made starts in the last three seasons at Darlington in the NSCS.
Statistical Advance
History
· Darlington Raceway was built as a 1.25-mile paved superspeedway in 1949-1950.
· Darlington Raceway hosted the first 500-mile race in NASCAR history and the first on asphalt on Sept. 4, 1950 – 75 cars competed in the event – Curtis Turner won the pole at 82.034 mph, and the race was won by Johnny Mantz (Plymouth, 75.250 mph, 6:38:40).
· The track was re-measured to 1.375 miles in 1953.
· The track was re-configured to 1.366 miles following the spring race in 1970.
· The track was repaved in 1995.
· The 2005 race was the first Saturday night race at Darlington.
· The track was repaved again prior to the 2008 season.
Starts
· There have been 111 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway. The 1.366-mile track has hosted the fifth most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points paying races.
· 709 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway; 428 in more than one.
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Darlington with 65. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 34 starts; followed by Tony Stewart with 22.
· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Darlington with a 6.824.
· Jeff Gordon (6.8), Ryan Newman (8.6) and Kasey Kahne (9.1) are the only active three drivers with an average starting position in the top 10.
· 125 different drivers have made NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career debut at Darlington Raceway.
Poles
· Curtis Turner won the inaugural Coors Light Pole Award at Darlington in 1950 in an Oldsmobile with a speed of 82.034 mph.
· 48 drivers have Coors Light poles at Darlington, led by David Pearson with 12. Kasey Kahne leads all active drivers with four.
· Nine drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Darlington. Kasey Kahne is the only active driver with consecutive Coors Light poles (2005-2006).
· David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Darlington with five (1975 – 1977).
· Youngest Darlington pole winner: Kurt Busch (09/02/2001 – 23 years, 0 months, 29 days).
· Oldest Darlington pole winner: David Pearson (09/06/1982 – 47 years, 8 months, 15 days).
· Eight drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup pole at Darlington Raceway: Cotton Owens (1957), Fred Lorenzen (1961), Bill Elliott (1981), Ken Schrader (1987), John Andretti (1995), Kurt Busch (2001), Elliott Sadler (2003) and Clint Bowyer (2007).
Wins
· 47 different drivers have won at Darlington Raceway, led by David Pearson with 10. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with seven wins; followed by his HMS teammate Jimmie Johnson with three.
· Six drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Darlington Raceway: Johnny Mantz (1950), Nelson Stacy (1961), Larry Frank (1962), Terry Labonte (1980), Lake Speed (1988) and Regan Smith (2011).
· Youngest Darlington winner: Kyle Busch (05/10/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 8 days).
· Oldest Darlington winner: Harry Gant (09/01/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 22 days).
· Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Darlington in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 14.
|
· 11 different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Darlington; led by Chevrolet with 41 victories; followed by Ford with 28 and Toyota has three.
· 20 of the 111 (18.02%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Darlington have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Kevin Harvick in last season’s event.
· NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson has won from the pole four times at Darlington – the series’ most.
· The Coors Light pole starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Darlington. The outside front row (second-place) has produced the second-most wins (17).
Wins
· 37 of the 111 (33.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Darlington have been won from the front row: 20 from first-place and 17 from second-place.
· 96 of the 111 (86.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Darlington have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· Six of the 111 (5.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Darlington have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Darlington is 43rd by Johnny Mantz in 1950 – the inaugural NSCS event.
· 13 drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Darlington; Dale Earnhardt (1989-1990) and Jeff Gordon (1995-1996) are tied for the series-most in consecutive wins at Darlington with three each.
· All seven active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Darlington Raceway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Among active drivers, Kyle Busch won at Darlington in the fewest previous appearances (three).
· Matt Kenseth competed at Darlington Raceway 19 times before winning last season; the longest span of any the six active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
· Tony Stewart leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Darlington without visiting Victory Lane at 22.
Additional Finishing Position Stats
· Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty are tied for the series most runner-up finishes at Darlington with eight each. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in second-place finishes at Darlington with four.
· Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Darlington with 25. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 19; followed by Jimmie Johnson with nine.
· Bill Elliott leads the series in top-10 finishes at Darlington with 35. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 23; followed by Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart with 12 each.
· Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Darlington with a 6.889.
· Three active NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers have an average finish in the top 10 at Darlington: Denny Hamlin (6.8), Kyle Larson (8.0) and Jimmie Johnson (8.4).
Track/Event Specific Stats
· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington Raceway is the (03/16/2003) race won by Ricky Craven with a MOV of 0.002 second over Kurt Busch. The MOV is tied with the 2011 Talladega race as the closest finish in the NSCS since the inception using electronic timing and scoring.
· There have been four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races resulting in a green-white-checkered finish at Darlington Raceway: 2005 (367/370), 2011 (367/370), 2012 (367/368) and 2014 (367/374).
Additional Finishing Position Stats
· Eight of the 111 races at Darlington Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the fall race of 2000.
· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington Raceway five times; most recently was the fall race of 2004.
· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Darlington with 1,744 laps led in 34 starts.
Female Competitor Stats
· Three female drivers have competed at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:
|
Active Drivers |
Starting Position |
Finishing Position |
Date |
|
38 |
31 |
5/12/2012 |
|
|
40 |
28 |
5/11/2013 |
|
|
33 |
22 |
4/12/2014 |
|
|
Averages |
37.0 |
27.0 |
|
|
Inactive Drivers |
Starting Position |
Finishing Position |
Date |
|
Janet Guthrie |
26 |
16 |
9/5/1977 |
|
Shawna Robinson |
42 |
42 |
3/17/2002 |
NASCAR in South Carolina
· There have been 221 NASCAR Sprint Cup races among 10 tracks in South Carolina.
|
Track Name |
City |
NSCS |
|
Darlington |
111 |
|
|
Columbia Speedway |
Columbia |
43 |
|
Greenville-Pickens Speedway |
Greenville |
29 |
|
Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds |
Spartanburg |
22 |
|
Rambi Race Track |
Myrtle Beach |
9 |
|
Coastal Speedway |
Myrtle Beach |
2 |
|
Lancaster Speedway |
Lancaster |
2 |
|
Gamecock Speedway |
Sumter |
1 |
|
Hartsville Speedway |
Hartsville |
1 |
|
Newberry Speedway |
Newberry |
1 |
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held in the state of South Carolina was at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 4, 1950 – the event was won by Johnny Mantz in a Plymouth.
NASCAR In South Carolina
· 133 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as South Carolina.
· 117 of the 133 (87.9%) South Carolina drivers have competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
· 10 drivers from South Carolina have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; seven have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
|
Driver |
NSCS |
NXS |
NCWTS |
|
David Pearson |
105 |
1 |
0 |
|
Cale Yarborough |
83 |
0 |
0 |
|
Cotton Owens |
9 |
0 |
0 |
|
Tiny Lund |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
James Hylton |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Johnny Allen |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Joe Eubanks |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Larry Pearson |
0 |
15 |
0 |
|
Jason Keller |
0 |
10 |
0 |
|
Butch Lindley |
0 |
6 |
0 |
Milestones – 2015 Season – Race 25
|
DRIVER |
HAS |
NEEDS |
MILESTONE |
DESCRIPTION |
|
785 |
3 |
788th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Consecutive Starts |
In three starts Jeff Gordon will tie Ricky Rudd (788 consecutive starts) for the series all-time lead in consecutive starts. |
|
|
578 |
1 |
579th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Start |
Stewart can tie Buck Baker (579 starts) for 23rd on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts list. |
|
|
349 |
1 |
350th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Start |
Bowyer is tied with Ned Jarrett for 69th on the all-time NSCS starts list, one start behind Denny Hamlin in 68th (350 starts). |
|
|
74 |
1 |
75th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Start |
Whitt is 225th on the all-time NSCS starts list, one start behind Casey Atwood in 224th (75 starts). |
|
|
74 |
2 |
76th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win |
Jimmie Johnson is eighth on the all-time NSCS wins list, two wins behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt in seventh (76 wins). |
|
|
48 |
2 |
50th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win |
Stewart is 13th on the all-time NSCS wins list, two wins behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett in 12th (50 wins). |
|
|
24 |
1 |
25th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win |
Edwards is 31st on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. , Joe Weatherly and Denny Hamlin tied for 28th (25 wins). |
|
|
99 |
1 |
100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top-Five Finish |
Hamlin is 38th on the all-time NSCS top-five list, one top five behind Geoff Bodine in 37th (100 top fives). |
|
|
299 |
1 |
300th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top-10 Finish |
Stewart is 17th on the all-time NSCS top-10 finishes list, two top 10s behind James Hylton in 16th (301 top 10s). |
|
|
24,831 |
169 |
25,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led |
Gordon can become the sixth driver in NSCS history to lead 25,000 laps; joining Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and Bobby Allison. |
|
|
9,748 |
252 |
10,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led |
Kenseth can become the 16th driver in series history to lead 10,000 or more laps. |
|
|
7,969 |
31 |
8,000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Laps Led |
Kevin Harvick can become the 24th driver in series history to lead 8,000 or more laps. |
|
|
#43 car |
199 |
1 |
200 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Wins |
The No. 43 car is second on the all-time NSCS wins list, five wins behind the No. 11 car in first (204). The last win for the No. 43 car came at Daytona last season. |
|
Chevrolet |
749 |
1 |
750th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win |
Chevrolet will attempt to post the manufacturer’s 750th win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this weekend. Chevrolet leads the series in wins. |