A stats-based look ahead to the second race of the Sprint Cup season
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia going into the Folds Of Honor QuikTrip 500 on March
ATLANTA-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ortho Ford)
· Three top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.7
· Average Running Position of 13.9, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 90.8, 11th-best
· 237 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 1,031 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· 3,466 Laps in the Top 15 (66.2%), sixth-most
· 539 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), seventh-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Kelly Blue Book Chevrolet)
· One win, eight top fives, 12 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.3
· Average Running Position of 13.0, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 92.7, ninth-best
· 227 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· 1,119 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.203 mph, eighth-fastest
· 3,382 Laps in the Top 15 (64.6%), seventh-most
· 535 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Carl Edwards (No. 19 ARRIS Toyota)
· Three wins, nine top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 14.6
· Average Running Position of 12.4, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 100.1, third-best
· Series-high 371 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.499 mph, second-fastest
· 4,038 Laps in the Top 15 (77.1%), third-most
· 552 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 3M Chevrolet)
· Five wins, 16 top fives, 26 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 11.9
· Average Running Position of 10.2, second-best
· Series-best Driver Rating of 106.0
· 296 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.453 mph, fourth-fastest
· 4,161 Laps in the Top 15 (79.5%), second-most
· Series-high 612 Quality Passes
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)
· One win, three top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 16.8
· Average Running Position of 12.1, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 97.4, sixth-best
· 263 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.463 mph, third-fastest
· 3,312 Laps in the Top 15 (67.4%), ninth-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John's/ Budweiser Chevrolet)
· One win, five top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 18.8
· Driver Rating of 90.4, 12th-best
· 280 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· 949 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.232 mph, seventh-fastest
· 3,045 Laps in the Top 15 (58.1%), 12th-most
· 470 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
· Three wins, 12 top fives, 14 top 10s
· Average finish of 11.5
· Series-best Average Running Position of 9.1
· Driver Rating of 104.9, second-best
· 280 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 171.523 mph
· Series-high 4,381 Laps in the Top 15 (83.7%)
· 582 Quality Passes, third-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
· Nine top fives, 15 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.3
· Average Running Position of 12.2, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 97.9, fifth-best
· 201 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
· 1,034 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.339 mph, fifth-fastest
· 3,749 Laps in the Top 15 (71.6%), fourth-most
· 544 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Kyle Larson (No. 42 ENERGIZER Chevrolet)
· One top 10
· Average finish of 8.0
· Average Running Position of 11.3, third-best
· Driver Rating of 91.1, 10th-best
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
· Three wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.7
· Average Running Position of 12.3, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 98.1, fourth-best
· 233 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.191 mph, ninth-fastest
· 3,353 Laps in the Top 15 (68.3%), eighth-most
· 509 Quality Passes, 10th-most
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 16 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Rank |
Driver |
Races |
Poles |
Wins |
Top Fives |
Top 10s |
DNFs |
Average Finish |
Driver Rating |
|
1 |
Joey Logano |
8 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
21.5 |
71.9 |
|
2 |
Kevin Harvick |
24 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
9 |
4 |
18.8 |
90.4 |
|
3 |
Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
27 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
12 |
2 |
12.3 |
92.7 |
|
4 |
Denny Hamlin |
15 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
2 |
16.8 |
97.4 |
|
5 |
Jimmie Johnson |
23 |
0 |
3 |
12 |
14 |
2 |
11.5 |
104.9 |
|
6 |
Casey Mears |
19 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
22.5 |
59.1 |
|
7 |
Clint Bowyer |
14 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
21.1 |
83 |
|
8 |
Martin Truex Jr. |
16 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
20.4 |
90.1 |
|
9 |
Kasey Kahne |
18 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
9 |
3 |
18.6 |
87.2 |
|
10 |
Greg Biffle |
20 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
10 |
2 |
15.7 |
90.8 |
|
11 |
David Gilliland |
13 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
26.8 |
56.6 |
|
12 |
Sam Hornish Jr. |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
27.1 |
57.9 |
|
13 |
Michael Annett |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
21 |
59.2 |
|
14 |
Austin Dillon |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
21.5 |
65.1 |
|
15 |
Aric Almirola |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
20.5 |
65.8 |
|
16 |
David Ragan |
12 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
26.5 |
57.3 |
* – Based on last 16 races at Atlanta Motor Speedway (2005 – 2014).
Atlanta Motor Speedway Data Season Race #: 2 of 36 (03-01-14) Track Size: 1.54-miles Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 24 degrees Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 24 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees Frontstretch Length: 2,332 feet Backstretch Length: 1,800 feet Race Length: 325 laps / 500.5 miles Top Driver Ratings at Atlanta Jeff Gordon.............................. 106.0 Jimmie Johnson........................ 104.9 Carl Edwards............................ 100.1 Tony Stewart............................... 98.1 Matt Kenseth.............................. 97.9 Denny Hamlin............................. 97.4 Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 92.7 Kyle Larson................................ 91.1 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (16 total) among active drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data 2014 pole winner: Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet 190.398 mph, 29.118 secs. 08-29-14
2014 race winner: Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet 131.514 mph, (03:55:22), 08-31-14
Track qualifying record: Geoffrey Bodine, Ford 197.478 mph, 28.074 secs. 11-15-97
Track race record: Bobby Labonte, Pontiac 159.904 mph, (03:07:48), 11-16-97
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Statistical Advance
Atlanta Motor Speedway:
History
· Originally called Atlanta International Raceway, the track was then a 1.5-mile paved speedway.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Atlanta was on July 31, 1960, won by Fireball Roberts from the pole.
· The track was re-measured to 1.522 miles in the spring of 1970.
· It was renamed Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1990.
· The track layout was reversed and the track was re-configured to 1.54 miles between the two races in 1997.
Notebook
· There have been 107 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway since the first race there in 1960. Until 2010 there have been two races per year except 1961, which had three. This year marks the fourth season with only one event.
· 552 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway; 367 in more than one.
· Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Atlanta with 65. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 41 starts, followed by Joe Nemechek with 38.
· Fireball Roberts won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Atlanta in 1960 with a speed of 133.870 mph.
· 48 drivers have Coors Light poles at Atlanta, led by Buddy Baker and Ryan Newman with seven each.
· Winning consecutive Coors Light poles has happened eight times at Atlanta, among six drivers.
· Ryan Newman holds the record for most consecutive poles at Atlanta with six; spring of 2003 through 2005.
· Youngest Atlanta pole winner: Terry Labonte (03/15/1981 – 24 years, 3 months, 27 days).
· Oldest Atlanta pole winner: Harry Gant (11/14/1993 – 53 years, 10 months, 4 days).
· 43 different NSCS drivers have won at Atlanta Motor Speedway, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt with nine wins. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five.
· 11 drivers have posted consecutive wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Marvin Panch (1965 sweep), Bobby Allison (1972 sweep), David Pearson (1973 sweep), Richard Petty (1974 fall, 1975 spring), Cale Yarborough (1980 fall, 1981 spring), Bill Elliott (1985 sweep; 1992 sweep), Dale Earnhardt (1989 fall, 1990 spring; 1995 fall, 1996 spring), Bobby Labonte (1997 fall, 1998 spring), Jeff Gordon (1998 fall, 1999 spring), Carl Edwards (2005 sweep), Jimmie Johnson (2007 sweep)
· Youngest Atlanta winner: Kyle Busch (03/09/2008 – 22 years, 10 months, 7 days).
· Oldest Atlanta winner: Morgan Shepherd (03/20/1993 – 51 years, 5 months, 8 days).
· The Wood Brothers and Hendrick Motorsports have the most wins at Atlanta in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 12 each:
o Wood Brothers: Cale Yarborough (three), David Pearson (three), Marvin Panch (two), Neil Bonnett (two) A.J. Foyt (one) and Morgan Shepherd (one).
o Hendrick Motorsports: Jeff Gordon (five),Jimmie Johnson (three), Darrell Waltrip (one), Jerry Nadeau (one), Kasey Kahne (one) and Ken Schrader (one).
o Joe Gibbs Racing has the third most wins at Atlanta with 11.
· Nine different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Atlanta; led by Chevrolet with 38 victories; followed by Ford (29), Pontiac (11), Dodge (nine), Mercury (eight), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Toyota (three) and Oldsmobile (one).
· 14 of the 107 (13.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Kasey Kahne in 2006.
· The fifth starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (15) than any other starting position at Atlanta Motor Speedway; the most recent was Jeff Gordon in 2011.
· 26 of the 107 (24.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta have been won from the front row: 14 from the pole and 12 from second-place.
· 60 of the 107 (56.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Atlanta have been won from a top-five starting position.
· 85 of the 107 (79.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Atlanta have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· Seven of the 107 (6.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Atlanta is 39th, by Bobby Labonte in the fall of 2001.
· No driver has swept the weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway across all three NASCAR national series. Two drivers have won in multiple NASCAR national series in the same weekend at Atlanta: Carl Edwards (2005, NSCS/NNS); (fall 2008, NSCS/NNS) and Kyle Busch (spring 2008, NSCS/NCWTS)
· Dale Earnhardt and David Pearson lead the series in runner-up finishes at Atlanta with seven each; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five.
· Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-five finishes at Atlanta with 26; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 16.
· Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Atlanta with 33; Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 26.
· Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Atlanta with a 7.409.
· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at 11.522.
· Nine of the 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Atlanta Motor Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Kevin Harvick won at Atlanta in his first appearance (2001). Carl Edwards won in his second appearance (2005).
· Denny Hamlin competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway 12 times before winning in the spring of 2012; the longest span of any the 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
· Among the 10 active NSCS Atlanta winners Denny Hamlin (12) is the only driver to have made 10 or more attempts before his first win.
· Joe Nemechek leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Atlanta without visiting Victory Lane at 38; followed by Matt Kenseth with 26.
· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway was the March 11, 2001 race won by Kevin Harvick over Jeff Gordon with a MOV of 0.006 second.
· There have been four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): fall of 2007 (325/329); spring of 2010 (325/341), fall of 2012 (325/327) and 2014 (325/335).
· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway five times; most recently the fall of 2010.
· One active driver has posted his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (9/01/2013).
· Two active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career start at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (11/15/1992) and Martin Truex Jr. (10/31/2004).
· Two active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at Atlanta Motor Speedway: Kevin Harvick (3/11/2001) and Carl Edwards (3/20/2005).
· Cale Yarborough leads all drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Atlanta with 3,283 laps led in 47 starts. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in laps led at Atlanta with 1,297.
· Three female drivers have competed at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Shawna Robinson and Danica Patrick.
Driver |
Starting Position |
Finishing Position |
Date |
Janet Guthrie |
34 |
30 |
3/20/1977 |
Janet Guthrie |
19 |
16 |
11/6/1977 |
Janet Guthrie |
23 |
10 |
3/19/1978 |
Shawna Robinson |
31 |
34 |
3/10/2002 |
Danica Patrick |
23 |
29 |
9/2/2012 |
Danica Patrick |
21 |
21 |
9/1/2013 |
Danica Patrick |
27 |
6 |
8/31/2014 |
NASCAR in Georgia
· There have been 166 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among 12 different tracks in Georgia.
Track Name |
City |
NSCS |
Atlanta Motor Speedway |
Hampton |
107 |
Augusta International Speedway |
Augusta |
12 |
Lakewood Speedway |
Atlanta |
11 |
Savannah Speedway |
Savannah |
10 |
Middle Georgia Raceway |
Macon |
9 |
Central City Speedway |
Macon |
7 |
Valdosta 75 Speedway |
Valdosta |
3 |
Jeffco Speedway |
Jefferson |
2 |
Oglethorpe Speedway |
Savannah |
2 |
Augusta International Raceway |
Augusta |
1 |
Columbus Speedway |
Columbus |
1 |
Hayloft Speedway |
Augusta |
1 |
· 180 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Georgia; 15 have won at least once in one of NASCAR’s national series.
· 11 of the 178 have posted at least one victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
· Bill Elliott (five wins) is the only Georgia native to have won at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
MORE:
Driver |
NSCS |
NXS |
NCWTS |
Bill Elliott |
44 |
1 |
0 |
Tim Flock |
39 |
0 |
0 |
Jack Smith |
21 |
0 |
0 |
Fonty Flock |
19 |
0 |
0 |
Bob Flock |
4 |
0 |
0 |
Frank Mundy |
3 |
0 |
0 |
David Ragan |
2 |
2 |
0 |
Gober Sosebee |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Harold Kite |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Sam McQuagg |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Jody Ridley |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Reed Sorenson |
0 |
4 |
0 |
Chase Elliott |
0 |
3 |
1 |
Buckshot Jones |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Ronald Cooper |
0 |
1 |
0 |
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