TALLADEGA-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

1 – Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.2

2014 Rundown

· Five wins, 15 top fives, 20 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 11.5

· Led 20 races for 916 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· Two top fives, four top 10s

· Average finish of 20.7 in 11 races

· Average Running Position of 16.5, eighth-best

· Driver Rating of 81.7, 11th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 193.205 mph, 10th-fastest

2 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Halloween Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.9

2014 Rundown

· One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 16.3

· Led 15 races for 453 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· One win, four top fives, five top 10s

· Average finish of 21.4 in 19 races

· Average Running Position of 18.8, 19th-best

· Driver Rating of 81.1, 13th-best

· 88 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

· 6,094 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

· 1,782 Laps in the Top 15 (49.3%), sixth-most

· 3,705 Quality Passes, sixth-most

3 – Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 110.2

2014 Rundown

· Three wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s; eight poles

· Average finish of 13.5

· Led 23 races for 1,815 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 15.9 in 27 races

· Average Running Position of 18.9, 21st-best

· Driver Rating of 78.0, 21st-best

· 80 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

· 6,423 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

· 1,594 Laps in the Top 15 (44.1%), 10th-most

· 3,382 Quality Passes, ninth-most

4 – Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.9

2014 Rundown

· Two top fives, 13 top 10s

· Average finish of 13.5

· Led 6 races for 31 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· Four top fives, nine top 10s

· Average finish of 21.5 in 25 races

· Average Running Position of 22.2, 34th-best

· Driver Rating of 69.1, 30th-best

5 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Subway Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.8

2014 Rundown

· Two wins, seven top fives, 13 top 10s

· Average finish of 14.3

· Led 11 races for 135 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· Two top fives, five top 10s

· Average finish of 21.1 in 20 races

· Average Running Position of 23.7, 40th-best

· Driver Rating of 67.3, 32nd-best

· 77 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

6 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 110.3

2014 Rundown

· Four wins, 12 top fives, 20 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 9.8

· Led 22 races for 740 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· Six wins, 15 top fives, 19 top 10s; three poles

· Average finish of 16.7 in 43 races

· Average Running Position of 18.9, 20th-best

· Driver Rating of 80.6, 15th-best

· 1,644 Laps in the Top 15 (45.5%), ninth-most

7 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx One Rate/Deliverminator Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.9

2014 Rundown

· One win, six top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 15.0

· Led 13 races for 217 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· One win, four top fives, six top 10s

· Average finish of 19.1 in 17 races

· Average Running Position of 17.7, 12th-best

· Driver Rating of 83.1, ninth-best

· 70 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most

· 5,604 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most

· 1,543 Laps in the Top 15 (47.8%), 11th-most

· 3,443 Quality Passes, eighth-most

8 – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.6

2014 Rundown

· One win, three top fives, 11 top 10s

· Average finish of 16.5

· Led 11 races for 206 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· Three top fives, five top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 21.5 in 21 races

· Average Running Position of 21.7, 32nd-best

· Driver Rating of 70.0, 29th-best

· 5,877 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most

· 3,170 Quality Passes, 12th-most

9 – Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.2

2014 Rundown

· 11 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 13.9

· Led 17 races for 467 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· One win, five top fives, nine top 10s

· Average finish of 18.3 in 29 races

· Series-best Average Running Position of 14.0

· Driver Rating of 90.9, second-best

· 6,129 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

· Series-high 2,361 Laps in the Top 15 (65.4%)

· 4,531 Quality Passes, third-most

10 – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Wicked Apple Ale Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.9

2014 Rundown

· Five wins, 13 top fives, 16 top 10s; five poles

· Average finish of 13.3

· Led 25 races for 1,506 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s

· Average finish of 16.4 in 11 races

· Average Running Position of 20.1, 24th-best

· Driver Rating of 79.7, 17th-best

11 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.6

2014 Rundown

· Three wins, 10 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 14.4

· Led 15 races for 1,035 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· Two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 17.2 in 25 races

· Average Running Position of 16.6, ninth-best

· Driver Rating of 85.9, seventh-best

· 1,881 Laps in the Top 15 (52.1%), fifth-most

· 3,768 Quality Passes, fifth-most

12 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.6

2014 Rundown

· Three wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s

· Average finish of 12.2

· Led 14 races for 269 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· Five wins, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s

· Average finish of 15.0 in 29 races

· Average Running Position of 14.8, third-best

· Driver Rating of 90.3, third-best

· 78 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

· 6,487 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 193.225 mph, ninth-fastest

· 2,155 Laps in the Top 15 (59.7%), third-most

· 4,160 Quality Passes, fourth-most

13 – AJ Allmendinger (No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 70.8

2014 Rundown

· One win, two top fives, four top 10s

· Average finish of 20.1

· Led 5 races for 68 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· One top five, one top 10

· Average finish of 23.4 in nine races

· Average Running Position of 24.1, 44th-best

· Driver Rating of 61.5, 42nd-best

14 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 79.0

2014 Rundown

· Three top fives, 10 top 10s

· Average finish of 15.8

· Led 6 races for 109 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· Three top fives, six top 10s

· Average finish of 18.7 in 23 races

· Average Running Position of 20.3, 25th-best

· Driver Rating of 76.8, 22nd-best

· 74 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

15 – Kurt Busch (No. 41 HAAS Automation Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.7

2014 Rundown

· One win, six top fives, eight top 10s

· Average finish of 19.8

· Led 12 races for 183 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· Six top fives, 13 top 10s

· Average finish of 17.3 in 27 races

· Average Running Position of 14.9, fourth-best

· Driver Rating of 87.1, fifth-best

· 7,181 Green Flag Passes, second-most

· 2,262 Laps in the Top 15 (62.6%), second-most

· Series-high 4,905 Quality Passes

16 – Aric Almirola (No. 43 Smithfield Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 72.9

2014 Rundown

· One win, two top fives, seven top 10s

· Average finish of 21.0

· Led 5 races for 23 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

· One top 10

· Average finish of 19.1 in nine races

· Average Running Position of 18.6, 17th-best

· Driver Rating of 81.7, 12th-best

The 12 Contenders at Talladega Superspeedway

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Joey Logano	11	0	0	2	4	4	20.7	81.7
2	Kyle Busch	19	0	1	4	5	5	21.4	81.1
3	Kevin Harvick	27	1	1	6	11	2	15.9	78.0
4	Ryan Newman	25	0	0	4	9	8	21.5	69.1
5	Carl Edwards	20	0	0	2	5	6	21.1	67.3
6	Jeff Gordon	43	3	6	15	19	9	16.7	80.6
7	Denny Hamlin	17	0	1	4	6	3	19.1	83.1
8	Kasey Kahne	21	1	0	3	5	3	21.5	70.0
9	Matt Kenseth	29	0	1	5	9	4	18.3	90.9
10	Brad Keselowski	11	0	2	3	6	1	16.4	79.7
11	Jimmie Johnson	25	1	2	6	10	8	17.2	85.9
12	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	29	0	5	10	14	5	15.0	90.3

* – Based on last 19 races at Talladega Superspeedway (2005 – 2014).

Talladega Superspeedway:

History

· Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on Sept. 14, 1969 – won by Richard Brickhouse.

· The name changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989.

· Fourth repaving completed on Sept. 19, 2006.

Notebook

· There have been 90 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, one NSCS event in 1969 and two races per year since 1970.

· Talladega Superspeedway is tied with Michigan International Speedway for holding the ninth most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points paying races (90).

· 438 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega; 299 in more than one.

· Dave Marcis leads the series in starts at Talladega with 61. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 43 starts; followed by Joe Nemechek with 38.

· Bobby Isaac won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Talladega in 1969 with a speed of 199.466 mph. Isaac won the first three poles at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.

· 37 drivers have Coors Light poles at Talladega, led by Bill Elliott with eight. Joe Nemechek leads all active drivers with four; followed by Jeff Gordon with three.

· 10 drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Talladega. Bill Elliott holds the record for most consecutive poles at Talladega with six (1985 – 1987).

· Youngest Talladega pole winner: Brian Scott (05/04/2014 – 26 years, 3 months, 22 days).

· Oldest Talladega pole winner: Mark Martin (10/23/2011 – 52 years, 9 months, 14 days).

· 44 different drivers have won at Talladega Superspeedway, led by Dale Earnhardt with 10. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with six.

· Richard Childress Racing has the most wins at Talladega in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 12; followed by Hendrick Motorsports with 11.

· Nine different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Talladega; led by Chevrolet with 39 victories; followed by Ford with 20 and Toyota with three.

· 13 of the 90 (14.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega have been won from the Coors Light pole. Jeff Gordon (2007) is the only active driver to be able to accomplish the feat.

· The outside front row (second-place) starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Talladega.

· 33 of the 90 (36.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega have been won from the front row: 13 from the pole and 20 from second-place.

· 62 of the 90 (68.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Talladega have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· 8 of the 90 (8.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Talladega was 36th, by Jeff Gordon in the spring of 2000.

· Youngest Talladega winner: Bobby Hillin Jr. (07/27/1986 – 22 years, 1 month, 22 days).

· Oldest Talladega winner: Harry Gant (05/06/1991 – 51 years, 3 months, 26 days).

· Buddy Baker and Tony Stewart are tied for the series’ most runner-up finishes at Talladega with six each.

· NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-five finishes at Talladega with 23. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 15.

· Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-10 finishes at Talladega with 27. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 19.

· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Talladega with a 10.520.

· Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Talladega with a 15.000.

· There have been seven NSCS races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Talladega Superspeedway: spring of 2005 (188/194), fall of 2005 (188/190), spring of 2007 (188/192), fall of 2008 (188/190) spring of 2010 (188/200), fall of 2012 (188/189) and spring of 2013 (188/192).

· Only two of the 90 races at Talladega Superspeedway have been shortened due to weather conditions: spring of 1987 and fall of 1996.

· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway five times; most recently fall of 2013.

· Jamie McMurray (10/06/2002) made his series debut at Talladega Superspeedway.

· Brian Scott (05/04/2014), David Gilliland (10/08/2006) and Travis Kvapil (10/05/2008) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light poles at Talladega.

· 2012 series champion Brad Keselowski (04/26/2009) and Brian Vickers (10/08/2006) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Talladega.

· Nine drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Talladega; Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the series in consecutive wins at Talladega after posting four straight from the fall of 2001 – 2003.

· Brad Keselowski is the only active series driver to win at Talladega in his first appearance.

· Matt Kenseth competed at Talladega Superspeedway 25 times before winning the fall of 2012; the longest span of any the 12 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.

· Matt Kenseth (25), Tony Stewart (19), Kevin Harvick (18), and David Ragan (12) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Talladega.

· Joe Nemechek leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Talladega without visiting Victory Lane at 38; followed by Kurt Busch with 27.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway was the (04/17/2011) race won by Jimmie Johnson with a MOV of 0.002 second – the MOV is tied with the 2003 Darlington race as the closest finishes in the NSCS using electronic scoring.

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Talladega with 844 laps led in 43 starts.

· Three female drivers have competed at Talladega in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Patty Moise and Danica Patrick.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	7	22	5/4/2014
Danica Patrick	23	33	10/20/2013
Danica Patrick	23	33	5/5/2013
Patty Moise	36	33	7/30/1989
Janet Guthrie	12	29	8/6/1978
Janet Guthrie	9	34	8/7/1977
Janet Guthrie	13	32	5/1/1977

NASCAR in Alabama

· There have been 109 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among seven different tracks in Alabama.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Talladega Superspeedway	Talladega	90
Birmingham International Raceway	Birmingham	8
Montgomery Motor Speedway	Montgomery	6
Lakeview Speedway	Mobile	2
Chisholm Speedway	Montgomery	1
Dixie Speedway	Birmingham	1
Huntsville Speedway	Huntsville	1

· 70 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Alabama.

· Nine drivers from Alabama have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; five have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Driver	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
Bobby Allison	84	2	0
Davey Allison	19	0	0
Neil Bonnett	18	1	0
Donnie Allison	10	0	0
Red Byron	2	0	0
Steve Grissom	0	11	0
Rick Crawford	0	0	5
Darrell Wallace Jr	0	0	3
Cale Gale	0	0	1

MORE:

READ: Latest Chase news	PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks	WATCH: Latest NASCAR video	FOLLOW LIVE: Get RaceVie