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Driver currently sits second in points despite no trips to Victory Lane in 2014
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Of the eight drivers who advanced to the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, three — Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth — have won at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
Among the five remaining drivers, two have multiple wins this year in Joey Logano (five) and Kevin Harvick (three).
Out of the final three drivers, two have finished second in the final series standings before in Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin.
That leaves Ryan Newman.
The 36-year-old may be the least flashy of the remaining competitors still in contention for this year’s championship, but yet another timely performance last weekend at Martinsville Speedway has him second in the standings with two races remaining before the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Newman finished third at the 0.526-mile track, tied for his best result of the year, behind the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Gordon. He’s three points back of Gordon, the series points leader, and has five consecutive finishes of eighth place or better.
"(The new format) has played to our advantage mathematically, no doubt," Newman said. "We were the 16th seed coming in without a win. We’ve not won yet. We were tied for the lead in the points with four races to go. So mathematically it has played to my advantage, as it has others, but probably mine mostly."
Even a rare mistake can’t ruin the momentum the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing team has generated.
Following a caution on Lap 188, Newman was busted for speeding on pit road — coincidentally, so was the No. 24 of Gordon. That sent the No. 31 back to 31st in the lineup, setting the stage for a rally that was more grit than glamour.
Newman’s progress through the field after that penalty Sunday was slow. He was 25th on a Lap 277 caution, 13th after a Lap 386 caution and finally back into the top 10 by Lap 400.
On the final pit stop following a red flag on Lap 488, Newman’s team gambled on two tires. He restarted eighth, and had never cracked the top five in the race until the final lap.
"The strategy of two tires there at the end worked out good for us," he said. "It was the right number of laps with the guys that stayed out, and we kept the guys behind us that had four tires. It was a great team effort. I put our team in a hole when I sped on pit lane, which doesn’t happen very often. It cost us a lot of track position."
Perhaps equally as important as Newman’s outstanding day was that Earnhardt won the race. Junior is no longer in the Chase, and those in the Eliminator Round automatically qualify for the four-driver championship round at Homestead with a victory this round.
That means at least two of those four heralded spots will be determined by points. For a driver that hasn’t won this year, but whose average finish (13.0) ranks fourth in all of the Sprint Cup Series, it’s setting up to be an ideal scenario heading to Texas Motor Speedway.
"I mean, it’s played to our advantage the entire time as far as not having a win, not having bonus points," Newman said. "But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be from the drop of the green in Texas or from the drop of the green in Homestead."
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See where each driver finished the Eliminator Round opener and why
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Editor’s note: Drivers in italics are in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Well, as always, timing is everything. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Martinsville for the first time in his career, a win that would’ve propelled him to the Championship Round at Homestead had he not been eliminated last week at Talladega. Still, he was plenty excited. "I definitely polished off the jerky too early," he said over the radio. "Cold beer, a whole (expletive) keg would be awesome. I could do a keg stand right now." Get more driver audio with RaceView
2. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Jeff Gordon incurred a speeding penalty ("I knew it. Big mistake on my part. My bad guys.") when he was caught going too fast on pit road on Lap 192. Considering he had to overcome this severe disadvantage and beefs with Carl Edwards (who checked up in front of him, damaging the nose of the No. 24) and Ryan Newman ("What’s up with that 31 getting into me?"), it’s incredible that he finished runner-up to his teammate. Get more driver audio with RaceView
3. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Speaking of incredible, Ryan Newman also had to overcome a speeding penalty at the same time as Gordon, rebounding for a third-place finish. Newman’s consistent charge through this Chase has been remarkable. He keeps inching closer to that elusive first win of 2014 and it just feels like at some point he’ll break through.
4. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
Martinsville proved successful for "Smoke" once again, as the driver was in contention for the win late for the first time since his return from a three-race absence. More importantly, he built momentum to carry into the end of the season and beyond, leading multiple laps in consecutive races for the first time this season.
5. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske
It wasn’t the round-opening race that Joey Logano enjoyed for the start of the Contender Round — i.e. his win at Kansas — but his fifth-place finish was enough to keep his head above water and in good standing for advancement to the Championship Round. As we’ve been seeing more and more lately, the No. 22 was out front for 60 laps and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him win next week at 1.5-mile Texas, the type of track Team Penske has dominated this year.
6. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
While his mix-up with fellow Chase driver Kevin Harvick left his competitor’s No. 4 Chevrolet with heavy damage, Matt Kenseth was able to recover from the incident well enough to nearly muster a top-five finish. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver even absorbed an intentional hit from the SHR driver: "(Harvick) tried to knock our radiator off. Check the nose for any damage." Get more driver audio with RaceView
7. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a Clint Bowyer sighting. Having led just one — one! — lap since he led all of three at Indianapolis in July, Bowyer looked like his old self on Sunday, leading 33 laps on his way to a seventh-place finish.
Get more driver data with RaceView.
8. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
At times, it looked like Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 car were the combo to beat — he led 68 laps — and that the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was back to honing his Martinsville prowess. An eighth-place finish is still good, especially considering an early pit stop flub where the car was too close to pit wall and the temporary jack man couldn’t get the handle down all the way nearly derailed him, but Hamlin still sits on the wrong side of the Chase bubble.
9. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing
A solid top-10 finish for AJ Allmendinger and crew, which should go a long way toward solidifying another of the JTG Daugherty Racing driver’s strong suits as they turn their focus toward 2015. He may be out of the Chase, but this team won’t forget that they made it via the Watkins Glen win. If Dinger has road courses and short tracks nailed down, look out.
10. David Ragan, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
If you were told that in two races at Talladega and Martinsville, David Ragan would’ve finished 30th and 10th, there’s no way you’d think the top-10 came at the short track. Alas, that’s the case, as the Front Row Motorsports driver recovered from a spin on Lap 207 for his best finish of the season.
11. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
Early in the race, Kyle Busch struggled with some steering issues into the turns, telling his team, ‘Won’t turn. Won’t leave," later asking crew chief Dave Rogers to free up the car. Whatever changes the No. 18 team made must’ve worked, as Busch worked his way through the field for a near top-10 finish. Get more driver audio with RaceView
12. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Austin Dillon was caught speeding on pit road on Lap 391, a penalty that normally would’ve derailed the rookie and saddled him with a poor finish. The RCR driver rallied, however, to improve upon his spring Martinsville finish of 15th.
13. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
Not much is expected of Greg Biffle when the veteran driver hits the Virginia short track — after all, he’s never finished in the top five and has just five top-10s in 24 starts. That said, he’s been much better at Martinsville lately, averaging a finish of 12.0 since the start of 2012, so his 13th-place finish is right in line with his recent results.
14. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing
Paul Menard has finished inside the top 10 at Martinsville once in his career, placing exactly 10th this spring. In that race, he moved up 11 positions from where he started. In Sunday’s contest, he started 14th and finished there, too.
15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was involved in a late-race mix-up, but recovered enough for a 15th-place finish. Considering he missed last week’s race at Talladega completely, a mid-teens finish has to be considered a success for the second-year driver.
16. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
For a good portion of the race, it sure looked like Jamie McMurray was going to play the part of Chase spoiler — a role that instead was filled by Dale Jr. — as he led 84 laps from the pole. In this year’s postseason, McMurray has shown serious speed and a competitive nature that wasn’t seen much in the regular season, so he could be a guy to watch as a 2015 Chase sleeper.
17. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 HScott Motorsports Chevrolet
Much like Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Justin Allgaier missed the Talladega race because of a qualifying gaffe, so his 17th-place finish is a solid return to the track for the No. 51 driver. Plus, he improved upon his starting and finishing position from the spring race.
18. Cole Whitt, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing
Partly due to the overwhelming success of Kyle Larson and the hype around Austin Dillon, Cole Whitt hasn’t gotten the attention he deserves in 2014. The rookie has shown marked improvement over the course of the season and finished inside the top 20 for consecutive races for the first time this season via his 18th-place Martinsville result.
19. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Racing
While it’s unlikely another one of his fans will get a tattoo to commemorate his 19th-place Martinsville finish like one did after his top-five at Talladega, Landon Cassill matched his career-best "Paperclip" finish in nine races.
20. Carl Edwards, No. 99 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing
Given how many of the remaining Chase drivers finished inside the top 10, Carl Edwards‘ 20th-place finish could’ve been a lot worse had Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick not imploded and scored 31st and 33rd-place finishes, respectively. The Roush Fenway Racing driver battled grip and water temperature issues all day and ended up being involved in Keselowski’s wreck on Lap 436, but remains in the Chase hunt because of his slight recovery.
21. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
Proof that the new Chase format is doing its job: Aric Almirola, who made the Chase via his July Daytona win and was knocked out almost immediately when he blew an engine in the opener at Chicago, has averaged a finish of 26.9 in the seven postseason races thus far. This team made plenty of improvements this year, but it’s clear they aren’t ready for the big stage yet.
22. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports
With no top-10s under his belt in 2014 and only eight to his name in his career, it’d be irresponsible to expect one to come at Martinsville for the veteran driver, given that his career average finish is 29.6. Still, a 22nd-place result is better than he’s been, and he improved on his spring finish by four spots.
23. Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports
Marcos Ambrose had a quiet race until he and Kyle Larson got into each other with 11 laps to go, sending both drivers sideways into the wall. It’s possible that Larson was protecting his teammate, Jamie McMurray, as the No. 9 and No. 1 were beating and banging mere seconds before this happened, but it isn’t the kind of race a driver bowing out of the sport in three weeks was looking to have.
24. Michael Annett, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing
There was a five-race stretch in the middle of the season in which Michael Annett seemed to be closer to "getting it", when he averaged a finish of 22.0. It was respectable for a rookie, but he hasn’t shown much since then. Perhaps his 24th-place showing at Martinsville will kick off a strong finish to his 2014 campaign.
25. Josh Wise, No. 98 Chevrolet, Phil Parsons Racing
Josh Wise has run more laps at Martinsville — 2,103 — than any other track on the circuit, and it shows. The 2014 All-Star has steadily improved his finishing position at the short track since his 2012 debut there, culminating in Sunday’s top-25.
26. Mike Wallace, No. 49 Toyota, Jay Robinson Racing
Mike Wallace ran back-to-back races for just the second time this season and it resulted in his best race of the year. After starting dead last, Wallace marched through the field for his best cup finish since 2007.
27. Brian Vickers, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing
Brian Vickers had an entertaining race. He traded shots back and forth with Kasey Kahne, at times blaming his car ("The car just went straight when I got down to (Turn) 1. Be sure and check that splitter. Something has to be wrong.) but then later wanting to take part in the melee, saying "Alright, we owe him another. We can do this all day long." Get more driver audio with RaceView
28. Kyle Fowler, No. 32 GO FAS Racing Ford
For a driver making his Sprint Cup Series debut, Martinsville is no easy task. It showed on Lap 75, when the 22-year-old spun and drew a caution. Still, he battled hard all day to recover for a respectable 28th-place showing.
29. Alex Bowman, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing
Alex Bowman had a really difficult race from the get-go. He spun on Lap 5, making contact with Aric Almirola and later crunched his hood on Lap 207 when traffic in front of him stopped abruptly. To make matters worse, he couldn’t even unwind the way he wanted to, tweeting, "So to top today off they’re holding the driver owner lot for an hour. Which means missing the walking dead tonight."
30. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing
It’s clear that Kyle Larson will need to make one of his priorities over the offseason focusing on short track racing, because Martinsville always seems to eat up the otherwise super-talented rookie. He was involved in a bad wreck with 11 to go after he tangled with Marcos Ambrose and has yet to finish better than 27th in three races.
31. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske
Brad Keselowksi must like racing as the Chase underdog, because he didn’t do himself any favors at Martinsville. His No. 2 started running hot on Lap 95, then he was caught speeding on Lap 163, and finally lost an axel on Lap 436, causing the biggest wreck of the day. At one point, team owner Roger Penske chimed in, "Lot of time. You’ll be fine." He wasn’t.
32. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
It’s a good thing for the No. 48 team that they were eliminated last week at Talladega, because otherwise they’d be in a serious hole right now. Johnson’s race was bad the whole way through, saying in the early going, "Weird vibration in the front. Feels like maybe some rubber on the tire that won’t come off. … Might be a loose left-front. Getting worse." He later ran into Casey Mears, prompting a testy crew chief Chad Knaus to say "Try not to run into anything else.” The HMS ride was later leaking oil and limped to the garage for a poor finish. Get more driver audio with RaceView
33. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
Luckily for Kevin Harvick, he’s magnificent at Phoenix and should contend for the win there. For now, Martinsville presented a nightmare race for the SHR driver, getting into a mess with Matt Kenseth that sent him to the garage with damage and a faulty oil cooler and radiator. He came back out around Lap 268, but it was too late.
34. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
At times, Danica Patrick looked to be putting together a second-consecutive competitive race, but later traded shots with a feisty Martin Truex Jr. that resulted in her No. 10 Chevy wrecked beyond repair. Her thoughts? "That 78 (expletive) took me out. If he thinks there’s a problem, he better look at what he did first." Get more driver audio with RaceView
35. Reed Sorenson, No. 36 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing
Reed Sorenson was another guy who was happy to see the checkered flag, since it signaled that his horrible day was over. The TBR driver spun in Turn 2 on Lap 188 with a blown tire and later spun again and smashed the wall on Lap 386.
36. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing
In his final race with crew chief Daniel Knost, Kurt Busch certainly had a fast car, but his engine caught on fire late in the race while in seventh place. It ended a day in which they already had to overcome a tire issue, "The right rear is already kicking out on us."
37. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing
Casey Mears was the unlucky meat of a Brad Keselowski and Kasey Kahne sandwich, getting squashed between the two on the Lap 436 wreck. After he was released from the infield care center, he lamented the fact that he couldn’t be back on the track, because he was having a good time.
38. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing
It’s tough to say exactly why Martin Truex Jr. and Danica Patrick were so mad at each other; if it all stemmed from this race (which it might’ve) or if there’s history there. Either way, the pair traded shots until the No. 78 was eventually wrecked for good in Keselowski’s big wreck on Lap 436.
39. J.J. Yeley, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing
Yeley has only run 15 Sprint Cup Series races in 2014 and none of them has been particularly good, including Martinsville. He’s yet to finish higher than 29th this season, with only three races to go.
40. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
Of course, he was involved in the late wreck on Lap 436 like plenty others, but it was his drama with Brian Vickers that was the most entertaining part of Kahne’s race. Both drivers knew what was going on, with Kahne’s crew chief Kenny Francis saying "I’d say the ball is in his court now," after Kahne knocked the No. 55.
41. Travis Kvapil, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport Racing
Travis Kvapil struggled on Sunday, getting into the wall on Lap 16 after contact from Josh Wise. He later said on Twitter, "Tough day for the @Circle_Sport 33. Got turned around early, then it went downhill from there. Car wasn’t 2 bad. Engine broke to end our day."
42. Timmy Hill, No. 44, Team XTREME Racing Cheverolet
Timmy Hill had one of the shortest races of any driver, going over the wall on Lap 37 with smoke billowing from his engine. His take: "Out early today. Had a small fire under the hood. Track staff did a good job putting the fire out. Will take the car back & diagnose at shop."
43. Clay Rogers, No. 93 BK Racing Toyota
And finally, Clay Rogers made just his second career Sprint Cup Series start, finishing 43rd again after he did so at Loudon a few weeks back.
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Get the full lineup of NASCAR programming for the week
RELATED: Follow your picks in the Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota
All times ET
Monday, October 27
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
7:30 p.m., The 10: NASCAR’s Most Bizarre Moments (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Tuesday, October 28
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7:30 p.m., The 10: Greatest Comebacks in NASCAR History (re-air), FOX Sports 2
9 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Martinsville (re-air), FOX Sports 1
3 a.m. (Wed.), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Martinsville (re-air), FOX Sports 1
Wednesday, October 29
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Thursday, October 30
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7:30 p.m., The 10: NASCAR’s Wildest Throw-Downs (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Friday, October 31
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
10:30 a.m., The 10: Greatest Soundbites in NASCAR History (re-air), FOX Sports 1
11 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Special (re-air), FOX Sports 1
Noon, NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
1 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
3 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice, ESPN2
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, ESPN2
8 p.m., NCWTS SetUp, FOX Sports 1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Texas, FOX Sports 1
4 a.m. (Sat.), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Texas (re-air), FOX Sports 1
Saturday, November 1
6 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Texas (re-air), FOX Sports 2
10 a.m., NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Race at Thompson, FOX Sports 1
11 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
Noon, NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 2
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 2
2 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice, FOX Sports 2
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Texas, ESPN
10:30 p.m., The 10: NASCAR’s Wildest Throw-Downs (re-air), FOX Sports 2
11 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Midnight (Sun.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice (re-air), FOX Sports 2
1 a.m. (Sun.), NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Race at Thompson, FOX Sports 2
Sunday, November 2
10 a.m., NSCS Practice (re-air), FOX Sports 2
11 a.m., NSCS Final Practice (re-air), FOX Sports 2
1 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FOX Sports 1
2 p.m., NSCS Countdown, ESPN
3 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Texas, ESPN
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1
1:30 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Texas (re-air), ESPN2
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Future JGR teammate Carl Edwards has also swept Texas races
Denny Hamlin‘s sweep of the Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway in 2010 is the last time the feat has been accomplished at the 1.5-mile track located in Fort Worth, Texas. Hamlin’s future teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, Carl Edwards, also accomplished the feat in 2008. Ironically, in those seasons, both drivers finished as the runner-up to Jimmie Johnson in the championship race. In the year of his sweep, Hamlin led a total of 43 laps across both races. He led the final 12 laps of the spring race and the final 29 circuits of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race after leading two laps earlier in the race. For his career, Hamlin has an average finish of 10.8 in 17 starts at Texas (third-best among active drivers).
Driver of the No. 14 nabs first top-five finish since Fontana
RELATED: Follow your picks in the Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota
MORE: Hear Stewart’s post-race reaction
They don’t award grandfather clocks for fourth-place finishes at Martinsville Speedway, and getting passed for the lead with just four laps remaining and the checkered flag within reach usually carries with it some associated measure of heartburn. But for as long as Tony Stewart had gone without a top-five performance, he still felt like celebrating as the sun set on a chaotic Sunday afternoon.
Stewart came tantalizingly close to converting a late-race pit strategy call into his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory of the season, surrendering the lead on older tires to Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the waning stages of the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500. Though he came up just shy of extending his streak with at least one victory to 16 years — the length of his Sprint Cup career — tying his season-best finish and notching his first top-five since March at Auto Club Speedway was consolation prize enough.
"It feels really good. It’s been way too long since we’ve been in this position, for sure," Stewart said. "This is as good as a win to me today."
The result was easily Stewart’s best since his three-week absence from the sport at summer’s end, after the sprint-car accident that claimed the life of Kevin Ward Jr. on Aug. 9 in Canandaigua, New York. Since his return at Atlanta over Labor Day weekend, his results had been largely uneven — he led laps at Talladega last weekend before crashing out, and his best finish pre-Martinsville was a 14th place at Dover.
Sunday, at the series’ shortest track, the cards fell back into place for the three-time champion. Stewart started fourth and recovered from a midrace penalty for having too many men over the pit wall. By the time he sidestepped all the crashes and pitfalls that took out several contenders in the race’s second half, he was back among the front-runners and running fourth when pit road was opened for the final time.
With tires some 60 laps older than the drivers who elected to pit, Stewart and crew chief Chad Johnston elected to remain on the track to inherit the lead. Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon slipped by Stewart shortly after the final restart, and Clint Bowyer snatched third away by just a fender at the checkered flag.
Though the ultimate payoff didn’t happen, Stewart said the strategy call wasn’t one he’d second-guess.
"That was a scenario that if you put me in that position 100 times, that’s the decision we make to stay out," Stewart said. "I’d rather fight them off at the end like that. Just worrying about so many things, especially on this pit road. You don’t know what can happen — two tires, four tires, guys at the end of the pack coming in when you’re ready to go out. So many things that could go wrong, and I felt like even when we got to fourth, I felt I’d saved a little bit.
"We were in a nice spot; we didn’t have to abuse the tires to maintain our positions. I felt like we had a shot."
The effort by Stewart-Haas Racing’s flagship team was a bright spot on an otherwise dreary afternoon for the operation’s four-car contingent. Both Kevin Harvick and Danica Patrick had promising runs derailed by crashes, and Kurt Busch‘s car expired suddenly in a fiery, smoky mess as he circulated under caution.
Martinsville marked the final race before a swap of crew chiefs for Busch and Patrick takes effect this weekend at Texas, in hopes of perking up performance for both SHR drivers. Though Greg Zipadelli, Stewart-Haas’ competition director, said Martinsville’s triple dose of dismay tempered his enthusiasm for the No. 14 car’s banner day, he indicated that as Stewart goes, so goes the entire team.
"Let’s hope we can build some momentum here," Zipadelli said. "Him running better will help everybody else in our organization, so that’s the main focus."
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The series’ 20th race of the season is at Texas Motor Speedway
| Entry | # | Driver | Owner | Crew chief | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
0 |
Caleb Roark |
Kenneth Grimes |
Michael Stewart |
14 Chevrolet |
Grimes Irrigation & Construction |
|
2 |
02 |
Tyler Young |
Randy Young |
Bryan Berry |
14 Chevrolet |
Randco/Young’s Building Systems |
|
3 |
05 |
John Wes Townley |
Tony Townley |
Michael Shelton |
14 Toyota |
Zaxby’s |
|
4 |
6 |
Norm Benning |
Norm Benning |
Kevin Dargie |
14 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
5 |
07 |
B J McLeod |
Ken Smith |
Doug Weddle |
14 Chevrolet |
BlankHood.com |
|
6 |
08 |
Jimmy Weller |
Bobby Dotter |
Jason Miller |
14 Chevrolet |
ScubaLife / NASE WorldWide |
|
7 |
8 |
Joe Nemechek |
Sidney Mauldin |
Jerry Babb |
14 Toyota |
swmtx.com/Slovacek’s Sausage |
|
8 |
10 |
Jennifer Jo Cobb |
Jennifer Jo Cobb |
Steve Kuykendall |
14 Chevrolet |
Grimes Irrigation & Construction |
|
9 |
13 |
Jeb Burton |
Duke Thorson |
Jeriod Prince |
14 Toyota |
TBA |
|
10 |
115 |
Mason Mingus |
Billy Boat |
Ben Leslie |
14 Chevrolet |
811 Call Before You Dig |
|
11 |
17 |
Timothy Peters |
Tom Deloach |
Marcus Richmond II |
14 Toyota |
Red Horse Racing |
|
12 |
19 |
Tyler Reddick |
Brad Keselowski |
Doug Randolph |
14 Ford |
DrawTite |
|
13 |
21 |
Joey Coulter |
Maurice Gallagher Jr |
Jeff Stankiewicz |
14 Chevrolet |
Allegiant Travel |
|
14 |
23 |
Max Gresham |
Maurice Gallagher Jr |
Ryan London |
14 Chevrolet |
AmWins Group, Inc. |
|
15 |
29 |
Ryan Blaney |
Brad Keselowski |
Chad Kendrick |
14 Ford |
Cooper Standard |
|
16 |
30 |
Cameron Hayley |
Steve Turner |
Shannon Rursch |
14 Chevrolet |
Cabinets by Hayley |
|
17 |
31 |
Ben Kennedy |
Steve Turner |
Doug George |
14 Chevrolet |
Heater.com |
|
18 |
32 |
Tayler Malsam |
Harry Scott Jr |
Mike Hillman Jr |
14 Chevrolet |
Outerwall |
|
19 |
35 |
TBA |
Kevin Cywinski |
Mark Rette |
14 Toyota |
TBA |
|
20 |
136 |
Blake Koch(i) |
Beverly Mittler |
Michael Mittler |
14 Chevrolet |
Mittler Bros Machine & Tool/LG Seeds/Ski Soda |
|
21 |
50 |
T J Bell |
Mark Beaver |
Tim Sliva |
14 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
22 |
51 |
Kyle Busch(i) |
Kyle Busch |
Eric Phillips |
14 Toyota |
ToyotaCare |
|
23 |
54 |
Darrell Wallace Jr |
Kyle Busch |
Jerry Baxter |
14 Toyota |
2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee Wendell Scott |
|
24 |
63 |
Justin Jennings |
Michael Mittler |
Michael Mittler |
14 Chevrolet |
Mittler Bros Machine & Tool/LG Seeds/Ski Soda |
|
25 |
74 |
Mike Harmon(i) |
Mike Harmon |
Gary Ritter |
14 Chevrolet |
John II Concrete Const. |
|
26 |
77 |
German Quiroga |
Tom Deloach |
Butch Hylton |
14 Toyota |
OtterBox |
|
27 |
88 |
Matt Crafton |
Rhonda Thorson |
Carl Joiner |
14 Toyota |
Goof Off/Menards |
|
28 |
98 |
Johnny Sauter |
Mike Curb |
Jeff Hensley |
14 Toyota |
Smokey Mountain/Curb Records |
|
29 |
99 |
Bryan Silas |
Chris Baluch |
Cal Boprey |
14 Chevrolet |
TBD |
(i) equals ineligible for driver championship points
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The Nationwide Series returns to action at Texas
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| Entry | # | Driver | Owner | Crew chief | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
01 |
Landon Cassill |
Johnny Davis |
Dave Fuge |
14 Chevrolet |
TeamJDMotorsports.com |
|
2 |
2 |
Brian Scott |
Richard Childress |
Phil Gould |
14 Chevrolet |
Country Bob’s Sauce |
|
3 |
3 |
Ty Dillon |
Richard Childress |
Danny Stockman Jr |
14 Chevrolet |
Bass Pro Shops |
|
4 |
4 |
Jeffrey Earnhardt |
Gary Keller |
Gary Cogswell |
14 Chevrolet |
teamjdmotorsports.com |
|
5 |
5 |
Kevin Harvick(i) |
Rick Hendrick |
Ernie Cope |
14 Chevrolet |
Hunt Brothers Pizza |
|
6 |
6 |
Trevor Bayne |
Jack Roush |
Chad Norris |
14 Ford |
AdvoCare |
|
7 |
7 |
Regan Smith |
Kelley Earnhardt-Miller |
Ryan Pemberton |
14 Chevrolet |
TaxSlayer.com |
|
8 |
9 |
Chase Elliott |
Dale Earnhardt Jr |
Greg Ives |
14 Chevrolet |
NAPA AUTO PARTS |
|
9 |
10 |
Blake Koch |
Mark Smith |
Todd Myers |
14 Toyota |
SupportMilitary.org |
|
10 |
11 |
Elliott Sadler |
J D Gibbs |
Chris Gayle |
14 Toyota |
OneMain Financial |
|
11 |
12 |
Ryan Blaney(i) |
Roger Penske |
Greg Erwin |
14 Ford |
Snap-On |
|
12 |
14 |
Eric McClure |
Mark Smith |
Wes Ward |
14 Toyota |
Hefty Ultimate / Reynolds Wrap |
|
13 |
16 |
Ryan Reed |
Jack Roush |
Seth Barbour |
14 Ford |
ADA Drive to Stop Diabetes presented by Lilly Diabetes |
|
14 |
19 |
Mike Bliss |
Mark Smith |
Paul Clapprood |
14 Toyota |
Tweaker Energy Shot |
|
15 |
20 |
Matt Kenseth(i) |
Joe Gibbs |
Kevin Kidd |
14 Toyota |
GameStop |
|
16 |
22 |
Joey Logano(i) |
Roger Penske |
Jeremy Bullins |
14 Ford |
Discount Tire |
|
17 |
23 |
George Church |
14 Chevrolet |
Willbros |
||
|
18 |
25 |
John Wes Townley(i) |
Tony Townley |
Mike Ford |
14 Toyota |
Zaxby’s |
|
19 |
28 |
J J Yeley |
James Whitener |
Steve Plattenberger |
13 Dodge |
Texas 28 Spirits Stage |
|
20 |
31 |
Dylan Kwasniewski |
Steve Turner |
Shannon Rursch |
14 Chevrolet |
AccuDoc / Rockstar |
|
21 |
33 |
Austin Dillon(i) |
Richard Childress |
Nick Harrison |
14 Chevrolet |
TBD |
|
22 |
39 |
Ryan Sieg |
Rod Sieg |
Kevin Starland |
14 Chevrolet |
RSS Racing |
|
23 |
40 |
Matt Dibenedetto |
Curtis Key Sr |
Kyle Symington |
14 Chevrolet |
Curtis Key Plumbing |
|
24 |
42 |
Kyle Larson(i) |
Harry Scott Jr |
Scott Zipadelli |
14 Chevrolet |
Phillips Norelco |
|
25 |
43 |
Dakoda Armstrong |
Richard Petty |
Philippe Lopez |
14 Ford |
WinField |
|
26 |
44 |
David Starr |
Mark Smith |
Greg Conner |
14 Toyota |
Whataburger |
|
27 |
46 |
Ryan Ellis |
Curtis Key Sr |
Gary Showalter |
14 Chevrolet |
Curtis Key Plumbing |
|
28 |
51 |
Jeremy Clements |
Tony Clements |
Ricky Pearson |
14 Chevrolet |
Crescent Companies |
|
29 |
52 |
Joey Gase |
Jimmy Means |
Tim Brown |
14 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
30 |
54 |
Kyle Busch(i) |
J D Gibbs |
Adam Stevens |
14 Toyota |
Monster Energy |
|
31 |
55 |
Jamie Dick |
Jimmy Dick |
Mark Setzer |
14 Chevrolet |
Viva Auto Group |
|
32 |
60 |
Chris Buescher |
Jack Roush |
Scott Graves |
14 Ford |
Bit O Honey Mustang |
|
33 |
62 |
Brendan Gaughan |
Richard Childress |
Shane Wilson |
14 Chevrolet |
Smokey Mountain Snuff |
|
34 |
70 |
Derrike Cope |
Mary Louise Miller |
Bobby Burrell |
14 Chevrolet |
YOUTHEORY |
|
35 |
74 |
Mike Harmon |
Mike Harmon |
Gary Ritter |
12 Dodge |
John II Concrete Const. |
|
36 |
184 |
Chad Boat |
Billy Boat |
Dan Deeringhoff |
14 Chevrolet |
Corvetteparts.net |
|
37 |
87 |
Carlos Contreras |
Andrea Nemechek |
Steven Gray |
14 Chevrolet |
RACETRAC Convenience Stores |
|
38 |
89 |
Morgan Shepherd |
Morgan Shepherd |
Kevyn Rebolledo |
14 Chevrolet |
Courtney Construction |
|
39 |
190 |
Martin Roy |
Michelle Gosselin |
Mario Gosselin |
14 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
40 |
93 |
Kevin Swindell |
Gregg Mixon |
Ken Evans |
13 Dodge |
JGL Racing |
|
41 |
98 |
Corey LaJoie(i) |
Fred Biagi |
Jon Hanson |
14 Ford |
Medallion Financial/Smithfield |
|
42 |
99 |
James Buescher |
Robby Benton |
Matthew Lucas |
14 Toyota |
Rheem |
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See who will compete as the Sprint Cup Series returns to Texas
RELATED: Follow your picks in the Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota
| Entry | # | Driver | Owner | Crew chief | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
1 |
Jamie McMurray |
Felix Sabates |
Keith Rodden |
14 Chevrolet |
McDonald’s |
|
2 |
2 |
Brad Keselowski |
Roger Penske |
Paul Wolfe |
14 Ford |
Miller Lite |
|
3 |
3 |
Austin Dillon |
Richard Childress |
Gil Martin |
14 Chevrolet |
Dow |
|
4 |
4 |
Kevin Harvick |
Tony Stewart |
Rodney Childers |
14 Chevrolet |
Budweiser |
|
5 |
5 |
Kasey Kahne |
Linda Hendrick |
Kenny Francis |
14 Chevrolet |
Great Clips |
|
6 |
7 |
Michael Annett |
Tommy Baldwin |
Kevin Manion |
14 Chevrolet |
Cypress HQ Chevrolet |
|
7 |
9 |
Marcos Ambrose |
Richard Petty |
Drew Blickensderfer |
14 Ford |
DeWALT |
|
8 |
10 |
Danica Patrick |
Tony Stewart |
Daniel Knost |
14 Chevrolet |
GoDaddy |
|
9 |
11 |
Denny Hamlin |
J D Gibbs |
Darian Grubb |
14 Toyota |
FedEx Office |
|
10 |
13 |
Casey Mears |
Bob Germain |
Bootie Barker III |
14 Chevrolet |
No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS |
|
11 |
14 |
Tony Stewart |
Margaret Haas |
Chad Johnston |
14 Chevrolet |
Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 |
|
12 |
15 |
Clint Bowyer |
Rob Kauffman |
Brian Pattie |
14 Toyota |
5-Hour Energy |
|
13 |
16 |
Greg Biffle |
Jack Roush |
Matt Puccia |
14 Ford |
Ortho Fire Ant Killer Fusion |
|
14 |
17 |
Ricky Stenhouse Jr |
John Henry |
Michael Kelley |
14 Ford |
EcoPower Oil Fusion |
|
15 |
18 |
Kyle Busch |
Joe Gibbs |
Dave Rogers |
14 Toyota |
M&M’s |
|
16 |
20 |
Matt Kenseth |
Joe Gibbs |
Jason Ratcliff |
14 Toyota |
Dollar General |
|
17 |
21 |
Trevor Bayne(i) |
Glen Wood |
Donnie Wingo |
14 Ford |
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center |
|
18 |
22 |
Joey Logano |
Walter Czarnecki |
Todd Gordon |
14 Ford |
AAA Insurance |
|
19 |
23 |
Alex Bowman |
Ron Devine |
Dave Winston |
14 Toyota |
Dr. Pepper |
|
20 |
24 |
Jeff Gordon |
Rick Hendrick |
Alan Gustafson |
14 Chevrolet |
Drive To End Hunger |
|
21 |
26 |
Cole Whitt |
Anthony Marlowe |
Randy Cox |
14 Toyota |
Speed Stick Gear |
|
22 |
27 |
Paul Menard |
Richard Childress |
Justin Alexander |
14 Chevrolet |
Richmond / Menards |
|
23 |
31 |
Ryan Newman |
Richard Childress |
Luke Lambert |
14 Chevrolet |
Caterpillar |
|
24 |
32 |
Joey Gase(i) |
Frank Stoddard Jr |
Clinton Cram |
14 Ford |
24/7 E-Cigs |
|
25 |
33 |
David Stremme |
Joe Falk |
Mike Hillman Jr |
14 Chevrolet |
Little Joe’s Autos Chevrolet |
|
26 |
34 |
David Ragan |
Bob Jenkins |
Derrick Finley |
14 Ford |
DOCKSIDE LOGISTICS |
|
27 |
36 |
Reed Sorenson |
Allan Heinke |
Todd Parrott |
14 Chevrolet |
Accell Construction |
|
28 |
38 |
David Gilliland |
Brad Jenkins |
Jay Guy |
14 Ford |
LOVE’S TRAVEL STOPS |
|
29 |
40 |
Landon Cassill(i) |
Michael Hillman |
Mark Hillman |
14 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
30 |
41 |
Kurt Busch |
Gene Haas |
Tony Gibson |
14 Chevrolet |
Haas Automation |
|
31 |
42 |
Kyle Larson |
Chip Ganassi |
Chris Heroy |
14 Chevrolet |
Target |
|
32 |
43 |
Aric Almirola |
Richard Petty |
Trent Owens |
14 Ford |
Farmland |
|
33 |
47 |
A J Allmendinger |
Tad Geschickter |
Brian Burns |
14 Chevrolet |
Clorox |
|
34 |
48 |
Jimmie Johnson |
Jeff Gordon |
Chad Knaus |
14 Chevrolet |
Lowe’s Red Vest |
|
35 |
51 |
Justin Allgaier |
Harry Scott Jr |
Steve Addington |
14 Chevrolet |
Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau |
|
36 |
55 |
Brian Vickers |
Michael Waltrip |
Billy Scott |
14 Toyota |
Aaron’s Dream Machine |
|
37 |
66 |
Brett Moffitt |
Jay Robinson |
Scott Eggleston |
14 Toyota |
Royal Teak Collection.com |
|
38 |
78 |
Martin Truex Jr |
Barney Visser |
Todd Berrier |
14 Chevrolet |
Furniture Row |
|
39 |
83 |
J J Yeley(i) |
Ron Devine |
Joe Williams |
14 Toyota |
Zak Products |
|
40 |
88 |
Dale Earnhardt Jr |
Rick Hendrick |
Steve Letarte |
14 Chevrolet |
Diet Mountain Dew |
|
41 |
95 |
Michael McDowell |
Bob Leavine |
Wally Rogers |
14 Ford |
Tommy Williams Drywall |
|
42 |
98 |
Josh Wise |
Mike Curb |
Gene Nead |
14 Chevrolet |
Provident Metals |
|
43 |
99 |
Carl Edwards |
Jack Roush |
James Fennig |
14 Ford |
Aflac |
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A statistical look ahead to the second race of the Eliminator Round
RELATED: Follow your picks in the Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota
Statistical Advance: Analyzing the AAA Texas 500
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 27, 2014) – Below is a look at the Eliminator 8 – and beyond – at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas going into the AAA Texas 500 on November 2. ESPN’s coverage begins at 2 p.m. ET and the race is scheduled for 3 p.m.
TEXAS-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
1 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.3
2014 Rundown
· Four wins, 13 top fives, 21 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 10.1
· Led 24 races for 873 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, nine top fives, 12 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 17.2 in 27 races
· Average Running Position of 13.9, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 92.3, ninth-best
· 323 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· 4,067 Laps in the Top 15 (63.9%), eighth-most
2 – Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.4
2014 Rundown
· Four top fives, 15 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.0
· Led 7 races for 41 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, five top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 19.1 in 22 races
· Average Running Position of 20.1, 22nd-best
· Driver Rating of 73.1, 21st-best
· 1,479 Green Flag Passes, second-most
3 – Joey Logano (No. 22 AAA Insurance Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 106.9
2014 Rundown
· Five wins, 16 top fives, 21 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.3
· Led 21 races for 976 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 18.4 in 12 races
· Average Running Position of 19.3, 20th-best
· Driver Rating of 77.1, 19th-best
4 – Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.8
2014 Rundown
· 12 top fives, 20 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.3
· Led 19 races for 470 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, 13 top fives, 17 top 10s
· Average finish of 8.3 in 24 races
· Series-best Average Running Position of 9.4
· Series-best Driver Rating of 106.1
· 353 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 1,448 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 173.587 mph, second-fastest
· Series-high 5,045 Laps in the Top 15 (79.3%)
· 742 Quality Passes, second-most
5 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.9
2014 Rundown
· One win, six top fives, 15 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 14.9
· Led 15 races for 286 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 10.8 in 17 races
· Average Running Position of 12.4, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 93.8, seventh-best
· 179 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· 1,380 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 173.154 mph, 10th-fastest
· 3,931 Laps in the Top 15 (69.0%), 10th-most
· 742 Quality Passes, second-most
6 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 81.4
2014 Rundown
· Two wins, seven top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 14.7
· Led 11 races for 135 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Three wins, six top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.5 in 19 races
· Average Running Position of 12.4, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 96.9, sixth-best
· 361 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 1,240 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 173.402 mph, fourth-fastest
· 4,573 Laps in the Top 15 (71.9%), fifth-most
· 716 Quality Passes, fifth-most
7 – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.4
2014 Rundown
· Six wins, 14 top fives, 17 top 10s; five poles
· Average finish of 13.5
· Led 26 races for 1,518 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 19.5 in 12 races
· Average Running Position of 18.1, 18th-best
· Driver Rating of 78.8, 18th-best
· 164 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
8 – Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 108.3
2014 Rundown
· Three wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s; eight poles
· Average finish of 14.0
· Led 24 races for 1,817 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Three top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.6 in 23 races
· Average Running Position of 16.0, 15th-best
· Driver Rating of 83.3, 14th-best
· 1,461 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· 3,706 Laps in the Top 15 (58.2%), 12th-most
· 685 Quality Passes, seventh-most
9 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.2
2014 Rundown
· One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 16.8
· Led 15 races for 453 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, seven top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.4 in 18 races
· Average Running Position of 10.8, third-best
· Driver Rating of 102.2, fourth-best
· 353 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 173.610 mph
· 4,448 Laps in the Top 15 (73.8%), sixth-most
· 641 Quality Passes, 10th-most
10 – AJ Allmendinger (No. 47 Clorox Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 70.7
2014 Rundown
· One win, two top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 19.9
· Led 5 races for 68 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two top 10s
· Average finish of 21.7 in 11 races
· Average Running Position of 22.1, 28th-best
· Driver Rating of 68.5, 25th-best
11 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.5
2014 Rundown
· Four wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.5
· Led 16 races for 379 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 15.0 in 24 races
· Average Running Position of 13.1, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 90.4, 10th-best
· 216 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· 1,346 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 173.243 mph, eighth-fastest
· 4,624 Laps in the Top 15 (72.7%), fourth-most
· 736 Quality Passes, fourth-most
12 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Red Vest Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.5
2014 Rundown
· Three wins, 10 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.2
· Led 16 races for 1,119 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Three wins, 10 top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 9.5 in 22 races
· Average Running Position of 11.4, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 103.6, second-best
· Series-high 522 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 173.393 mph, fifth-fastest
· 4,666 Laps in the Top 15 (73.3%), third-most
· 681 Quality Passes, eighth-most
13 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ortho Fire Ant Killer Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 78.7
2014 Rundown
· Three top fives, 10 top 10s
· Average finish of 16.0
· Led 7 races for 110 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.7 in 21 races
· Average Running Position of 12.0, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 102.2, third-best
· 473 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 173.543 mph, third-fastest
· 4,797 Laps in the Top 15 (75.4%), second-most
· Series-high 784 Quality Passes
14 – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.0
2014 Rundown
· One win, three top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 17.1
· Led 12 races for 218 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, five top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 17.7 in 20 races
· Average Running Position of 14.9, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.4, 13th-best
· 223 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 1,398 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· 3,957 Laps in the Top 15 (62.2%), ninth-most
· 688 Quality Passes, sixth-most
15 – Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.6
2014 Rundown
· One win, six top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 19.9
· Led 13 races for 204 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 16.3 in 23 races
· Average Running Position of 15.3, 14th-best
· Driver Rating of 86.5, 12th-best
· 193 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
· 1,451 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
16 – Aric Almirola (No. 43 Farmland Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 72.6
2014 Rundown
· One win, two top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 21.5
· Led 5 races for 23 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One top 10
· Average finish of 19.6 in seven races
· Average Running Position of 21.4, 24th-best
· Driver Rating of 68.2, 26th-best
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2014 Eliminator 8 at Texas Motor Speedway
|
|
Driver |
Races |
Poles |
Wins |
Top Fives |
Top 10s |
DNFs |
Average Finish |
Driver Rating |
|
|
1 |
Jeff Gordon |
27 |
2 |
1 |
9 |
12 |
6 |
17.2 |
92.3 |
|
|
2 |
Ryan Newman |
22 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
19.1 |
73.1 |
|
|
3 |
Joey Logano |
12 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
18.4 |
77.1 |
|
|
4 |
Matt Kenseth |
24 |
0 |
2 |
13 |
17 |
0 |
8.3 |
106.1 |
|
|
5 |
Denny Hamlin |
17 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
9 |
0 |
10.8 |
93.8 |
|
|
6 |
Carl Edwards |
19 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
4 |
15.5 |
96.9 |
|
|
7 |
Brad Keselowski |
12 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
19.5 |
78.8 |
|
|
8 |
Kevin Harvick |
23 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
11 |
1 |
13.6 |
83.3 |
* – Based on last 19 races at Texas Motor Speedway (2005 – 2014).
Texas Motor Speedway:
History
· Construction on Texas Motor Speedway began in 1995.
· The first NASCAR national series race at TMS was a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on April 5, 1997 – won by Mark Martin.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was on April 6, 1997 – won by Jeff Burton.
· The track underwent a repave between the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
· In 2011, the spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was moved from Sunday to Saturday night under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway.
· Texas Motor Speedway hosted its first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on November 6, 2005 – won by Carl Edwards.
Notebook
· There have been 27 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, one NSCS event from 1997 – 2004 and two races per year since 2005.
· 138 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas; 111 in more than one.
· Jeff Gordon is the only drive to have made all 27 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway.
· Jeremy Mayfield was the first Coors Light pole winner, in 1998 with a speed of 185.906 mph. The inaugural Coors Light pole at Texas Motor Speedway in 1997 was cancelled due to weather conditions.
· 19 drivers have Coors Light poles at Texas, led by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. with two each.
· Two drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Texas Motor Speedway: Bobby Labonte (2003 and 2004) and Ryan Newman (2005 sweep).
· Youngest Texas Coors Light pole winner: Brian Vickers (11/05/2006 – 23 years, 0 months, 12 days).
· Oldest Texas Coors Light pole winner: Bill Elliott (4/08/2002 – 46 years, 6 months, 0 days).
· 18 different drivers have won at Texas Motor Speedway, led by Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson with three each.
· Seven drivers have multiple wins at Texas Motor Speedway: Carl Edwards (three), Jimmie Johnson (three), Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart each have two.
· Roush Fenway Racing leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in wins at Texas Motor Speedway with nine; followed by Hendrick Motorsports with five and Joe Gibbs Racing with four.
· Three of the 27 (11.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from the Coors Light pole; Kasey Kahne (2006), Jimmie Johnson (2012) and Kyle Busch (2013).
· The third-place starting position is the most proficient starting spot in the field at Texas Motor Speedway, producing more wins than any other starting position (five) – most recent: Jimmie Johnson (fall 2013).
· Six of the 27 (22.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from the front row: three from the pole and three from second-place.
· 21 of the 27 (77.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· Four of the 27 (14.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Texas Motor Speedway is 31st, by Matt Kenseth in 2002.
· Youngest Texas winner: Joey Logano (03/30/2003 – 23 years, 10 months, 14 days).
· Oldest Texas winner: Dale Jarrett (04/01/2001 – 44 years, 4 months, 6 days).
· Jimmie Johnson leads the series in runner-up finishes at Texas Motor Speedway with five; followed by Matt Kenseth with four.
· Matt Kenseth leads the series in top-five finishes at Texas Motor Speedway with 13; followed by Jimmie Johnson with 10.
· Matt Kenseth leads the series lead in top-10 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway with 17; followed by Jimmie Johnson with 16 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 13.
· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Texas Motor Speedway with an 8.818. Johnson is the only active driver with an average starting position at Texas in the top 10.
· Two active drivers have a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series average finish in the top 10 at Texas: Matt Kenseth (8.250) and Jimmie Johnson (9.455).
· There have been three NSCS green-white-checkered finishes at Texas Motor Speedway: fall 2006 (334/339), spring 2008 (334/339), and fall 2012 (334/335).
· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions twice in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway; the inaugural event in 1997 and spring 2007. The race has never been rain shortened.
· Casey Mears has participated in the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway without posting a DNF (20).
· Jeff Burton (4/06/1997) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (4/02/2000) won their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career race at Texas Motor Speedway.
· David Ragan (4/09/2011) and Martin Truex Jr. (11/04/2007) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light poles at Texas Motor Speedway.
· 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski (11/02/2008) and Trevor Bayne (11/07/2010) made their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career starts at Texas Motor Speedway.
· Two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted consecutive wins at Texas Motor Speedway: Carl Edwards (2008 sweep) and Denny Hamlin (2010 sweep).
· 11 of the 12 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Texas Motor Speedway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Texas in his first appearance; Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman won in their second appearance at TMS.
· Jeff Gordon competed at Texas Motor Speedway 16 times before winning in the spring of 2009; the longest span of any the 12 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
· Only three of the 12 winning drivers have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Texas Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (16) Kyle Busch (15) and Kurt Busch (13).
· Kevin Harvick and Joe Nemechek lead the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway without visiting Victory Lane at 23 each.
· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway was the (4/4/2004) race won by Elliott Sadler with a MOV of 0.028 second ahead of Kasey Kahne.
· Two female drivers have made NSCS starts at Texas Motor Speedway: Shawna Robinson and Danica Patrick
|
Driver |
Starting Position |
Finishing Position |
Date |
|
Danica Patrick |
24 |
27 |
4/7/2014 |
|
Danica Patrick |
30 |
25 |
11/3/2013 |
|
Danica Patrick |
42 |
28 |
4/13/2013 |
|
Danica Patrick |
32 |
24 |
11/4/2012 |
|
Shawna Robinson |
16 |
36 |
4/8/2002 |
· Tony Stewart leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in Laps Led at Texas Motor Speedway with 801 laps led in 24 starts.
· Jeff Gordon leads all active NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers in Laps Completed at Texas Motor Speedway with 7,990 laps.
· One NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver has won at Texas Motor Speedway in two different manufacturers: Jeff Burton (1997 – Ford; 2007 – Chevrolet)
NASCAR in Texas
· There have been 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among three tracks in the state of Texas.
|
Track Name |
City |
NSCS |
|
Texas Motor Speedway |
Fort Worth |
27 |
|
Texas World Speedway |
College Station |
8 |
|
Meyer Speedway |
Houston |
1 |
· 80 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Texas.
· 10 drivers from Texas have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series. Six of the nine Texas native NASCAR winners have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
|
Driver |
NSCS |
NNS |
NCWTS |
|
Terry Labonte |
22 |
11 |
1 |
|
Bobby Labonte |
21 |
10 |
1 |
|
A.J. Foyt |
7 |
0 |
0 |
|
Billy Wade |
4 |
0 |
0 |
|
Bobby Hillin Jr |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
Johnny Rutherford |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Chris Buescher |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
James Buescher |
0 |
1 |
6 |
|
David Starr |
0 |
0 |
4 |
|
Colin Braun |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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