Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Quaker State 400

June 25, 2012

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 25, 2012) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky going into the Quaker State 400 on June 30.

KENTUCKY-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

Kurt Busch (No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Inc. Chevrolet)

· One top 10

· Average finish of 9.0

· Average Running Position of 3.7, second-best

· Driver Rating of 118.5, fourth-best

· 20 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 173.110 mph, third-fastest

· 266 Laps in the Top 15 (99.6%), second-most

· 44 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 12th-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Red-White-Blue Toyota)

· One win, one top five, one top 10

· Average finish of 1.0

· Series-best Average Running Position of 2.3

· Series-best Driver Rating of 145.6

· Series-high 57 Fastest Laps Run

· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 173.429 mph

· Series-high 267 Laps in the Top 15 (100.0%)

Carl Edwards (No. 99 UPS Ford)

· One top five, one top 10

· Average finish of 5.0

· Average Running Position of 7.6, fifth-best

· Driver Rating of 108.2, fifth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.692 mph, seventh-fastest

· 257 Laps in the Top 15 (96.3%), fifth-most

· 56 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet)

· Average finish of 16.0

· Average Running Position of 13.3, 12th-best

· Driver Rating of 85.8, 12th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.943 mph, 12th-fastest

· 175 Laps in the Top 15 (65.5%), 13th-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Ermine White Chevrolet)

· One top five, one top 10

· Average finish of 3.0

· Average Running Position of 5.5, fourth-best

· Driver Rating of 119.8, second-best

· 22 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 173.162 mph, second-fastest

· 256 Laps in the Top 15 (95.9%), seventh-most

· 65 Quality Passes, third-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Quaker State Chevrolet)

· Average finish of 13.0

· Average Running Position of 11.9, 10th-best

· Driver Rating of 94.6, 10th-best

· 7 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most

· Series-high 132 Green Flag Passes

· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.314 mph, 11th-fastest

· 44 Quality Passes, 12th-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 5th/3rd Bank Ford)

· One top 10

· Average finish of 6.0

· Average Running Position of 8.9, eighth-best

· Driver Rating of 103.1, seventh-best

· 14 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.565 mph, eighth-fastest

· 262 Laps in the Top 15 (98.1%), third-most

· Series-high 74 Quality Passes

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)

· One top 10

· Average finish of 7.0

· Average Running Position of 5.3, third-best

· Driver Rating of 118.6, third-best

· 31 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 173.050 mph, fourth-fastest

· 259 Laps in the Top 15 (97.0%), fourth-most

· 51 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)

· Average finish of 15.0

· Average Running Position of 7.9, sixth-best

· Driver Rating of 100.7, eighth-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.703 mph, sixth-fastest

· 257 Laps in the Top 15 (96.3%), fifth-most

· 58 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Ryan Newman (No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet)

· One top five, one top 10

· Average finish of 4.0

· Driver Rating of 85.5, 13th-best

· 3 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most

· 103 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most

David Ragan (No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford)

· One top 10

· Average finish of 8.0

· Average Running Position of 10.9, ninth-best

· Driver Rating of 94.1, 11th-best

· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.902 mph, 13th-fastest

· 225 Laps in the Top 15 (84.3%), ninth-most

· 60 Quality Passes, fourth-most

David Reutimann (No. 10 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet)

· One top five, one top 10

· Average finish of 2.0

· Average Running Position of 8.7, seventh-best

· Driver Rating of 105.8, sixth-best

· 3 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most

· 117 Green Flag Passes, third-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.343 mph, 10th-fastest

· 248 Laps in the Top 15 (92.9%), eighth-most

· 66 Quality Passes, second-most

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)

· Average finish of 12.0

· Average Running Position of 12.0, 11th-best

· Driver Rating of 97.2, ninth-best

· 17 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

· 114 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.793 mph, fifth-fastest

· 176 Laps in the Top 15 (65.9%), 12th-most

· 50 Quality Passes, 10th-most

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2012 Top 12 at Kentucky Speedway

Driver

Races

Poles

Wins

Top Fives

Top 10s

DNFs

Average Finish

Driver Rating

1

Matt Kenseth

1

0

1

0

6.0

103.1

2

Greg Biffle

1

0

21.0

85.1

3

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

1

0

30.0

64.1

4

Jimmie Johnson

1

0

1

0

3.0

119.8

5

Tony Stewart

1

0

12.0

97.2

6

Kevin Harvick

1

0

16.0

85.8

7

Clint Bowyer

1

0

1

35.0

49.1

8

Denny Hamlin

1

0

11.0

85.4

9

Martin Truex Jr.

1

0

18.0

72.7

10

Brad Keselowski

1

0

1

0

7.0

118.6

11

Carl Edwards

1

0

1

0

5.0

108.2

12

Kyle Busch

1

0

1

0

1.0

145.6

* – Based on last race at Kentucky Speedway in 2011.

Wild Card Standings Following :

Sonoma

Pos.

Driver

Wins

Pts. Pos.

Points

Pts. From 10th

1

Kyle Busch

1

12

459

-31

2

Ryan Newman

1

13

453

-37

3

Joey Logano

1

15

441

-49

4

Kasey Kahne

1

17

421

-69

5

Carl Edwards

0

11

479

-11

6

Paul Menard

0

14

445

-45

7

Marcos Ambrose

0

16

425

-65

8

Jeff Gordon

0

18

414

-76

9

Jeff Burton

0

19

408

-82

10

Jamie McMurray

0

20

402

-88

The top-10 drivers will make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Positions 11 and 12 in the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are Wild Cards, and will go to drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, as long as they are ranked in the top 20 in points. If multiple drivers outside the top 10 tie for wins, the tie-breaker will go to the race winner with the highest points position.

At Kentucky Speedway:

History

· In 1998, the track broke ground in Sparta, Kentucky, and opened as a 1.5-mile speedway in 2000.

· The original owners, Jerry Carroll and four other investors owned the track until 2008, when current owners, Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased the facility.

· Since 2000, the track has hosted 11 NASCAR Nationwide Series (2001-2011) and 13 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races (2000-2011).

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was held in 2011.

Notebook

· There has been one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway (2011).

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying at Kentucky was cancelled due to weather. The starting line-up was set per the NASCAR Rule Book.

· Kyle Busch won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race; he started from the first position.

· The 2011 event had 20 lead changes among 20 leaders.

· Of the scheduled 267 laps, Kyle Busch led the most with 125, followed by Brad Keselowski with 79 laps led.

· 23 cars of the 43-car field finished on the lead lap, with 34 cars running at the finish.

· The margin of victory for the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky was 0.179 seconds.

· Youngest/Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kentucky Speedway winner: Kyle Busch (07/09/2011 – 26 years, 2 months, 7 days).

· Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers in wins at 1.5-mile race tracks (16 wins).

Kentucky Speedway Data

Race #: 17 of 36 (06-30-12)

Track Size: 1.5 miles

Race Length: 267 laps / 400.5 miles

· Banking/Turns: 14 degrees

· Banking/Frontstretch: 8 degrees

· Banking/Backstretch: 4 degrees

· Frontstretch: 1,662 feet

· Backstretch: 1,600 feet

Top 12 Driver Rating at Kentucky

Kyle Busch…………………………. 145.6

Jimmie Johnson…………………… 119.8

Brad Keselowski………………….. 118.6

Kurt Busch………………………….. 118.5

Carl Edwards………………………. 108.2

David Reutimann………………….. 105.8

Matt Kenseth……………………….. 103.1

Juan Pablo Montoya…………….. 100.7

Tony Stewart…………………………. 97.2

Kasey Kahne………………………… 94.6

David Ragan…………………………. 94.1

Kevin Harvick………………………… 85.8

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (one total) at Kentucky.

Qualifying/Race Data

2011 pole winner: None due to weather

2011 race winner: Kyle Busch, (137.314 mph, 2:55:00, 07-09-11)

Track qualifying record: None due to weather

Track race record: Kyle Busch, (137.314 mph, 2:55:00, 07-09-11)

NASCAR in Kentucky

· There have been two NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Kentucky:

Track Name

City

NSCS

Years

Kentucky Speedway

Sparta

1

2011

Corbin Speedway

Corbin

1

1954

· 41 drivers from NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Kentucky

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com