DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 14, 2011) – Below is a look at how the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field has performed at Homestead-Miami Speedway, going into the season-finale Ford 400 on Nov. 20.
1 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 AFLAC Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.8
2011 Rundown
· One win, 18 top fives, 25 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 9.5
· Led 24 races for 784 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, four top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 5.7 in seven races
· Series-best Average Running Position of 7.7
· Series-best Driver Rating of 117.5
· Series-high 173 Fastest Laps Run
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 162.956 mph
· Series-high 1,379 Laps in the Top 15 (86.0%)
· 236 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), seventh-most
2 – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.1
2011 Rundown
· Four wins, eight top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.3
· Led 20 races for 848 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 12.4 in 12 races
· Average Running Position of 14.6, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 87.6, 11th-best
· 60 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
· 415 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.140 mph, 10th-fastest
· 1,037 Laps in the Top 15 (64.7%), seventh-most
· 235 Quality Passes, eighth-most
3 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.9
2011 Rundown
· Four wins, nine top fives, 18 top 10s
· Average finish of 11.6
· Led 16 races for 391 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Five top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 7.9 in 10 races
· Average Running Position of 9.8, third-best
· Driver Rating of 102.8, fourth-best
· 62 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.554 mph, fifth-fastest
· 1,264 Laps in the Top 15 (78.9%), second-most
· 243 Quality Passes, fifth-most
4 – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.8
2011 Rundown
· Three wins, 10 top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.7
· Led 19 races for 287 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Average finish of 20.3 in three races
· Average Running Position of 25.2, 31st-best
· Driver Rating of 59.8, 31st-best
5 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.6
2011 Rundown
· Two wins, 14 top fives, 21 top 10s
· Average finish of 11.3
· Led 22 races for 1,113 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Four top fives, seven top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 11.6 in 10 races
· Average Running Position of 12.6, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 97.4, fifth-best
· 375 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.431 mph, sixth-fastest
· 1,221 Laps in the Top 15 (76.2%), fourth-most
· 248 Quality Passes, third-most
6 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.4
2011 Rundown
· Three wins, 11 top fives, 19 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 12.4
· Led 22 races for 860 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· One win, two top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 18.8 in 11 races
· Average Running Position of 10.2, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 105.7, third-best
· 74 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.560 mph, fourth-fastest
· 1,228 Laps in the Top 15 (76.6%), third-most
· 216 Quality Passes, 11th-most
7 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.8
2011 Rundown
· Four top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.6
· Led 9 races for 52 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Average finish of 24.2 in 11 races
· Average Running Position of 23.4, 29th-best
· Driver Rating of 64.1, 28th-best
· 83 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 508 Green Flag Passes, second-most
8 – Kurt Busch (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.2
2011 Rundown
· Two wins, eight top fives, 16 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 14.1
· Led 20 races for 770 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, four top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 19.4 in 10 races
· Average Running Position of 23.4, 28th-best
· Driver Rating of 74.8, 21st-best
· 76 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.039 mph, 12th-fastest
9 – Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.1
2011 Rundown
· One win, nine top fives, 17 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 14.1
· Led 18 races for 403 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Three top 10s
· Average finish of 19.1 in nine races
· Average Running Position of 14.8, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 82.2, 16th-best
· 373 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
· 217 Quality Passes, 10th-most
10 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.0
2011 Rundown
· One win, five top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 16.2
· Led 15 races for 450 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, three top 10s
· Average finish of 11.2 in six races
· Average Running Position of 14.8, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 92.5, seventh-best
· 63 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· Series-high 516 Green Flag Passes
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.237 mph, eighth-fastest
· 915 Laps in the Top 15 (57.1%), 10th-most
· 232 Quality Passes, ninth-most
11 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.8
2011 Rundown
· Three wins, 12 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.3
· Led 21 races for 915 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· Five top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 11.8 in 12 races
· Average Running Position of 15.3, 14th-best
· Driver Rating of 88.7, 10th-best
· 54 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· 393 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
· 977 Laps in the Top 15 (60.9%), eighth-most
· 258 Quality Passes, second-most
12 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 104.8
2011 Rundown
· Four wins, 14 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.7
· Led 25 races for 1,439 laps
Homestead-Miami Speedway Outlook:
· One top 10
· Average finish of 26.3 in six races
· Average Running Position of 18.8, 20th-best
· Driver Rating of 84.5, 15th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 162.101 mph, 11th-fastest
· 200 Quality Passes, 13th-most
The Chase Is On
The Top 12
Following Race 35 of 36
Rank Season
Last Driver
Driver Pts. Wins Poles Week Rating
1. Carl Edwards 2,359 1 2 1 99.8
2. Tony Stewart 2,356 4 1 2 95.1
3. Kevin Harvick 2,308 4 0 3 91.9
4. Brad Keselowski 2,294 3 1 5 86.8
5. Jimmie Johnson 2,291 2 0 6 99.6
6. Matt Kenseth 2,289 3 3 4 98.4
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2,257 0 1 7 82.8
8. Kurt Busch 2,252 2 3 9 95.2
9. Ryan Newman 2,252 1 3 12 88.1
10. Denny Hamlin 2,249 1 0 10 88.0
11. Jeff Gordon 2,247 3 1 8 95.8
12. Kyle Busch 2,224 4 1 11 104.8
___________________________________________________
ADDITIONAL DRIVERS
13. Clint Bowyer 1,009 33. Andy Lally 398
14. Kasey Kahne 1,004 34. Robby Gordon 268
15. Greg Biffle 987 35. J.J. Yeley 189
16. AJ Allmendinger 984 36. Michael McDowell 138
17. Marcos Ambrose 931 37. Tony Raines 129
18. Paul Menard 919 38. Ken Schrader 110
19. Juan Pablo Montoya 918 39. Terry Labonte 102
20. Mark Martin 910 40. Bill Elliott 100
21. David Ragan 900 41. David Stremme 78
22. Jeff Burton 900 42. Michael Waltrip 56
23. Martin Truex Jr. 895 43. Boris Said 38
24. Joey Logano 877 44. Stephen Leicht 20
25. Brian Vickers 819 45. Geoffrey Bodine 19
26. Regan Smith 789 46. Andy Pilgrim 18
27. Jamie McMurray 765 47. Chris Cook 17
28. David Reutimann 731 48. T.J. Bell 14
29. Bobby Labonte 653 49. Brian Simo 11
30. David Gilliland 560 50. Brian Keselowski 3
31. Casey Mears 523 51. Erik Darnell 2
32. Dave Blaney 492 52. Steve Park 2
Note: The first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season determine which 12 drivers qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, contested over the final 10 races of the season.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Driver
Races
Poles
Wins
Top Fives
Top 10s
DNFs
Average Finish
Driver Rating*
1
Carl Edwards
7
1
2
4
6
0
5.7
117.5
2
Tony Stewart
12
0
2
3
6
0
12.4
87.6
3
Kevin Harvick
10
0
0
5
8
0
7.9
102.8
4
Brad Keselowski
3
0
0
0
0
0
20.3
59.8
5
Jimmie Johnson
10
2
0
4
7
1
11.6
97.4
6
Matt Kenseth
11
0
1
2
4
2
18.8
105.7
7
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11
0
0
0
0
1
24.2
64.1
8
Kurt Busch
10
2
1
4
4
2
19.4
74.8
9
Ryan Newman
9
0
0
0
3
2
19.1
82.2
10
Denny Hamlin
6
0
1
3
3
0
11.2
92.5
11
Jeff Gordon
12
0
0
5
9
1
11.8
88.7
1
Carl Edwards
7
1
2
4
6
0
5.7
117.5
* – Driver Rating based on the last six Homestead-Miami Speedway races
At Homestead-Miami Speedway:
History
· Groundbreaking for Homestead-Miami Dade Motorsports Complex – as the track was originally named – began Aug. 24, 1993. The first race was a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Nov. 5, 1995.
· The original configuration was a four-turn, rectangular oval based on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s layout.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Homestead was held on Nov. 14, 1999.
· 2002 was the first season of the Championship Weekend at Homestead, with all three of NASCAR’s national series holding their season finale at the same track.
Notebook
· Since the inception of the position-based points system in 1975, only three drivers have made up a points deficit in the season finale: Richard Petty in 1979 (made up two points on Darrell Waltrip), Alan Kulwicki in 1992 (made up 30 points on Davey Allison) and Jimmie Johnson in 2010 (made up 15 points on Denny Hamlin).
· There have been 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Homestead, one per season since 1999.
· Five drivers have competed in all 12 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Elliott Sadler and Tony Stewart.
· David Green won the first pole, in 1999.
· Tony Stewart won the inaugural race, in 1999.
· There have been nine different pole winners. Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson lead all drivers, with two.
· There have been eight different race winners, led by Greg Biffle, with three.
· Jack Roush has won seven races, most among owners.
· The race has been won from the pole twice: Bill Elliott (2001) and Kurt Busch (2002).
· The race has been won from a top-10 starting position in nine of 12 races.
· Denny Hamlin won in 2009 from the 38th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
· Three active drivers have averaged a top-10 finish: Carl Edwards (5.7), Kevin Harvick (7.9) and A.J. Allmendinger (8.7).
Homestead-Miami Speedway Data
Race: 36 of 36 (11-20-11)
Track Size: 1.5 miles
Race Length: 267 laps/400.5 miles
· Banking/Corners: 18 – 20 degrees
· Banking/Straights: 4 degrees
· Frontstretch: 1,760 feet
· Backstretch: 1,760 feet
Driver Rating at Homestead
Carl Edwards 117.5
Martin Truex Jr. 107.4
Matt Kenseth 105.7
Kevin Harvick 102.8
Greg Biffle 97.4
Jimmie Johnson 97.4
Denny Hamlin 92.5
Kasey Kahne 89.6
Mark Martin 89.6
Jeff Gordon 88.7
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-11 races (six total) at Homestead-Miami.
Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Kasey Kahne (176.904 mph, 30.525 seconds)
2010 race winner: Carl Edwards (126.585 mph, 11-21-10)
Track qualifying record: Jamie McMurray (181.111 mph, 29.816 seconds, 11-16-03)
Track race record: Tony Stewart (140.335 mph, 11-14-99)
NASCAR in Florida
· There have been 167 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Florida.
· 165 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series have their home state recorded as Florida.
· There have been 10 race winners from Florida in NASCAR’s three national series:
Driver
NSCS
NNS
NCWTS
Bobby Allison
84
2
0
Fireball Roberts
33
0
0
LeeRoy Yarbrough
14
0
0
Marshall Teague
7
0
0
Joe Nemechek
4
16
0
David Reutimann
2
1
1
Bobby Johns
2
0
0
Shorty Rollins
1
0
0
Rick Wilson
0
2
0
Aric Almirola
0
1
2
