DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 6, 2013) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina going into the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on May 11.
DARLINGTON-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Meguiars Ford)
· Two wins, two top fives, five top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 14.0
· Average Running Position of 9.8, third-best
· Driver Rating of 110.5, second-best
· Series-high 283 Fastest Laps Run
· 2,170 Laps in the Top 15 (73.7%), fourth-most
· 249 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), third-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 Doublemint Toyota)
· One win, two top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 15.5
· Average Running Position of 10.0, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 102.3, fifth-best
· 470 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.837 mph, fifth-fastest
· 2,423 Laps in the Top 15 (82.3%), second-most
· Series-high 323 Quality Passes
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet)
· Three top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 15.3
· Average Running Position of 12.6, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 90.4, 10th-best
· 485 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· 1,911 Laps in the Top 15 (64.9%), ninth-most
· 229 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Geek Squad Ford)
· Three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 13.1
· Average Running Position of 12.8, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 93.9, ninth-best
· 149 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· 418 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.490 mph, eighth-fastest
· 2,000 Laps in the Top 15 (68.0%), seventh-most
· 249 Quality Passes, third-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Cromax Pro Chevrolet)
· Seven wins, 18 top fives, 21 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 11.8
· Series-best Average Running Position of 8.3
· Series-best Driver Rating of 111.8
· 180 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 160.041 mph
· Series-high 2,615 Laps in the Top 15 (88.9%)
· 245 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota)
· One win, three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 5.9
· Average Running Position of 8.8, second-best
· Driver Rating of 109.5, third-best
· 175 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.896 mph, third-fastest
· 2,123 Laps in the Top 15 (82.5%), sixth-most
· 229 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Emerald Green Chevrolet)
· Three wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s
· Average finish of 9.1
· Average Running Position of 10.7, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 105.7, fourth-best
· 210 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· 453 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.918 mph, second-fastest
· 2,137 Laps in the Top 15 (72.6%), fifth-most
· 227 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet)
· Three top fives, four top 10s; four poles
· Average finish of 13.9
· Average Running Position of 11.1, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 98.3, sixth-best
· 192 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.483 mph, ninth-fastest
· 1,985 Laps in the Top 15 (67.4%), eighth-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota)
· One top five, eight top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 17.5
· Driver Rating of 86.5, 12th-best
· 76 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· 431 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· 195 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)
· One top five, two top 10s
· Average finish of 9.3
· Driver Rating of 84.5, 13th-best
Ryan Newman (No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet)
· Seven top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.4
· Average Running Position of 11.0, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 97.6, seventh-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.652 mph, seventh-fastest
· 2,326 Laps in the Top 15 (79.0%), third-most
· 193 Quality Passes, 13th-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
· Four top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 11.8
· Average Running Position of 14.1, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 90.0, 11th-best
· 104 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· Series-high 496 Green Flag Passes
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.420 mph, 10th-fastest
· 1,813 Laps in the Top 15 (61.6%), 10th-most
· 266 Quality Passes, second-most
Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 11.3
· Average Running Position of 12.5, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.2, eighth-best
· 115 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 437 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 159.673 mph, sixth-fastest
· 215 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Chase Contenders
The Top 12
Following Race 10 of 36
Rank Season
Last Driver
Driver Points Wins Poles Week Rating
1. Jimmie Johnson 383 2 1 1 114.3
2. Carl Edwards 342 1 0 2 92.6
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 324 0 0 4 95.0
4. Clint Bowyer 316 0 0 5 95.0
5. Brad Keselowski 314 0 0 6 94.5
6. Kasey Kahne 299 1 0 3 98.9
7. Aric Almirola 293 0 0 11 81.6
8. Paul Menard 290 0 0 10 78.9
9. Kyle Busch 285 2 2 7 100.1
10. Greg Biffle 280 0 0 8 80.9
11. Matt Kenseth 279 2 2 13 117.9
12. Kevin Harvick 276 1 0 9 91.4
___________________________________________________________
ADDITIONAL DRIVERS
13. Martin Truex Jr. 269 30. David Blaney 173
14. Jeff Gordon 269 31. Denny Hamlin 155
15. Jamie McMurray 267 32. J.J. Yeley 148
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 256 33. David Stremme 146
17. Ryan Newman 242 34. David Reutimann 141
18. Joey Logano 237 35. AJ Allmendinger 122
19. Jeff Burton 235 36. Landon Cassill 116
20. Kurt Busch 231 37. Travis Kvapil 106
21. Marcos Ambrose 225 38. Scott Speed 71
22. Tony Stewart 224 39. Michael McDowell 70
23. Mark Martin 207 40. Michael Waltrip 63
24. Casey Mears 203 41. Terry Labonte 52
25. Juan Pablo Montoya 202 42. Timmy Hill 34
26. David Ragan 192 43. Ken Schrader 29
27. Danica Patrick 180 44. Scott Riggs 6
28. Bobby Labonte 177 45. Brian Keselowski 4
29. David Gilliland 173
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. After race No. 26, the top 10 earn a berth in the Chase. Spots 11 and 12 – the Wild Cards – will go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2013 Top 12 at Darlington Raceway
Driver
Races
Poles
Wins
Top Fives
Top 10s
DNFs
Average Finish
Driver Rating
1
Jimmie Johnson
14
0
3
7
10
1
9.1
105.7
2
Carl Edwards
9
0
0
3
6
1
13.1
93.9
3
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
18
0
0
3
7
1
15.3
90.4
4
Clint Bowyer
7
1
0
0
1
2
22.6
75.4
5
Brad Keselowski
4
0
0
1
2
0
9.3
84.5
6
Kasey Kahne
10
4
0
3
4
0
13.9
98.3
7
Aric Almirola
1
0
0
0
0
0
19.0
67.3
8
Paul Menard
6
0
0
0
0
0
24.5
57.3
9
Kyle Busch
8
0
1
2
4
0
15.5
102.3
10
Greg Biffle
12
2
2
2
5
1
14.0
110.5
11
Matt Kenseth
19
1
0
1
8
1
17.5
86.5
12
Kevin Harvick
16
0
0
2
5
1
18.8
84.4
* – Based on last eight races at Darlington Raceway.
At Darlington Raceway:
History
· Darlington Raceway was built as a 1.25-mile paved superspeedway in 1949-1950.
· Darlington Raceway hosted the first 500-mile race in NASCAR history and the first on asphalt on Sept. 4, 1950 – won by Johnny Mantz.
· The track was re-measured to 1.375 miles in 1953.
· The track was re-configured to 1.366 miles following the spring race in 1970.
· The track was repaved in 1995.
· The 2005 race was the first Saturday night race at Darlington.
· The track was repaved again prior to the 2008 season.
Notebook
· There have been 109 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Darlington Raceway. The 1.366-mile track has hosted the fourth most NASCAR Sprint Cup points paying races.
· 700 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway; 423 in more than one.
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Darlington with 65. Terry Labonte leads all active drivers with 54 starts; followed by Mark Martin with 46.
· Curtis Turner won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Darlington in 1950 with a speed of 82.034 mph.
· 47 drivers have Coors Light poles at Darlington, led by David Pearson with 12. Kasey Kahne leads all active drivers with four.
· Nine drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Darlington. David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Darlington with five (1975 -1977).
· Youngest Darlington pole winner: Kurt Busch (9/2/2001 – 23 years, 0 months, 29 days).
· Oldest Darlington pole winner: David Pearson (9/6/1982 – 47 years, 8 months, 15 days).
· 45 different drivers have won at Darlington Raceway, led by David Pearson with 10. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with seven.
· Youngest Darlington winner: Kyle Busch (5/10/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 8 days).
· Oldest Darlington winner: Harry Gant (9/1/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 22 days).
· Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Darlington in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 14.
· 11 different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Darlington; led by Chevrolet with 40 victories; followed by Ford with 28.
· 19 of the 109 (17.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Darlington have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Dale Jarrett in 1997.
· The pole starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (19) than any other starting position at Darlington. The outside front row (second-place) has produced the second most wins (17).
· 36 of the 109 (33.0%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Darlington have been won from the front row: 19 from the pole and 17 from second-place.
· 94 of the 109 (86.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Darlington have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· Six of the 109 (5.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Darlington have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Darlington was 43rd by Johnny Mantz in 1950 – the inaugural NSCS event. The furthest back an active winner has started was 23rd by Regan Smith (2011).
· Buddy Baker and Richard Petty are tied for the series most runner-up finishes at Darlington with eight each. Mark Martin leads all active drivers in second-place finishes at Darlington with six; followed by Jeff Gordon with four.
· Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Darlington with 25. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 18.
· Bill Elliott leads the series in top-10 finishes at Darlington with 35. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 26.
· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Darlington with a 6.719.
· Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Darlington with a 5.857.
· Three active NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers have an average finish in the top 10 at Darlington: Denny Hamlin (5.8), Jimmie Johnson (9.1) and Brad Keselowski (9.2).
· 13 drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Darlington; Dale Earnhardt (1989-1990) and Jeff Gordon (1995-1996) are tied for the series lead in consecutive wins at Darlington with three each.
· All 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Darlington Raceway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Among active drivers, Kyle Busch won at Darlington in the fewest previous appearances (three).
· Mark Martin competed at Darlington Raceway 15 times before winning in 2009; the longest span of any of the 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
· Among the 10 active NSCS Darlington winners Mark Martin (15), Bobby Labonte (14) and Jeff Burton (10) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win.
· Ken Schrader leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Darlington without visiting Victory Lane at 44.
· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington Raceway was the (3/16/2003) race won by Ricky Craven with a MOV of 0.002 second – the MOV is tied with the 2011 Talladega race as the closest finishes in the NSCS using electronic scoring.
· There have been three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Darlington Raceway: 2005 (367/370), 2011 (367/370) and 2012 (367/368).
· Eight of the 109 races at Darlington Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the fall race of 2000.
· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Darlington Raceway five times; most recently was the fall race of 2004.
· Terry Labonte (9/4/1978) made his series debut at Darlington Raceway.
· Ken Schrader (3/29/1987), Kurt Busch (9/2/2001) and Clint Bowyer (5/13/2007) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Coors Light poles at Darlington.
· Regan Smith (5/7/2011) and Terry Labonte (9/1/1980) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Darlington.
· Three female drivers have competed at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series –
o Janet Guthrie – (9/5/1977) – starting 26th and finishing 16th
o Patty Moise – (3/17/2002) – starting 42nd and finishing 42nd
o Danica Patrick – (5/12/2012) – starting 38th and finishing 31st
· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Darlington with 1,720 laps led in 32 starts.
Darlington Raceway Data
Season Race #: 11 of 36 (5-11-13)
Track Size: 1.366-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 25 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 23 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 6 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 6 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,229 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,229 feet
Race Length: 367 laps / 501.3 miles
Top 12 Driver Rating at Darlington
Jeff Gordon………………………… 111.8
Greg Biffle………………………….. 110.5
Denny Hamlin………………………. 109.5
Jimmie Johnson…………………… 105.7
Kyle Busch…………………………. 102.3
Kasey Kahne………………………… 98.3
Ryan Newman……………………….. 97.6
Martin Truex Jr………………………. 95.2
Carl Edwards………………………… 93.9
Dale Earnhardt Jr…………………… 90.4
Tony Stewart…………………………. 90.0
Matt Kenseth………………………… 86.5
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (eight total) among active drivers at Darlington Raceway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2012 pole winner: Greg Biffle, Ford, 180.257 mph, 27.281 secs. 5-10-12
2012 race winner: Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 133.802 mph, (03:45:25), 5-12-12
Track qualifying record: Kasey Kahne, Toyota, 181.254 mph, 27.131 secs. 5-06-11
Track race record: Kyle Busch, Toyota, 140.350 mph, (03:34:14), 5-10-08
NASCAR in South Carolina
· There have been 219 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in South Carolina.
Track Name
City
NSCS
Darlington Raceway
Darlington
109
Columbia Speedway
Columbia
43
Greenville-Pickens Speedway
Greenville
29
Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds
Spartanburg
22
Rambi Race Track
Myrtle Beach
9
Coastal Speedway
Myrtle Beach
2
Lancaster Speedway
Lancaster
2
Gamecock Speedway
Sumter
1
Hartsville Speedway
Hartsville
1
Newberry Speedway
Newberry
1
· 133 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as South Carolina.
· 11 drivers from South Carolina have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; eight have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
