Statistical Advance: Analyzing The GEICO 400 (US Readers)

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Nascar officials stats:

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois going into the GEICO 400 on Sept. 16. CHICAGO-SPECIFIC STATISTICS 1 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.8 2012 Rundown ·  Four wins, 11 top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles ·  Average finish of 12.6 ·  Led 18 races for 899 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  One top five, two top 10s ·  Average finish of 19.2 in six races ·  Average Running Position of 18.7, 18th-best ·  Driver Rating of 81.8, 15th-best ·  164 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 12th-most 2 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 108.0 2012 Rundown ·  Three wins, 12 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole ·  Average finish of 11.3 ·  Led 17 races for 1,033 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  Five top fives, eight top 10s; one pole ·  Average finish of 10.0 in 10 races ·  Average Running Position of 8.0, second-best ·  Series-best Driver Rating of 112.2 ·  Series-high 237 Fastest Laps Run ·  Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 169.022 mph ·  1,589 Laps in the Top 15 (84.9%), second-most ·  205 Quality Passes, fifth-most 3 – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.9 2012 Rundown ·  Three wins, 10 top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole ·  Average finish of 13.4 ·  Led 11 races for 378 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  Three wins, eight top fives, nine top 10s; one pole ·  Average finish of 8.7 in 11 races ·  Series-best Average Running Position of 7.7 ·  Driver Rating of 111.0, second-best ·  Series-high 1,638 Laps in the Top 15 (87.5%) 4 – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.9 2012 Rundown ·  Three wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s ·  Average finish of 11.5 ·  Led 14 races for 409 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  One top five, one top 10 ·  Average finish of 18.3 in three races ·  Driver Rating of 75.8, 19th-best 5 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 Scotch Blue Ford) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.7 2012 Rundown ·  Two wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s; two poles ·  Average finish of 9.7 ·  Led 14 races for 634 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  One top five, one top 10 ·  Average finish of 18.8 in nine races ·  Driver Rating of 88.5, 12th-best ·  Series-high 469 Green Flag Passes 6 – Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-hour Energy Toyota) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.6 2012 Rundown ·  Two wins, six top fives, 15 top 10s ·  Average finish of 11.5 ·  Led 7 races for 185 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  One top five, five top 10s ·  Average finish of 10.2 in six races ·  Average Running Position of 12.9, eighth-best ·  Driver Rating of 90.7, ninth-best 7 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/7-Eleven/National Guard Chevrolet) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.5 2012 Rundown ·  One win, 10 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole ·  Average finish of 9.9 ·  Led 12 races for 340 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  One win, three top fives, four top 10s ·  Average finish of 14.8 in 11 races ·  Average Running Position of 13.5, 10th-best ·  Driver Rating of 89.2, 11th-best ·  423 Green Flag Passes, second-most ·  220 Quality Passes, fourth-most 8 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Best Buy Ford) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.4 2012 Rundown ·  One win, 10 top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole ·  Average finish of 10.3 ·  Led 16 races for 362 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  Two top fives, four top 10s; one pole ·  Average finish of 12.3 in 11 races ·  Average Running Position of 10.5, fourth-best ·  Driver Rating of 104.1, third-best ·  177 Fastest Laps Run, second-most ·  Average Green Flag Speed of 168.787 mph, third-fastest ·  1,318 Laps in the Top 15 (70.4%), fifth-most ·  180 Quality Passes, 10th-most 9 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.2 2012 Rundown ·  Four top fives, 11 top 10s ·  Average finish of 12.0 ·  Led 7 races for 229 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  Two wins, six top fives, seven top 10s ·  Average finish of 10.4 in 11 races ·  Average Running Position of 11.2, fifth-best ·  Driver Rating of 98.5, fifth-best ·  45 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most ·  Average Green Flag Speed of 168.538 mph, fourth-fastest ·  1,361 Laps in the Top 15 (72.7%), fourth-most ·  188 Quality Passes, ninth-most 10 – Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.3 2012 Rundown ·  Six top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole ·  Average finish of 11.3 ·  Led 11 races for 423 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  One top 10 ·  Average finish of 18.2 in six races ·  Average Running Position of 13.2, ninth-best ·  Driver Rating of 86.7, 14th-best ·  74 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most ·  409 Green Flag Passes, third-most ·  Average Green Flag Speed of 168.229 mph, seventh-fastest ·  1,110 Laps in the Top 15 (69.2%), 10th-most ·  202 Quality Passes, sixth-most 11 – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.0 2012 Rundown ·  Two wins, seven top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles ·  Average finish of 14.3 ·  Led 7 races for 252 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  One top five, two top 10s ·  Average finish of 21.0 in eight races ·  Average Running Position of 20.2, 23rd-best ·  Driver Rating of 75.3, 20th-best 12 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) ·  Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.8 2012 Rundown ·  One win, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole ·  Average finish of 14.9 ·  Led 16 races for 443 laps Chicagoland Speedway Outlook: ·  One win, six top fives, seven top 10s; one pole ·  Average finish of 10.0 in 11 races ·  Average Running Position of 11.5, sixth-best ·  Driver Rating of 95.4, seventh-best ·  87 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most ·  398 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most ·  Average Green Flag Speed of 168.206 mph, eighth-fastest ·  1,380 Laps in the Top 15 (73.7%), third-most ·  Series-high 234 Quality Passes Chase Contenders   The Top 12   Following Race 26 of 36           Rank   Season    Last   Driver

Driver Points Wins Poles Week Rating

1. Denny Hamlin 2,012 4 2 7 101.8

2. Jimmie Johnson 2,009 3 1 4 108.0

3. Tony Stewart 2,009 3 1 10 87.9

4. Brad Keselowski 2,009 3 0 6 95.9

5. Greg Biffle 2,006 2 2 1 102.7

6. Clint Bowyer 2,006 2 0 8 92.6

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2,003 1 1 2 99.5

8. Matt Kenseth 2,003 1 1 3 102.4

9. Kevin Harvick 2,000 0 0 9 92.2

10. Martin Truex Jr. 2,000 0 1 5 98.3

11. Kasey Kahne 2,000 0 2 11 93.0

12. Jeff Gordon 2,000 0 1 13 95.8

ADDITIONAL DRIVERS

13. Kyle Busch 774 36. Brian Vickers 177

14. Carl Edwards 747 37. J.J. Yeley 138

15. Marcos Ambrose 735 38. Michael McDowell 126

16. Ryan Newman 734 39. Ken Schrader 111

17. Paul Menard 731 40. Josh Wise 109

18. Joey Logano 678 41. Stephen Leicht 97

19. Jeff Burton 647 42. Scott Speed 76

20. Jamie McMurray 640 43. Michael Waltrip 75

21. Juan Pablo Montoya 608 44. Tony Raines 67

22. Aric Almirola 587 45. Terry Labonte 66

23. Regan Smith 566 46. Brendan Gaughan 50

24. Bobby Labonte 557 47. Scott Riggs 50

25. Kurt Busch 499 48. Boris Said 34

26. Mark Martin 492 49. Bill Elliott 14

27. Casey Mears 462 50. Hermie Sadler III 13

28. David Gilliland 451 51. Robby Gordon 11

29. David Ragan 437 52. Mike Skinner 10

30. Travis Kvapil 434 53. Tomy Drissi 6

31. Landon Cassill 421 54. Stacy Compton 5

32. AJ Allmendinger 400 55. David Mayhew 4

33. Dave Blaney 338 56. Kelly Bires 2

34. David Reutimann 316 57. Patrick Long 2

35. David Stremme 184

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 2012 Top 12 at Chicagoland Speedway

Driver Races Poles Wins Top Fives Top 10s DNFs Average Finish Driver Rating

1 Denny Hamlin 6 0 0 1 2 0 19.2 81.8

2 Jimmie Johnson 10 1 0 5 8 1 10.0 112.2

3 Tony Stewart 11 1 3 8 9 1 8.7 111.0

4 Brad Keselowski 3 0 0 1 1 0 18.3 75.8

5 Greg Biffle 9 0 0 1 1 1 18.8 88.5

6 Clint Bowyer 6 0 0 1 5 0 10.2 90.7

7 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 11 0 1 3 4 1 14.8 89.2

8 Matt Kenseth 11 1 0 2 4 0 12.3 104.1

9 Kevin Harvick 11 0 2 6 7 0 10.4 98.5

10 Martin Truex Jr. 6 0 0 0 1 1 18.2 86.7

11 Kasey Kahne 8 0 0 1 2 2 21.0 75.3

12 Jeff Gordon 11 1 1 6 7 1 10.0 95.4

* – Based on last seven races at Chicagoland Speedway.

Additional Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Contenders Loop Data for Chicagoland Speedway

Driver Avg. Running Position # of Quality Passes Laps in Top 15 % of Laps in Top 15 Laps Led % of Laps Led Total Laps Completed

1 Denny Hamlin 18.7 164 903 56.3 0 0 1598

2 Jimmie Johnson 8.0 205 1589 84.9 307 16.4 1826

3 Tony Stewart 7.7 222 1638 87.5 156 8.3 1871

4 Brad Keselowski 17.7 53 264 33 4 0.5 798

5 Greg Biffle 15.8 153 995 53.2 77 4.1 1826

6 Clint Bowyer 12.9 171 1018 63.4 2 0.1 1605

7 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 13.5 220 1195 63.8 40 2.1 1871

8 Matt Kenseth 10.5 180 1318 70.4 342 18.3 1870

9 Kevin Harvick 11.2 188 1361 72.7 94 5 1856

10 Martin Truex Jr. 13.2 202 1110 69.2 28 1.7 1549

11 Kasey Kahne 20.2 127 802 42.8 2 0.1 1738

12 Jeff Gordon 11.5 234 1380 73.7 73 3.9 1852

At Chicagoland Speedway: History ·  Construction of the Chicagoland Speedway began in August 1999. ·  The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicago was July 14, 2001. ·  The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was held on July 15, 2001. ·  This weekend marks the second year Chicagoland Speedway has been included in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – Sept. 18, 2011. Notebook ·  There have been 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Chicagoland Speedway. ·  11 drivers have competed in all 10 races. ·  Todd Bodine won the first pole. ·  There has been a different pole winner after every qualifying session (qualifying was canceled in 2008), 10 total. ·  Kevin Harvick won the first two races. ·  Eight different drivers have won races, led by Tony Stewart with three. ·  Kyle Busch won the 2008 race from the pole, the first time a driver won from the pole. It was also the only time a driver had won from a top-five starting position. ·  Kevin Harvick won the 2002 race from the 32nd starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner ever started at Chicago. ·  Only one starting position has multiple wins: 14th. Mark Martin won from the 14th starting position in 2009, as did Ryan Newman in 2003. ·  Tony Stewart (8.7), Jeff Gordon (10.0) and Jimmie Johnson (10.0) are active drivers who average a top-10 finish at Chicago. ·  Six of the last seven races have ended with a margin of victory under one second. The closest margin of victory at Chicago was 0.159 sec. (7-12-08). ·  Joe Gibbs leads all car owners in wins at Chicago with three, followed by Richard Childress and Rick Hendrickwith two each. ·  Chevrolet leads the series with the most wins by a manufacturer at Chicago with eight. ·  Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chicagoland Speedway winner: Kyle Busch (07/12/2008 – 23 years, 2 months, 10 days). ·  Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chicagoland Speedway winner: Mark Martin (07/11/2009 – 50 years, 6 months, 2 days). Chicagoland Speedway Data Chase Race #: 1 of 10 Season Race #: 27 of 36 (09-16-12) Track Size: 1.5-miles Banking/Turns: 18 degrees Banking/Tri-Oval: 11 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees Frontstretch Length: 2,400 feet Backstretch Length: 1,700 feet Race Length: 267 laps / 400 miles Top 12 Driver Rating at Chicago Jimmie Johnson…………………… 112.2 Tony Stewart………………………. 111.0 Matt Kenseth………………………. 104.1 Kevin Harvick……………………….. 98.5 Kyle Busch………………………….. 97.8 Jeff Gordon………………………….. 95.4 Carl Edwards……………………….. 92.8 Clint Bowyer………………………… 90.7 Mark Martin…………………………. 89.5 Dale Earnhardt Jr…………………… 89.2 Greg Biffle……………………………. 88.5 Kurt Busch…………………………… 87.8 Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2012 races (7 total) at Chicagoland Speedway. Qualifying/Race Data 2011 pole winner: Matt Kenseth, Ford (183.243 mph, 29.469 sec., 09-17-11)   2011 race winner: Tony Stewart, Chevrolet (143.306 mph, 2:47:41, 09-19-11)   Track qualifying record: Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet (188.147 mph, 28.701 sec., 07-08-05)   Track race record: David Reutimann, Toyota (145.138 mph, 2:45:34, 07-10-10) NASCAR in Illinois ·  There have been 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Illinois.

Track Name City NSCS Years

Chicagoland Speedway Joliet 11 2001-2012

Santa Fe Speedway Willow Springs 1 1954

Soldier Field Chicago 1 1956

·  74 drivers all-time in NASCAR three national series have their home state recorded as Illinois. ·  There have been five race winners from Illinois in NASCAR’s three national series:

Driver NSCS NNS NCWTS

Fred Lorenzen 26 0 0

Tom Pistone 2 0 0

Justin Allgaier 0 3 0

Bobby Dotter 0 1 0

Erik Darnell 0 0  2