Week 18: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 – And Beyond

A look at this week’s Top-12 heading into the Coke 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night.

Courtesy: NASCAR Media Relations

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 29, 2009) – Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12, along with other notable drivers, going into the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on July 4. (Note: Drivers listed below who are outside the top 12 are chosen based on past performances at the upcoming track and/or are within striking distance of the top 12.)

1 – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 104.1
2009 Rundown
• One win, nine top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 8.2
• Led nine races for 150 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• Two wins, six top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 17.2
• Finished eighth in February
• Led 11 of 21 races for 546 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 9.8, second-best

2 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.9
2009 Rundown
• One win, nine top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.6
• Led 10 races for 569 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• Six wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 15.1
• Finished 13th in February
• Led 25 of 33 races for 571 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 372 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

3 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 108.5
2009 Rundown
• Two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.2
• Led 14 races for 887 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• One win, five top fives, eight top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 15.0
• Finished 31st in February
• Led seven of 15 races for 59 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-best Average Running Position of 8.8

4 – Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.3
2009 Rundown
• One win, five top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 12.6
• Led 10 races for 353 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• Eight top fives, nine top 10s
• Average finish of 17.9
• Finished 10th in February
• Led five of 17 races for 166 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 10.0, third-best

5 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.1
2009 Rundown
• Four top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 13.9
• Led eight races for 158 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• Two top fives
• Average finish of 21.4
• Finished 18th in February
• Led two of nine races for three laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 12.3, sixth-best

6 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.5
2009 Rundown
• Four top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 14.5
• Led seven races for 514 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• Average finish of 26.77
• Finished 26th in February
• Led three of seven races for 48 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 12.6, seventh-best

7 – Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.5
2009 Rundown
• Five top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 14.7
• Led nine races for 155 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• One win, two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 21.0
• Finished 36th in February
• Led five of 15 races for 35 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Has run 81.1% of the laps on the lead lap, 12th-best

8 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.8
2009 Rundown
• Three wins, four top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 16.2
• Led 10 races for 808 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• One win, four top fives
• Average finish of 18.4
• Finished 41st in February
• Led six of nine races for 234 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 250 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

9 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.3
2009 Rundown
• Five top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 15.1
• Led nine races for 355 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• One win, three top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 22.5
• Finished 20th in February
• Led four of 13 races for 30 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 345 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

10 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 84.7
2009 Rundown
• Two wins, four top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 16.2
• Led seven races for 184 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• One win, three top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 18.4
• Won February’s Daytona 500
• Led 10 of 19 races for 66 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 1,409 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

11 – Mark Martin (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.3
2009 Rundown
• Three wins, four top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 17.2
• Led nine races for 219 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• Nine top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 17.7
• Finished 16th in February
• Led 13 of 48 races for 240 laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Has been passed 742 times, fewest in the series

12 – Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 84.9
2009 Rundown
• Seven top 10s
• Average finish of 15.0
• Led four races for 17 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• Average finish of 27.0 in five races
• Finished 14th in February
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 1,599 Green Flag Passes, second-most

13 – Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.1
2009 Rundown
• One win, two top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 15.5
• Led three races for 83 laps
Daytona International Speedway Outlook:
• Four tops 10s
• Average finish of 18.1
• Finished 29th in February
• Led three of 11 races for five laps
Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 143 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

Chase Contenders

The Top 12 … And Beyond Following Race 17 of 36

Rank      Season
Last        Driver
Driver Points Wins Poles Week Rating

1. Tony Stewart 2,524 1 0 1 104.1

2. Jeff Gordon 2,455 1 0 2 103.9

3. Jimmie Johnson 2,355 2 0 3 108.5

4. Kurt Busch 2,254 1 0 4 101.3

5. Carl Edwards 2,157 0 0 5 94.1

6. Denny Hamlin 2,132 0 0 7 95.5

7. Ryan Newman 2,127 0 1 6 82.5

8. Kyle Busch 2,108 3 1 9 102.8

9. Greg Biffle 2,106 0 0 8 92.3

10. Matt Kenseth 2,054 2 1 10 84.7

11. Mark Martin 2,052 3 3 11 95.3

12. Juan Pablo Montoya 2,049 0 1 12 84.9

___________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL DRIVERS

13. Kasey Kahne 2,048 34. Robby Gordon 1,366

14. David Reutimann 2,037 35. Scott Speed 1,148

15. Clint Bowyer 1,955 36. John Andretti 1,114

16. Jeff Burton 1,941 37. David Gilliland 984

17. Brian Vickers 1,852 38. Regan Smith 816

18. Marcos Ambrose 1,798 39. Joe Nemechek 638

19. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1,764 40. Brad Keselowski 629

20. Casey Mears 1,747 41. Dave Blaney 588

21. Joey Logano 1,741 42. Max Papis 502

22. Jamie McMurray 1,733 43. Bill Elliott 461

23. Elliott Sadler 1,660 44. Aric Almirola 451

24. Martin Truex Jr. 1,642 45. Scott Riggs 448

25. Sam Hornish Jr. 1,638 46. Travis Kvapil 292

26. Reed Sorenson 1,604 47. Jeremy Mayfield 288

27. Kevin Harvick 1,598 48. Tony Raines 279

28. Bobby Labonte 1,579 49. Sterling Marlin 209

29. AJ Allmendinger 1,534 50. Mike Bliss 200

30. David Ragan 1,496 51. Patrick Carpentier 198

31. David Stremme 1,441 52. Todd Bodine 123

32. Michael Waltrip 1,429 53. Terry Labonte 91

33. Paul Menard 1,410 54. Boris Said 91

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.