NASCAR Chase heads to Texas
Jimmie Johnson took the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points lead away from Brad Keselowski when the series was last in action Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Johnson heads into this weekend’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway with a two-point lead over Keselowski. With Hamlin’s troubles in Martinsville, Johnson and Keselowski have pulled away from the rest of the pack, but new third-place driver Clint Bowyer still has his sights set on the Sprint Cup.
Here’s a look at how the 12 Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers have fared so far this season and over the course of their careers at Texas Motor Speedway, statistically speaking (statistics provided by NASCAR Media Group):
1 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.9
2012 Rundown
· Four wins, 17 top fives, 23 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 10.1
· Led 24 races for 1,551 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, eight top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 9.7 in 18 races
· Average Running Position of 11.7, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 100.6, fourth-best
· 296 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.668 mph, sixth-fastest
· 3,662 Laps in the Top 15 (72.9%), fifth-most
· 585 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), sixth-most
2 – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.8
2012 Rundown
· Five wins, 12 top fives, 21 top 10s
· Average finish of 10.3
· Led 19 races for 650 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Average finish of 25.3 in eight races
· Average Running Position of 23.2, 27th-best
· Driver Rating of 63.2, 28th-best
3 – Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-hour Energy Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.6
2012 Rundown
· Three wins, nine top fives, 21 top 10s
· Average finish of 10.8
· Led 13 races for 388 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Three top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 13.3 in 13 races
· Average Running Position of 13.4, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 90.9, 10th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.572 mph, ninth-fastest
4 – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrickcars.com/Great Clips Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.0
2012 Rundown
· Two wins, 11 top fives, 18 top 10s; four poles
· Average finish of 12.8
· Led 11 races for 275 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, five top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 18.8 in 16 races
· Average Running Position of 16.0, 16th-best
· Driver Rating of 82.8, 16th-best
· 200 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 1,055 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· 2,759 Laps in the Top 15 (55.0%), 13th-most
· 485 Quality Passes, 12th-most
5 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.1
2012 Rundown
· Five wins, 13 top fives, 16 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 12.6
· Led 23 races for 1,180 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 10.3 in 14 races
· Average Running Position of 12.6, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 94.6, seventh-best
· 165 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· 1,111 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.608 mph, eighth-fastest
· 3,085 Laps in the Top 15 (65.8%), ninth-most
· 594 Quality Passes, fourth-most
6 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.6
2012 Rundown
· One win, 10 top fives, 17 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 14.1
· Led 22 races for 554 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, eight top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 16.2 in 23 races
· Average Running Position of 14.0, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 91.3, ninth-best
· 251 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.443 mph, 10th-fastest
· 3,089 Laps in the Top 15 (61.5%), eighth-most
· 524 Quality Passes, ninth-most
7 – Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 Carlyle Tools by NAPA Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.7
2012 Rundown
· Seven top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.3
· Led 11 races for 423 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, seven top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 16.1 in 14 races
· Average Running Position of 15.2, 14th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.0, 13th-best
· 967 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.422 mph, 12th-fastest
8 – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Ford EcoBoost Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.5
2012 Rundown
· Three wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.1
· Led 21 races for 477 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, 11 top fives, 14 top 10s
· Average finish of 8.6 in 20 races
· Series-best Average Running Position of 9.2
· Series-best Driver Rating of 107.2
· 299 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 1,073 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 173.004 mph, second-fastest
· Series-high 3,988 Laps in the Top 15 (79.4%)
· 591 Quality Passes, fifth-most
9 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.5
2012 Rundown
· Two wins, 11 top fives, 18 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 10.5
· Led 16 races for 721 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 16.2 in 17 races
· Average Running Position of 12.6, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 103.3, second-best
· Series-high 447 Fastest Laps Run
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 173.009 mph
· 3,648 Laps in the Top 15 (72.7%), sixth-most
· 604 Quality Passes, third-most
10 – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.0
2012 Rundown
· Three wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.6
· Led 14 races for 420 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, five top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.1 in 21 races
· Average Running Position of 9.6, second-best
· Driver Rating of 102.5, third-best
· 339 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.934 mph, fourth-fastest
· 3,910 Laps in the Top 15 (77.9%), third-most
· 557 Quality Passes, seventh-most
11 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Rheem/Budweiser Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.8
2012 Rundown
· Four top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.6
· Led 8 races for 241 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Three top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 12.7 in 19 races
· Average Running Position of 15.3, 15th-best
· Driver Rating of 84.8, 14th-best
· 1,136 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· 2,895 Laps in the Top 15 (57.7%), 12th-most
· 531 Quality Passes, eighth-most
12 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.6
2012 Rundown
· One win, 10 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 10.7
· Led 13 races for 358 laps
Texas Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 13.9 in 20 races
· Average Running Position of 11.3, third-best
· Driver Rating of 92.8, eighth-best
· 172 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
· 1,103 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 172.649 mph, seventh-fastest
· 3,930 Laps in the Top 15 (78.3%), second-most
· Series-high 650 Quality Passes
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