Statistically Speaking: a look at Talladega
Next up on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule is the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on May 5. It’s the second of four restrictor plate races this season. Reigning Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski won this race a year ago. Matt Kenseth was victorious the last time the circuit visited Talladega, though, in Oct. 2012. Other notes of interest: Denny Hamlin is expected to return to start the race from behind the wheel of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, but Brian Vickers, who has been filling-in for the injured Hamlin will finish the race in the car. Keselowski and Joey Logano will still have their regular crew chiefs atop the pit box, despite Penske Racing losing its appeal on Wednesday. Crew chiefs Paul Wolfe and Todd Gordon will remain atop the No. 2 and No. 22 pit boxes as Penske plans to make an appeal to National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook. Here’s a statistical look at how some favorites have fared at the track (stats courtesy of NASCAR Media Group):
Jeff Burton (No. 31 Richard Childres Racing Chevrolet)
· Five top fives, 16 top 10s
· Average finish of 18.0
· Average Running Position of 15.6, fourth-best
· Series-best Driver Rating of 91.4
· Series-high 6,338 Green Flag Passes
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 192.727 mph
· 1,807 Laps in the Top 15 (59.4%), fourth-most
· Series-high 4,327 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)
Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet)
· Six top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 16.1
· Average Running Position of 15.4, third-best
· Driver Rating of 86.1, fifth-best
· 5,481 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· 1,856 Laps in the Top 15 (61.0%), second-most
· 3,888 Quality Passes, second-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· One win, three top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 22.1
· Driver Rating of 81.1, 12th-best
· 76 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· 4,860 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
· 1,527 Laps in the Top 15 (50.2%), fifth-most
· 3,061 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Five wins, nine top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 15.0
· Average Running Position of 15.0, second-best
· Driver Rating of 89.6, second-best
· 68 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 5,239 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 192.666 mph, fifth-fastest
· 1,820 Laps in the Top 15 (59.8%), third-most
· 3,577 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Six wins, 15 top fives, 19 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 16.4
· Driver Rating of 83.1, 10th-best
· 1,467 Laps in the Top 15 (48.2%), sixth-most
· 2,577 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Three top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 17.9
· Average Running Position of 17.0, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 84.9, eighth-best
· 66 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· 1,297 Laps in the Top 15 (48.8%), 13th-most
· 2,756 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 17.7
· Driver Rating of 80.9, 13th-best
· 1,395 Laps in the Top 15 (45.8%), ninth-most
· 2,866 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· One win, five top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 18.0
· Series-best Average Running Position of 14.8
· Driver Rating of 88.9, third-best
· 5,005 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· Series-high 1,918 Laps in the Top 15 (63.0%)
· 3,838 Quality Passes, third-most
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Penske Racing Ford)
· Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 12.3
· Average Running Position of 17.2, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.6, sixth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 192.539 mph, 12th-fastest
Jamie McMurray (No. 1 Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet)
· One win, five top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 20.0
· Driver Rating of 81.7, 11th-best
· 4,444 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 192.621 mph, eighth-fastest
· 1,446 Laps in the Top 15 (47.5%), eighth-most
· 2,606 Quality Passes, 10th-most
David Ragan (No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford)
· Three top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 16.0
· Average Running Position of 17.7, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.5, seventh-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 192.689 mph, third-fastest
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet)
· One win, nine top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 15.8
· Average Running Position of 16.7, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 83.5, ninth-best
· 69 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 4,813 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 192.550 mph, 11th-fastest
· 1,460 Laps in the Top 15 (48.0%), seventh-most
· 2,572 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Brian Vickers (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· One win, four top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 20.1
· Average Running Position of 17.0, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 87.3, fourth-best
· 1,299 Laps in the Top 15 (56.9%), 12th-most
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