Statistically speaking: a look at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Saturday’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is a home race, of sorts, for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitors. It’s also the fifth race of this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup and the second race of the second round — the Contender round. A handful of drivers who were considered favorites at the onset of the Chase — Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski — head into the home track in a hole, so to speak, each more than 20 points away from the final transfer spot with Charlotte and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway as the two races left for opportunities to gain advancement into the next round.
Johnson is the all-time winningest driver at Charlotte with seven victories, and he’s the most recent winner at the track, claiming victory in the Coca-Cola 600 there in May. Keselowski, meanwhile, is the defending winner of the Bank of America 500. Earnhardt, though, remains winless at his home track.
Here’s a statistical look at how the remaining 12 Chase drivers have fared over the years at Charlotte Motor Speedway:

1 – Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.7
2014 Rundown
· Five wins, 14 top fives, 19 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.8
· Led 20 races for 916 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 10.5 in 11 races
· Average Running Position of 14.1, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 88.0, ninth-best

2 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.1
2014 Rundown
· One win, seven top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 16.7
· Led 14 races for 412 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Nine top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.6 in 21 races
· Average Running Position of 10.0, second-best
· Driver Rating of 106.3, second-best
· 460 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· 5,291 Laps in the Top 15 (77.4%), second-most
· Series-high 973 Quality Passes

3 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.8
2014 Rundown
· Two wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 14.5
· Led 10 races for 134 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Six top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 11.4 in 19 races
· Average Running Position of 14.6, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 89.8, seventh-best
· 1,592 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 176.106 mph, 11th-fastest
· 4,280 Laps in the Top 15 (62.6%), sixth-most
· 806 Quality Passes, fifth-most

4 – Ryan Newman (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.6
2014 Rundown
· Two top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.8
· Led 5 races for 30 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Four top fives, 10 top 10s; nine poles
· Average finish of 19.0 in 27 races
· Average Running Position of 17.5, 18th-best
· Driver Rating of 78.1, 19th-best
· 1,379 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most

5 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.7
2014 Rundown
· One win, six top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 15.2
· Led 12 races for 195 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Four top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.7 in 18 races
· Average Running Position of 12.7, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 92.6, fifth-best
· 235 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 176.222 mph, seventh-fastest
· 4,586 Laps in the Top 15 (71.2%), fourth-most
· 749 Quality Passes, seventh-most

6 – Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.0
2014 Rundown
· Two wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s; eight poles
· Average finish of 13.9
· Led 22 races for 1,653 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, four top fives, 10 top 10s
· Average finish of 16.3 in 27 races
· Average Running Position of 17.2, 16th-best
· Driver Rating of 81.5, 15th-best
· 1,534 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
· 3,923 Laps in the Top 15 (57.4%), eighth-most
· 699 Quality Passes, eighth-most

7 – Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.1
2014 Rundown
· 11 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.8
· Led 17 races for 467 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, nine top fives, 16 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.5 in 30 races
· Average Running Position of 13.5, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 97.1, fourth-best
· 376 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 1,448 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 176.413 mph, fourth-fastest
· 4,649 Laps in the Top 15 (68.0%), third-most
· 842 Quality Passes, third-most

8 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.7
2014 Rundown
· Four wins, 11 top fives, 19 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 10.1
· Led 21 races for 666 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Five wins, 16 top fives, 23 top 10s; nine poles
· Average finish of 15.8 in 43 races
· Average Running Position of 14.7, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 89.7, eighth-best
· 243 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· 4,228 Laps in the Top 15 (61.8%), seventh-most
· 777 Quality Passes, sixth-most

9 – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.7
2014 Rundown
· One win, three top fives, 10 top 10s
· Average finish of 16.7
· Led 11 races for 206 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Four wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 11.5 in 21 races
· Average Running Position of 11.6, third-best
· Driver Rating of 101.7, third-best
· 665 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· 1,549 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 176.430 mph, third-fastest
· 4,564 Laps in the Top 15 (66.7%), fifth-most
· 833 Quality Passes, fourth-most

10 – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Team Penske Parts Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 104.1
2014 Rundown
· Five wins, 13 top fives, 16 top 10s; five poles
· Average finish of 13.2
· Led 24 races for 1,498 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, two top fives, three top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.7 in 10 races
· Average Running Position of 15.2, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.4, 10th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 176.125 mph, 10th-fastest

11 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.9
2014 Rundown
· Three wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.0
· Led 13 races for 265 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Five top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 19.4 in 29 races
· Average Running Position of 19.0, 22nd-best
· Driver Rating of 80.9, 16th-best
· 183 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· 1,435 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· 623 Quality Passes, 11th-most

12 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.8
2014 Rundown
· Three wins, 10 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.3
· Led 15 races for 1,035 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Seven wins, 13 top fives, 17 top 10s; four poles
· Average finish of 11.2 in 26 races
· Series-best Average Running Position of 7.5
· Series-best Driver Rating of 112.7
· Series-high 683 Fastest Laps Run
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 177.132 mph
· Series-high 5,988 Laps in the Top 15 (87.5%)
· 968 Quality Passes, second-most

Follow Stock Car Spin on Twitter @SCSblog or like Stock Car Spin on Facebook. Amanda’s also on Twitter @NASCARexaminer and has a fan/like page on Facebook: NASCAR Examiner