Kyle Busch said he is excited to see what former Cup champion Kenseth can bring to the Joe Gibbs Racing team to help get them back to championship contender status.

"He's (Matt Kenseth) a great competitor and obviously a champion, although I do remind him that he won a championship in '03 and not in the current Chase era.  He's got the notoriety of a multi-Daytona 500 winner and he's a really cool dude. He's very down to earth.  He's very well-respected with Denny (Hamlin) and myself.  I've never had a spat with Matt on the race track never being his teammate before.  It's pretty cool to now have the chance to work with him and really get to know how Kenseth goes about things and what he can bring to the table at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing)."

Kenseth said his switch came at an opportune time, with the new Gen 6 car being unveiled

"I think the car looks great, so far it's going really good with me making the team switch at the same time, because everyone is sort of starting over in a way.  I like the car and am anxious to see it on the race track in competition.  Really anxious to see it at Phoenix and Vegas and what they run like there."

One thing that's clear to me though, after Daytona, is that reliability issues are already cropping up for the Toyotas. Equipment failures like Kenseth and Busch suffered at Daytona can't be allowed to keep happening, or their chances at a title run will be doomed. This is very important that they nip it in the bud before it becomes a serial problem, or they will be on the outside looking in come Chase time.



Roush Fenway notes

— Greg Biffle led the Roush Fenway effort in Sunday’s Daytona 500. For the third time during Speedweeks, Biffle came to the white flag in second position, but was unable to get around the race leader for the win.
(on the opposite end of the spectrum, Carl Edwards wrecked so many cars at Daytona I lost count; He's probably more eager to get to Phoenix than anyone else and put that behind him)

— Phoenix notes for Roush Fenway
Roush Fenway has started 222 combined NASCAR races at PIR, collecting 16 wins (6 NSCS, 8 NNS, 2 CWTS), 71 top fives and 119 top 10s, while leading 3,822 laps.

Roush Fenway has won at Phoenix in all three of NASCAR’s major divisions, with the first win coming in 1993. The team won the second-ever Nationwide race at PIR in 2000, and has won 4 of the last 7 Nationwide events at PIR. Greg Biffle claimed Roush Fenway’s 100th overall Nationwide win at Phoenix in 2009 and Carl Edwards won there that fall to give Roush Fenway the sweep. Six drivers have won NASCAR races for Roush Fenway at PIR. In addition, Carl Edwards swept Phoenix in the fall of 2010, winning both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races.

Roush Fenway has started 124 Sprint Cup races at Phoenix, while finishing inside the top 10 with almost 50 percent of the entries (54). In addition, Roush Fenway cars have led 2,091 laps and driven to victory lane on six occasions.

A week after Michael Waltrip piloted the Swan Racing machine at Daytona in a special No. 26 vehicle commemorating the Sandy Hook shooting victims, the team's regular driver is back behind the wheel and hoping to get off to a good start for the upstart team, which will run the No. 30 every week.

Stremme will compete fully each week -- gone is the "start and park" status of this team, which has added big names like Tony Eury Jr. and Steve Hmiel to their roster in an effort to get more competitive this year under new owner Brandon Davis.

"Swan Racing is here to race hard every lap of every race," said Davis.  "We are going to build a championship contender over time and we'll do it by competing against the best drivers in the world, not by packing up early."

Stremme was also excited for the season, saying: "It's a new day for the No. 30 Toyota and we'll be mixing it up all season Drivers are competitive by nature.  We feel the need to compete in everything we do.  I will get the most out of this Toyota all season starting at Phoenix International Raceway."
   
For more information about the team go to www.SwanRacingTeam.com.

Chevy drivers' thoughts heading into Phoenix

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS – POINT’S LEADER:
“Definitely a great start for the team. When we were sitting discussing things before the season started, we felt good about the 500, but we're really excited for everything after the 500. So, very hopeful and excited that our No. 48 car will be really fast in Phoenix, Vegas, moving forward. I think it's going to be a very strong year for us.”
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET SS – 2nd IN STANDINGS:
“I think it's important to get a good start points?wise. It's important to put a good foundation together. If you get behind early, it seems like you're still chasing that Chase (for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) spot at Richmond (Va.). It's good to get a good start, get a couple points on some guys. We're a good team. Hopefully we can keep the pressure on them and stay up in the top five in the points and win some races. I want to win some more races this year. That's our focus.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 QUICKEN LOANS CHEVROLET SS – 5th IN STANDINGS:
“I like Phoenix, I like the racetrack, it’s challenging. It’s a place I’ve raced at for the last 17 years. I’ve got quite a bit of experience at Phoenix; I’ve raced a lot of laps there. It’s a challenging racetrack and, for that reason, it’s a lot of fun. It’s unique and totally different on both ends of the racetrack, so it’s almost like two racetracks in one. It’s definitely a driver’s racetrack. The driver really has to drive and hustle the car a little bit and still be smooth. It’s those aspects that make the track a lot of fun to me.”
DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDAY.COM CHEVROLET SS – 7th IN STANDINGS:
“I think that would be unwise to sort of start telling myself that top ten is where we need to be every week. I think that's setting up if failure. The list of drivers in the Cup Series is deep. Daytona is a unique track. These tracks are different and unique. A lot about the car. I mean, you have to be smart enough to do the right thing at the right time. But it's very much about the car. I feel like I'm still sticking to ‘Let's see how these first five races go where we go to a bunch of different kinds of tracks, see where we settle in.’ Then start to establish goals from there on out. The only thing we can go off of is at the end of last year and running solid inside that top 20, hopefully get inside that top 15. That's really all I can think right now. That's all I can think. It might change after five races. It might be better. Who knows? It might be worse. We're going to kind of pick up where we left off.

J.J. YELEY, NO. 36 ACCELL CONSTRUCTION CHEVROLET SS – 9th IN STANDINGS:
"I'm happy to get back to my home track after a great top-ten run at Daytona last week. I want to keep the momentum going this weekend in Phoenix and back up our performance."

DAVE BLANEY, NO. 7 SANY CHEVROLET SS – 16th IN STANDINGS:
"This weekend will be special for us as SANY America will be on board for the first time. Phoenix has become one of my favorite tracks since it was reconfigured and I'm looking forward getting there."

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 PEPSI MAX CHEVROLET SS – 19th IN STANDINGS:
"I'd say it's a two-and-a-half groove track now. The bottom lane is still preferred but the outside lane works and the groove definitely widens out during the race. We know this race presents a huge challenge for us and for everybody, but I'm confident in the plan that Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the engineers have come up with. After meeting with the team about this race, I can't wait to head west."
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 MENARDS/SERTA CHEVROLET SS – 20th IN STANDINGS:
“We tested at Phoenix (International Raceway) last fall with the new Gen-6 car and it drove really well. I’m looking forward to going to Phoenix; it’s a fun little short-track that can produce some exciting racing. The car’s aero package doesn’t mean a whole lot at there, so regardless of how the new car runs, it’s going to be a good race. Phoenix is one of my favorite tracks and since the new surface is starting to age, the cars are beginning to get pretty racy again. We ran really well at Phoenix last fall, so hopefully we can get a good finish in the Serta Menards Chevrolet this weekend.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW RACING CHEVROLET SS – 26th IN STANDINGS:
"Being raised in the western part of the country it will be nice to get to Phoenix and feel the same things I felt in racing while growing up. Phoenix is a type of racetrack that you can change your strategy around multiple ways. A two-tire stop could be left-side tires. We had a strong run in the Furniture Row Chevrolet last fall in Phoenix, ran up front most of the day.  The ending was spectacular when we wrecked heading to the finish line with flames shooting out of the car.  Phoenix begins a new portion of the season and I welcome the change. We didn't have much luck in Daytona, being collected three times in accidents."

JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CHEERIOS CHEVROLET SS – 28th IN STANDINGS:
“I think all drivers have become accustomed to it. It is different now because when you get there and unload, the track has no grip and you have to pace yourself in practice. The track gets better throughout the weekend and it changes all weekend long. A lot of the time, the guys who don’t look so good in practice are the ones who win the race because the track changes so much. Understanding the way it is going to change is going to be most important. It’s hard to know how it is going to change.”

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 MCDONALD’S CHEVROLET SS – 29th IN STANDINGS:
“I’m glad to be heading to Phoenix this weekend.  We did a lot of work on the new Gen 6 Chevy SS during the off-season and I feel that this is a track where we can find out how all that hard work will measure up against what the other teams have done.  Phoenix is a track where we have had some good qualifying efforts and good runs; we just need to put the whole package together.”

KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 QUAKER STATE CHEVROLET SS – 34th IN STANDINGS:
“I’ve always thought that the more often I go home or go to a race in Vegas or Phoenix, you see more and more people from Washington so there’s a big fan base out there, and I think it’s still growing and it’ll always grow so it’s neat. And with some of the new changes to the sport like bringing these new cars in, the Gen-6 car and Chevy SS for us, I think that’s going to motivate a lot of people. For fans to see that car as what they’re selling in the show room, it’s pretty neat. I’m excited about it. Eventually maybe we can get a track up in the Northwest because I think it’d do great up there.”

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – 36th IN STANDINGS:
“The Target team has been pretty good at Phoenix since they repaved it. We were fast when we tested there and we’ve been good right off the truck since then. But with these new cars you just never know what’s going to happen. To tell you the truth, even though Daytona was our first race, Phoenix is where you get to see exactly what each team has and who has progressed in the offseason.”

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BASS PRO SHOPS/MOBIL 1 RACING CHEVROLET SS – 37th IN STANDINGS:
“I ran a day and a half at the tire test at Phoenix and we didn't even have a steel body car, it was a fiberglass bodied car. I didn't really notice a lot there. There was probably a bigger understanding of what we got during the one day we had at Charlotte than what we learned at Phoenix. The car's got a lot of downforce so far. It’s a little easier to drive. For a new car to come out in that short amount of time, for it to drive that well, that's a pretty big feather in NASCAR's cap to have a car that drives that stable.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 JIMMY JOHN’S CHEVROLET SS – 38th IN STANDINGS:
“I’ve been on both sides. Sometimes you go back after winning a race and you run terrible, other times you go back and run well. This year we have a new car and a lot of new things to deal with, you to have an open mind on how to approach the weekend. Obviously, running the NASCAR Nationwide Series race will help by providing a little extra track time, but Phoenix (International Raceway) was a good track for us last year. We finished first and second in the two races last season, so we’re going back expecting that we’ll run just as well.”

UPDATE:
More details are emerging today, as Jeremy Clements spoke to ESPN about his suspension. He said the interview was not recorded, and the only people who heard him say the offensive remark were a NASCAR employee and a reporter from MTV.

In the new report, Clements still doesn't reveal exactly what he said, but says this:
"When you say 'racial' remark, it wasn't used to describe anybody or anything," Clements said. "So that's all I'm going to say to that. And it really wasn't. I was describing racing, and the word I used was incorrect and I shouldn't have said it. It shouldn't be used at all."
" I said one remark about how I wouldn't ... I can't say that part"

Full ESPN story can be found here 

---------

I'll wait to reserve full judgment until all the details come out, but from what is known it's pretty clear that Nationwide Series driver Jeremy Clements has screwed up big time.

Sources have told ESPN that the little-known driver used a racial slur in an interview with a reporter this past weekend at Daytona. The exact details are not out, but if he did do what the sources say, it's inexcusable.

NASCAR is a sport with a not-so-impressive past in the area of racial sensitivity (see Wendell Scott as exhibit A; they were so backward on race relations that they wouldn't even give him his trophy after he won a race). So to have drivers perpetuate that legacy at a time when NASCAR is starting to work hard on its diversity efforts is something that just can't happen.

If you want to be ignorant on your own time, that's your problem. But when you're a public figure (though Clements was so anonymous I suppose that's debatable), you can't talk that way to reporters. It's not going to end well.

The following statement was issued by Clements regarding his NASCAR suspension:
“I apologize and regret what I said to the NASCAR writer and to NASCAR, my sponsors, my fans, and my team. NASCAR has a Code of Conduct that everyone must follow and I unintentionally violated that code. I will not get into specifics of what I said but my comment to the writer was in no way meant to be disrespectful or insensitive to anyone or to be detrimental to NASCAR or the NASCAR Nationwide Series. I will do what I need to do in order to atone for my error in judgment."

That sounds like a textbook apology written by a PR flak. Don't think it's going to win over anybody, Jeremy.

Because he was a backmarker driver that didn't really represent the sport in any way (I honestly have never seen him interviewed in all my time watching the sport), it will have a limited effect on the sport as a whole, though some on the outside will interpret it (wrongly) to mean that the entire sport is living up to its bigoted past.

Hopefully that's not how most people take it, though, especially since NASCAR is having a zero tolerance policy here. By not letting Clements race for a while, NASCAR is doing the right thing. It's not just good PR, it's the proper thing to do when stupidity rears its ugly head.

As for Clements — he didn't have much of a career to start with; and it's a safe bet he won't have one from now on either.

————

Here's the full release from NASCAR on his suspension.
 

"Jeremy Clements, a driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s Code of Conduct.

On Feb. 23 at Daytona International Speedway, Clements was found to have violated Sections 7-5 (NASCAR’s Code of Conduct) and 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing).

“During the course of an interview, Jeremy Clements made an intolerable and insensitive remark,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “NASCAR has a Code of Conduct that’s explicitly spelled out in the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book. We fully expect our entire industry to adhere to that Code.”

History

·         Construction was completed in January 1964. The facility consisted of a one-mile oval and a 2.5-mile road course.

·         Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix on Nov. 6, 1988.

·         The first spring race was held on April 23, 2005 and also the first night race, which was won by Kurt Busch.

·         The track underwent its first repave in 2011. The construction began in March and concluded in September of that year.

·         The following changes were made during the construction period (March – Sept., 2011):

o    Widened the frontstretch from 52 to 62 feet

o    Reconfigured pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls

o    Pushed the dog-leg curve between Turn 2 and Turn 3 out 95 feet

o    Tightened the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet

o    Implemented variable banking to ensure the immediate use of two racing grooves, including 10-11 degree banking between Turn 1 and Turn 2; 10-11 degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg; and 8-9 degree banking in Turn 4

Notebook

·         There have been 33 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988-2004 and two each season since.

·         184 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix; 134 in more than one.

·         Geoffrey Bodine won the first pole in 1988 at a speed of 123.203 mph (29.220 sec.)

·         There have been 19 different pole winners, led by Ryan Newman with four.

·         Youngest Phoenix pole winner: Kyle Busch (4/22/06 – 20 years, 11 months, 20 days).

·         Oldest Phoenix pole winner: Mark Martin (03/04/12 – 53 years, 1 months, 24 days).

·         Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards are the only drivers to win consecutive poles. Newman won three straight (2002-04), while Gordon won the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007, and Edwards won the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011.

·         There have been 23 different race winners at Phoenix, seven of which have won more than once, led by Jimmie Johnson, with four – (’07 fall, ’08 sweep, ’09 fall).

·         The seven drivers who have won more than once at Phoenix: Jimmie Johnson (four), Kevin Harvick (three), Davey Allison (two), Jeff Burton (two), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two), Jeff Gordon (two) and Mark Martin (two).

·         Of the seven drivers with multiple wins at Phoenix International Raceway, Mark Martin is the only driver to win in two different manufacturers: Ford (1993) and Chevrolet (2009).

·         The race has been won from the pole four times: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007), Jimmie Johnson (fall 2008), Mark Martin (spring 2009) and Carl Edwards (fall 2010).

·         The race has been won from a top-10 starting position in 17 of 33 events.

·         Denny Hamlin (November, 2005) and AJ Allmendinger (April, 2010) won their first career pole at Phoenix International Raceway.

·         Ricky Rudd won the 1995 race from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.

·         Matt Kenseth won the 2002 race from the 28th-place starting position, the furthest back an active race winner has started.

·         Mark Martin has 21 top-10 finishes, more than any other driver. Martin (9.0 average finish) is one of two active drivers who average a top-10 finish. Jimmie Johnson (6.6) is the other.

·         Two perfect Driver Ratings of 150.0 have been recorded at Phoenix, Kurt Busch in April of 2005 and Kevin Harvick in November of 2006.

·         Five drivers have won consecutive races at Phoenix: Davey Allison (1991,1992); Jeff Burton (2000, 2001); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003, 2004); Kevin Harvick (swept 2006); Jimmie Johnson is the only one of the five to win three consecutive races (fall 2007, swept 2008).

·         Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Phoenix with nine, followed by Roush Fenway Racing with six.

·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Texas Motor Speedway winner: Phoenix International Raceway winner: Kyle Busch (11/13/2005 – 20 years, 6 months, 11 days).

·         Oldest NSCS Phoenix International Raceway winner: Mark Martin (04/18/2009 – 50 years, 3 months, 9 days).

·         Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Phoenix with five; followed by Tony Stewart with three.

·         Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson lead the series in top-five finishes at Phoenix with 12 each.

·         Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Bobby Hamilton (10/27/1996) are the only two drivers to post their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career win at Phoenix International Raceway.

·         21 of the 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Phoenix participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Alan Kulwicki (11/6/1988) and Tony Stewart (11/7/1999) are the only two drivers to win at Phoenix in their first appearance.

·         Jeff Gordon competed at Phoenix International Raceway 16 times before winning (4/21/2007); the longest span of any the 23 winners.

·         Six drivers have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Phoenix: Jeff Gordon (16), Ryan Newman (15), Kasey Kahne (14), Denny Hamlin (13), Carl Edwards (12) and Rusty Wallace (11).

·         Bobby Labonte leads the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Phoenix without visiting Victory Lane with 28.

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Phoenix was the (4/10/2010) race won by Ryan Newman with a MOV of 0.13 seconds.

·         Seven of the 33 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Phoenix have been won from the front row.

·         Five drivers have won the first two races of the season in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; the first two times did not include the Daytona 500: Lee Petty (Daytona Beach Course, Tri-City Speedway; 1954), Marvin Panch (Willow Springs Speedway, Concord Speedway; 1956), David Pearson (Riverside, Daytona; 1976), Jeff Gordon (Daytona, Rockingham; 1997) and Matt Kenseth (Daytona, Auto Club).

·         Three reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champions have gone on to win at Phoenix the following season; Jimmie Johnson is the only one to do it multiple times: Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009); Kurt Busch (2005) and Bill Elliott (1989).

·         Two drivers have won at Phoenix and the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship in the same season: Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009); Dale Earnhardt (1990).

·         Danica Patrick is the only female driver to have made a NASCAR Sprint Cup start at Phoenix International Raceway. She did so last season (11/11/12) starting 37th and finishing 17th.

·         Car numbers that have produced three or more Phoenix wins:

Car Number – Drivers – (Years)

o    No. 48  - Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009)

o    No. 29 – Kevin Harvick (2006 sweep and 2012)

o    No. 5 -  Mark Martin (2009), Kyle Busch (2005) and Terry Labonte (1994)

o    No. 99 – Carl Edwards (2010) and Jeff Burton (2000, 2001)

 

NASCAR in Arizona

·         There have been 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Arizona.

Track Name	City	NSCS
Phoenix International Raceway	Phoenix	33
Arizona State Fairgrounds	Phoenix	4
Tucson Rodeo Grounds	Tucson	1

·         31 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Arizona.

·         There have been no race winners from Arizona in NASCAR’s three national series.

 

 

PHOENIX-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

 

Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M / NOVEC Ford)

·         Five top fives, seven top 10s

·         Average finish of 13.7

·         Average Running Position of 14.9, 11th-best

·         Driver Rating of 92.4, 10th-best

·         276 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

·         687 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 124.664 mph, 10th-fastest

 

Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet)

·         One win, four top fives, 11 top 10s

·         Average finish of 13.3

·         Average Running Position of 10.4, third-best

·         Driver Rating of 99.3, fourth-best

·         279 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 124.765 mph, seventh-fastest

·         3,521 Laps in the Top 15 (74.1%), seventh-most

 

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)

·         One win, three top fives, 10 top 10s; two poles

·         Average finish of 13.3

·         Average Running Position of 10.9, fifth-best

·         Driver Rating of 99.9, third-best

·         245 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 124.833 mph, fourth-fastest

·         4,217 Laps in the Top 15 (83.2%), second-most

·         Series-high 465 Quality Passes

 

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Subway Ford)

·         One win, six top fives, 10 top 10s; three poles

·         Average finish of 12.5

·         Average Running Position of 13.3, ninth-best

·         Driver Rating of 98.3, eighth-best

·         284 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 124.826 mph, fifth-fastest

·         3,339 Laps in the Top 15 (65.9%), ninth-most

·         347 Quality Passes, ninth-most

 

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 PEPSI MAX Chevrolet)

·         Two wins, 10 top fives, 19 top 10s; three poles

·         Average finish of 11.5

·         Average Running Position of 10.6, fourth-best

·         Driver Rating of 98.8, sixth-best

·         186 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 124.694 mph, ninth-fastest

·         4,069 Laps in the Top 15 (80.3%), third-most

·         362 Quality Passes, seventh-most

 

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)

·         One win, seven top fives, eight top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 10.3

·         Average Running Position of 11.1, sixth-best

·         Driver Rating of 100.4, second-best

·         235 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 124.899 mph, second-fastest

·         3,583 Laps in the Top 15 (75.4%), sixth-most

·         365 Quality Passes, sixth-most

 

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet)

·         Three wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s

·         Average finish of 12.9

·         Average Running Position of 11.3, seventh-best

·         Driver Rating of 98.4, seventh-best

·         233 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

·         656 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 124.809 mph, sixth-fastest

·         3,719 Laps in the Top 15 (73.4%), fifth-most

·         343 Quality Passes, 10th-most

 

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)

·         Four wins, 12 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 6.7

·         Series-best Average Running Position of 7.1

·         Series-best Driver Rating of 115.8

·         Series-high 517 Fastest Laps Run

·         649 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most

·         Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 125.199 mph

·         Series-high 4,452 Laps in the Top 15 (87.9%)

·         456 Quality Passes, second-most

 

Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Husky Toyota)

·         One win, five top fives, eight top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 17.7

·         Driver Rating of 85.5, 12th-best

·         159 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most

·         685 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 124.556 mph, 11th-fastest

·         2,900 Laps in the Top 15 (57.2%), 12th-most

·         351 Quality Passes, eighth-most

 

Mark Martin (No. 55 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota)

·         Two wins, 12 top fives, 21 top 10s; two poles

·         Average finish of 9.1

·         Average Running Position of 11.8, eighth-best

·         Driver Rating of 97.8, ninth-best

·         266 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 124.758 mph, eighth-fastest

·         3,325 Laps in the Top 15 (69.9%), 10th-most

·         335 Quality Passes, 12th-most

 

Ryan Newman (No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet)

·         One win, eight top fives, eight top 10s; four poles

·         Average finish of 18.0

·         Average Running Position of 14.5, 10th-best

·         Driver Rating of 88.9, 11th-best

·         681 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 124.526 mph, 13th-fastest

·         3,476 Laps in the Top 15 (68.6%), eighth-most

·         444 Quality Passes, third-most

 

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Racing Chevrolet)

·         One win, eight top fives, 11 top 10s

·         Average finish of 12.1

·         Average Running Position of 10.2, second-best

·         Driver Rating of 99.0, fifth-best

·         212 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most

·         690 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

·         Average Green Flag Speed of 124.891 mph, third-fastest

·         3,905 Laps in the Top 15 (77.1%), fourth-most

·         423 Quality Passes, fifth-most

 

Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 NAPA Filters Toyota)

·         One top five, five top 10s; one pole

·         Average finish of 17.1

·         Average Running Position of 15.9, 13th-best

·         Driver Rating of 84.9, 13th-best

·         134 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most

 

Chase Contenders

The Top 12

Following Race 1 of 36

                                                                                Rank        Season

                                                                                Last          Driver

Driver                             Points   Wins      Poles        Week        Rating

1. Jimmie Johnson         47       1           0              0           125.7

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.       42       0           0              0           105.7

3. Mark Martin                  41       0           0              0             95.5

4. Brad Keselowski          41       0           0               0             97.3

5. Ryan Newman             40       0           0               0             76.5

6. Greg Biffle                    38       0           0               0           106.6

7. Danica Patrick             37       0           1               0           113.4

8. Michael McDowell       35       0           0              0             70.3

9. JJ Yeley                        34       0           0               0             59.0

10. Clint Bowyer                34       0           0               0           104.0

11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.    32       0           0               0             80.4

12. Aric Almirola                31       0           0               0             78.0

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ADDITIONAL DRIVERS

13. Denny Hamlin                 31           28. Jeff Burton                  14

14. Bobby Labonte                29           29. Jamie McMurray          12

15. David Reutimann             28           30. Carl Edwards               11

16. Dave Blaney                   27           31. Kyle Busch                  10

17. Marcos Ambrose             26           32. David Ragan                 9

18. Joey Logano                   26           33. Matt Kenseth                9

19. Jeff Gordon                    25           34. Kasey Kahne                 8

20. Paul Menard                   24           35. David Gilliland               6

21. Michael Waltrip               23           36. Juan Pablo Montoya       5

22. Scott Speed                    22           37. Tony Stewart                 3

23. Martin Truex Jr.               20           38. Kevin Harvick                2

24. Travis Kvapil                   20          

25. Terry Labonte                  18          

26. Kurt Busch                     16          

27. Casey Mears                  15          

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 Phoenix International Raceway

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Jimmie Johnson	19	1	4	12	15	0	6.7	115.8
2	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	21	0	2	4	8	3	18.2	81.0
3	Mark Martin	32	2	2	12	21	1	9.1	97.8
4	Brad Keselowski	7	0	0	1	2	1	19.9	78.6
5	Ryan Newman	21	4	1	8	8	3	18.0	88.9
6	Greg Biffle	18	0	0	5	7	1	13.7	92.4
7	Danica Patrick	1	0	0	0	0	0	17.0	58.0
8	Michael McDowell	7	0	0	0	0	6	40.0	34.6
9	J.J. Yeley	9	0	0	0	0	1	27.1	53.3
10	Clint Bowyer	15	0	0	2	5	2	17.7	80.0
11	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	-
12	Aric Almirola	4	0	0	0	0	0	20.3	69.4

* – Based on last 16 races at Phoenix International Raceway.

 

At Phoenix International Raceway:

Phoenix International Raceway Data

Season Race #: 2 of 36 (03-03-13)

Track Size: 1-mile

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 10 - 11 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 8 - 9 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees

Frontstretch Length:  1,179 feet

Backstretch Length:  1,551 feet

Race Length: 312 laps / 500 Kilometers

 

Top 12 Driver Rating at Phoenix

Jimmie Johnson........................ 115.8

Denny Hamlin............................ 100.4

Kyle Busch................................. 99.9

Kurt Busch.................................. 99.3

Tony Stewart............................... 99.0

Jeff Gordon................................ 98.8

Kevin Harvick.............................. 98.4

Carl Edwards.............................. 98.3

Mark Martin................................. 97.8

Greg Biffle.................................. 92.4

Ryan Newman............................. 88.9

Matt Kenseth.............................. 85.5

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (16 total) among active drivers at Phoenix International Raceway

 

Qualifying/Race Data

2012 pole winner: Mark Martin, Toyota, 136.815 mph, 26.313 sec., 03-01-12

 

2012 race winner: Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 110.085 mph, (2:50:35), 03-04-12

 

Track qualifying record: Kyle Busch, Toyota, 138.766 mph, 25.943 sec., 11-09-12

 

Track race record: Tony Stewart, Pontiac, 118.132 mph, (2:38:28), 11-7-99