Courtesy of NASCAR’s public relations and statistics teams, here’s all the important numbers and notes you need to know going into this coming weekend’s Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – round 3 of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
LAS VEGAS-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
Driver Highlights:
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Red Cross Ford)
· Two top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.8
· Average Running Position of 10.7, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 103.0, fourth-best
· 150 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· 483 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.361 mph, fourth-fastest
· 1,754 Laps in the Top 15 (72.4%), fifth-most
· 270 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), seventh-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
· One win, four top fives, five top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 14.7
· Average Running Position of 10.3, third-best
· Driver Rating of 102.8, fifth-best
· 110 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· 500 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.333 mph, sixth-fastest
· Series-high 1,904 Laps in the Top 15 (78.5%)
· Series-high 358 Quality Passes
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Mountain Dew Kickstart Chevrolet)
· Two top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 15.6
· Average Running Position of 14.9, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 88.2, ninth-best
· 90 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 532 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.982 mph, eighth-fastest
· 1,590 Laps in the Top 15 (65.6%), eighth-most
· 284 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
· Two wins, four top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 9.7
· Average Running Position of 11.6, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 98.8, sixth-best
· 155 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 571 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.031 mph, seventh-fastest
· 1,768 Laps in the Top 15 (72.9%), fourth-most
· 344 Quality Passes, second-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet)
· One win, six top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 15.4
· Average Running Position of 10.0, second-best
· Driver Rating of 103.8, second-best
· 177 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 491 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.356 mph, fifth-fastest
· 1,870 Laps in the Top 15 (77.1%), second-most
· 334 Quality Passes, third-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet)
· Three top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 12.7
· Average Running Position of 11.7, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 94.8, eighth-best
· 60 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
· 521 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.944 mph, ninth-fastest
· 1,680 Laps in the Top 15 (69.3%), seventh-most
· 267 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Kobalt Tools Chevrolet)
· Four wins, five top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 9.5
· Series-best Average Running Position of 9.6
· Series-best Driver Rating of 112.3
· Series-high 316 Fastest Laps Run
· 499 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 170.622 mph
· 1,825 Laps in the Top 15 (75.3%), third-most
· 311 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet)
· Three top fives, five top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 14.0
· Average Running Position of 14.3, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 87.7, 10th-best
· 88 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· 539 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.550 mph, 11th-fastest
· 1,498 Laps in the Top 15 (61.8%), 10th-most
· 245 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
· Three wins, six top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.6
· Average Running Position of 14.4, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 98.7, seventh-best
· 193 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.475 mph, second-fastest
· 1,551 Laps in the Top 15 (64.0%), ninth-most
· 253 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)
· One top 10
· Average finish of 14.0
· Average Running Position of 14.7, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 83.1, 12th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.343 mph, 12th-fastest
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 17 Zest Ford)
· Average finish of 18.0
· Average Running Position of 12.9, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 83.5, 11th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.856 mph, 10th-fastest
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)
· One win, six top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 12.7
· Average Running Position of 11.8, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 103.4, third-best
· 187 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· 501 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.371 mph, third-fastest
· 1,733 Laps in the Top 15 (71.5%), sixth-most
· 298 Quality Passes, fifth-most
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Winners List
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway
Kevin Harvick – The Profit on CNBC 500, Phoenix International Raceway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Points Standings (After Race 2 of 36)
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 90 points (1 win)
2. Brad Keselowski – 84 points
3. Jeff Gordon – 80 points
4. Kevin Harvick – 79 points (1 win)
5. Jimmie Johnson – 78 points
6. Joey Logano – 75 points
7. Matt Kenseth – 70 points
8. Denny Hamlin – 68 points
9. Carl Edwards – 65 points
10. Greg Biffle – 64 points
11. Casey Mears – 64 points
12. Jamie McMurray – 64 points
13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 63 points
14. Kyle Busch – 61 points
15. Ryan Newman – 60 points
16. Austin Dillon – 56 points
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2014 Top 10 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
| Rank | Driver | Races | Poles | Wins | Top Fives | Top 10s | DNFs | Average Finish | Driver Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 15.6 | 88.2 |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 25.0 | 66.7 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | 16 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 15.4 | 103.8 |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | 13 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 12.7 | 94.8 |
| 5 | Jimmie Johnson | 12 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 9.5 | 112.3 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14.0 | 83.1 |
| 7 | Matt Kenseth | 14 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 11.6 | 98.7 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 13.1 | 79.2 |
| 9 | Carl Edwards | 9 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 9.7 | 98.8 |
| 10 | Greg Biffle | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 13.8 | 103.0 |
* – Based on last nine races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2005 – 2013).
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Track History
· The construction to build the superspeedway known today as Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) began in 1995. Speedway Motorsports Inc. acquired the property in 1998.
· The first NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race won by Ken Schrader on Nov. 2, 1996.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was held on March 1, 1998, won by Mark Martin.
· In 2006, the track was reconfigured to include progressive banking.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Notes
· There have been 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
· 128 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas; 97 in more than one.
· Four drivers have participated in all 16 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin.
· Dale Jarrett won the inaugural pole with a speed of 168.224 mph (32.773 secs.).
· 10 drivers have poles at LVMS, led by Kasey Kahne, who posted his third last season (2004, 2007 and 2012).
· Kyle Busch is the only driver to win consecutive poles at LVMS from (2008-‘09).
· Youngest LVMS pole winner: Kyle Busch (3/2/2008 – 22 years, 10 months, 0 days).
· Oldest LVMS pole winner: Dale Jarrett (3/4/2001 – 44 years, 3 months, 6 days).
· Nine different drivers have won at LVMS, led by Jimmie Johnson (four). Three other drivers have multiple wins at Las Vegas: Matt Kenseth (three), Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards (each have two).
· Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Las Vegas with seven, followed by Hendrick Motorsports with five.
· Las Vegas-native Kyle Busch became the first and only Only two LVMS races have been won from the front row: Kyle Busch, 2009 (pole); and Carl Edwards, 2008 (second-place).
· Three of the 16 races (18.7%) have been won from a top-five starting position at Las Vegas.
· Seven of the 16 (43.7%) races have been won from a top-10 starting position at Las Vegas.
· Four of the 16 races (25%) at Las Vegas have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started was 25th, by Matt Kenseth in 2004.
· Youngest LVMS winner: Kyle Busch (3/1/2009 – 23 years, 9 months, 27 days).
· Oldest LVMS winner: Sterling Marlin (3/3/2002 – 44 years, 7 months, 32 days).
· Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart lead the series in runner-up finishes at Las Vegas with two each.
· Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart lead the series in top-five finishes at Las Vegas with six each.
· Mark Martin has 10 top-10 finishes, more than any other driver. His average finish is 13.4.
· Jimmie Johnson leads the series in average finish at LVMS with a 9.5; Carl Edwards (9.6) is the only other active driver with an average finish in the top 10.
· There has been one green-white-checkered finish at Las Vegas: 2006 (270/267).
· Kyle Busch made his first start and Kasey Kahne won his first pole at Las Vegas, in the same event (2004).
· Aric Almirola made his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2007.
· Three drivers have won consecutive races at Las Vegas: Jeff Burton (1999, 2000); Matt Kenseth (2003, 2004) and Jimmie Johnson is the only one of the three to win three consecutive races (2005, 2006 and 2007).
· Eight of the nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Las Vegas participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Mark Martin (1998; inaugural event) is the only driver to win at Las Vegas in his first appearance.
· Tony Stewart competed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 13 times before winning (2012); the longest span of any of the nine winners. Stewart is the only driver to have made 10 or more attempts before his first win at LVMS.
· Bobby Labonte leads the series (active drivers) with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Las Vegas without visiting Victory Lane with 16.
· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Las Vegas was the March 12, 2006 race won by Jimmie Johnson with a MOV of 0.045 second.
· No driver has won the first three races of the season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The five drivers that have won the first two events of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season are: Matt Kenseth (2009), Jeff Gordon (1997), David Pearson (1976), Bob Welborn (1959) and Marvin Panch (1957).
· Three reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions have gone on to win at Las Vegas the following season: Matt Kenseth (2004), Jimmie Johnson is the only one to do it multiple times (2007, 2010) and Tony Stewart (2012).
· Three drivers have won at Las Vegas and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same season: Jeff Gordon (2001), Matt Kenseth (2003) and Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2007 and 2010).
· Danica Patrick and Shawna Robinson are the only two female drivers to compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
· Only two car numbers have produced three or more Las Vegas NSCS wins: No. 48 – Jimmie Johnson (2005-2007 and 2010) and No. 99 – Jeff Burton (1999, 2000) and Carl Edwards (2008, 2011).
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Data
Season Race #: 3 of 36 (3-9-14)
Track Size: 1.5-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 20 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 20 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 2,275 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,572 feet
Race Length: 267 laps / 400.5 miles
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Las Vegas
Jimmie Johnson………………….. 112.3
Jeff Gordon………………………… 103.8
Tony Stewart………………………. 103.4
Greg Biffle………………………….. 103.0
Kyle Busch…………………………. 102.8
Carl Edwards……………………….. 98.8
Matt Kenseth………………………… 98.7
Kevin Harvick……………………….. 94.8
Dale Earnhardt Jr………………….. 88.2
Kasey Kahne………………………… 87.7
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2013 races (nine total) among active drivers at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2013 pole winner: None Due to Inclement Weather
2013 race winner: Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 146.287 mph, (2:44:16), 3-10-13
Track qualifying record: Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 190.456 mph, 28.353 secs., 3-09-12
Track race record: Mark Martin, Ford, 146.554 mph, (2:43:58), 3-01-98
NASCAR in Nevada
· There have been 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Nevada – 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and one at Las Vegas Park Speedway…23 drivers in NASCAR national series history have listed their home state as Nevada…Three drivers from Nevada have won at least one NASCAR national series race: Kyle Busch (28 Cup, 64 NNS, 36 Truck), Kurt Busch (24 Cup, 5 NNS, 4 Truck), and Brendan Gaughan (8 Truck).
