Remember the old Sammy Hagar song, “I Can’t Drive 55”?
That’s kind of the same situation with a number of Sprint Cup drivers when it comes to being on pit road.
According to NASCAR’s crack team of statisticians – and not exactly surprising – there’s a number of drivers with lead feet when they’re on pit road.
Surprisingly, Travis Kvapil has the heaviest foot on pit road, having been whistled for speeding a series-leading five times thus far in 2014.
You have to wonder if NASCAR officials haven’t asked Kvapil a time or two, “Where’s the fire at, Travis?”
Dave Blaney and David Ragan also have been whistled for speeding infractions four times, along with Chase drivers Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.
The only other Chase driver who has been caught multiple times is Kevin Harvick, who’s been guilty of the violation three times thus far this season.
Non-Chase drivers that have also been caught speeding thrice each are Kyle Larson, Casey Mears, Tony Stewart, Brian Vickers, Michael Annett, Reed Sorenson and Joe Nemechek.
Courtesy of Dustin Long of MRN.com, here’s a list of how many Chase drivers have been caught exceeding the pit road speed limits thus far in 2014:
Four times: Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson
Three times: Kevin Harvick
Twice: Aric Almirola, Brad Keselowski
Once: AJ Allmendinger, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman
Zero: Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards
Long also makes a very important point:
“A penalty could prove devastating to a team’s title hopes. No driver has won a Cup race after being penalized for speeding on pit road since Matt Kenseth did so Aug. 2013 at Bristol.”
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