Race Weekend Central

Numbers Game: 2012 STP 400 at Kansas

2

To say it’s been a rocky start for Jeff Gordon would be a huge understandment. His two finishes of 35th or worse eclipses the number of top fives he has this year – one, which came last week at Texas Motor Speedway.

3

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has three top fives in 2012, just one short of the most he’s had in a year since 2008. His four top-five results last season were the most since his rookie campaign with Rick Hendrick.

3.25

The last four races have averaged only 3.25 cautions. The short track at Martinsville was the only one that had more than three yellows, with seven.

6

Since crashing out of the Daytona 500 and finishing 42nd, Jimmie Johnson has averaged a sixth-place finish the following seven races, slightly below Greg Biffle’s 5.9 average result in all eight races in 2012.

7

While no race has been won from the pole in 2012, seven out of the eight races have been won by a driver who started in the top 10. The only time a race winner started further back was when Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag at Phoenix after starting 13th.

11

By finishing ninth at Kansas, Carl Edwards now has 11 consecutive top-10 finishes at tracks that are a mile-and-a-half in length. The last time he finished outside the top 10 at one of these tracks was last May in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, when he finished 16th.

12

The highest up a driver in points without a top-five finish in 2012 is Joey Logano, who sits 12th in points. His best finish so far was a ninth-place effort in the season-opening Daytona 500.

13th

The worst points leader Biffle has finsihed all year – he finished 13th at the two short tracks, Bristol and Martinsville.

19

Hamlin picked up his 19th career win on Sunday (April 22), which is the fourth most since his rookie season in 2006. Hamlin trails only Johnson, Tony Stewart and JGR teammate Kyle Busch in the win column.

173

Martin Truex Jr. led 173 laps on Sunday, the second highest total of his Cup career. The only time he led more circuits in a race was five years ago at Dover, when he paced the field 216 times en route to his first and only career victory. This comes a week after leading 69 laps at Texas, which is now his fifth-highest total for laps led in a race.

199

Hamlin’s win at Kansas was the 199th victory for car number 11, passing the No. 43 for most all time.

363

Going back to last season, Truex has scored a total of 363 points over the last 10 races, more than any other driver.

2,066

Dave Blaney, who came so close to winning the Daytona 500, has completed just 2,066 out of a possible 2,526 laps this year, fewer than any other driver who has started all eight races.

About the author

The Frontstretch Staff is made up of a group of talented men and women spread out all over the United States and Canada. Residing in 15 states throughout the country, plus Ontario, and widely ranging in age, the staff showcases a wide variety of diverse opinions that will keep you coming back for more week in and week out.

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