0 – Laps led by Richard Childress Racing at Talladega – once one of the strongest restrictor-plate programs.
1 – Lap led by Kurt Busch Sunday, his lowest total since Phoenix back in March.
2 – Top-five finishes this year for Martin Truex Jr. (fifth at ‘Dega). That doubles his total from the entire 2014 season.
3 – Poles for Jeff Gordon this season, leading the Sprint Cup Series. However, Gordon’s average finish in those three races is a lowly 27.3.
4 – Teams of two cars to make the Chase through 10 races. They are Stewart-Haas Racing (Kevin Harvick & Kyle Busch), Hendrick Motorsports (Jimmie Johnson & Dale Earnhardt Jr.), Team Penske (Brad Keselowski & Joey Logano) and Joe Gibbs Racing (Denny Hamlin & Matt Kenseth).
5 – Drivers who posted their best finishes of 2015 Sunday: Sam Hornish Jr. (sixth), Josh Wise (10th), Cole Whitt (13th), JJ Yeley (14th) and Alex Bowman (16th).
6 – Cautions Sunday and only one for a major wreck. Other than the lone Big One, the other five cautions involved crashes that claimed a total of just four cars.
10 – Years in between Earnhardt Jr.’s Sprint Cup victories at Talladega. Earnhardt, who once won four races in a row here hadn’t scored a trophy at the 2.66-mile track since the fall of 2004.
27 – Lead changes Sunday at Talladega. It’s the fewest for a Sprint Cup event there since the spring of 2002 (also a race Earnhardt Jr. won).
$127,645 – Money Hamlin won at Talladega for finishing ninth.
$129,515 – Money Joe Gibbs Racing teammate David Ragan won at ‘Dega for crashing and winding up 38th.
About the author
The author of Did You Notice? (Wednesdays) Tom spends his time overseeing Frontstretch’s 40+ staff members as its majority owner and Editor-in-Chief. Based outside Philadelphia, Bowles is a two-time Emmy winner in NASCAR television and has worked in racing production with FOX, TNT, and ESPN while appearing on-air for SIRIUS XM Radio and FOX Sports 1's former show, the Crowd Goes Wild. He most recently consulted with SRX Racing, helping manage cutting-edge technology and graphics that appeared on their CBS broadcasts during 2021 and 2022.
You can find Tom’s writing here, at CBSSports.com and Athlonsports.com, where he’s been an editorial consultant for the annual racing magazine for 15 years.
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