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Crunching the Numbers After 13 Races



June 8, 2005

By Rebecca Gladden

Sunday's MBNA RacePoints 400 in Dover marked the official half-way point in what might be termed the "regular season" of the NASCAR Nextel Cup series.

Under the revised points system which debuted last year, the 36-race season is divided into two unequal segments: A 26-race regular season and a 10-race championship playoff. At the end of the first 26 races, only the top 10 drivers in points or those within 400 points of the leader will contend for the title.

Looking back at last year, the following drivers were in the top 10 after 13 races, the half-way point of the 2004 regular season: 


 1. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
 2. Jimmie Johnson
 3. Matt Kenseth
 4. Tony Stewart
 5. Jeff Gordon
 6. Kurt Busch
 7. Elliott Sadler
 8. Bobby Labonte
 9. Kevin Harvick
10. Ryan Newman
Of those 10 drivers, eight would go on to make the Chase for the Championship. Only Bobby Labonte (8) and Kevin Harvick (9) would eventually fall out of contention in the second half. Taking their places were Mark Martin and Jeremy Mayfield, who moved up from 13th and 15th at the halfway point.

By way of comparison, there are 13 drivers who meet Chase criteria at the half-way point this season, including those in the top 10 as well as three drivers within 400 points of the leader. The current driver standings are: 


 1. Jimmie Johnson
 2. Greg Biffle          (-46)
 3. Elliott Sadler      (-231)
 4. Ryan Newman         (-240)
 5. Tony Stewart        (-306)
 6. Mark Martin         (-324)
 7. Rusty Wallace       (-328) 
 8. Kurt Busch          (-333)
 9. Carl Edwards        (-338)
10. Kevin Harvick       (-339)
11. Jeff Gordon         (-350)
12. Jeremy Mayfield     (-374)
13. Jamie McMurray      (-376)

Some facts of interest:

  • Six of the current top 10 drivers made the Chase last year: Jimmie Johnson, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin and Kurt Busch.

  • Notably absent from the top 10 are four of last year's Chase contenders: Jeff Gordon (11), Jeremy Mayfield (12), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (15) and Matt Kenseth (22). Gordon and Mayfield would still make the Chase if the season ended today, by virtue of being within 400 points of the leader, while fan favorite Earnhardt Jr. and 2003 Cup Champion Kenseth would miss the cut.

  • Just 70 points separate the nine drivers who fall between 5th and 13th place; the spread is even narrower between 6th and 10th, with only 15 points separating those 5 drivers.

  • Two drivers have been in the top 10 for the entire season: Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch. Busch is the reigning Nextel Cup champion, while Johnson finished second last year, only eight points out of first.

  • Jimmie Johnson has been first in points this season since the fourth race of the year at Atlanta.

  • Four of the top 10 drivers are Roush Racing teammates: Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards.

  • While not technically a rookie, Carl Edwards is the only driver in the top 13 racing in his first full Cup season.

  • The Roush and Hendrick teams have combined for 11 victories in 13 races. The only other winners are Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing at Bristol, and Kasey Kahne of Evernham Motorsports at Richmond.

  • The top two drivers in points have combined for 46% of the wins this year. Greg Biffle leads all drivers with four wins, while Jimmie Johnson has two. Jeff Gordon has three victories including the Daytona 500, but has been hurt in the points by five finishes of 30th or worse.

  • Mark Martin (6) and Rusty Wallace (7) are both planning to retire at the end of this season.

    With 13 races left before the Chase cutoff, there will continue to be shuffling of positions up and down in the points standings. But the trends that have emerged in the first half of the regular season are likely to be a good indication of what is to come in the next 13 races and beyond.




    Discuss this and other racing matters in the Prodigys@Speed Forum


    You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing News

    The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.



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