Subway Fresh 500 - Race Notes
Phoenix International Raceway
Track data
Race #: 8 of 36 (4-22-06) Track Size: 1.0 Mile Event: Subway Fresh 500 Number of Laps: 312 Location: Phoenix, AZ Length of Event: 312 Miles Length of Front Stretch: 1,179 Feet Degree of Banking in Corners: 1-2: 11 degrees Length of Back Stretch: 1,551 Feet 3-4: 9 degrees
Qualifying/Race Data:
Last year's event pole winner: Jeff Gordon 133.675 mph 4-21-05 26.931 seconds Last year's event winner: Kurt Busch 102.707 mph 4-23-05 3 hrs, 02 min, 16 sec Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman 135.854 mph 11-5-04 26.499 seconds Track record: Tony Stewart 118.132 mph 11-7-99 2 hrs, 38 min, 28 sec
Historical data:
Davey Allison (2) Jeff Burton (2) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2) Dale Earnhardt (1) Bill Elliott (1) Bobby Hamilton (1) Dale Jarrett (1) Alan Kulwicki (1) Mark Martin (1) Terry Labonte (1) Ricky Rudd (1) Rusty Wallace (1) Tony Stewart (1) Matt Kenseth (1) Kurt Busch (1) Kyle Busch (1) Races won from the pole: 0 of 19 events (0%) Races won from the top 10: 7 of 19 events (37%) Races won from outside the top 10: 12 of 19 events (63%)
Track Milestones
There have been 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at the Phoenix International Raceway, since the track hosted its inaugural race in 1988.
Geoffrey Bodine won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole at the Phoenix International Raceway in 1988.
Alan Kulwicki won the inaugural NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at the Phoenix International Raceway, the 1988 Checker 500. It was also Kulwicki's first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory.
The 1998 Dura Lube/Kmart 500 was the only rain-shortened event at Phoenix (257 of 312 laps).
The first season for twice-a-year racing at Phoenix was 2005.
The 2005 Subway Fresh 500 was the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup night race at Phoenix.
Qualifying Update
There have been 11 different Bud Pole winners in the past 13 races at Phoenix. Ryan Newman posted three consecutive Bud Poles (2002-2004) and is the only repeat Bud Pole winner in the 13 races there since 1994.
Track Update
Mark Martin has posted 13 top-10 finishes in 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway – two more than any other driver.
Manufacturer Update
Ford has won 12 of the 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Phoenix and had at least two top-five finishes in the first 16 races there (1988-2003). Ford's best finish in 2004 was 10th and they have had only two top-fives in the two races in 2005: race winner Kurt Busch in the spring and Greg Biffle (second) in the fall. Chevrolet has five victories at Phoenix, including three of the past four races. The highest finishing Dodge driver in the six races that the manufacturer has competed at Phoenix since 2001 was Ryan Newman (2nd in 2004). Pontiac had two Phoenix victories: Bobby Hamilton (1996) and Tony Stewart (1999).
Would You Believe?
Ryan Newman started 10th in the 2000 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500, his career-first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start. That start came two seasons before his 2002 rookie season. In 2001 he started 25th. In each of the five races since his official rookie season (2002) he has started 11th or better, including three Bud Poles (2002-2004).
Mr. Phoenix
Mark Martin has posted eight top-five and 13 1op-10 finishes in 19 races at Phoenix, both more than any other driver. Martin has one victory and five second-place finishes in those 19 races.
The Money
Purse $4,906,887 NASCAR NEXTEL Leader Bonus $50,000
Tire/Fuel Data
Goodyear Tire Codes: Left-side - D-4038; Right-side - D-4040 Other Nextel Cup Tracks With Same Tire Combinations: Richmond International Raceway, New Hampshire International Speedway Estimated Pit Window: every 90-100 laps, based on fuel mileage
Track Update of the Week
Phoenix is one of only four active tracks where Jeff Gordon has not scored a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory. Chicago, Homestead and Texas are the others. Gordon has posted 11 top-10 finishes in 14 races at Phoenix. His best finish there was third in 2002, 2004 and the fall of 2005. Notebook
There have been 12 different Bud Pole winners in the 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Phoenix.
Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace lead all other drivers, each with three Bud Poles at Phoenix. Geoffrey Bodine, Bill Elliott and Ken Schrader each have two Bud Poles at Phoenix.
Ryan Newman is the only driver to win consecutive Bud Poles at Phoenix. He scored three straight (2002- 04).
There have been 16 different race winners in the 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Phoenix.
The late Davey Allison (1991 and 1992), Jeff Burton (2000 and 2001) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2004) are the only drivers to score two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories at Phoenix. All three multiple race winners posted back-to-back victories.
Kurt Busch is the defending race winner of the Subway Fresh 500.
The race has never been won from the Bud Pole at Phoenix. The winner has started in the third starting position three times and from second, 11th and 13th place twice each.
The race at Phoenix has been won from a top-10 starting position only seven of 19 times.
Ricky Rudd won the 1995 Dura Lube 500 from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started at Phoenix.
The average starting position of the 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races winners at Phoenix has been 12.16. Two races have been won from the 13th-starting position and seven have been won from a starting position further back than 13th.
There was just one lead change in the 1990 Checker 500 at Phoenix. Race winner, Dale Earnhardt took the lead from Rusty Wallace on lap 51 and led the remaining 262 laps in route to his ninth victory of the season.
Ken Schrader posted 12 top-10 starts, including two Bud Poles (1989 and 1998), in the first 14 races at Phoenix. His best start in the past five races there has been 18th in 2004.
Busch-ville
The Busch brothers swept Phoenix in 2005 with Kurt winning the Subway Fresh 500 in April and Kyle taking the champion's trophy for the Checker Auto Parts 500 in November. Kyle finished eighth in the Subway Fresh 500 but Kurt did not compete in the fall race. Kurt has posted four top-10 finishes in six races at Phoenix while Kyle has top-10s in both of his races there.
Starting Up Front is Not Important at Phoenix International Raceway
Four of the last five races at Phoenix have been won from starting positions outside the top 10.
Owner Wins at Phoenix International Raceway
Roush Racing has won five of the 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway, the most of any car owner, including three straight races there between 2002-2005. Jeff Burton is the only (then) Roush driver to score multiple victories at Phoenix.
Multiple Winners at Phoenix International Raceway
There have been 16 different race winners in 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway. Only the late Davey Allison, Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have scored two victories there.
Leading The Way at Phoenix International Raceway
Rusty Wallace led 868 laps in 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway, more than any other driver. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 471 laps led in 19 races there.
Would you believe?
No driver has ever won from the Bud Pole in the 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Phoenix.
Manufacturers at Phoenix International Raceway
A Ford has won 12 of the 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway, the most of all manufacturers (63 percent). However, a Chevrolet has won three of the last four races at there. A Dodge has never won at Phoenix. Phoenix Standouts
Five drivers have competed in all 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Phoenix International Raceway: Mark Martin, Ken Schrader, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd and Rusty Wallace. Only three remain active : Martin, Schrader and Jarrett.
Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace have each scored three Bud Poles at Phoenix, leading all drivers.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and the late Davey Allison each scored two victories at Phoenix International Raceway, the most of all drivers.
Mark Martin has scored eight top-10 finishes at Phoenix, the most of all drivers.
Mark Martin has scored 13 top-10 finishes at Phoenix International Raceway, the most among all drivers.
Brian Vickers leads all active drivers with more than two starts at Phoenix with a 3.75 starting average in four races there.
Kyle Busch has a 4.5 average finish in his two races at Phoenix International Raceway, the best of all drivers.
Kurt Busch has posted four straight top-10 finishes at Phoenix International Raceway, the longest current streak. Milestones
Michael Waltrip will make his 650th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start if he competes in the Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.
Kyle Busch will make his 50th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start if he competes in the Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Who's Hot
Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne have each won two races in 2006, the most among all drivers.
Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin are the only drivers to score five top-10 finishes in the first seven races in 2006.
Mark Martin is the only driver to score top-15 finishes in each of the seven races in 2006. He has scored 11 straight top-15s; extending a streak that began at Atlanta last October.
Tony Stewart is the only driver to lead at least one lap in all seven races this season.
Tony Stewart has moved from 22nd to fifth in the point standings since California.
Kevin Harvick has moved from 23rd to ninth in the point standings in the last three races.
Top 10 in 2005 Points at This Track
First
Jimmie Johnson finished 11th in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and remained first in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Johnson is one of three drivers to score five top-10 finishes in seven races this season. He lost 44 points of his lead at Texas, now just 15 points ahead of second-place Matt Kenseth. Johnson and Kasey Kahne are the only drivers to score two victories this season. All of Johnson's 2006 finishes have been top-20s. One year ago Johnson began the 2005 season with seven straight top-10 finishes. Johnson ranked first in the point standings after Race No. 7 in 2005 with a 135-point lead over second-place Greg Biffle. Johnson has ranked among the top-10 for 76 straight races, since Atlanta in March 2004. He has competed in five races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring five straight top-15 finishes. His worst Phoenix finish of 15th occurred in 2002 and this race in 2005. Johnson has a 9.0 average finish at Phoenix International Raceway, second only to Jeff Gordon (8.86) among active drivers with more than two starts there. Johnson finished 15th at Phoenix in this race one year ago and seventh there last November. Johnson has won at least one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).
Second
Matt Kenseth finished second in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway scoring his second runner-up finish in the first seven races in 2006. Kenseth scored his first victory in 2006 at California. He has scored six top-15 finishes this season. Kenseth climbed from third to second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago he ranked 21st in the point standings after seven races. He has competed in seven races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring one victory (November 2002) and three top-10 finishes. Kenseth finished 36th, 42nd and 32nd in his last three races at Phoenix. Two of those finishes were DNFs. His third Phoenix DNF came there in his first race in 2000 when he finished 42nd. He scored three straight top-10 finishes at Phoenix between 2001 and 2003. He has a 23.285 finishing average at Phoenix International Raceway. Kenseth has won at least one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).
Third
Kasey Kahne finished first in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway scoring his second victory of the season, both from a Bud pole starting position. Kahne won at Atlanta in March. His career-first victory came at Richmond last May also from a Bud pole starting position. He climbed from fourth to third in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Kahne has scored six top-15 finishes in the first seven races in 2006. One year ago he ranked 23rd in the point standings. Kahne has competed in three races at Phoenix, scoring just one top-10 finish – fifth there in his first Phoenix race in 2004. He finished 17th there last April and 27th there last November. Kahne has a 16.33 average finish at Phoenix International Raceway. Kahne has never led at Phoenix. Kahne has won at least one race each season for two consecutive years (2005-2006).
Fourth
Mark Martin finished ninth in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and dropped from second to fourth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. At this point one year ago he ranked seventh in the point standings. Martin has scored 11 straight top-15 finishes since Atlanta last October. He has had only one DNF (Talladega in October 2005 - Accident) in the 31 races since Dover in June 2005. Martin has competed in all 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring one victory (October 1993). Martin has scored 13 top-10 finishes at Phoenix superspeedway the most of all drivers. He finished 16th in this race one year ago and 14th there last November. Martin has finished among the top-20 in 18 straight races at Phoenix. His only finish outside the top 20 came there in the inaugural race in November 1988 when he finish 36th behind first-time race winner Alan Kulwicki who performed the very first “Polish victory lap” that day. Martin has a 9.32 average finish at Phoenix, ranking third among active drivers.
Fifth
Tony Stewart finished third in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and climbed from eighth to fifth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. It was his fifth top-15 finish in the first seven races of the season. Stewart has led at least one lap in all seven races this season, the only driver to do so. His 50 lap leader bonus points are the most of all drivers. Stewart has led 784 laps, the most of all drivers. He has competed in eight races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring one victory (November 1999) and five top-10 finishes. Stewart finished 33rd in this race one year ago and fourth there last November. He has an 11.375 finishing average at Phoenix International Raceway. He has not led a lap in his last six races at Phoenix. Stewart has won at least one race each season for eight consecutive years (1999-2006).
Sixth
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 12th in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and remained sixth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago he ranked 15th in the point standings. Earnhardt has scored six top-15 finishes in the seven races in 2006. His only finish outside the top-15 this season was his 27th-place finish at Las Vegas. He has competed in seven races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring two victories in back-to-back races there in 2003 and 2004. He has scored four top-five finishes in his last five races there. He finished fourth in this race one year ago and 40th there last November, his worst Phoenix finish and second DNF there. Earnhardt Jr. has a 16.43 average finish at Phoenix International Raceway. He has led in three of his seven races at Phoenix.
Seventh
Kyle Busch finished 15th in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and dropped from fifth to seventh in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago he ranked 27th in the point standings. Busch has scored six top-15 finishes in the seven races in 2006. His only finish outside the top-15 this season was his 23rd-place finish at Daytona. He has competed in just two races at Phoenix, finishing eighth in this race one year ago and first there last November. Busch has a 4.5 average finish in his two races at Phoenix International Raceway and has led in both races there.
Eighth
Jeff Gordon finished 22nd in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and dropped from seventh to eighth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Gordon ranked 26th in the point standings after Daytona. He ranked fifth in the point standings at this point one year ago. Gordon has competed in 14 races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring 11 top-10 finishes. All but two of his Phoenix finishes have been top-15s. He has scored eight top-10 finishes in the last nine races at Phoenix. His only finish outside the top-10 in those nine races came in this race one year ago when he finished 12th. He finished third there last November. Gordon has an 8.86 average finish at Phoenix International Raceway, the best among active drivers with more than two starts there. He has led in six of the 14 races there.
Ninth
Kevin Harvick finished fifth in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and climbed from 12th to ninth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Harvick makes his first appearance in the top 10 since he ranked 10th after Michigan last June. He climbed from 23rd to ninth in the point standings in the last three races. One year ago he ranked 12th in the point standings. Harvick has scored three top-10 finishes in 2006. He has competed in six races at Phoenix International Raceway posting just one top-10 finish, a fourth-place finish in November 2004. He finished 19th in this race one year ago and 23rd there last November. Harvick has been running at the finish in all six races there. Harvick has a 19.0 average finish at Phoenix International Raceway. He has never led at Phoenix. 10th
Casey Mears finished 14th in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and remained 10th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings for the second straight race. Mears scored top-10 finishes in the first three races. One year ago he ranked 17th in the point standings. Mears has competed in four races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring finishes of 42nd, 34th, 39th and 22nd. He has a 34.5 average finish at Phoenix, the worst among the current top 10. Mears has never led at Phoenix.
Track data
Race #: 8 of 36 (4-22-06) Track Size: 1.0 Mile Event: Subway Fresh 500 Number of Laps: 312 Location: Phoenix, AZ Length of Event: 312 Miles Length of Front Stretch: 1,179 Feet Degree of Banking in Corners: 1-2: 11 degrees Length of Back Stretch: 1,551 Feet 3-4: 9 degrees
Qualifying/Race Data:
Last year's event pole winner: Jeff Gordon 133.675 mph 4-21-05 26.931 seconds Last year's event winner: Kurt Busch 102.707 mph 4-23-05 3 hrs, 02 min, 16 sec Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman 135.854 mph 11-5-04 26.499 seconds Track record: Tony Stewart 118.132 mph 11-7-99 2 hrs, 38 min, 28 sec
Historical data:
Davey Allison (2) Jeff Burton (2) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2) Dale Earnhardt (1) Bill Elliott (1) Bobby Hamilton (1) Dale Jarrett (1) Alan Kulwicki (1) Mark Martin (1) Terry Labonte (1) Ricky Rudd (1) Rusty Wallace (1) Tony Stewart (1) Matt Kenseth (1) Kurt Busch (1) Kyle Busch (1) Races won from the pole: 0 of 19 events (0%) Races won from the top 10: 7 of 19 events (37%) Races won from outside the top 10: 12 of 19 events (63%)
Track Milestones
There have been 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at the Phoenix International Raceway, since the track hosted its inaugural race in 1988.
Geoffrey Bodine won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole at the Phoenix International Raceway in 1988.
Alan Kulwicki won the inaugural NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at the Phoenix International Raceway, the 1988 Checker 500. It was also Kulwicki's first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory.
The 1998 Dura Lube/Kmart 500 was the only rain-shortened event at Phoenix (257 of 312 laps).
The first season for twice-a-year racing at Phoenix was 2005.
The 2005 Subway Fresh 500 was the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup night race at Phoenix.
Qualifying Update
There have been 11 different Bud Pole winners in the past 13 races at Phoenix. Ryan Newman posted three consecutive Bud Poles (2002-2004) and is the only repeat Bud Pole winner in the 13 races there since 1994.
Track Update
Mark Martin has posted 13 top-10 finishes in 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway – two more than any other driver.
Manufacturer Update
Ford has won 12 of the 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Phoenix and had at least two top-five finishes in the first 16 races there (1988-2003). Ford's best finish in 2004 was 10th and they have had only two top-fives in the two races in 2005: race winner Kurt Busch in the spring and Greg Biffle (second) in the fall. Chevrolet has five victories at Phoenix, including three of the past four races. The highest finishing Dodge driver in the six races that the manufacturer has competed at Phoenix since 2001 was Ryan Newman (2nd in 2004). Pontiac had two Phoenix victories: Bobby Hamilton (1996) and Tony Stewart (1999).
Would You Believe?
Ryan Newman started 10th in the 2000 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500, his career-first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start. That start came two seasons before his 2002 rookie season. In 2001 he started 25th. In each of the five races since his official rookie season (2002) he has started 11th or better, including three Bud Poles (2002-2004).
Mr. Phoenix
Mark Martin has posted eight top-five and 13 1op-10 finishes in 19 races at Phoenix, both more than any other driver. Martin has one victory and five second-place finishes in those 19 races.
The Money
Purse $4,906,887 NASCAR NEXTEL Leader Bonus $50,000
Tire/Fuel Data
Goodyear Tire Codes: Left-side - D-4038; Right-side - D-4040 Other Nextel Cup Tracks With Same Tire Combinations: Richmond International Raceway, New Hampshire International Speedway Estimated Pit Window: every 90-100 laps, based on fuel mileage
Track Update of the Week
Phoenix is one of only four active tracks where Jeff Gordon has not scored a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory. Chicago, Homestead and Texas are the others. Gordon has posted 11 top-10 finishes in 14 races at Phoenix. His best finish there was third in 2002, 2004 and the fall of 2005. Notebook
There have been 12 different Bud Pole winners in the 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Phoenix.
Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace lead all other drivers, each with three Bud Poles at Phoenix. Geoffrey Bodine, Bill Elliott and Ken Schrader each have two Bud Poles at Phoenix.
Ryan Newman is the only driver to win consecutive Bud Poles at Phoenix. He scored three straight (2002- 04).
There have been 16 different race winners in the 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Phoenix.
The late Davey Allison (1991 and 1992), Jeff Burton (2000 and 2001) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2004) are the only drivers to score two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories at Phoenix. All three multiple race winners posted back-to-back victories.
Kurt Busch is the defending race winner of the Subway Fresh 500.
The race has never been won from the Bud Pole at Phoenix. The winner has started in the third starting position three times and from second, 11th and 13th place twice each.
The race at Phoenix has been won from a top-10 starting position only seven of 19 times.
Ricky Rudd won the 1995 Dura Lube 500 from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started at Phoenix.
The average starting position of the 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races winners at Phoenix has been 12.16. Two races have been won from the 13th-starting position and seven have been won from a starting position further back than 13th.
There was just one lead change in the 1990 Checker 500 at Phoenix. Race winner, Dale Earnhardt took the lead from Rusty Wallace on lap 51 and led the remaining 262 laps in route to his ninth victory of the season.
Ken Schrader posted 12 top-10 starts, including two Bud Poles (1989 and 1998), in the first 14 races at Phoenix. His best start in the past five races there has been 18th in 2004.
Busch-ville
The Busch brothers swept Phoenix in 2005 with Kurt winning the Subway Fresh 500 in April and Kyle taking the champion's trophy for the Checker Auto Parts 500 in November. Kyle finished eighth in the Subway Fresh 500 but Kurt did not compete in the fall race. Kurt has posted four top-10 finishes in six races at Phoenix while Kyle has top-10s in both of his races there.
Starting Up Front is Not Important at Phoenix International Raceway
Four of the last five races at Phoenix have been won from starting positions outside the top 10.
Owner Wins at Phoenix International Raceway
Roush Racing has won five of the 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway, the most of any car owner, including three straight races there between 2002-2005. Jeff Burton is the only (then) Roush driver to score multiple victories at Phoenix.
Multiple Winners at Phoenix International Raceway
There have been 16 different race winners in 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway. Only the late Davey Allison, Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have scored two victories there.
Leading The Way at Phoenix International Raceway
Rusty Wallace led 868 laps in 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway, more than any other driver. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 471 laps led in 19 races there.
Would you believe?
No driver has ever won from the Bud Pole in the 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Phoenix.
Manufacturers at Phoenix International Raceway
A Ford has won 12 of the 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway, the most of all manufacturers (63 percent). However, a Chevrolet has won three of the last four races at there. A Dodge has never won at Phoenix. Phoenix Standouts
Five drivers have competed in all 19 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Phoenix International Raceway: Mark Martin, Ken Schrader, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd and Rusty Wallace. Only three remain active : Martin, Schrader and Jarrett.
Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace have each scored three Bud Poles at Phoenix, leading all drivers.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and the late Davey Allison each scored two victories at Phoenix International Raceway, the most of all drivers.
Mark Martin has scored eight top-10 finishes at Phoenix, the most of all drivers.
Mark Martin has scored 13 top-10 finishes at Phoenix International Raceway, the most among all drivers.
Brian Vickers leads all active drivers with more than two starts at Phoenix with a 3.75 starting average in four races there.
Kyle Busch has a 4.5 average finish in his two races at Phoenix International Raceway, the best of all drivers.
Kurt Busch has posted four straight top-10 finishes at Phoenix International Raceway, the longest current streak. Milestones
Michael Waltrip will make his 650th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start if he competes in the Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.
Kyle Busch will make his 50th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start if he competes in the Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Who's Hot
Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne have each won two races in 2006, the most among all drivers.
Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin are the only drivers to score five top-10 finishes in the first seven races in 2006.
Mark Martin is the only driver to score top-15 finishes in each of the seven races in 2006. He has scored 11 straight top-15s; extending a streak that began at Atlanta last October.
Tony Stewart is the only driver to lead at least one lap in all seven races this season.
Tony Stewart has moved from 22nd to fifth in the point standings since California.
Kevin Harvick has moved from 23rd to ninth in the point standings in the last three races.
Top 10 in 2005 Points at This Track
First
Jimmie Johnson finished 11th in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and remained first in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Johnson is one of three drivers to score five top-10 finishes in seven races this season. He lost 44 points of his lead at Texas, now just 15 points ahead of second-place Matt Kenseth. Johnson and Kasey Kahne are the only drivers to score two victories this season. All of Johnson's 2006 finishes have been top-20s. One year ago Johnson began the 2005 season with seven straight top-10 finishes. Johnson ranked first in the point standings after Race No. 7 in 2005 with a 135-point lead over second-place Greg Biffle. Johnson has ranked among the top-10 for 76 straight races, since Atlanta in March 2004. He has competed in five races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring five straight top-15 finishes. His worst Phoenix finish of 15th occurred in 2002 and this race in 2005. Johnson has a 9.0 average finish at Phoenix International Raceway, second only to Jeff Gordon (8.86) among active drivers with more than two starts there. Johnson finished 15th at Phoenix in this race one year ago and seventh there last November. Johnson has won at least one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).
Second
Matt Kenseth finished second in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway scoring his second runner-up finish in the first seven races in 2006. Kenseth scored his first victory in 2006 at California. He has scored six top-15 finishes this season. Kenseth climbed from third to second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago he ranked 21st in the point standings after seven races. He has competed in seven races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring one victory (November 2002) and three top-10 finishes. Kenseth finished 36th, 42nd and 32nd in his last three races at Phoenix. Two of those finishes were DNFs. His third Phoenix DNF came there in his first race in 2000 when he finished 42nd. He scored three straight top-10 finishes at Phoenix between 2001 and 2003. He has a 23.285 finishing average at Phoenix International Raceway. Kenseth has won at least one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).
Third
Kasey Kahne finished first in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway scoring his second victory of the season, both from a Bud pole starting position. Kahne won at Atlanta in March. His career-first victory came at Richmond last May also from a Bud pole starting position. He climbed from fourth to third in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Kahne has scored six top-15 finishes in the first seven races in 2006. One year ago he ranked 23rd in the point standings. Kahne has competed in three races at Phoenix, scoring just one top-10 finish – fifth there in his first Phoenix race in 2004. He finished 17th there last April and 27th there last November. Kahne has a 16.33 average finish at Phoenix International Raceway. Kahne has never led at Phoenix. Kahne has won at least one race each season for two consecutive years (2005-2006).
Fourth
Mark Martin finished ninth in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and dropped from second to fourth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. At this point one year ago he ranked seventh in the point standings. Martin has scored 11 straight top-15 finishes since Atlanta last October. He has had only one DNF (Talladega in October 2005 - Accident) in the 31 races since Dover in June 2005. Martin has competed in all 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring one victory (October 1993). Martin has scored 13 top-10 finishes at Phoenix superspeedway the most of all drivers. He finished 16th in this race one year ago and 14th there last November. Martin has finished among the top-20 in 18 straight races at Phoenix. His only finish outside the top 20 came there in the inaugural race in November 1988 when he finish 36th behind first-time race winner Alan Kulwicki who performed the very first “Polish victory lap” that day. Martin has a 9.32 average finish at Phoenix, ranking third among active drivers.
Fifth
Tony Stewart finished third in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and climbed from eighth to fifth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. It was his fifth top-15 finish in the first seven races of the season. Stewart has led at least one lap in all seven races this season, the only driver to do so. His 50 lap leader bonus points are the most of all drivers. Stewart has led 784 laps, the most of all drivers. He has competed in eight races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring one victory (November 1999) and five top-10 finishes. Stewart finished 33rd in this race one year ago and fourth there last November. He has an 11.375 finishing average at Phoenix International Raceway. He has not led a lap in his last six races at Phoenix. Stewart has won at least one race each season for eight consecutive years (1999-2006).
Sixth
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 12th in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and remained sixth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago he ranked 15th in the point standings. Earnhardt has scored six top-15 finishes in the seven races in 2006. His only finish outside the top-15 this season was his 27th-place finish at Las Vegas. He has competed in seven races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring two victories in back-to-back races there in 2003 and 2004. He has scored four top-five finishes in his last five races there. He finished fourth in this race one year ago and 40th there last November, his worst Phoenix finish and second DNF there. Earnhardt Jr. has a 16.43 average finish at Phoenix International Raceway. He has led in three of his seven races at Phoenix.
Seventh
Kyle Busch finished 15th in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and dropped from fifth to seventh in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago he ranked 27th in the point standings. Busch has scored six top-15 finishes in the seven races in 2006. His only finish outside the top-15 this season was his 23rd-place finish at Daytona. He has competed in just two races at Phoenix, finishing eighth in this race one year ago and first there last November. Busch has a 4.5 average finish in his two races at Phoenix International Raceway and has led in both races there.
Eighth
Jeff Gordon finished 22nd in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and dropped from seventh to eighth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Gordon ranked 26th in the point standings after Daytona. He ranked fifth in the point standings at this point one year ago. Gordon has competed in 14 races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring 11 top-10 finishes. All but two of his Phoenix finishes have been top-15s. He has scored eight top-10 finishes in the last nine races at Phoenix. His only finish outside the top-10 in those nine races came in this race one year ago when he finished 12th. He finished third there last November. Gordon has an 8.86 average finish at Phoenix International Raceway, the best among active drivers with more than two starts there. He has led in six of the 14 races there.
Ninth
Kevin Harvick finished fifth in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and climbed from 12th to ninth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Harvick makes his first appearance in the top 10 since he ranked 10th after Michigan last June. He climbed from 23rd to ninth in the point standings in the last three races. One year ago he ranked 12th in the point standings. Harvick has scored three top-10 finishes in 2006. He has competed in six races at Phoenix International Raceway posting just one top-10 finish, a fourth-place finish in November 2004. He finished 19th in this race one year ago and 23rd there last November. Harvick has been running at the finish in all six races there. Harvick has a 19.0 average finish at Phoenix International Raceway. He has never led at Phoenix. 10th
Casey Mears finished 14th in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and remained 10th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings for the second straight race. Mears scored top-10 finishes in the first three races. One year ago he ranked 17th in the point standings. Mears has competed in four races at Phoenix International Raceway, scoring finishes of 42nd, 34th, 39th and 22nd. He has a 34.5 average finish at Phoenix, the worst among the current top 10. Mears has never led at Phoenix.
