Behind The Numbers: A Look Back At The Decade That Was
by PB on Dec.17, 2009, under TSS Articles
Despite the rumblings surrounding Danica-mania and the addition of Steve Addington over at Penske Racing, things have been quite dormant in the world of NASCAR. With no testing and little-to-no silly season news to speak of, things have gotten awfully quiet as we patiently count down to the start of Speedweeks at Daytona. And since there are no breaking news stories, hot rumors, or drama to speak of that can only mean one thing….it’s time to roll out the “(insert category here) of the decade” articles and blogs.
I think I’ll pass.
Look, we could spend hours, days and even weeks debating who the greatest driver is or what the greatest race of the last 10 years was; but what’s the point? We all know Jimmie Johnson is the greatest driver of the decade and truthfully there are about 20-25 races that could very easily make a case for being the best of the last ten years. Instead we opted for a different approach to reviewing the last 10 years worth of racing. With a little help from Racing Reference (ok, a lot of help) we opened up the vault, dusted off the record books, and let the numbers and the stats speak for themselves. And boy were we surprised.
Did you know?……..
*In 2001 the schedule was changed from 34 races to the standard 36 races that we see today.
*Since 2000, there are have been 358 point-paying races.
*Only six drivers have competed in each of the aforementioned 358 races. Those drivers include: Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte and Jeff Burton.
*Mark Martin (334), Kurt Busch (328), and Kevin Harvick (322) are the only other drivers to have reached the 300-plus race plateau. Reigning 4-time Sprint Cup Series champ Jimmie Johnson has competed in 291 races.
*Only two drivers (Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth) have been with same team since 2000. The only other driver who comes close to that distinction is Kevin Harvick. He’s been with RCR since the 2nd race of 2001.
*Jimmie Johnson is the decade’s winningest driver. His 47 victories lead the way over Tony Stewart (34) and Jeff Gordon (33).
*The most Top 5’s by a driver is 145. That achievement belongs to Jeff Gordon.
*Jeff Gordon has the most Top 10’s as well. His 217 Top 10 finishes leads the way over Tony Stewart (209) and Jimmie Johnson (180).
*Is it any surprise that “The Rocket” Ryan Newman leads the way with 45 poles? Not hardly. What is surprising is that Jeff Gordon isn’t too far back. Gordon has led the field to the drop of the green flag 38 times since 2000.
*Here is a neat little fact to chew on. Since 2000, Jeff Gordon has scored more points (48,747) that any other driver on the circuit. Here’s where it gets interesting. Amazingly after 10 years of competition Tony Stewart, who sits in second, is only 35 points back of Gordon. To be seperated by just 35 points after 10 years of racing is quite remarkable.
*The best average finish for a driver belongs to Jimmie Johnson at 11.660.
*Despite the current slide and recent struggles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. holds his own in comparison to other drivers. His 18 wins are 5th best among current drivers. His 88 Top 5’s and 141 Top 10’s are good for 5th and 6th place respectively. Not to mention the fact that he’s scored the 5th most points since 2000. Not too shabby for a guy whose spent the last four or five years in a tail spin.
*When it comes to finishing races, Jeff Burton is your guy. Of the 358 races he’s competed in since 2000, he’s been running at the finish in 327 of them. He must love sitting in post-race traffic.
*In terms of finishing a race on the lead lap, look no further than Jeff Gordon (269) and Tony Stewart (267). Did I mention how close these two guys were in terms of stats?
*Need to borrow some money? I’d head on over to the First National Bank of Jimmie Johnson. His $89,016,297 in earnings far and away trumps any other driver out there. I should have been a race car driver.
For more NASCAR news and notes visit www.thespotterstand.com
December 17th, 2009 on 10:37 AM
“Things have gone awfully quiet?” Please, it is boring. NASCAR and the media know it. Fans definitely know it. Gone are the days when racers never stopped racing despite what some called the off season. Hats off to Kyle Busch for running in the Snow Ball Derby – he’s become the modern day Bobby Allision when it comes to racing events anywhere, anytime. Too bad he can’t tone that sulking tone when things go bad or his car and crew are off their game.
Suggestion: After JJ wins Daytona, which he will do, have him sit out three races completely then start racing for the points race and let’s see if he wins the points championship. Won’t be done but hey, worth thinking about.
LB