Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Brickyard 400 Odds & Ends: Indianapolis Motor Speedway in NASCAR

compiled by Mike Forde
NASCAR Media Services


History
·         Indianapolis Motor Speedway has existed since 1909, and is the original "Speedway," the first racing facility to incorporate the word into its name.
·         With a permanent seating capacity for more than 250,000-plus people and infield seating that raises capacity to an approximate 400,000, it is the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in history.
Notebook
·         There have been 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the first race in 1994.
·         Four drivers have competed in all 16 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin.
·         Rick Mast won the first pole in 1994.
·         Jeff Gordon won the 1994 inaugural race.
·         There have been 13 different pole winners.
·         Jeff Gordon leads all pole winners with three.
·         Nine drivers have won, led by Jeff Gordon with four victories.
·         Jimmie Johnson (three), Dale Jarrett and Tony Stewart (two each) are the other multiple winners.
·         Hendrick Motorsports has won seven races, more than any other organization.
·         Eight races have been won from a top-five starting position.
·         The furthest back a race winner has started at Indianapolis was 27th, by Jeff Gordon in 2001.
·         Two of the past three races have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
·         Two drivers have won from the pole: Kevin Harvick in 2003 and Jimmie Johnson in 2008.
·         Dale Jarrett (1996) and Jimmie Johnson (2006) are the only drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard in the same season.
·         Tony Stewart (8.5) and Jeff Gordon (8.6)are the only active drivers to average a top-10 finish.
·         Three of the last four Indianapolis races ending under green had a margin of victory under one second.
·         14 of the 16 races have been won by a past, reigning or future NASCAR Sprint Cup champion. The only two that were not: Ricky Rudd in 1997 and current points leader Kevin Harvick in 2003.
·         The winner of the Indianapolis race has won the championship in the same year eight times in the 16 years the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has raced there:2009: Jimmie Johnson
2008: Jimmie Johnson
2006: Jimmie Johnson2005: Tony Stewart2001: Jeff Gordon2000: Bobby Labonte1999: Dale Jarrett1998: Jeff Gordon
NASCAR in Indiana
·         There have been 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in Indiana.
·         75 NASCAR national series drivers (all-time) have their home state recorded as Indiana.
·         There have been 10 race winners from Indiana in NASCAR’s three national series:
Driver
NSCS
NNS
NCWTS
Tony Stewart
37
9
2
Ryan Newman
14
7
1
Darel Dieringer
7
0
0
Charlie Glotzbach
4
0
0
John Andretti
2
0
0
Earl Balmer
1
0
0
Larry Frank
1
0
0
Dick Passwater
1
0
0
Tony Raines
0
0
4
Kenny Irwin Jr.
0
0
2
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Data
Race # 20 of 36 (7-25-10)
Track Size: 2.5 miles
Race Length: 400 miles (160 laps)
Banking/Corners: 9 degrees
Banking/Straights: 0 degrees


Driver Rating at Indianapolis

Tony Stewart                 
111.8
Jimmie Johnson            104.9
Mark Martin                   104.8
Juan Pablo Montoya     102
Jeff Gordon                  96.2
Matt Kenseth                 93.6
Denny Hamlin                93.3
Jeff Burton                   93.1
Kyle Busch                   92.8
Kevin Harvick                91.9
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2009 races (5 total) at Indianapolis.


Qualifying/Race Data
2009 pole winner: Mark Martin (182.054 mph, 49.436 seconds)
2009 race winner: Jimmie Johnson, 145.882 mph, 7-26-09)
Track qualifying record: Casey Mears (186.293 mph, 48.311 secs., 8-7-04)
Track race record: Bobby Labonte (155.912 mph, 8-5-00)
Estimated Pit Window: Every 30-32 laps, based on fuel mileage




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