Monday, April 16, 2012

2012 Kansas STP 400 Odds & Ends

At Kansas Speedway:
History
·         Groundbreaking was held on May 25, 1999.
·         The official opening of Kansas Speedway was in 2001, with the first events being an ARCA race and a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race on the same day – June 2.
·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was Sept. 30, 2001.
 
Notebook
·         There have been 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Kansas
since the track opened in 2001.
·            All of the races have been scheduled for 267 laps.
·         10 drivers have competed in all 12 races at Kansas.
·         Jeff Gordon won the first two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.
·         Jason Leffler won the first pole in September 2001.
·         Nine different drivers have won poles, led by Jimmie Johnson with three.
·         Eight different drivers have posted victories, led by Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart (each with two).
·         Seven of the 12 races have been won from a top-10 starting position.
·         Two drivers have won from the pole: Joe Nemechek in 2004 and Jimmie Johnson in 2008.
·         The furthest back in the field that race winner started was 25th, by Brad Keselowski last season.
·         Two active drivers with more than one start have averaged a top-10 finish: Greg Biffle (8.2) and Jimmie Johnson (8.3).
·         Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in top fives (eight) and top 10s (nine). Gordon’s three non-top 10s were a 39th in 2006, a 13th in 2004 and 34th in last season’s fall event.
·         Eight of the 12 races that ended under green had a margin of victory under one second. The 2007 race ended under caution.
·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kansas Speedway winner: Ryan Newman (10/05/2003 – 25 years, 9 months, 27 days).
·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kansas Speedway winner: Mark Martin (10/09/2005 – 46 years, 9 months, 0 days)
 
Kansas Speedway Data
Race #: 8 of 36 (04-22-12)
Track Size: 1.5 miles
Race Length: 400.5 miles
·     Banking/corners: 15 degrees
·     Banking/straights: 10.4 degrees
·     Frontstretch: 2,685 feet
·     Backstretch: 2,207 feet
 
Top 12 Driver Rating at Kansas
Jimmie Johnson........................ 120.6
Greg Biffle................................ 118.0
Tony Stewart............................. 105.9
Jeff Gordon.............................. 105.4
Matt Kenseth............................. 101.5
Carl Edwards.............................. 97.3
Mark Martin................................. 92.9
Kurt Busch.................................. 90.9
Brad Keselowski......................... 90.8
Kevin Harvick.............................. 90.0
Clint Bowyer............................... 88.7
Denny Hamlin............................. 85.1
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (eight total) at Kansas.
 
Qualifying/Race Data
2011 pole winner: Kurt Busch,
174.752 mph, 30.901 seconds
2011 race winner: Brad Keselowski,
(137.184 mph, 06-05-11)
Track qualifying record: Matt Kenseth, (180.856 mph, 29.858 seconds,
10-08-05)
Track race record: Greg Biffle,
(138.077 mph, 11-03-10)
 
Driver Ratings for Winners
Driver Year Driver Rating Series Driver Rating Rank
Brad Keselowski 2011 Spring 76.1 17th
Greg Biffle 2010 132.3 2nd
Tony Stewart 2009 91.3 9th
Jimmie Johnson 2008 115.6 2nd
Greg Biffle 2007 115.4 3rd
Tony Stewart 2006 117.6 3rd
* Pre-Race Driver Ratings of the year the driver won at Kansas Speedway (2011 spring race and previous five races).
 
NASCAR in Kansas
·         There have been 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Kansas, all at Kansas Speedway. The only other Kansas track to hold a NASCAR national series race was Heartland Park in Topeka, which hosted five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races from 1995-99.
·         16 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Kansas, including Jim Roper who won the very first NASCAR Sprint Cup race – Charlotte in 1949.
·         There have been two race winners in the top three NASCAR national series from Kansas:
 
Driver
NSCS
NNS
NCWTS
Clint Bowyer
5
8
3
Jim Roper
1
0
0

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