Hendrick Motorsports Kansas Preview
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Oct. 1, 2010) – The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit will head to the Midwest this weekend for the third race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Kansas Speedway. Sunday’s race coverage will begin at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Here is the lowdown on Hendrick Motorsports, which has scored three wins, 10 top-five finishes, 18 top-10s and four pole positions in nine Cup events at Kansas. The organization leads all other teams in wins, poles and laps led (641). With the help of Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet has reached Victory Lane in six of the nine events at the 1.5-mile oval. Jimmie Johnson scored Hendrick Motorsports’ most recent win at Kansas in 2008, his first of three wins during the 2008 Chase.
No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet: Qualified 28th.
Last time: Mark Martin earned his seventh and final pole position of the 2009 Cup season last year at Kansas after circling the 1.5-mile oval in 30.724 seconds at 175.758 mph. Martin led 11 laps during the race and overcame handling issues on the No. 5 Chevrolet to cross the finish line seventh. His seventh-place finish helped him maintain his lead in the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Track stats: In nine Cup races at Kansas, Martin has tallied one win, two top-five finishes and four top-10s. Martin also has led 152 laps and has an average finish of 12.4 at the Midwestern speedway. Martin’s win came on Oct. 9, 2005, when the 51-year-old driver started 19th and led a race-high 139 laps on his way to Victory Lane. According to NASCAR’s loop statistics, Martin ranks fifth or better in six categories during the last five races at Kansas. He has the third-best average finish (8.2), fourth-best driver rating (100.1), fourth-most laps led (150 laps), fifth-best average running position (10.843), fifth-most laps run inside the top 15 (940 laps) and fifth-fastest in fastest drivers early in the run (163.658 mph). Martin has completed 99.2 percent of all laps (2,328 laps of 2,346 total) he’s attempted at Kansas.
This time: The No. 5 team and crew chief Alan Gustafson have selected Hendrick Motorsports’ Chassis No. 5-523 for this Sunday’s event at Kansas. This chassis has been used three times this season with a best finish of fourth at Auto Club Speedway in February. Last year, Martin raced this chassis to a first-place finish at Michigan International Speedway in June. Martin will line up 28thfor the start of Sunday’s event.
Martin: “I’m excited to get back to Kansas. I’ve always liked racing on the intermediate tracks. We haven’t had the best results on them this year, but this team really improved on things last week in Dover (Del.). The car was pretty good right off the truck, and that’s what we need more of this year. I’ve said before that this team is working harder than they ever have before. We’re determined to turn our results around. Last weekend showed improvement and we need to keep building on that.”
No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet: Qualified third.
Last time: Last year at Kansas, Jeff Gordon was the top finisher of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates. Gordon started ninth and never fell outside the top 10 after Lap 90 during the 267 lap event. Gordon crossed the finish line second, .894 seconds behind race winner Tony Stewart to record his third-straight top-five finish at Kansas.
Track stats: Gordon’s two wins are tied for first with Tony Stewart among all drivers. Gordon’s six top-five finishes, seven top-10s and average finish of 8.9 are ranked first among all drivers at Kansas. Gordon scored wins in the first two races that were held at Kansas Speedway, which was added to the Cup circuit in 2001. In September 2001, Gordon started second and led 53 laps on his way to Victory Lane. In September 2002, Gordon bettered that performance by leading a race-high 116 laps on his way to taking the checkered flag at Kansas. According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics at Kansas, Gordon is ranked second in fastest drivers early in the run with a speed of 164.560 mph, third in the driver rating category with a score of 104.7, third in average running position (9.482), third in green-flag speed at 161.912 mph and has spent 87.9 percent of the events inside the top 15 -- 1,123 laps -- which also is ranked third.
This time: After last weekend’s 11th-place finish at Dover, Gordon currently is ranked eighth in the championship standings, 83 points behind leader Denny Hamlin. Gordon will roll off the grid third for Sunday’s event.
Gordon: "When you start off well at a track like we did, it quickly becomes one of your favorite tracks. Even when we aren't at our best, Kansas seems to be one of our good tracks where we can post strong finishes. We've had three consecutive top-five finishes here, but I think we're a much better team going into this year's race."
No. 48 Lowe’s/Johns Manville Chevrolet: Qualified 21st.
Last time: Jimmie Johnson started 11th, worked his way into the top 10 by Lap 15 and led five times for a combined 53 laps last year at Kansas. Johnson never fell outside the top 10 during the 400.5-mile event and was running inside the top five when the final caution came out when the No. 48 team took two tires instead of four. The teams that took four tires had the advantage, and Johnson held on to finish ninth.
Track stats: Johnson’s win at Kansas happened Sept. 28, 2008, when he started from the pole position and led a race-high 124 laps on his way to taking the checkered flag. Johnson’s six top-10s are tied with Tony Stewart for second all-time and his three pole positions are ranked first all-time at the 1.5-mile oval. Johnson’s average start of 5.6 is his lowest average starting position of all Cup tracks on the circuit. According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics over the last nine races at Kansas, Johnson is ranked first in nine categories: driver rating category (122.6), average running position (6.331), fastest driver early in the run (165.098 mph), fastest driver late in the run (160.790 mph), fastest driver on restarts (160.797 mph), speed in traffic (161.513 mph) fastest lap run (204 laps, which is 19.2 percent of all of the fastest laps), laps led (284 laps) and laps in the top 15 (1,189 laps, which is 93 percent of the time). His average finish of 6.6 during the last nine races is ranked second and his 328 green-flag passes are ranked fourth during the same period of time.
This time: This weekend, Johnson is coming off his sixth win of the 2010 Cup season, which he earned last weekend at Dover International Speedway. He is ranked second in the championship standings, just 35 points behind Chase leader Denny Hamlin. Johnson will start 21st in a specially painted No. 48 Lowe’s/Johns Manville Chevrolet for the third race of the Chase.
Johnson: "For a mile-and-a-half, I think that Chicago and Kansas are pretty similar. In years past, mile-and-a-halves (tracks) have been our bread and butter and have been really good for us. And Kansas has a really cool transition in and off the corners where you can run a second and third lane. It is pretty friendly and you can search around and try to find a line. The asphalt has aged pretty quick there too, which has allowed us to run multiple lanes and move around. So in general, it is a track with options. For a mile-and-a-half racetrack, it has a lot of options, and I have enjoyed racing there over the years and have been able to get a win there."
No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet: Qualified 20th.
Last time: Dale Earnhardt Jr. started on the outside pole position alongside teammate Martin in last year’s event at Kansas. Earnhardt led 41 laps and was posting a strong run when his engine expired with 35 laps remaining in the event. He finished 36th.
Track stats: In nine Cup events at Kansas, Earnhardt has recorded four top-10s and one pole position. He has completed 96.8 percent of all the laps he’s attempted (2,270 laps of 2,346 total) at the 1.5-mile racetrack and the 35-year-old driver has paced the field for 81 laps. According to NASCAR’s loop data, Earnhardt’s 59 laps led rank seventh and his 724 laps run inside the top 15 ranks ninth among all drivers during that time period. Earnhardt has recorded six wins, six poles, 38 top-five finishes and 70 top-10s in 187 Cup starts on intermediate (one- to two-mile) tracks.
This time: Earnhardt and the No. 88 team return to Kansas with a car they’ve used to record two top-10 finishes this year. Earnhardt will start 20th on Sunday in Chassis No. 88-599, which he notably drove to a seventh-place finish at Michigan in June and an eighth-place finish Texas Motor Speedway in April.
Earnhardt: “We had a really good run there last year, and I know Lance and the guys are coming back with something similar. Kansas can be challenging to get the car to work at both ends, but it's a pretty simple racetrack, I enjoy running there.”