THE NEXT Winston Cup RACE
NEWS, STATS and INFO

THE RACE: Checker Auto Parts 500

Winston Cup Race #32 of 36 for the 2001 season

Updated: often, leading up to the race

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• Race: Sunday, October 28, 2001 in Phoenix, AZ
• Time Difference: Phoenix is three hours behind Eastern time(ET) on Friday and Saturday, Oct 26/27th,
  and on Sunday two hours behind as the clock will be turned back Sunday, Oct 21st at 2:00, going from Eastern Daylight (EDT) to Standard (EST), the Phoenix, Arizona area does NOT turn back the clock and is always on Standard time, all times here are ET. Here is a site that explains it: webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/f.html

• TV: NBC – 2:30pm/et, re-aired on TNT Tuesday, Oct 30, 1:00am/et
• Pre-Race Show: 2:00pm/et – Hosted by Bill Weber
• NASCAR on TV and TNT TV Schedule and CNN/SI Schedule
• Announcers: Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons and Wally Dallenbach
• Pit Reporters: Bill Weber, Matt Yocum, Marty Snider, Dave Burns
• Purse/Race Awards: $3,248,538 (last year $3,084,404)
• Entry List: Entry List for the: Checker Auto Parts 500 from NASCAR.com
• 2000 Race Winner: Jeff Burton, 105.041mph, started 2nd
• Track Race Record: Tony Stewart, Nov 1999, 118.132mph
• Track/Race Length: 1.0 mile oval, 312 laps, 312miles (500k)
• Pit Road Speed: 45mph
  

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  Practice

• Practice: Friday, Oct 26th 12:25 -2:20pm/et; Saturday, Oct 27th 12:30 – 1:15pm/et
• Happy Hour Practice: Saturday, Oct 27th after the BGN race – 5:30pm/et on TV-TNT
  

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  Qualifying

• Qualifying Draw: Friday, Oct 26th, 11:25am/et
• Qualfying Order:
• First Round Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-36, Friday, Oct 26th at 4:40pm/et,
  TV-CNN/SI live and live via MRN Radio(link below)

• NASCAR.com will have live lap-by-lap coverage of Winston Cup
  qualifying via the web

• Second-Round Qualifying: there is no longer a 2nd round of qualifying
• Track/Event Qualifying Record: Rusty Wallace, Nov 3 2000, 134.178mph

• Last Year’s Pole Sitter: Rusty Wallace, 134.178mph, finished 4th
  

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• Track Specs:
  Degree of Banking: Turns 1-2: 11 degrees; Turns 3-4: 9 degrees
  Frontstretch: Length: 1,179 feet, Banking: None
  Backstretch: Length: 1,551 feet, Banking: None
  Pit Road: Length: 1,140

• Track Homepage: Phoenix International Raceway
• Scanner Frequencies: are linked on my Racing Links Page/ Scanners Section
  

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  PAST RACE and POLE WINNERS at Phoenix

  Phoenix Race and Pole Winners

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  RACE BONUS INFO

• The NASCAR Winston Cup Leader Bonus is $40,000 at Phoenix for leading the points and winning the race (Jeff Gordon last won the award, $60,000 at Kansas on Sept 30, 2001). The $360,000 annual award is paid at $10,000 per race to the point leader at the end of each event if he is also the winner. The award increases by $10,000 each week the it goes unclaimed. If the point leader is not the race winner at the end of the year, the balance of the award is distributed among the top-10 finisher in the point standings(10-21-2001)

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• Phoenix Facts: There have been 12 different race winners in the 13 NASCAR Winston Cup Series races at Phoenix. Eleven drivers have each posted one victory at Phoenix: Jeff Burton, Bill Elliott, Bobby Hamilton, Dale Jarrett, Terry Labonte, Mark Martin, Ricky Rudd, Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace, Alan Kulwicki and Dale Earnhardt. [Davey Allison won two races at Phoenix, the only one to do so.] The race has never been won from the Bud Pole position at Phoenix. The winner has come from the third-place starting position twice and from 13th place twice, the only starting positions that have produced more than one race winner. Only one NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Phoenix has been won from a front-row starting position [2000 – Jeff Burton started 2nd]. The race at Phoenix has only been won from a top-10 starting position five times. Ricky Rudd won the 1995 Phoenix 500K from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started at Phoenix.(NASCAR PR)(10-24-2001)
• The ‘Gate’ being used in Victory Lane UPDATE 2: many readers noticed the while ‘gate or fence’ Winston Cup Officials held above Jeff Gordon so he couldn’t get on the roof of the car in the winners circle/victory lane. On CNN/SI’s NASCAR Plus, Benny Parsons was asked about the ‘gate’ and said he wasn’t sure why, but that it was probably to keep the driver off the top of the car so a proper insepction could be done. Last year at California, the #12 Team was penalized for having a car that was too low and it was caused by Mayfield jumping on the roof of the car, denting the spot that the inspectors measure. Otherwise have seen nothing official on the reason for the gate(10-2-2001)
  UPDATE: sources have confirmed that NASCAR doesnt want the drivers on the roof tops after the race for saftey and technical reasons(10-3/8-2001)
  UPDATE 2: Benny Parsons confirmed on CNN/SI’s NASCAR Plus that NASCAR took so much heat from everyone about the PVC Pipe fence they decided not to use it anymore. Ironic they stop using it and the #8 is too low, the thing they were trying to avoid, but Earnhardt Jr did not get on top of the car, so it is a moot point, but the ‘gate’ is gone(10-23-2001)

• : Checker Auto Parts 500 Race Info
• CBS Sportsline: Checker Auto Parts 500 Preview
• CNN/SI: Checker Auto Parts 500 – Flat-out effective

• Frontstretch: Raceday Today – Checker Auto Parts 500
• NASCAR.com: Checker Auto Parts 500 Race Page
• Yahoo: Checker Auto Parts 500 – Preview
• Crew Chief Club

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• note: this is not to promote gambling but to offer readers odds and ideas on what the
  ‘experts’ think about the upcoming race and the Cup series season

• NASCAR Odds – Early Odds for the Checker Auto Parts 500

  
  

• Vegas Insider – Checker Auto Parts 500 odds

• World Sports Exchange – Checker Auto Parts 500 odds

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• Jeff Burton wins at Phoenix: #99-Jeff Burton wins the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix. It is Burton’s 2nd win of the 2001 season and 17th career Cup win and the 50th Cup win for Roush Racing. Burton is only the 2nd driver to have two wins at Phoenix (Davey Allison in 1991-92). #12-Mike Wallace continues his nice run in the #12 Mobil One Ford with a 2nd place finish, his best ever career finish and his first top five since Atlanta in Nov of 1994 when he finished 5th. Points leader #24-Gordon finished 6th and now leads #28-Rudd by 380 points (4662 to 4282) with four races to go. See for Sunday’s Checker 500 race results and Jeff Burton picks up 2nd win of ’01 amd my 2001 Drivers Cup Points Page(10-28-2001)
• Happy Hour Practice at Phoenix. #24-Jeff Gordon was the fastest at 127.096mph with #29-Kevin Harvick as the 2nd fastest with a speed of 126.551. Slowest were #7-Kevin Lepage at 124.477 and #4-Bobby Hamilton Jr. at 124.378. #17-Kenseth lost an engine and the team will put in another one for the race. See for Saturday’s final practice speeds(10-27-2001)
• Atwood on the pole at Phoenix UPDATE on youngest: #19-Casey Atwood won his first career Bud Pole at Phoenix with a speed of 131.296mph, #43-John Andretti will be on the outside pole with a speed of 131.071. There have been 17 different Bud Pole winners in 2001 and there are now 22 drivers eligible for the 2002 Budweiser Shootout. Looks like Atwood was the 2nd ever youngest Cup driver to win a pole (21 years, 2 months, 1 day – the youngest supposedly is Donald Thompson at Atlanta – not AMS – 20years, 4 months, 6 days, on Nov 16, 1952: thanks Matt). #70-Rick Bogart was the only driver to miss the race, ran a lap of 126.671mph. See for the Checker Auto Parts 500 Starting Lineup(10-26-2001)
  UPDATE: Casey Atwood won his first career Winston Cup pole Friday at the age of 21 years, 2 months and 17 days, making him the youngest driver to ever win one for a race held on an asphalt track in NASCAR’s top division and Atwood is the youngest to win a pole in the sport’s “modern era,”(1972-present) but Donald Thompson was slightly younger at 20 years, 4 months and 6 days when he won the pole for a race at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta on Nov. 16, 1952. Lakewood Speedway was a dirt track()(10-27-2001)

• Provisionals: go to #29-Harvick (his first ever in Cup and the first time the #3/29 had to use a provisional to make the field), #17-Kenseth, #21-Sadler (his 14th of 2001), #25-Nadeau, #97-Busch (now out of provisionals for the remainder of the season), #31-Gordon,, and #4-Hamilton Jr(also out). Only two teams have made ALL 32 races and NOT used a provisional in 2001: #24-Gordon, and 28-Rudd. In fact #24-Gordon has NEVER used a provisional to start a race. See my Provisional Page for info(10-26-2001)
• 1st Saturday Cup Practice: #99-Jeff Burton was the fastest at 127.682mph with #45-Kyle Petty 2nd fastest at 127.411. Slowest were #90-Rick Mast at 124.844 and #31-Robby Gordon at 123.929. See for Speeds from Saturday’s first practice(10-27-2001)
• Petty fastest in Friday Practice: #45-Kyle Petty was the fastest in practice at Phoenix with a speed of 131.066mph with #10-Johnny Benson at 131.023. Slowest were #25-Jerry Nadeau at 128.315 and #70-Rick Bogart at 126.210. See for Winston Cup practice speeds(10-26-2001)
• Qualifying Order is up for the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix. 44 cars/drivers are on the list, 1st driver scheduled out is #90-Rick Mast (oops almost typed Hut), last scheduled out if #55-Bobby Hamilton. See above for the link(10-26-2001)
• Qualifying will be at 4:40pm/et at Phoenix, televised on CNN/SI live (sorry folks won’t be able to report much on it as I am in a hotel room and do not get CNN/SI and have a spotty connection tho the ‘net), also MRN radio will air qualifying live on radio and NASCAR.com will follow it via the web(10-26-2001)
• Entry List is up for the Checker Auto Parts 500(k) at Phoenix. 44 cars/drivers are listed including #02-Ryan Newman and #70-Rick Bogart who has run in the Winston West series in the past (see his bio there: Rick Bogart Bio . Also Rick Mast is listed in the #90 Ford. See link above(10-23-2001)

• Qualifying Rules Changed UPDATE one lap, then back to 2 laps: ESPN2’s RPM 2Night mentioned tonight that starting at New Hampshire that qualifying would consist of one lap of qualifying instead of the two laps that have been run this year. The exceptions are tracks smaller then one mile (Bristol, Richmond and Martinsville) and the two restrictor plate tracks, Daytona and Talladega(7-5-2001)
  UPDATE: it was mentioned on FSN’s Totally NASCAR show on Thurs that the Cup drivers would run 2 laps of Qualifying for the New England 300 at New Hampshire. The plan is to still have one lap of qualifying at all intermediate tracks (1 to 2 miles in length) but the format will be determined in a track-to-track basis for the rest of the season(7-19-2001)
  UPDATE 2 Back to 2 laps: it was announced at the beginning of CNN/SI’s qualifying coverage that qualifying would go back to 2 laps of qualifying at all Super Speedways (1 mile or more) starting this week at Michigan. So I guess that means 2 laps is back for all the tracks since 2 laps were going to be the cast at the two short tracks and restrictor plate tracks. All but the road courses which there will be no more in 2001(8-17-2001)
  UPDATE 3: NASCAR officials have changed their minds again and gone back to two laps during its single round of qualifying. NASCAR announced at Daytona in early July that qualifying would be reduced to a single lap at tracks of 1-mile or longer except for Daytona and Talladega, beginning at New Hampshire on July 22. Teams ran two laps at New Hampshire, however, because of a new sealer that had been applied to the track’s surface. The cars then ran one lap for three races, but after complaints from the teams that a single lap prevented them from overcoming a mistake, the policy has been changed again and cars can now once more run a second lap if they choose()(8-18-2001)

• an interesting point: When NASCAR officials decided to disallow Jerry Nadeau’s qualifying time at Daytona in Feb 2001, it raised an interesting question. With the Winston Cup series having only one round of qualifying the rest of the season, what happens if an unapproved part is found? According to NASCAR, drivers no longer have to post an official qualifying time to use a provisional, they only have to practice. So a driver could have a penalty on a qualifying issue but still have access to one of the seven provisionals for the race(Richmond Times Dispatch)(2-11-2001)
• How to break a tie during qualifying?(same speed/time) When drivers are tied for a starting spot during qualifying, it is broken by owners points standings(not drivers). For provisionals standings see the Jayski’s Provisional Status page
• Links: Practice speeds, qualifying and results can be found at these
  sites: NASCAR Online, Racin Network, and

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TRACK/RACE NEWS

• Track Notes: Phoenix information for NASCAR fans: No backpacks, coolers or large bags, including large camera bags, will be allowed into PIR. . All patrons and their bags are subject to search. Motorists using I-10 should not exit at 115th Avenue, but use Litchfield Road or Estrella Parkway. Traffic updates will be broadcast on 530 AM radio. Traffic reports also available by calling (602) 506-7223. . A park-and-ride lot will be available at Cricket Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave. Cost is $7 per carload, and 30 buses will be shuttling patrons to the track and back.The (Arizona Republic)(10-26-2001)
• NASCAR, NHRA and the Army: The United States Army Top Fuel drag racing program is going NASCAR, it was announced today. With its 6,000-horsepower Top Fuel (show car) dragster, an interactive display and a group of recruiters in tow, the United States Army will be a visible element at NASCAR Winston Cup Series tracks the rest of the season. Beginning with last weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway through the race at Atlanta in November, the Army will set up a 50×75 interactive area and four additional 10×10 areas at all of the race venues, primarily, for recruiting purposes. Additionally, the U.S. Army Top Fuel (show car) dragster will be on display each weekend and is scheduled to be started at most of the tracks prior to the Winston Cup race. The U.S. Army has been the primary advertiser on Schumacher’s Top Fuel dragster since the 2000 U.S. Nationals last September(Kermish-Geylin PR)(10-3-2001)
• Aircraft Ban at Stadiums UPDATE: Effective as of noon yesterday (9-20-01) the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has banned all aircraft from flying within 3 miles of major professional and college sporting events and any other large open air gathering. This protected “no-fly zone” extends up to an altitude of 3,000 feet above such facilities, which by definition, include race tracks. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown, said the regulation applies to all types of aircraft including small planes, blimps, balloons and gliders. “We issued this to cover everything,” Brown said. “It’s a blanket order so that it would include a state fair, a high school football game.” This ban could change how we view races on TV if the helicopter that relays in-car camera signals would be out of effective signal range above the 3000-foot ceiling or prevented from remaining in the air space at that height by conflicts with scheduled air traffic. It appears blimps will also be prevented from providing their normal overhead views as well. Radio traffic between NASCAR, teams, track officials, spotters and drivers is direct and will not be impacted.(Speedway Illustrated)(9-21-2001)
• Phoenix Gets a Sponsor: Phoenix-based Checker Schuck’s Kragen, which for the past two years shared title sponsorship with Dura Lube, has agreed to become the sole sponsor of the NASCAR Winston Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway through 2004. This year’s race, set for Oct. 28, will be called the Checker Auto Parts 500. Pennzoil will be a presenting sponsor. PIR’s title sponsorship became available 2 1/2 months ago when Dura Lube, which was in the final year of a three-year agreement, unexpectedly pulled its sponsorship. Financial terms weren’t released, but PIR’s former agreement with Dura Lube, which sold part of the title sponsorship to Checker, was believed to be worth about $3.5 million over three years.(Arizona Republic)(9-8-2001)
• Phoenix Leader Board Damaged: Monsoon storms snapped power poles in the southwest Valley, knocked over the laps leader board at Phoenix International Raceway and pounded Scottsdale on Tuesday. Only days after a Scottsdale neighborhood was pounded by a microburst, the same area was hit by a brief downpour. A tree was blown over, snapping a power pole can causing a power outage. Streets were flooded, and many drivers heading to the East Valley suburbs had a wet commute home. The storms also made their presence known in the West Valley. A huge wall of clouds rolled over Avondale, Goodyear, Tolleson and Glendale. At Phoenix International Raceway, high winds also knocked over the laps leader board in the track infield(Arizona Republic)(7-20-2001)
• Dura-Lube drops Phoenix race: A recent 11th-hour decision by Dura Lube officials to pull the sponsorship plug for the Oct. 28 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway may make it difficult to rein in a replacement at such a late date. Despite a softening economy, PIR officials are “extremely confident” a new title sponsor will be secured. “The timing of this is unusual, but we’ll find a sponsor,” PIR general manager Robin Braig said. “The market is hot for NASCAR.” Dura Lube, whose parent company is The Media Group, paid approximately $3 million to become PIR’s Winston Cup sponsor for three years beginning in 1999. Dura Lube also is the title sponsor for a Winston Cup race in Rockingham, NC. Efforts to reach Dura Lube officials for comment were unsuccessful. Braig is in Florida and has discussed such a relationship with officials from Outback Steakhouse, which in 1999 signed a three-year agreement worth about $200,000 annually to be the title sponsor for PIR’s Busch Series race. “We’ve got some real good leads, but we also think Outback would be a great sponsor for (the Winston Cup) race,” said Kenny Kane, PIR director of business development. “We think we can have it done within the next month.”(Arizona Republic)(6-27-2001)
• How to Calculate Track Speeds: use the formula Speed = Distance divided by Time. Distance is Track Length, and Lap Time into Hours. Once hour is 3600 seconds, so the calculation for a 48 second lap at Daytona(2.5 miles) would be: Speed = 2.5 x (3600/48), = 2.5 x 75 = 187.500mph. For a 19 second lap at Bristol(.533 miles): Speed = .533 x (3600/19), = .533 x 189.474 = a speed of 100.990mph
• Past track news: posted in the past at Jayski’s Past Track News/Rumors – Phoenix International Raceway

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DRIVER/TEAM NEWS

• #200 for Pressley: #77-Robert Pressley will start in his 200th Winston Cup race at Phoenix, from the 5th starting position(10-27-2001)
• #20 to honor Navy: #20-Tony Stewart and the Home Depot team will display the logo of the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk on the #20 Pontiac at Phoenix in honor of the men and woman servering aboard the aircraft carrier near Afghanistan(10-26-2001)
• Schrader will be busy in Phoenix: For the first time in track history, Phoenix Raceway is playing host to four major NASCAR events in one weekend, and Schrader has filed an entry for each one. On schedule is the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour (started 2nd and finished 3rd) race on Thursday, the (#52-Federated Auto Parts Chevy, started 5th) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday, the (#07 Four Winds Motorhomes Chevy) NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division race on Saturday and the (#36 M&M’s Pontiac) NASCAR Winston Cup Series race on Sunday. Schrader will definitely have his hands full at one of his favorite tracks. Beginning on Wednesday afternoon, he’ll be racing on the track and running from garage to garage between practices. Thursday is an especially full day. Schrader will not only run the Southwest Tour race, but also qualify for the Craftsman Truck race and the Busch Series event. Earlier this season, Schrader became the winningest driver in the history of Phoenix International Raceway when he made his 10th and 11th trips to victory lane at the annual NASCAR Winter Heat races which features the Featherlite Southwest Tour.
  Schrader hopes to continue with his winning form at Phoenix as he made four runs for the checkered flag at PIR.(IMG Motorsports PR)(10-23-2001)

• Stewart #100: #20-Tony Stewart will make his 100th career start in Sunday’s Checker Auto Parts 500k at Phoenix(Edelman PR)(10-24-2001)
• See the 2001 Team Chart which has links to past news for each team and the 2002 Team Chart

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PAINT SCHEME NEWS

• Paint at Phoenix: some paint schemes noticed during Happy Hour practice at Phoenix. #36 Pontiac has the Pedigree Dog Food colors; #26 has Shrek for the movie’s release on Video/DVD; #66 is running the Blue Light Speical from Kmart scheme(10-28-2001)
• Monster Car UPDATE: #5-Terry Labonte will run a Kelloggs/Monster special paint scheme at Phoenix and possibly Homestead(8-2-2001)
• More Paint Scheme news can be found on Paint Schemes Gallery, choose current news

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STATS and STUFF

• Hamilton – 33 races – no DNF UPDATE: #55-Bobby Hamilton has been running at the end of 33 consecutive races(counting last season since he DNF’d at Phoenix), which is the circuit’s longest active streak. No other drivers have made all the races in 2001 and not DNF’d(did not finish). See my DNF Page for past DNF’s and who has the most.(10-21-2001)
• Top Fives: There have been 30 different Cup drivers(no new drivers at Talladega) who have scored a Top-5 so far in 2001….2000’s total was 28, 1999’s total was 28 and 1998’s total number was 27(10-21-2001)
• Top Tens: There have been 43 different Cup drivers (add #1-Kenny Wallace and #7-Kevin Lepage at Talladega) who have scored a Top-10 in 2001…..2000’s total was 41, 1999’s total was 40 and 1998’s total number was 41(10-21-2001)
• Provisional Finishes in 2001: In 203 provisional starts(29 races x 7 no qualifying at Darlington 3/2001 or Dover 6/2001), drivers have accumulated 2 Wins, 10 Top 5’s and 26 Top 10’s. #20-Tony Stewart was the highest provisional starter/finisher at Talladega with a 2nd. See my Provisional Finishes Page for each race finish by the provisionals starters(10-21-2001)
• No Laps Lead by Labonte yet: #5-Terry Labonte remains the only driver to race in all 31 events this season and not lead at least one lap. The last time Labonte led a lap was the Winston 500 last October at Talladega. 47 drivers have now led laps, no new lap leaders at Martinsville. See the Bonus Points/Laps Led page(10-21-2001)
• Consecutive Winston Cup Starts: Ricky Rudd is the current leader with with 639 consecutive starts followed by Rusty Wallace at 548, Ken Schrader with 518 and Mark Martin has 432 consecutive Cup starts. Terry Labonte had 655 (and holds the all time record) but sat out the 2000 Brickyard 400 to end his record streak. Dale Earnhardt had 648 consecutive Winston Cup starts until his death at Daytona(10-21-2001)
• 2000 winners who have not won in 2001: Mark Martin, Jeremy Mayfield, Matt Kenseth and Jerry Nadeau. Terry Labonte, Joe Nemechek and John Andretti earned victories in 1999 and have not won since.(10-21-2000)
• Manufacturers: Chevy leads the Manufacturers Championship by 22 points over Ford (216 to 194). See my Manufacturers Points page for more info(10-21-2001)
• No Top Fives Since…. It has been a while since some drivers have had a top five finish on the Winston Cup circuit. Here are those with the longest streak of races without a top-five finish:

  
     Driver          Races  Finish    Track           Date
                     Since
  
     Dave Marcis*     317     3rd     Watkins Glen    8-10-87
     Brett Bodine     230     2nd     Indianapolis    8-6-94
     Rick Mast        141     4th     Martinsville    9-22-96
     Kyle Petty       110     3rd     Dover           9-21-97
     Ken Schrader     107     4th     Richmond        9-12-98
     Hut Stricklin     88     2nd     Darlington      9-1-96
     Mike Wallace      71     5th     Atlanta         11-13-94
  
  
  Dave Marcis has not had a top 10 since April 10, 1994
  in the Food City 500 at Bristol, he finished 10th.
  
  Regular Drivers Without a Career Top Five
  
     Driver         Races
     Dave Blaney     64
     Stacy Compton   57
     Buckshot Jones  42
  Cup drivers(not including 2001 rookies)
  (* not full time Cup in 2001)
  (compiled from UMI Press Guides, Winston Cup Updates)
  (10-21-2001)
  

• No Wins Ever…. Some regular drivers in Winston Cup who have
  never won a Cup race and how many starts they have:

Active Drivers	
Driver        Races Run
Rick Mast        352
Hut Stricklin    305
Ted Musgrave     299*
Dick Trickle     266*
Kenny Wallace    238
Wally Dallenbach 226*
Chad Little      216*
Robert Pressley  199
Johnny Benson    193
Mike Skinner     168
Steve Grissom    141*
Todd Bodine      140
Kevin Lepage     120
David Green       78*
Dave Blaney       64
Stacy Compton     57
Buckshot Jones    42

All Time - Over 400 Starts	
Driver          Races Run
JD McDuffie       653
Buddy Arrington   560
Neil Castles      497
Jimmy Means       455
Cecil Gordon      450
G.C. Spencer      415


*not a full time or regular Cup driver
(10-21-2001)(UMI Press Guides Stats/Winston Cup Updates)

• Drivers with the longest streak since they won a CUP race:

   Driver          Races Run   Last Win   Track

   Dave Marcis      482*       2/21/82    Richmond
   Brett Bodine     357        4/22/90    North Wilkesboro
   Ken Schrader     334        6/2/91     Dover
   Derrike Cope     273*       6/3/90     Dover
   Jimmy Spencer    233        7/24/94    Talladega
   Bill Elliott     224        9/4/94     Darlington
   Kyle Petty       181        6/4/95     Dover
   Geoffrey Bodine  121*       8/11/96    Watkins Glen
   Terry Labonte     90        3/28/99    Texas
   John Andretti     89        4/18/99    Martinsville
   Joe Nemechek      67        9/19/99    New Hampshire
   Mark Martin       56        4/9/00     Martinsville
   Matt Kenseth      53        5/28/00    Lowes
   Jeremy Mayfield   45        6/19/00    Pocono
   Jerry Nadeau      31        11/20/00   Atlanta

   *not a full time or regular Cup driver
(10-21-2001)(UMI Press Guides Stats/Winston Cup Updates)

• Drivers with the current streak of consecutive seasons with at least one win a year:

Have already won in 2001 and extended or started their streaks:
   Driver          Years   Last Win
   Rusty Wallace     16    California, Apr 2001
   Dale Jarrett       9    New Hamsphire, July 2001
   Jeff Gordon        8    Kansas, Sept 2001
   Bobby Labonte      7    Pocono, July 2001
   Jeff Burton        5    Lowes, May 2001
   Tony Stewart       3    Bristol, Aug 2001   
   Steve Park         2    Rockingham, Feb 2001
   Dale Earnhardt Jr  2    Talladega, Oct 2001
   Ward Burton        2    Darlington, Sept 2001
   Michael Waltrip    1    Daytona, Feb 2001
   Kevin Harvick      1    Chicago, July 2001
   Elliott Sadler     1    Bristol, Mar 2001
   Bobby Hamiton      1    Talladega, Apr 2001
   Ricky Rudd         1    Richmond, Sept 2001
   Sterling Marlin    1    Charlotte, Oct 2001
   Ricky Craven     1    Martinsville, Oct 2001
   
Thru 2000 season:
   Mark Martin        4    Martinsville, Apr 2000
   Jeremy Mayfield    1    Pocono, June 2000
   Matt Kenseth       1    Charlotte, May 2000
   Jerry Nadeau       1    Atlanta, Nov 2000
   
Streaks that ended in 2000 that were thru 1999 season:
   Driver          Years   Last Win
   Terry Labonte      6    Texas, Apr 1999
   John Andretti      1    Martinsville, Apr 1999
   Joe Nemechek       1    New Hampshire, Sept 1999


All Time Record is Richard Petty – 18 years from 1960-1977
(info from UMI Official NASCAR Preview and Press Guides
and Winston Cup Updates)(10-21-2001)

• All Time Winston Cup Starts:

Richard Petty   1,177
Dave Marcis       881*
Darrell Waltrip   809
Ricky Rudd        726*
Bobby Allison     717
Terry Labonte     704*
Bill Elliott      654*


* = active drivers(10-21-2001)

• 16th Different Winner in 2001 a record: when #22-Ward Burton won the 2001 Southern 500, he became the 15th different Winston Cup winner in 2001, which breaks the record for NASCAR’s modern era (which began in 1972) of 14 set in 2000 and 1991. Winners in 2001: #15-Waltrip, #1-Park, #24-Gordon, #29-Harvick, #88-Jarrett, #21-Sadler, #55-Hamilton, #2-Wallace, #20-Stewart, #99-Burton, #28-Rudd, #18-Labonte, #40-Marlin, #22-Burton, #8-Earnhardt Jr.(9-2-2001)
  Make it 16 in 2001: #32-Ricky Craven becomes the 16th different winner in the Cup series in 2001, extending the record(10-15-2001)

• 1st Time winners – ties a record: The four first-time winners in 2001, #15-Michael Waltrip(Daytona), #29-Kevin Harvick(Atlanta), #21-Elliott Sadler(Bristol), #32-Ricky Craven(Martinsville), ties the record that was tied in 2000 when there were four first time winners: Dale Earnhardt Jr(Texas), Matt Kenseth(Lowes), Steve Park(Watkins Glen) and Jerry Nadeau(Atlanta), which previsouly was held in 1988 when the following won for the first time: Ken Schrader(Talladega), Alan Kulwicki(Phoenix), Phil Parsons(Talladega), and Lake Speed(Darlington). Parsons and Speed have not won in Cup since and are out of the series. Kulwicki died in an aircraft accident in 1993. Schrader is still active on the Cup circuit and has four career Cup wins(10-15-2001)
• Different Winners in 2000: There were 14 different race winners in 2000, the most in a single season since 1991 when there were 14, which is a record for NASCAR’s modern era, which began in 1972.
  
  The drivers who won in 2000: Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Steve Park, Jeremy Mayfield, Ward Burton, Jeff Gordon and Jerry Nadeau.
  Terry Labonte, Joe Nemechek and John Andretti are the drivers who earned victories in 1999 and did not win in 2000. Two drivers who won in 1998 Bobby Hamilton and Ricky Rudd, have not won since(11-21-2000)

• Top 10’s in restrictor plates: Only two drivers have finished in the top 10 in the three restrictor plate races run so far in 2001 (Daytona – twice and Talladega): #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr (2nd at Daytona, 8th at Talladega, 1st at Daytona) and #7-Mike Wallace (6th at Daytona, 9th at Talladega, 10th at Daytona in the Pepsi 400). Only one more to go, Talladega in October(7-7-2001)
• Interesting UPDATE: In the past four Winston Cup seasons, the top 10 in points after seven races has provided a good indication of which drivers will be in the top 10 at season’s end – 33 of 40 drivers in the final top 10s were there seven races into the season: see the chart at : Signs of things to come?
  UPDATE: and an addition to the story: Others in early season points peril by David Poole(4-6-2001)

• A Championship Outlook: Only five times in the modern era(1972-present) has the eventual champion not won in the first six races. The winners in the first 6 eaces this year: Michael Waltrip, Steve Park, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Dale Jarrett and Elliott Sadler. When did a driver win the Championship and not win a race in the first six? 1973-Benny Parsons; 1984 and 1996-Terry Labonte; 1985-Darrell Waltrip; and 1999-Dale Jarrett(3-25-2001)
• Single Car Winner: Even though the #21 Wood Brothers team uses Roush chassis and engines, they are considered a single car team, and before Elliott Sadler’s win at Bristol. The last time a single-car team scored a victory was by Ricky Rudd at Martinsville in September 1998(3-25-2001)
• Hendrick Motorsports Double wins: Two drivers from Hendrick Motorsports have won at least one Winston Cup race for seven consecutive seasons. No other current multi-car team has done that.(Gordon 1994-2000, T Labonte 1994-1999 and Nadeau in 2000)(11-22-2000)
• 43rd Fact: Last driver to win from the 43rd starting spot was Fonty Flock at Raleigh, NC in 1953, the only other driver to do so was Johnny Mantz in the 1950 Southern 500
• Backstretch/Provisional/Backup Car Winner: Only two drivers in the history of Bristol had ever won a race after pitting on the backstretch. Davey Allison(started 19th) in the spring 1990 race and Dale Earnhardt(26th) in the 2nd 1999 race, and now #21-Elliott Sadler who came from 38th, pitting on the backstretch and having to use a provisional to make the race in a backup car only the 4th ever Provisional Starter to gain a win in a Cup race(3-25-2001)
• Provisional Starting Winners: Jeff Burton was the first driver to win from a provisional starting spot EVER at New Hampshire in 1999 and that is the farthest back any driver has won from since Kyle Petty won from 37th at Dover in June 1995(in 1995 37th was not a provisional starting spot). Bill Elliott also won from 38th spot in the 1988 Pepsi 400. In fact ALL the provisional starters for the race finished in the top 25 at NHIS(7-11-1999)
  UPDATE: Add Bobby Labonte as the 2nd ever provisional winner by winning the 1999 NAPA 500 at Atlanta(11-21-1999)
  UPDATE 2: Add Bobby Labonte as the 3rd ever provisional winner by winning the 2000 Southern 500 at Darlington(9-3-2000)
  UPDATE 3: Add Elliott Sadler as the 4th ever provisional winner by winning the 2001 Food City 500 at Bristol(3-25-2001)
  UPDATE 4: Add Ward Burton as the 5th ever provisional winner by winning the 2001 Southern 500 at Darlington(9-2-2001)

• Amazing Finishes: Races won from a starting position of 35 or worse in the history of
  NASCAR

Starting Position  Race                                 Driver
 43                1950 Southern 500, Darlington        Johnny Mantz
 43                1953 Raliegh, NC                     Fonty Flock
 38 provisional    2001 Food City 500, Bristol          Elliott Salder   
 38 provisional    1999 Jiffy Lube 300, Loudon          Jeff Burton
 38                1988 Firecracker 400, Daytona        Bill Elliott
 37 provisional    1999 NAPA 500, Atlanta               Bobby Labonte
 37 provisional    2000 Southern 500, Darlington        Bobby Labonte
 37 provisional    2001 Southern 500, Darlington        Ward Burton
 37                1995 Miller 500, Dover               Kyle Petty
 37                1959 Lakewood Speedway, Atl, GA      Lee Petty
 36                2000 Diehard 500, Talladega          Jeff Gordon
 35                2000 Cracker Barrel 500, Atlanta     Dale Earnhardt
(9-2-2001)

• Championship and no poles? ever happen? With Dale Jarrett winning the Cup championship and not scoring any poles in 1999, I was asked, has it ever happened before? Yep, five times, most recently, in 1991 when Dale Earnhardt won the Winston Cup Championship with four wins and NO poles. It also happened in 1983-Bobby Allison; 1980-Earnhardt; 1973-Benny Parsons; and 1950-Bill Rexford(The Stock Car Racing Encyclodepia)(11-14/21-1999)
• Stats: Only five times in NASCAR’s modern era(1972-present) has the eventual champion not won by the sixth race of the season. Those champions were Benny Parsons in 1973, Terry Labonte in 1984 and 1996, Darrell Waltrip in 1985 and Dale Jarrett in 1999
• Did ya know? When Bobby Labonte won the 2000 Winston Cup Championship, he
  and his brother Terry, who won it in 1984 and 1996, have become the first brothers to do so in
  Winston Cup history. There have been two father-son pairs; Lee and Richard Petty, and Ned and
  Dale Jarrett AND Bobby Labonte is the first former BGN champ(since the series began in
  1982, not counting the old Sportsman division) to win the Winston Cup championship(11-12-2000)