For the fifth consecutive season, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications combed through the statistics to hand out a number of awards celebrating the best â and worst â Loop Data performances of 2011. The sixth award goes to:
“Lifetime Achievement” Award: As this is the milestone Fifth Annual Loopies, we felt it necessary to commemorate the occasion with a special award: The Stefan Kretschmann Lifetime Achievement Award. Kretschmann, the godfather of Loop Data, works for our partners at Stats Inc. in Chicago, Ill. He’s the man behind the Loop Data, originating each statistic and inventing the involved formula for Driver Rating. It’s only fitting this award be named after him. And the winner of the first ever Stefan Kretschmann Lifetime Achievement Award Loopie is ⦠Jimmie Johnson. Johnson’s championship reign ended in 2011, but his assault of the stats page continues. NASCAR started collecting Loop Data in 2005. Since then, Johnson has compiled a Loop Data-lifetime Driver Rating of 104.8, the only driver eclipsing the 100.0 barrier. Second-best is Jeff Gordon, with a 98.3.(NASCAR)(12-22-2011)
