Week 12: Top 12 - and beyond

Week 12: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 -- And Beyond

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 12, 2008) -- Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 along with other notable drivers, going into the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 25.

1-- Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 112.0

2008 Rundown
• Three wins, seven top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 8.4
• Led eight races for 567 laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One top five, two top 10s
• Average finish of 25.9
• Finished third in October's Lowe's Motor Speedway race
• Led five of eight races for 71 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high Average Running Position of 8.7

2 -- Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.3

2008 Rundown
• One win, three top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 8.1
• Led six races for 61 laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Two wins, seven top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.2
• Finished fourth in October
• Led seven of 28 races for 369 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 561 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fifth-most

3-- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.5

2008 Rundown
• Four top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 10.3
• Led nine races for 451 laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Four top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 16.9
• Finished 19th in October
• Led eight of 13 races for 236 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 274 Fastest Laps Run, third-most

4 -- Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.8

2008 Rundown
• One win, four top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 11.9
• Led six races for 645 laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Three top 10s
• Average finish of 14.8
• Finished 20th in October
• Led three of five races for 27 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high 632 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)

5 -- Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.3

2008 Rundown
• One win, three top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 11.5
• Led four races for 150 laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One top five
• Average finish of 18.2
• Finished second in October
• Led two of four races for 82 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 3,252 laps run on the lead lap (out of 3,664), fourth-most

6 -- Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.2

2008 Rundown
• One win, four top fives
• Average finish of 13.8
• Led seven races for 412 laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Five wins, eight top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 6.8
• Finished 14th in October
• Led 12 of 13 races for 1,134 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 214 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

7 -- Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.4

2008 Rundown
• Three wins, five top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 12.9
• Led four races for 306 laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Three top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 7.3
• Finished fifth in October
• Led four of six races for 34 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high 379 Fastest Laps Run

8 -- Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.8

2008 Rundown
• Four top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 14.4
• Led four races for 350 laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.9
• Finished seventh in October
• Led nine of 18 races for 530 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 2,877 Laps in the Top 15 (78.5%), fourth-most

9 -- Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 92.1

2008 Rundown
• Two top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 13.5
• Led three races for 34 laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One top five, three top 10s
• Average finish of 21.1
• Finished 33rd in October
• Led two of 14 races for two laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 3,247 laps run on the lead lap (out of 3,664 laps), fifth-best

10 -- Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.7

2008 Rundown
• Four top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 16.5
• Led seven races for 208 laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Five wins, 14 top fives, 16 top 10s
• Average finish of 16.8
• Won October's Lowe's Motor Speedway race
• Led 20 of 30 races for 532 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 169 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

11 -- Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.6

2008 Rundown
• Three top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 16.3
• Led four races for 112 laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One top five, three top 10s
• Average finish of 21.0
• Finished 27th in October
• Led three of 10 races for 25 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 141 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

12 -- David Ragan (No. 6 AAA Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 80.6

2008 Rundown
• Two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 16.7
• Led one race for two laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Average finish of 38.5 in two races
• Finished 40th in October

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 614 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), second-most

14 -- Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.0

2008 Rundown
• Five top 10s
• Average finish of 17.3
• Led five races for five laps

Lowe's Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Two wins, three top 10s
• Average finish of 15.8
• Finished eighth in October
• Led six of eight races for 550 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 506 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), ninth-most

Note: The first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season determine which 12 drivers qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, contested over the final 10 races of the season.

-credit: nascar