Week 30: The top 12

Week 30: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 29, 2008) -- Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 going into the fourth race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup -- the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

1 -- Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 106.7

2008 Rundown
*Five wins, 12 top fives, 17 top 10s
*Average finish of 11.4
*Led 23 races for 1,299 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 86.7
*One win, four top fives, five top 10s; one pole
*Average finish of 17.5
*Finished 13th in April
*Led 12 of 13 races for 187 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*Series-best Average Running Position of 9.9

2 -- Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.0

2008 Rundown
*Six wins, 14 top fives, 22 top 10s
*Average finish of 9.3
*Led 17 races for 813 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 70.5
*One top five, three top 10s
*Average finish of 24.0
*Finished 40th in April
*Led two of eight races for nine laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*Series-high 816 Fastest Laps Run

3 -- Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.3

2008 Rundown
*Two wins, 11 top fives, 14 top 10s
*Average finish of 13.0
*Led 14 races for 428 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 68.0
*Average finish of 25.3
*Finished 18th in April
*Led four of 11 races for 19 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*429 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most

4 -- Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.5

2008 Rundown
*One win, five top fives, 15 top 10s
*Average finish of 12.0
*Led 10 races for 74 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 80.2
*Two top fives, 10 tops 10s
*Average finish of 19.1
*Finished 12th in April
*Led 11 of 29 races for 58 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*1,182 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fifth-most

5 -- Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.1

2008 Rundown
*Six top fives, 15 top 10s
*Average finish of 13.0
*Led six races for 169 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 75.9
*Three top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
*Average finish of 14.3
*Finished 24th in April
*Led nine of 15 races for 56 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 65.9%, 10th-best

6 -- Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.3

2008 Rundown
*10 top fives, 14 top 10s
*Average finish of 14.4
*Led 15 races for 309 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 96.9
*Six wins, 13 top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole
*Average finish of 15.0
*Finished 19th in April
*Led 25 of 31 races for 802 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*Average Running Position of 11.5, fourth-best

7 -- Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 80.7

2008 Rundown
*One win, four top fives, 13 top 10s
*Average finish of 15.1
*Led five races for 152 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 58.4
*One top 10
*Average finish of 26.0
*Finished ninth in April
*Led two of five races for six laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*216 Fastest Laps Run, tied for 12th-most

8 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.6

2008 Rundown
*One win, nine top fives, 14 top 10s
*Average finish of 12.5
*Led 19 races for 875 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 86.6
*Five wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s
*Average finish of 14.1
*Finished 10th in April
*Led 15 of 17 races for 616 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*506 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

9 -- Matt Kenseth (No. 14 DEWALT Ford)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.5

2008 Rundown
*Eight top fives, 17 top 10s
*Average finish of 16.0
*Led 15 races for 389 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 83.0
*Three top fives, six top 10s
*Average finish of 17.5
*Finished 41st in April
*Led 12 of 17 races for 131 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*254 Fastest Laps Run, tied for 10th-most

10 -- Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.4

2008 Rundown
*One win, nine top fives, 15 top 10s
*Average finish of 15.7
*Led 13 races for 701 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 96.8
*Two top fives
*Average finish of 14.2
*Finished third in April
*Led all five of his Talladega races for a total of 127 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*Series-high 1,256 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)

11 -- Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.3

2008 Rundown
*Nine top fives, 14 top 10s
*Average finish of 15.0
*Led 12 races for 556 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 94.4
*Eight top fives, 11 top 10s
*Average finish of 13.9
*Finished 38th in April
*Led nine of 19 races for 244 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*308 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most

12 -- Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)
*Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 106.3

2008 Rundown
*Eight wins, 15 top fives, 17 top 10s
*Average finish of 12.5
*Led 21 races for 1,637 laps

Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:

*Driver Rating of 70.7
*One win
*Average finish of 27.3
*Won the April Talladega race
*Led three of seven races for 23 laps

Season-to-Date Loop Data Highlight
*Average Running Position of 11.5, fifth-best

-credit: nascar