NASCAR Cup

Week 4: The top 12 - and beyond

Week 4: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 -- And Beyond DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 2, 2009) -- Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12, along with other notable drivers, going into the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on ...

Published: Jun 19, 2009, 7:37 PM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Week 4: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 -- And Beyond

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 2, 2009) -- Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12, along with other notable drivers, going into the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 8. (Note: Drivers listed below who are outside the top 12 are chosen based on past performances at the upcoming track and/or are within striking distance of the top 12.)

1 -- Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 118.9

2009 Rundown
• One top five, two top 10s
• Average finish of 7.0
• Led all three races for a total of 95 laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Four wins, 13 top fives, 21 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 12.7
• Finished ninth in October
• Led 20 of 33 races for 1,051 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-best Average Running Position of 6.2

2 -- Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 80.9

2009 Rundown
• Two top fives
• Average finish of 8.3
• Led one race for nine laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Three top 10s
• Average finish of 15.0
• Finished 20th in October
• Led two of six races for 54 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 351 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

3 -- Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.7

2009 Rundown
• Two wins
• Average finish of 15.0
• Led two races for 91 laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Seven top fives, 11 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.9
• Finished fourth at Atlanta in October
• Led five of 18 races for 188 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 33 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

4 -- Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 97.3

2009 Rundown
• One top five, two top 10s
• Average finish of 10.3
• Led two races for 56 laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Three top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 14.4
• Finished 10th in October
• Led seven of 12 races for 289 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Series-high 90 Fastest Laps Run

5 -- David Reutimann (No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 78.8

2009 Rundown
• One top 10
• Average finish of 10.0

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Average finish of 29.3 in three races
• Finished 28th in October

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 359 Green Flag Passes, third-most

6 -- Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 110.7

2009 Rundown
• One win, two top fives
• Average finish of 15.0
• Led two races for 139 laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One win, two top fives
• Average finish of 18.2
• Finished fifth in October
• Led three of nine races for 254 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Has been passed 123 times, the fewest on the series

7 -- Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.2

2009 Rundown
• One top five, two top 10s
• Average finish of 12.7
• Led two races for three laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One win, five top 10s
• Average finish of 19.7
• Finished sixth in October
• Led seven of 16 races for 292 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 242 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 156 under green), second-most

8 -- Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.5

2009 Rundown
• Two top 10s
• Average finish of 14.0
• Led two races for 18 laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Two wins, eight top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.3
• Finished 17th in October
• Led 12 of 20 races for 790 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 10.6, fifth-best

9 -- Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.2

2009 Rundown
• One top 10
• Average finish 14.0
• Led two races for three laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Three wins, five top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 11.6
• Won October's Atlanta race
• Led six of nine races for 271 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• Average Running Position of 9.7, fourth-best

10 -- Bobby Labonte (No. 96 ASK.com Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 75.9

2009 Rundown
• One top five
• Average finish of 15.7
• Led one race for one lap

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Six wins, 12 top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 16.6
• Finished 26th in October
• Led 18 of 32 races for 959 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 317 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

11 -- Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 86.5

2009 Rundown
• One top five
• Average finish of 17.3
• Led one race for nine laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One win, two top fives, three top 10s
• Average finish of 22.6
• Finished 13th in October
• Led five of 16 races for 70 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 463 Laps in the Top 15 (67.4%), 10th-most

12 -- Michael Waltrip (No. 55 NAPA Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 72.7

2009 Rundown
• One top 10
• Average finish of 16.3

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One top five, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 21.7
• Finished 37th in October
• Led seven of 46 races for 49 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 11 Fastest Laps Run, tied for ninth-most

19 -- Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.2

2009 Rundown
• One top 10
• Average finish of 21.3
• Led two races for 166 laps

Atlanta Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Three wins, nine top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.1
• Finished second in October
• Led eight of 15 races for 375 laps

Season-To-Date Loop Data Highlight
• 79 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

-credit: nascar

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article Las Vegas: Ryan Newman race report

Next article Daytona Shootout: Joey Logano preview

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

Jorge Martin the slowest Aprilia in Australia practice: “I'm used to riding with the Ducati here”

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Australian GP

36 min

Jorge Martin the slowest Aprilia in Australia practice: “I'm used to riding with the Ducati here”

2027 Winter Series calendar: Three series across five circuits

General

Misc General 1 h

2027 Winter Series calendar: Three series across five circuits

Ducati says Aprilia “can do whatever they want” amid team order talks in MotoGP

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Australian GP

1 h

Ducati says Aprilia “can do whatever they want” amid team order talks in MotoGP

Why it's now Oliver Bearman versus Rafael Camara for the next Ferrari vacancy

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

United States GP

1 h

Why it's now Oliver Bearman versus Rafael Camara for the next Ferrari vacancy

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts