I’m not taking
anything away from any other drivers in the final ten race sprint. You don’t make the top twelve resting on your
laurels. In general, the statistics don’t lie. In baseball, if you want to see how the players stack up you
look at the box scores. Here is NASCAR’s equivalent of the box scores (2007 season):
|
DRIVER |
CAR |
MAKE |
AVG. ST. |
AVG. FIN. |
AVG. POS. |
LAPS |
LED |
RATING |
PTS. |
|
Jimmie Johnson |
48 |
Chevrolet |
11.6 |
13.0 |
9.1 |
7137 |
966 |
108.8 |
5060 |
|
Jeff Gordon |
24 |
Chevrolet |
11.3 |
8.2 |
8.6 |
7058 |
1033 |
109.6 |
5040 |
|
Tony Stewart |
20 |
Chevrolet |
16.4 |
12.3 |
11.4 |
7212 |
890 |
104.4 |
5030 |
|
Carl Edwards |
99 |
Ford |
16.7 |
13.3 |
13.6 |
7012 |
333 |
94.6 |
5020 |
|
Kurt Busch |
2 |
Dodge |
15.0 |
15.0 |
11.2 |
7121 |
651 |
99.4 |
5020 |
|
Denny Hamlin |
11 |
Chevrolet |
11.3 |
12.3 |
12.4 |
7042 |
738 |
98.3 |
5010 |
|
Martin Truex Jr. |
1 |
Chevrolet |
17.1 |
15.7 |
14.6 |
7069 |
350 |
87.7 |
5010 |
|
Matt Kenseth |
17 |
Ford |
21.6 |
12.1 |
12.5 |
7228 |
288 |
94.0 |
5010 |
|
Kyle Busch |
5 |
Chevrolet |
13.5 |
13.9 |
12.4 |
7188 |
274 |
97.0 |
5010 |
|
Jeff Burton |
31 |
Chevrolet |
17.1 |
13.4 |
14.0 |
7062 |
28 |
90.7 |
5010 |
|
Kevin Harvick |
29 |
Chevrolet |
18.8 |
15.5 |
15.0 |
7311 |
251 |
87.1 |
5010 |
|
Clint Bowyer |
07 |
Chevrolet |
15.7 |
14.8 |
15.8 |
7282 |
84 |
84.4 |
5000 |
|
Dale
Earnhardt Jr. |
8 |
Chevrolet |
13.9 |
17.0 |
12.1 |
7085 |
362 |
96.7 |
2954 |
The rating column is
based on a formula combining the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on
Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race. The driver
must have raced in 75 percent of scheduled point-paying races to achieve the rating.
Hendrick Motorsports
(HMS) drivers Johnson and Gordon sit comfortably atop the leader board as the show moves to New Hampshire. Jimmie
Johnson’s late season surge places him slightly ahead of the challengers. Gordon and Stewart are positioned to
easily jump ahead of Johnson at the slightest hint of trouble with the 48 car. It’s no surprise these are the highest
rated drivers of the season. Positions 4 through 12 must be flawless in execution and enjoy good fortune to bring home the
champion’s trophy.
What about the superstar
that didn’t make the chase? The anomaly in the box scores appears to be Dale Earnhardt Jr. He’s led
a lot of laps. He has a respectable average running position. His performance to date netted him a driver rating
of 96.7, which ranks him seventh among the other drivers who made the chase. So why isn’t he in?
Simply put, his luck
ran out too many times this season. Sure, the 100 point penalty hurt him, but the five engine failures is the prime factor
Junior sits in 13th place, painfully shut out from the season’s finale. An average finish of 17th will almost never
get the job done.
