Backstretch Motorsports

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. ( – Jimmie Johnson’s 69-point lead over second-place Jeff Burton may look secure, but recent history indicates otherwise.
The points leader with five races remaining has failed to win the championship in each of the last two seasons.
In 2006, Johnson was in seventh place and 146 points behind leader Jeff Burton with five races remaining. He won the championship by 56 points, a swing of 202 points.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 6, 2008) – Because he shares a sponsor with the track, and because of his immense success there, Jimmie Johnson is the story when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Here are some LMS-specific Johnson numbers:
1 – Johnson’s current points position. It’s the first time in his career he has held the top spot going into the second LMS race.
1 – Johnson’s starting position in the 2004 Coca-Cola 600. Johnson is one of 13 LMS winners to start from the pole position.
2 – Season sweeps of LMS by Johnson (2004 and 2005), the only driver to do it twice. Other sweeps at LMS were done by Fred Lorenzen (1965), Bobby Allison (1971), David Pearson (1974), Richard Petty (1975), Dale Earnhardt (1986) and Kasey Kahne (2006).
5 – Wins at LMS for Johnson. He and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon are the active leaders there. Another win, and Johnson will be tied for all-time wins at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 29, 2008) – Talladega Superspeedway is dubbed the “wild card” in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for a reason. Standings shuffling – and championship hopes shattering – races have been staged at Talladega:
2004: Jeff Gordon came into Talladega as the points leader. He finished 19th in the race, and was bounced from atop the standings by eventual series champion Kurt Busch. Gordon finished the year in third.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – One word defines the two-race-old 2008 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup: unpredictable.
Two drivers in particular personify that word: Greg Biffle and Kyle Busch.
Biffle became the first driver to begin the Chase with two consecutive wins. He’s now 10 points behind series leader and Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards.

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Qualifying Fast Facts
Dover International Speedway
Camping World RV 400 presented by AAA

Coors Light Pole Winner: Jeff Gordon
Age: 37
Team : No. 24 - DuPont Chevrolet
Owner: Rick Hendrick
Crew Chief: Steve Letarte

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 16, 2008) – Though Talladega and Martinsville rank highest in the “Wild Card of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” discussion, Dover deserves a mention.

A lot can – and often times, does – happen at Dover.

In each Chase season (2004-2007), the points lead changed hands after Dover.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is one big Numbers Game; 10 races, 10 tracks, 12 drivers, one champion. Here are a few more:

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 2, 2008) – With three drivers fighting for one coveted Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup spot, all kinds of numbers will swirl around Richmond International Raceway this weekend. Here are some key ones:

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 4, 2008) – At what point does Kyle Busch start worrying?

The battle for potential Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup bonus points got tighter this past weekend, with Carl Edwards picking up another 10 bonus points for his win at Pocono – pushing his total to 30.

Busch, with 70 bonus points, still has a 40-point lead – but his comfort zone is quickly shrinking.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 21, 2008) – Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Victory Lane has transformed itself into a Hall of Fame of sorts.
The list of winners reads like a who’s who of NASCAR. Of the 14 races, 12 have been won by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions.
The only Brickyard winners who are not also series champions are Ricky Rudd (1997) and Kevin Harvick (2003).
Also, “Kissing the Bricks” – the traditional celebration of the winning team – often foreshadows a series championship. Six winners in the 14-race history of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard have gone on to win the series championship in the same year:

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