 | | Elliott Sadler needs after Fontana win to keep alive his fleeting Chase hopes. Credit: Autostock |
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
September 28, 2005
10:16 AM EDT (14:16 GMT)
FONTANA, Calif. -- California Speedway's second annual Labor Day Weekend event, the Sony HD 500, for the second consecutive season has big implications on the Chase for the Nextel Cup. When the late Sunday afternoon start time is reached, there will be only two chances remaining for up to 10 drivers to make a move to lock in one of the final spots in the Chase, which will be determined Sept. 10 in Richmond. Defending race winner Elliott Sadler, defending Bud Pole winner Brian Vickers and Jeff Gordon, the only multiple Cup winner in the track's history, are in the best position to expand the California Speedway's statistical legacy. The following numbers refer to California Speedway and the Sony HD 500, unless otherwise noted. 0 -- The number of 10 Cup races won from the pole position. 0 -- The number of victories by Dodge. 1 -- The number of drivers who have competed in all 10 races but have not led a lap: Sterling Marlin. 1 -- The number of drivers who scored their first win: Jimmie Johnson (2002). 1 -- The number of drivers who made their first start: Greg Biffle (2002). 2 -- The number of drivers who won their first career pole: Joe Nemechek (1997) and Kyle Busch (2005). 2 -- The number of consecutive victories by Ford. 3 -- Brian Vickers' leading average starting position in three races. 3 -- Ryan Newman's number of top-10 finishes in three races. 3 -- Jamie McMurray's number of top-five finishes in four starts.  |  | | Jeff Gordon has won the most races and led the most laps at Fontana. Credit: Autostock |
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3 -- Jeff Gordon's leading number of victories. 4 -- Rick Hendrick's leading number of victories by a car owner. 5 -- Jeff Gordon's leading number of top-five finishes. 5 -- Kurt Busch's number of top-15 finishes in six starts. 5 -- The number of the 10 Cup races won from starting positions inside the top-10, or 50 percent. 5.5 -- Carl Edwards' leading average finish in two starts. 6 -- Rusty Wallace's leading number of top-10 finishes. 6 -- The leading number of victories by Ford. 7 -- The number of drivers in the top 10 in the standings who have won at California: Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Jeremy Mayfield, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon. 8 -- The number of different race winners in 10 events. |  | KNOW YOUR NASCAR | |
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9 -- The number of different pole winners in qualifying sessions that have been held. Qualifying was rained out in 1999. 10 -- Tony Stewart's consecutive number of top-10 finishes, since Michigan in June. 10 -- Jeff Burton's leading number of starts without a DNF. 11 -- Jeff Gordon's worst finish in seven of his 10 starts. 14 -- The number of drivers who have competed in all 10 races. 14 -- Jeremy Mayfield's best finish in his last five races. 16 -- Tony Stewart's best finish in his last five races. |  | | Chase hopeful Matt Kenseth can't afford another bad finish at Fontana. Credit: Autostock |
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22 -- Matt Kenseth's best finish in his last two races. 24 -- Jeremy Mayfield's starting position for the 2000 California 500 presented by NAPA, the farthest back a winner has started. 30 -- Jeff Gordon's best finish in his last two races. 37 -- Rusty Wallace's current longest streak of races running at the finish, since Bristol in August 2004. 57 -- Jimmie Johnson's current streak of races being ranked in the top 10 in the standings, the longest current streak. 155.012 -- Jeff Gordon's 500-mile race record average speed in miles per hour, set in 3 hours, 13 minutes and 32 seconds on June 22, 1997. 188.245 -- Kyle Busch's Bud Pole Qualifying record lap, in miles per hour, set in 38.248 seconds on Feb. 26, 2005. 191 -- The number of points a driver must be ahead of 11th position in the standings after the race to clinch a spot in the Chase. 410 -- Jeff Gordon's leading number of laps led. | 
