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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Talladega By The Numbers
Kurt Busch has the best average finish at Talladega of any Chaser...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted October 28, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Kurt Busch has the best average finish at Talladega Superspeedway of any of the 12 drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Talladega. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Penske Racing has never been known for its prowess at restrictor-plate tracks. In fact, Ryan Newman’s victory in the 2008 Daytona 500 was the only plate victory for a Penske NASCAR Sprint Cup car.

That said Penske’s Kurt Busch has the best average finish at Talladega Superspeedway of any of the 12 drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Talladega, the longest oval in NASCAR, will play host to Sunday’s AMP Energy 500, race No. 7 in the Chase.

And although Busch is 240 points back of leader Jimmie Johnson and therefore unlikely to contend for the championship down the stretch, he might have a good day on Sunday. Busch’s average finish at Talladega is 12.1, which makes him one of only two Chase drivers with a Talladega finishing average below 15.0. Tony Stewart, at 13.8, is Busch’s nearest rival in that category.

Here’s how the 12 Chase drivers break down heading to Talladega:

1. Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2009 Rundown
• Six wins, 14 top fives, 21 top 10s; three poles
• Average finish of 10.9
• Led 27 races for 1,972 laps
Talladega Superspeedway outlook:
• One win, four top fives, six top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 17.7 in 15 races

2. Mark Martin, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (-118 points)
2009 Rundown
• Five wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s; seven poles
• Average finish of 13.9
• Led 22 races for 798 laps
Talladega Superspeedway outlook:
• Two wins, 10 top fives, 22 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 16.1 in 43 races

3. Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (-150)
2009 Rundown
• One win, 16 top fives, 23 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.9
• Led 17 races for 804 laps
Talladega Superspeedway outlook:
• Six wins, 13 top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 16.4 in 33 races

4. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet (-192)
2009 Rundown
• Four wins, 15 top fives, 22 top 10s
• Average finish of 9.0
• Led 17 races for 370 laps
Talladega Superspeedway outlook:
• One win, nine top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.8 in 21 races

5. Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (-200)
2009 Rundown
• Seven top fives, 17 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 12.8
• Led 10 races for 385 laps
Talladega Superspeedway outlook:
• One top five, one top 10; one pole
• Average finish of 18.6 in five races
6. Kurt Busch, Penske Racing Dodge (-240)
2009 Rundown
• One win, eight top fives, 18 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.1
• Led 18 races for 530 laps
Talladega Superspeedway outlook:
• Six top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.1 in 17 races

7. Ryan Newman, No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet (-312)
2009 Rundown
• Five top fives, 15 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 13.7
• Led 14 races for 210 laps
Talladega Superspeedway outlook:
• Four top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 18.5 in 15 races

8. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford (-350)
2009 Rundown
• Nine top fives, 14 top 10s
• Average finish of 14.5
• Led 13 races for 551 laps
Talladega Superspeedway outlook:
• One top 10
• Average finish of 23.8 in 13 races

9. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (-352)
2009 Rundown
• Three wins, 12 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 13.4
• Led 17 races for 1,296 laps
Talladega Superspeedway outlook:
• Two top fives, two top 10s
• Average finish of 18.9 in seven races

10. Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Ford (-413)
2009 Rundown
• Seven top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 14.6
• Led 11 races for 162 laps
Talladega Superspeedway outlook:
• One top five, three top 10s
• Average finish of 24.5 in 10 races
11. Kasey Kahne, Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge (-439)

2009 Rundown
• Two wins, six top fives, 13 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.1
•Led 7 races for 247 laps
Talladega Superspeedway Outlook:
• One top five, one top 10
• Average finish of 23.5 in 11 races

12. Brian Vickers, Red Bull Racing Toyota (-530)
2009 Rundown
• One win, four top fives, 13 top 10s; six poles
• Average finish of 16.5
• Led 10 races for 101 laps
Talladega Superspeedway 0utlook:
• One win, three top fives, five top 10s
• Average finish of 19.7 in 10 races

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED, and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to



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