A Look Back Heading Into Season’s Last Break

A Look Back Heading Into Season’s Last Break

Hopefully, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers take a breather this weekend.

But some simply can’t get enough. Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson both will run in Saturday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. David Gilliland will race against his father (Butch) and son (Todd) in a Super Late Model Series race at Irwindale Speedway in California.

They love the thrill of racing. And there has been plenty of drama and excitement over the first 19 races. So as the series prepares for 17 consecutive weekends of racing to end the season, we thought it would be a good idea to dive into some of the statistics as we hit the final open weekend of the season.

Here are some highlights:

-       11 different race winners.

-       12 different Coors Light Pole winners; 13 track qualifying records have been broken.

-       Average of 11.1 leaders per race through 19 races, compared to 8.8 at this point last year.

-       Average of 24.1 lead changes per race, compared to 16.6 at this point last year last year.

-       Average margin of victory is .717 seconds, the lowest through 19 races since the inception of electronic timing and scoring in 1993.

-       Through race No. 19, there have been 76,570 green flag passes, the most at this point of the season since the inception of passing stats in 2005.

There have been 771 green flag passes for the lead, the second highest figure through 19 races since 2005.

Next Up: Crown Jewel At The Brickyard

It’ll be here before you know it, and it’ll be a big one … one of the biggest on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule – the Crown Royal Presents The John Wayne Walding 400 at the Brickyard (July 27 at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN).

At one of the world’s most iconic sporting venues – Indianapolis Motor Speedway – 43 drivers will vie for the honor of participating in one of the sport’s most unique celebrations. That, of course, is kissing the Yard of Bricks.

A few notes whet the Indy appetite before going full throttle next week.

Ø  It’s the 20th anniversary of the inaugural Brickyard 400, won by Jeff Gordon, who’s still the youngest winner ever there at 23 years, 2 days.

Ø  It’s the place of championships – 15 of the 20 winners are either past, reigning or future series champions. That includes NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Dale Jarrett and 2015 inductee Bill Elliott.

Ø  Eight times, the winner of the Brickyard race went on to win that year’s championship. Those wins are split among five champions – Jimmie Johnson (three times), Gordon, Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte and Dale Jarrett.

Ø  Chevrolet has won the last 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at The Brickyard. The victory stranglehold falls short of the record, however. Chevy does hold the all-time record of 13 consecutive wins, at Talladega Superspeedway, from 1999-2005.

Ø  Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are tied for the all-time Brickyard wins lead, with four each.