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Daytona 500 Winners

Bill Sullivan — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 16:05:51 +0000

NASCAR is the only sport that starts the season with its biggest event. The tradition-rich Daytona 500 is the NASCAR Super Bowl, drawing the year’s highest TV ratings and some of the most boisterous crowds.

That puts considerable pressure on drivers and teams to hit the track running with the fastest cars, nimblest crews and most competitive drivers. Seasons can be made or broken before the circuit leaves Florida.

Who has been most ready to break from the gate early?

Here are your last 10 Daytona 500 champions, with average speed, money won, and car type:

2009 — Matt Kenseth (Race shortened to 152 laps by rain)

2008 — Ryan Newman, 152.762 mph, $1,506,040 (Dodge)

2007 — Kevin Harvick, 149.336 mph, $1,510,469 (Chevrolet)

2006 — Jimmie Johnson, 142.667 mph, $1,505,124 (Chevrolet)

2005 — Jeff Gordon, 135.173 mph, $1,497,154 (Chevrolet)

2004 — Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 156.345 mph, $1,495,070 (Chevrolet)

2003 – Michael Waltrip, 161,783 mph, $1,331,185 (Chevrolet)

2002 — Ward Burton, 142.971 mph, $1,409,017 (Dodge)

2001 — Michael Waltrip, 161.783 mph, $1,331,185 (Chevrolet)

2000 — Dale Jarrett, 155.669 mph, $1,277,975 (Ford)

Source: Daytonainternationalspeedway.com

Final 2008 Sprint Cup standings

Bill Sullivan — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:28:39 +0000

Jimmie Johnson won a third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championship in 2008, joining Cale Yarborough as the only two drivers to accomplish the feat.

Here are the final Sprint Cup standings:

1. Jimmie Johnson: 6,684 points

2. Carl Edwards: 69 back

3. Greg Biffle: -217

4. Kevin Harvick: -276

5. Clint Bowyer: -303

6. Jeff Burton: -349

7. Jeff Gordon: -368

8. Denny Hamlin: -470

9. Tony Stewart: -482

10. Kyle Busch: -498

11. Matt Kenseth: -500

12. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: -557

NASCAR champions

Bill Sullivan — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:27:42 +0000

It’s a lot more than 500 miles of left turns, as any serious NASCAR fan will tell you.

It’s about rivalries. It’s about passion. It’s about hating Jeff Gordon, even if you’ve never met the man, and loving Dale Earnhardt, Jr., whether he ever wins another race or not.

NASCAR divides families, bridges cultural boundaries, and often defies common sense. Still, hundreds of thousands pack tracks across America every week, dreaming of that great final lap where the winner crosses the finish line upside down, preferably on fire.

Whether it’s named for Winston or Nextel or Sprint, a cup is awarded to the points leader at the end of the season. In 2008, Jimmie Johnson joined Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to win three consecutive titles.

Here’s the list of the last 10 champions, with number of victories that season and money won:

2008 — Jimmie Johnson (7): $7,225,850

2007 — Jimmie Johnson (10): $7,646,420

2006 — Jimmie Johnson (5): $8,909,140

2005 — Tony Stewart (5): $6,987,530

2004 — Kurt Busch (3): $4,200,330

2003 — Matt Kenseth (1); $4,038,120

2002 – Tony Stewart (3); $4,695,150

2001 — Jeff Gordon (6): $6,649,080

2000 — Bobby Labonte (4): $4,041,750

1999 — Dale Jarrett (4): $3,608,829

Source: NASCAR.com

Most NASCAR Victories

Bill Sullivan — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:36:59 +0000

Modern-day NASCAR fans brood over hard-to-follow points standings and berths in “The Chase,” but there’s still no substitute for winning. Before the sport outgrew its rural Southern roots, it produced many of the legends that eventually helped stock car racing become a national phenomenon.

Richard Petty. Bill Elliott. Cale Yarborough. Bobby Allison. Dale Earnhardt. Darrell Waltrip.

Who has taken the most checkered flags in modern-era NASCAR history? Most of today’s stars have a long way to go to make the list.

Here’s what they find themselves up against as they try to climb the ranks of most victories ever:

Darrell Waltrip: 84

Jeff Gordon: 81

Dale Earnhardt: 76

Cale Yarborough: 69

Richard Petty: 60

Bobby Allison: 55

Rusty Wallace: 55

David Pearson: 45

Bill Elliott: 44

Mark Martin: 35

Jimmie Johnson: 34

Tony Stewart: 32

Check out the rest of the list, and find out more about the drivers at NASCAR.com.