Round 35 of 36
Checker Auto Parts 500k
Phoenix
Car No.: 20 — Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot Chevrolet Monte Carlo SSTeammates: Denny Hamlin in the #11 FedEx Chevrolet and J.J. Yeley in the #18 BonivaŽ (ibandronate sodium) Chevrolet
|
Primary Team Members |
|---|
| Driver: Tony Stewart |
Crew Chief: Greg Zipadelli |
| Car Chief: Jason Shapiro |
Engine Builders: Mark Cronquist |
| Engine Specialist: Jarrad Egert (pronounced "Egg-ert") |
Spotter: Mark Robertson |
|
Over-The-Wall Crew Members |
|---|
| Gas Man: Jeff "Gooch" Patterson |
Front Tire Changer: Ira-Jo Hussey |
| Catch Can: Brian "Shaggy" Larson |
Front Tire Carrier: Tom Dean |
| Windshield: Scott Geerts (pronounced "Gurtz") |
Rear Tire Changer: Todd Foster |
| Jackman: Jason Lee |
Rear Tire Carrier: Jody Fortson |
|
Other Crew Members |
|---|
| Truck Drivers: Scott "Scooter" Crowell |
Danny "Gumby" Hiedtke (pronounced "Hide-key") |
| Tire Specialists: Jerold Shires |
Bill Byrne |
| Shock Specialists: Ronny Crooks and Dave Hansen |
Engineer: Adam Stevens |
| Pit Support: Jerry Cook, Alan Copley, Byron Goggin and Jim Williams |
|
Team History at Phoenix International Raceway |
|---|
| Year |
Event |
Start |
Finish |
Status/Laps |
Laps Led |
Earnings |
| 2006 |
Subway Fresh 500k |
3 |
2 |
Running/312 |
6 |
$211,536 |
| 2005 |
Subway Fresh 500k |
6 |
33 |
Running/315 |
0 |
$109,561 |
| 2005 |
Checker Auto Parts 500k |
9 |
4 |
Running/312 |
0 |
$153,171 |
| 2004 |
x-Checker Auto Parts 500k |
6 |
8 |
Running/315 |
0 |
$112,028 |
| 2004 |
Subway Fresh 500k |
6 |
33 |
Running/305 |
0 |
$109,561 |
| 2003 |
Checker Auto Parts 500k |
6 |
18 |
Running/312 |
0 |
$102,128 |
| 2002 |
Checker Auto Parts 500k |
16 |
8 |
Running/312 |
0 |
$101,178 |
| 2001 |
Checker Auto Parts 500k |
22 |
5 |
Running/312 |
0 |
$96,675 |
| 2000 |
Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500k |
37 |
14 |
Running/312 |
1 |
$62,500 |
| 1999 |
Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500k |
11 |
1 |
Running/312 |
154 |
$168,485 |
x-Race length extended due to green-white-checker finish.
Chassis No. 132
The fall New Hampshire race marked the debut for Chassis No. 132, where it rallied from its 32nd place starting spot to finish second to race winner Kevin Harvick. Prior to New Hampshire, its only track time had come during a test session at the Milwaukee Mile Aug. 28-29.
| Year |
Event |
Start |
Finish |
Status/Laps |
Led |
Earnings |
| 2006 |
New Hampshire (Fall) |
32 |
2 |
Running/300 |
0 |
$220,582 |
Notes of Interest
The Checker Auto Parts 500k will mark Stewart's 283rd career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start and his 10th career Nextel Cup start at Phoenix.
Stewart is currently 11th in the Nextel Cup point standings with 4,488 points, 357 points ahead of 12th place Carl Edwards. Stewart maintained his position after his win last Sunday at Texas. At this point last year (where the points were recalibrated for the Chase for the Championship) Stewart was first in the standings with 6,255 points, 38 points ahead of second-place Jimmie Johnson. Last year, Stewart won the championship.
What If... there was no Chase and the points weren't readjusted following the Sept. 9 race at Richmond? How would the top-10 currently look?
- Matt Kenseth (4,875 points)
- Jimmie Johnson (4,840 points, -35)
- Kevin Harvick (4,493 points, -382)
- Tony Stewart (4,488 points, -387)
- Denny Hamlin (4,395 points, -480)
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (4,392 points, -483)
- Kyle Busch (4,313 points, -562) +2
- Jeff Gordon (4,311 points, -564)
- Jeff Burton (4,280 points, -595) -2
- Mark Martin (4,220 points, -655)
- Kasey Kahne (4,181 points, -694)
What If, Take Two... Stewart made the Chase as the 11th driver via a wild card, with a total of 5,000 points heading into the first Chase race at New Hampshire? (Just five fewer points than 10th place Kasey Kahne had at the time.) How would the top-11 currently look with eight Chase races already in the books?
- Tony Stewart (6,185 points, 3 Chase wins) +1
- Jimmie Johnson (6,157 points, -28, 1 Chase win) +1
- Matt Kenseth (6,140 points, 0 Chase wins) -2
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (6,079 points, -106, 0 Chase wins) +1
- Denny Hamlin (6,077 points, -108, 0 Chase wins) -1
- Kevin Harvick (6,052 points, -133, 1 Chase win) +1
- Jeff Gordon (6,000 points, -185, 0 Chase wins) +1
- Jeff Burton (5,973 points, -212, 1 Chase win) -2
- Kyle Busch (5,924 points, -261, 0 Chase wins) +2
- Mark Martin (5,904 points, -281, 0 Chase wins) -1
- Kasey Kahne (5,867 points, -318, 1 Chase win) -1
Stewart has scored more points in the eight Chase races than any other driver. He has scored 73 more points than point leader Jimmie Johnson.
Stewart is first in miles led this season, pacing the field for 1,662.10 miles. Matt Kenseth is second with 1,431.23 miles led. Greg Biffle is third with 1,337.41 miles led. Kasey Kahne is fourth with 1,063.28 miles led. Jeff Gordon is fifth with 982.65 miles led. Jimmie Johnson is sixth with 864.04 miles led. And Stewart's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin is seventh with 820.48 miles led. No other drivers have led more than 800 miles this season.
Stewart has led at least one lap in 19 of the 34 races held this season. Stewart's total of 1,360 laps led is 229 more than Matt Kenseth who's second with 1,131 laps led. Greg Biffle is third in laps led with 946. Jimmie Johnson is fourth in laps led with 824. Jeff Gordon is fifth in laps led with 687. Kasey Kahne is sixth in laps led with 654. Jeff Burton is seventh in laps led with 649. And Kevin Harvick is eighth in laps led with 643. No other drivers have led more than 600 laps. As a result, Stewart has earned a total of 125 lap leader bonus points, 35 more than point leader Jimmie Johnson.
Stewart has the seventh-best average running position (13.558) in the 34 races held this season. Jeff Gordon leads this category with an average running position of 10.741, just 2.817 positions better than Stewart.
Stewart has recorded the fastest lap on the race track a total of 631 times in the 34 races held this season, second best among Nextel Cup drivers. Kasey Kahne leads this category with 654 fastest laps, just 23 more that Stewart. Greg Biffle is third with 579 fastest laps. Jimmie Johnson is fourth with 511 fastest laps. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is fifth with 496 fastest laps. And Jeff Gordon is sixth with 492 fastest laps.
Stewart has the fourth-best driver rating 34 races into the season. His 98.2 rating is 4.0 points lower than first-place Matt Kenseth (102.2). Jimmie Johnson is second (101.4). Jeff Gordon is third (99.3). Kevin Harvick is fifth (96.0). And Jeff Burton is sixth (95.6). The driver rating is a formula consisting of wins, finishes, top-15s, average running position while on lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, laps led and lead lap finishes.
Stewart is the second-fastest driver early in a run in the 34 races held this season. His season rank of 7.828 is 1.348 points below series leader Greg Biffle (6.480), the best among Nextel Cup drivers during the first 25 percent of laps in a pit window under green flag conditions. Jeff Burton is third with an 8.103 rating. Jimmie Johnson is fourth with an 8.719 rating. Stewart's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin is fifth with a 9.000 rating. And Jeff Gordon is sixth with a 9.037 rating.
Stewart is the second-fastest driver late in a run in the 34 races held this season. His season rank of 8.138 is .419 of a point lower than series leader Jimmie Johnson (7.719), the best among Nextel Cup drivers during the last 25 percent of laps following a pit stop. Jeff Gordon is third (8.444). Dale Earnhardt Jr. is fourth (9.645). Jeff Burton is fifth (9.931). And Kyle Busch is sixth (10.000)
Stewart is the second-fastest driver under green in the 34 races held this season. His season rank of 7.172 is .532 of a point below series leader Greg Biffle (6.640). Jimmie Johnson is third (7.438). Jeff Gordon is fourth (7.926). Jeff Burton is fifth (7.931). And Matt Kenseth is sixth (8.563).
Stewart is the fastest driver in traffic in the 34 races held this season. His season rank of 7.414 is .515 of a point higher than second-place Kyle Busch (7.929). Jimmie Johnson is third (8.656). Matt Kenseth is fourth (8.719). Jeff Gordon is fifth (8.889). And Jeff Burton is sixth (9.172). "Traffic" is determined when there is another car within one car length.
Of the two races remaining on this year's Nextel Cup schedule, Stewart has won at both venues - Phoenix (11/7/1999) and Homestead (11/14/1999 & 11/12/2000) for a total of three victories.
In nine career Nextel Cup starts at Phoenix, Stewart has finished in the top-five four times and in the top-10 six times.
Stewart's second career Nextel Cup win came at Phoenix in 1999 - his rookie season. He now has 29 wins to his resume, with his most recent one coming last Sunday at Texas.
Stewart's 100th Nextel Cup start came at Phoenix on Oct. 28, 2001.
Stewart has run USAC Midgets, USAC Silver Crown cars, Indy cars, Supermodifieds, a NASCAR Busch Series car and a Nextel Cup car at Phoenix.
Stewart's last win at Phoenix came behind the wheel of a USAC Midget during the 2000 Copper World Classic.
Stewart has made three IRL IndyCar Series starts at Phoenix. He won the pole in his second IRL race at Phoenix in March 1997 before leading 85 laps and finishing second. Stewart finished second again in March 1998, where he led 127 laps. His only IRL finish at Phoenix that was outside of the top-10 was an 11th place run in March 1996, where he still managed to lead 11 laps in his first IRL race at Phoenix. Combined, Stewart led 223 of the 600 laps available (37.2 percent).
It could be said that Stewart's professional racing career began at Phoenix. It was February 1993 at the famed Copper World Classic where the season-opening race for the USAC Silver Crown division was held. In Stewart's first ever race at the desert mile, he qualified second to Davey Hamilton - a former IRL veteran - and led 31 of the 50 laps before finishing second to Mike Bliss - the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion. The $3,500 payday for his second-place effort made eight-hour days at $5 an hour at the Columbus, Ind., machine shop where Stewart worked seem unnecessary. Packing the rest of the 1993 season with Silver Crown, Sprint and Midget races across the nation, Stewart's quick ascent up the racing ladder began.
Home Depot store No. 6659, located in Redondo Beach, Calif., will be represented on the lower rear quarterpanel of the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet during the Checker Auto Parts 500k. Store No. 6659 was judged to be the outstanding store of the past week, thereby earning its place on the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing machine.
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