by JORGE A. MONDACA, FOXSports.com

Updated: April 14, 2008, 5:53 PM EST 81 comments

add this RSS blog email print

With so many participants every race, the question always arises: "Who was best?" Of course, the easy answer every week is the driver who took the checkered flag, but luck can always play a role in deciding that. Instead, by looking at overall race data, you get a better feel of who was best throughout the day and possibly the season (You know, that way you can predict who is the person who gets to celebrate with the big trophy at the end of the year).

Without further ado, here are some of the important numbers that came out of Saturday night's Subway Fresh Fit 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway.

4.324

What it is: Top average running position in Saturday's Subway Fresh Fit 500.

The story it tells: Jimmie Johnson got to celebrate at the conclusion of Saturday night's 312-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, and he led a race-high 120 circuits at Phoenix International Raceway ... but he still doesn't earn the honor of being the best driver throughout the race.

That title goes to fifth-place finisher Mark Martin.

Martin, who is running a partial schedule in the No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet, not only rode out in front of the field twice for a total of 68 laps, but he also spent all 312 laps inside the top 15 (in fact, he never was worse than 13th).

"Clearly (the No. 8 Chevrolet was) one of the better cars out there on the racetrack, if not the best, you know, at the end," said Martin. "We sort of spent the whole race getting ready for a good run there at the end.

"We were really spectacular this weekend and it's a shame we finished fifth."

Of course, one of the major reasons that Johnson was the driver that got to celebrate at the end of the evening instead of Martin was the fact that the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team gambled on fuel, while Martin and most everybody else pitted late in the event.

"You hate to see it come down that way," said Martin. "But you also don't want to run out of fuel with one lap to go and finish 20th in a race that you've been up front the entire time. Again, it was a great run and this is a great race team. It won't be our last chance to win."

That said, while Johnson and Co. gambled and won the race, they clearly did not "steal" it like other drivers who have won races decided by fuel mileage. Johnson had the second best average running position (4.526) of the afternoon.

Related: Johnson fuels to victory | Results

8

What it is: The most positions improved by a driver over the last 32 laps of the race.

The story it tells: Gaining positions is always the key in a race, especially as the laps are winding down ... and those who gain the most towards the end of a race may not always win, but they definitely gain traction in the championship standings — a positive whether you are fighting for the lead in the points, a spot in the Chase, or even a spot in the Top 35 in the owner standings.

On Saturday, Clint Bowyer gained eight positions over the final 32 laps (last 10 percent of the event) and rose from a respectable 10th-place finish to a runner-up result in that span. Those eight positions not only earned him an additional 36 points that helped him jump up two additional spots in the standings to eighth.

"Yeah, we were probably about a 7th- or 10th-place car all night," said Bowyer. "Never really got any higher than that. But, you know, things worked out."

Like Johnson, Bowyer also gambled on fuel — a move that helped him gain several of those eight spots late.

Sprint Cup Series rookie Sam Hornish Jr. also gained that many spots late in the event, jumping from 28th to finish 20th. Those late spots helped him further solidify his top 35 standing in the owner points, a position which ensures him a starting position each week he remains within the threshold.

"Hopefully we'll build on this and continue to move forward and get some better finishes in the future," said Hornish.

By the way, another driver who was a big winner late Saturday was championship leader Jeff Burton — he gained seven positions in that final 32-lap span.

Related: Driver standings | Owner standings

2,699

What it is: The number of laps completed in eight Sprint Cup races this season.

The story it tells: Want proof that consistency is the key to success in NASCAR? This season, there have been eight Sprint Cup races — a total of 2,699 laps in competition — and there is only one driver to complete all 2,699 circuits this season.

That person? None other than championship leader Jeff Burton.

Second place on this list? Kevin Harvick, who is fifth in the standings. He has completed all but two laps this year.