Racing News Digest

THE RACE: Dickies 500
WHEN: Sunday, November 8
TV: ABC (2:30 p.m. ET)
RADIO: PRN, Sirius NASCAR Radio/Channel 128
The Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
Race Distance: 501 miles//334 laps
Schedule:
Friday: Practice, 12-1:30 p.m.; Qualifying, 3:40 p.m.
Saturday: Practice, 8:45-9:30 a.m. and 10-11 a.m.

Race-Best Driver Rating at Texas (2005-Present)
Driver Date Rating
1. Tony Stewart 11/06 149.7
2. Greg Biffle 4/05 149.2
3. Carl Edwards 11/08 146.7
4. Carl Edwards 4/08 139.8
5. Jeff Gordon 4/07 136.3

Race-Best Average Running Position at Texas (2005-Present)

Driver Date ARP
1. Tony Stewart 11/06 1.9
2. Jeff Gordon 4/07 2.1
3. Jimmie Johnson 4/08 2.3
4. Carl Edwards 4/08 2.4
5. Carl Edwards 11/08 2.6

Qualifying/Race Data
2008 pole winner: Jeff Gordon (188.469 mph, 28.652 secs.)
2008 race winner: Carl Edwards, 144.219 mph, 11-2-08)
Track qualifying record: Brian Vickers (196.235 mph, 27.518 seconds, 11-3-06)
Track race record: Carl Edwards (151.055 mph, 11-6-05)

Pit Window: Every 50-55 laps, depending on fuel mileage.

Track Size: 1.5 miles

Race Length: 501 miles
· Banking/corners: 24 degrees
· Banking/straights: 5 degrees
· Frontstretch: 2,250 feet
· Backstretch: 1,330 feet

Some Numbers From Texas Motor Speedway
Visit the Texas Motor Speedway track page for complete stats

4 – Number of drivers that have multiple pole positions.

1 – Drivers have won the race from the pole position.

2 – Number of drivers that have won multiple times.

3 – Starting position with the best average finishing position – 11.79 since 2000.

TOP 12 DRIVERS In Points At Texas Motor Speedway
Each column in the table below is sortable, just click on the head of each column
Pole’s at Racing News Digest Include Rained Out Qualifying

At Texas Motor Speedway:
History
• Construction on Texas Motor Speedway began in 1995.
• The first NASCAR race at Texas was a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on April 5, 1997.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas was on April 6, 1997.
• In 1998, Turn 4 at Texas was reshaped to ease the transition from the turns to the front straightaway.
• A second renovation started after the 1998 race and eliminated dual banking and gave the track its current configuration.

Notebook
• There have been 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, one per season 1997 through 2004 and two races per year since 2005.
• Four drivers have competed in all 17 Texas races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin.
• Jeremy Mayfield won the first timed qualifying on April 4, 1998. Qualifying for the inaugural race in 1997 was canceled.
• Jeff Burton won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
• 12 drivers have scored poles at Texas, led by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte and Ryan Newman with two each.
• 14 drivers have won races, led by Carl Edwards, with three. Jeff Gordon won at Texas for the first time, in April. Gordon has won at every track he has run except Homestead-Miami Speedway.
• 13 of 17 races have been won from a top-10 starting position. Only one has been won from the pole (Kasey Kahne in 2006).
• Matt Kenseth started 31st en route to his victory at Texas in 2002, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started.
• Both Jeff Burton (1999) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000) scored their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Texas.
• Five of the last six races have had a margin of victory under one second.
• Jimmie Johnson (8.5) and Matt Kenseth (9.7) each average a top-10 finish.