This is the time of year for reflection on the recently completed NASCAR season, so we’re bringing you some statistics you may not have seen:
Overlooked Stats From The 2010 NASCAR Season
↵Avoiding trouble: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth were the only drivers who were running at the finish of every race this season. But there was no correlation between their points position and having no DNFs – Kenseth was fifth in points, Earnhardt Jr. was 21st.
↵Take the money and run: Joe Nemechek made 31 Sprint Cup races this season and only finished one of them. His 30 DNFs were seven more than the next-closest driver (Michael McDowell, 23).
↵Most consistent: If you believe top-10 finishes are the mark of a championship season, then Kevin Harvick is your man. He led all drivers with 26 top-10s. But if you think top-fives are more important, look no further than champion Jimmie Johnson, who was tops with 17.
↵Winning isn’t that important: Denny Hamlin won the most races this season (eight) and didn’t win the championship. Though Johnson won the most races and the Cup title in 2007 and 2009, the driver who wins the most races in a season has failed to win the championship in seven of the past nine years.
↵Room for improvement: There were 31 drivers who raced all 36 Sprint Cup events this season. Of the bottom six in points – Marcos Ambrose (26th), Elliott Sadler (27th), Regan Smith (28th), Sam Hornish Jr. (29th), Scott Speed (30th) and Bobby Labonte (31st) – only Smith is expected to remain with the same team next year.
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