By the Numbers: 'Dega
Earnhardt Jr., Gordon have owned 2.66-mile superspeedway
By Josh Pate, NASCAR.COM
April 27, 2006
08:41 PM EDT (00:41 GMT)
The year was 1988 -- Valentine's Day in Daytona, where drivers were getting buckled in for a new kind of racing on the beach, one that would slow them rather than speed them up.
It was the first restrictor-plate race following NASCAR's rule change.
It was also Race No. 1 for Mark Martin and his streak that would follow. He was 29 years old. For perhaps a clearer picture, he was J.J. Yeley's age.
Martin lasted just 19 laps that day at Daytona, parking Jack Roush's No. 6 Ford early because of an overheating problem.
In the 18 years since, Martin has won 35 races (two at Talladega), finished in the top 10 in points for 15 years and retired once. He also hasn't missed a race, having entered 589 consecutive starts. Prior to that, Martin scattered 57 starts over seven years.
But Martin and restrictor-plate racing have never made up from that bad first impression.
"I think that my feelings regarding Talladega as a restrictor-plate race are pretty widely know," Martin said heading into Sunday's Aaron's 499 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX) at Talladega. "I'm not a big fan of that type of racing at all, but I know that the fans love it and it's the next race."
What you didn't know
Driver Rating: Aaron's 499
NASCAR's driver rating combines the following categories: wins, finishes, top-15s, average lead-lap running position, average speed under green, fastest lap, led most laps and lead-lap finish. Statistics based on current and past year at track. Maximum rating: 150 points.
Numerology
Sunday will be the 74th race at Talladega's 2.66-mile superspeedway. It's the longest track. It's the steepest track (33 degrees) aside from Bristol. It's a roomy 48 feet wide with 12 feet of apron, and its straightaways are both longer than 4,000 feet.
There have been 33 winners at the track, but less than a fourth of them remain active.
Of the eight active drivers who have gone to Talladega's Victory Lane, all have led more than 150 laps. In fact, there is only one other active driver who has been up front for that long -- Jimmie Johnson (159).
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