By the Numbers: Texas
No repeat winners in 10 previous races at Lone Star State track
By Josh Pate, NASCAR.COM
April 6, 2006
05:11 PM EDT (21:11 GMT)


Following his third-place finish at Martinsville last week, Jimmie Johnson is back on top of the Nextel Cup point standings. And considering the way he's run this year, aside from the Bristol blunder (30th after a cut tire), he's in position to get comfortable there.

That's not a good sign for the half-dozen or so drivers within a stone's throw of catching him, especially as the series heads to the Lone Star State for Sunday's Samsung/RadioShack 500 (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX).

Johnson has never won at Texas, but he's not been bad, either. Average start: 10.8. Average finish: 6.2.

Only problem for him is that he doesn't have much experience running up front at the 1.5-mile racetrack. He's led just two laps.

But he has been close to the front. And since there has never been a repeat winner at the speedway, Johnson will be looking to rope a victory with his fistful of top-10s.

What you didn't know

Driver Rating: Samsung/RadioShack 500

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 mark the 11th race at Texas Motor Speedway, a track that opened in 1997 with Jeff Burton driving Roush Racing's No. 99 to Victory Lane. In the most recent race, Roush's No. 99 won again, this time with Carl Edwards behind the wheel.

Only two of Texas' 10 winners were not ranked in the top five in points after their victory, making Texas a place where the good get better and the bad are left bitter.

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