Springboard To The Cup

Tony Stewart captured his second title in 2005. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Six times the winner of the Brickyard 400 has gone on to win the Nextel Cup championship in the same season. Jeff Gordon did it in 1998 and 2001, while Dale Jarrett (1999), Bobby Labonte (2000), Tony Stewart (2005) and Jimmie Johnson (2006) have also turned the trick.

Statistics

Race winners
Driver     Make    Wins
1. Jeff Gordon     Chevrolet    4
2. Dale Jarrett     Ford    2
3. Dale Earnhardt     Chevrolet    1
3. Bill Elliott     Dodge    1
3. Kevin Harvick     Chevrolet    1
3. Bobby Labonte     Pontiac    1
3. Ricky Rudd     Ford    1
3. Tony Stewart    Chevrolet    1
3. Jimmie Johnson    Chevrolet    1

Pole winners
Driver     Make    Poles
1. Jeff Gordon     Chevrolet    3
2. Ernie Irvan     Ford    2
3. Kevin Harvick     Chevrolet    1
3. Rick Mast     Ford    1
3. Ricky Rudd     Ford    1
3. Jimmy Spencer    Ford    1
3. Tony Stewart     Chevrolet    1
3. Casey Mears    Dodge    1
3. Elliott Sadler    Ford    1
3. Jeff Burton    Chevrolet    1

Winning car owners
Car owner     Make     Wins
1. Rick Hendrick     Chevrolet    5
2. Richard Childress     Chevrolet    2
2. Robert Yates     Ford    2
2. Joe Gibbs     Pontiac/Chevrolet    2
3. Ray Evernham     Dodge    1
3. Ricky Rudd     Ford    1

United Nations

Juan Pablo Montoya won the Indianapolis 500 in 2000. (Autostock Images)

Scotsman Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May, while another Brit, Lewis Hamilton, topped the U.S. Grand Prix in June. There are no British drivers entered in the Allstate 400. However, Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya (above), who won the Indianapolis 500 in 2000, is the only foreign driver entered in the NASCAR event. Montoya has already won one Nextel Cup Series race this season.

Records

Most top fives: 7 — Jeff Gordon (right)
Most top 10s: 10 — Jeff Gordon
Most lead changes: 21 — Aug. 6, 1994
Fewest lead changes: 9 — Twice, most recently, Aug. 8, 2004
Most leaders: 13 — Twice, most recently on Aug. 3, 1996
Fewest leaders: 5 — Aug. 5, 2000
Most cautions: 13 — Aug. 8, 2004
Fewest cautions: 1 — Aug. 5, 1995
Oldest winner: Bill Elliott (left) — 46 years, nine months, 27 days (Aug. 4, 2002)
Youngest winner: Jeff Gordon — 23 years, two days (Aug. 6, 1994)
Closest margin of victory: .183 second, Ricky Rudd defeated Bobby Labonte, Aug. 2, 1997
Largest margin of victory: 4.229 seconds, Bobby Labonte (below) defeated Rusty Wallace, Aug. 5, 2000

By The Numbers

8 The number of drivers (Jeff Burton, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Sterling Marlin, Mark Martin, Joe Nemechek) who have raced in the first 13 Allstate 400s.

433 Number of laps led by Jeff Gordon in the Brickyard 400, the most by any driver.

27 The lowest starting position for a Brickyard 400 winner — Jeff Gordon in 2001.

5,200 Number of miles completed by Bill Elliott in the Brickyard 400, the most by any driver.

110 The number of laps Rusty Wallace led in 2000, the most by a driver who did not win the race.

124 The most laps led by a winning driver — Jeff Gordon in 2004.

0 The number of Allstate 400s won by Penske Racing. Penske Racing has won the Indianapolis 500 14 times.

21 The most lead changes in one Allstate 400 (1994).

1 Fewest laps completed — Andy Houston in 2001.

Allstate 400 Top-Five Finishers

2006

Driver        Start    Make
1. Jimmie Johnson    5    Chevrolet
2. Matt Kenseth    20    Ford
3. Kevin Harvick    10    Chevrolet
4. Clint Bowyer    2    Chevrolet
5. Mark Martin    19    Ford

2005

Driver        Start    Make
1. Tony Stewart    22    Chevrolet
2. Kasey Kahne    4    Dodge
3. Brian Vickers    5    Chevrolet
4. Jeremy Mayfield    2    Dodge
5. Matt Kenseth    20    Ford

2004

Driver        Start    Make
1. Jeff Gordon    11    Chevrolet
2. Dale Jarrett    17    Ford
3. Elliott Sadler    3    Ford
4. Kasey Kahne    12    Dodge
5. Tony Stewart    24    Chevrolet

HAPPY HARVICKS: Kevin Harvick gets a hug from his wife, DeLana, after winning the 2002 Brickyard 400. (Richard Iceland Photo)

2003

Driver        Start    Make
1. Kevin Harvick     1     Chevrolet
2. Matt Kenseth     17     Ford
3. Jamie McMurray     22     Dodge
4. Jeff Gordon     19     Chevrolet
5. Bill Elliott     3     Dodge

2002

Driver        Start    Make
1. Bill Elliott     2     Dodge
2. Rusty Wallace     35     Ford
3. Matt Kenseth     18     Ford
4. Ryan Newman     5     Ford
5. Kevin Harvick     7     Chevrolet

2001

Driver        Start    Make
1. Jeff Gordon     27     Chevrolet
2. Sterling Marlin     8     Dodge
3. Johnny Benson     26     Pontiac
4. Rusty Wallace     37     Ford
5. Kurt Busch     34     Ford

2000

Driver        Start    Make
1. Bobby Labonte     3     Pontiac
2. Rusty Wallace     10     Ford
3. Bill Elliott     7     Ford
4. Jerry Nadeau     23     Chevrolet
5. Tony Stewart     18     Pontiac

1999

Driver        Start    Make
1. Dale Jarrett     4     Ford
2. Bobby Labonte     7     Pontiac
3. Jeff Gordon     1     Chevrolet
4. Mark Martin     2     Ford
5. Jeff Burton     16     Ford

1998

Driver        Start    Make
1. Jeff Gordon     3     Chevrolet
2. Mark Martin     7     Ford
3. Bobby Labonte     10     Pontiac
4. Mike Skinner     16     Chevrolet
5. Dale Earnhardt     28     Chevrolet

1997

Driver        Start    Make
1. Ricky Rudd     7     Ford
2. Bobby Labonte     25     Pontiac
3. Dale Jarrett     3     Ford
4. Jeff Gordon     24     Chevrolet
5. Jeremy Mayfield     16     Ford

1996

Driver        Start    Make
1. Dale Jarrett     24     Ford
2. Ernie Irvan     15     Ford
3. Terry Labonte     9     Chevrolet
4. Mark Martin     2     Ford
5. Morgan Shepherd     38     Ford

1995

Driver        Start    Make
1. Dale Earnhardt     13     Chevrolet
2. Rusty Wallace     24     Ford
3. Dale Jarrett     26     Ford
4. Bill Elliott     4     Ford
5. Mark Martin     14     Ford

1994

Driver        Start    Make
1. Jeff Gordon     3     Chevrolet
2. Brett Bodine     7     Ford
3. Bill Elliott     6     Ford
4. Rusty Wallace     12     Ford
5. Dale Earnhardt     2     Chevrolet