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The2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 63rd season ofprofessionalstock car racing in the United States and the 40th modern-era Cup series season. The season included 36 races and two exhibition races, beginning with theDaytona 500 atDaytona International Speedway and ending with theFord 400 atHomestead-Miami Speedway. The final ten races were known as 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup.
The 2011 season is considered by many to be one of the greatest and most exciting seasons in Cup Series history.[1][2] It had the closest points battle in history, withTony Stewart winning the Drivers' Championship with a victory at thefinal race of the season in a tiebreaker overCarl Edwards due to having five wins on the season vs. Edwards' one win. To much surprise, Stewart, after barely making the Chase that year and having zero wins when the postseason began, went on to win five of the final ten races and then the title over Edwards, who led the points for most of the year despite only scoring one win early in the season at theLas Vegas. There were eighteen different race winners, the most since 2002. There were also five first-time Cup Series winners, most notablyTrevor Bayne, the first of those, with his upset win in theDaytona 500 in just his second career Cup race. The other first-time winners wereRegan Smith atDarlington,David Ragan at Daytona in July,Paul Menard atIndianapolis, andMarcos Ambrose atWatkins Glen. Some of those races the first-time winners won are also the biggest and most prestigious on the schedule.
During the2010 season, NASCAR announced several calendar changes for 2011, including race additions atKansas Speedway andKentucky Speedway, and the removal of one race each fromAtlanta Motor Speedway andAuto Club Speedway. Once the 2010 season had concluded, NASCAR also announced changes to the point system, and that the fuel changed fromSunocounleaded to anethanol blend called 'Sunoco GreenE15'.
In addition,Stewart-Haas Racing, owned by Stewart andGene Haas, won the Owners' Championship, whileChevrolet won their ninth-consecutive Manufacturers' Championship with 248 points. Stewart became the first owner-driver to win a Cup title sinceAlan Kulwicki in1992.
This was the final season Cup cars would usecarburetors in the engines which goes back to the NASCAR Cups first season in 1949. In 2012 the series would shift tofuel injection.
There were 41 full-time teams in 2011.
In preparation for 2011,Penske Racing made team changes by moving Brad Keselowski, along with his No. 12 team, into the No. 2 Miller Lite car, replacingKurt Busch and his 2010 team, who moved to the newly formed No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil car.[3] Another change was made byHendrick Motorsports, who rearranged three of the four-car team. The team movedSteve Letarte withDale Earnhardt Jr.,Alan Gustafson withJeff Gordon, andLance McGrew withMark Martin.[4]On January 7, 2011, Bob Leavine and Lance Fenton announced the formation of Leavine Fenton Racing, and thatDavid Starr drove for the team.[5] In February, another team was formed, FAS Lane Racing, byFrank Stoddard.[6] In March,David Stremme announced his return to the Cup Series with a new team, Inception Motorsports. They ran the No. 30 Chevrolet and attempted to make thespring race at Richmond.[7] In October before theBank of America 500, it was announced thatSinica Motorsports would join the Cup Series for 3 races in 2011, running the No. 93 Chevrolet with eitherBill Elliott orTerry Labonte and that ARCA driverGrant Enfinger would drive for the team for 10–15 races in 2012. (The team ended up only attempting theseason-finale at Homestead with Enfinger in 2011, which they failed to qualify for, and no races in 2012.)
Another new team for 2011, America's Racing Team, was scheduled to debut in theDaytona 500 with their No. 76 Chevrolet. The team was formed in 2010 before theJuly race at Daytona. The team was unique because fans could pay between $44.95 to $1,999.95 to own a portion of it. However, AMR was unable to get off the ground and they did not attempt any races.[8]
Several drivers changed teams for the season. One of which was Paul Menard, who leftRichard Petty Motorsports to drive forRichard Childress Racing.[9] Menard signed a three-year deal to expire at the end of 2013, with options for further years. Other changes wereKasey Kahne who joined theRed Bull Racing Team, after leaving Richard Petty Motorsports in 2010,[10] andMarcos Ambrose who leftJTG Daugherty Racing to drive for Richard Petty Motorsports in 2011, as a replacement for Kahne.[11] Also,Bobby Labonte replaced Ambrose at JTG Daugherty Racing,[12] andBill Elliott, who moved fromWood Brothers Racing toPhoenix Racing.[13]Kevin Conway, the 2010NASCAR Rookie of the Year in the Sprint Cup Series, also made a change by moving toNEMCO Motorsports.[14]
For the 2011 season,Trevor Bayne, who placed seventh in the2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, entered the series driving for Wood Brothers Racing in 17 scheduled races.[15] Another driver,Brian Keselowski also entered the series, after qualifying for the2011 Daytona 500 for theK-Automotive Motorsports team.[16]
Some drivers left the series, such asElliott Sadler who left Richard Petty Motorsports to drive forKevin Harvick Incorporated in theCamping World Truck Series andNationwide Series.[17]Sam Hornish Jr. also exited the series and moved to the Nationwide Series to participate in ten races, after new sponsorship for his Sprint Cup Series car could not be found.[18] After the final race of the 2010 season,Scott Speed exited the series after Red Bull Racing Team dismissed him to make room for Kahne.[19] The change resulted in Speed filing a lawsuit against the team for several reasons.[20]
During July 2011,Max Q Motorsports announced thatScott Speed signed a three race contract with the team to race atIndianapolis Motor Speedway,Watkins Glen International andPocono Raceway. Following the announcement, Speed commented, "I am excited to get back to the track. Max Q Motorsports seems to have a good operation and a great group of guys. Ford has a great engine package, so I'm hopeful that we can get the ball rolling quickly and be competitive out the gate. "[21]
At the beginning of the season, two drivers announced plans to participate in the 2011 Rookie of the Year standings. The drivers wereAndy Lally driving forKevin Buckler'sTRG Motorsports, andBrian Keselowski, moving his family-operatedK-Automotive Motorsports team up from the Nationwide Series.[16]Trevor Bayne, who was running half the season with theWood Brothers, did not participate in the standings after deciding to participate for the Nationwide Series championship.[22]T. J. Bell entered later in the season and collected his first Cup points at Pocono. As Lally was the only rookie driver to run the required 17 races to keep eligibility, he won the rookie award easily despite being released from TRG before Homestead.
After the2010 season, thecatch can man, who caught excess fuel during pit stops and adjusts thetrack bar, is no longer needed, because of the addition of a self-venting fuel can.[23] On January 11, 2011, NASCAR reported drivers can only be able to compete for the championship in one of NASCAR's three national racing series, which means the drivers who race in multiple series, most notably inthe Cup and Nationwide Series, are able to compete in the races, but not for the championship.[24]
The rule does not affect the exemption rule, as exemptions are determined by the top 35 in NASCAR car owner points. Drivers ineligible for Sprint Cup driver points earned Sprint Cup owner points for their team.
An announcement came on January 26, 2011, whenBrian France announced that the winner of the race, excluding bonus points would receive 43 points, and each position lost one point from the position before, so that the first position would receive 43 points, while second would receive 42.[25] For bonus points, if the driver leads a lap they receive one, if they lead the most laps they receive one more, and if they win the race they receive three more points.[26] On the same day, France announced changes to the qualifying format, such as the qualifying order being set by practice speeds from slowest to highest. If qualifying is canceled, the grid would be determined by practice speeds, unless they are also cancelled, then they lined up by Drivers' points. In the press conference, it was also noted that in theChase for the Sprint Cup, the eleventh and twelfth positions would be awarded to whoever has the most victories who are ranked from 11th to 20th in regular-season driver's points. Those drivers would not be given bonus points for wins.[27][28][29] In addition, the number of base points received by Chase drivers at the points reset were set at 2,000 instead of the previous 5,000.[30]
During the 2010 season through the off-season, NASCAR announced a change to thefront end of the race cars. The change removed thesplitter braces, and made it a single molded piece.[31] The fuel for all major series in NASCAR changed fromSunocounleaded to anethanol blend called 'Sunoco GreenE15'. But during the rest of the season on August 23,Toyota unveiled the newCamry at Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California and the teams changed their headlights, taillights, fog lights, and rear for the rest of the season.[32]
On August 18, 2010, the final calendar was released containing 36 races, with the addition of two exhibition races. The schedule also includes twoGatorade Duels, which are the qualifying races for theDaytona 500.[33]
^1 Race was postponed due to rain.
For the 2011 season, NASCAR made several changes to the schedule. One change was that theSubway Fresh Fit 600, held atPhoenix International Raceway, was reduced to 500 kilometers, making the name Subway Fresh Fit 500, and it became the second race of the season.[36] Also, theKobalt Tools 500, held atAtlanta Motor Speedway, was discontinued.[37] TheAuto Club 500 atAuto Club Speedway, was reduced to 400 miles making the name Auto Club 400,[38] and became the fifth race of the season.[36] More changes to the schedule includedKansas Speedway gaining a race (theSTP 400), which was run on June 5, 2011,[39] andKentucky Speedway hosted its firstSprint Cup Series race, theQuaker State 400 on July 9, 2011.[40] The Chase schedule was changed to theGEICO 400 becoming the first race in theChase for the Sprint Cup; theSylvania 300 atNew Hampshire Motor Speedway was the second, whileAuto Club Speedway'sPepsi Max 400 was removed completely from the schedule.[41]
Another change for the season involves the races in theChase for the Sprint Cup, which had different starting times so they would not conflict with the beginning ofNFL games. The change was made after seven races during the 2010 season began at 1:00 pm EST, the same time as the NFL games began. The change delayed the start of the first six races, excluding Charlotte, to 2:00 pmEDT, while the last three started at 3:00 pmEST. Charlotte Motor Speedway's race remained on Saturday night.[42]Martinsville Speedway's October race on Halloween weekend featured a 1:30 pmEDT start because the track did not carry lights, and as a result is using the 2004–09 start time of 1:30 pm EDT. As of 2020, Martinsville Speedway now has lights.
The preseason testing season began on January 20, 2011, with a three-day test at theDaytona International Speedway to test the new nose on the car, as well as the new surface. Also in the sessions, the opening of therestrictor plate was reduced from the 30/32 inch plate used in tire testing in December to 29/32 inch. NASCAR vice president for competitionRobin Pemberton stated, "We'll have to get back and talk to the teams and look at the speeds from the last two days of testing. I think we have some high-water marks at 197-and-a-half which, depending on where they pulled up in the draft, it may be a little quick, but it's hard to say."[43][44] During the first session on the morning of January 20, 2011, 33 drivers participated, andClint Bowyer was quickest with a speed of 184.216 mph[45][46] whileDavid Reutimann had the highest speed of 195.780 mph during the second session in the afternoon.[47]
The third test session, scheduled for the morning of January 21, was canceled because of wet weather. During the fourth session, held during the afternoon, 34 drivers participated withDenny Hamlin being quickest with a speed of 196.868 mph.[48] Several drivers decided to leave after the session, which included Reutimann,Martin Truex Jr.,Jimmie Johnson, and Bowyer.[48] During the fifth session, held on the morning of January 22, 29 drivers participated, andJoey Logano was quickest with a speed of 197.516 mph.[49]Brad Keselowski was quickest with a speed of 198.605 mph in the final session.[50] Once the testing concluded, NASCAR managing director of competition John Darby commented that he did not expect to change the restrictor plate that they used in the January test sessions, leaving the opening at 29/32 inches.[51]
In the first exhibition race of the season, the2011 Budweiser Shootout, Hamlin crossed the finished line in the first position, but since he passed below the yellow out of bounds line,Kurt Busch became the winner of the race.[52]Trevor Bayne won the opening race of the season in theDaytona 500 afterDavid Ragan received a penalty for a restart violation, with Bayne becoming just the fifth driver to win the race forWood Brothers Racing and the youngest ever to win the Daytona 500 at 20 years and 1 day, as well as the first driver to win the race (excluding the inaugural 1959 race) in his first Daytona 500 start.[53] Four-time champion,Jeff Gordon claimed victory in the2011 Subway Fresh Fit 500 atPhoenix International Raceway, after leading the most laps of 138, ending a 66-race winless streak.[54]
Next,Carl Edwards won the2011 Kobalt Tools 400 afterTony Stewart, who led the most laps, was penalized on pit road.[55] After winning theNationwide race on Saturday,Kyle Busch held offCarl Edwards andJimmie Johnson to take his fifth consecutive Bristol victory.[56] Though Kyle dominated the race,Jimmie Johnson took the lead briefly but was passed on the last lap byKevin Harvick, who took his first win of 2011 atAuto Club Speedway.[57] The following week, Harvick passed fan favoriteDale Earnhardt Jr. with four laps to go to win atMartinsville Speedway.[58]Roush Fenway Racing dominated the weekend atTexas Motor Speedway, withMatt Kenseth leading 169 laps en route to his first victory in 76 races.[59]
In theAaron's 499Jimmie Johnson edgedClint Bowyer for the win atTalladega Superspeedway by .002 seconds, tying the closest finish in series history.[60] For the third consecutive season,Kyle Busch dominated the spring race atRichmond, leading 293 of 400 laps en route to his second win of the season[61] After being denied victory at Talladega in 2008,Regan Smith stayed out on older tires and held of points leaderCarl Edwards for his andFurniture Row Racing's first Cup Series victory atDarlington Raceway.[62] Making a last minute two-tire pit stop on the final pit stop,Matt Kenseth outran former teammateMark Martin to take his second win of the season atDover.[63]
At the second exhibition race of the season, theNASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXVII atCharlotte Motor Speedway,David Ragan andBrad Keselowski finished 1–2 in the Sprint Showdown, while fan favoriteDale Earnhardt Jr. won the fan vote to transfer into the main event.[64]Carl Edwards dominated the final two segments and held offKyle Busch for his first All-Star victory.[65] With the teams remaining in Charlotte for theCoca-Cola 600,Dale Earnhardt Jr. came close to snapping his winless drought by gambling on fuel, but ran out of gas on the backstretch, allowingKevin Harvick to drive to his 3rd win of 2011.[66] At 402 laps and 603 miles, the race was the longest in NASCAR history.[67] At the inauguralSTP 400 atKansas Speedway, a dominantKurt Busch was forced to stop for fuel with 7 laps to go, allowing teammateBrad Keselowski to take the lead and hold off a charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. for his second Sprint Cup victory.[68] At the5-hour Energy 500, a quick final pit stop enabledJeff Gordon to beat polesitterKurt Busch out of the pits, getting Gordon his 84th Sprint Cup victory, tyingBobby Allison andDarrell Waltrip for third on the all-time wins list and also tying Waltrip for the most wins in NASCAR's modern era.[69] The next week atMichigan, defending race winnerDenny Hamlin got an excellent final pit stop, enabling him to hold offMatt Kenseth for his first win of the season.[70] The next week atInfineon Raceway,Kurt Busch dominated the race and easily held offJeff Gordon for his first win of 2011 and first on a road course.[71]
The series returned to Daytona for theIndependence Day weekend. Daytona 500 winnerTrevor Bayne crashed out early, andDavid Ragan with help from teammateMatt Kenseth, rebounded from his late 500 loss to take his first Sprint Cup victory.[72] The following week, at the inauguralQuaker State 400 atKentucky Speedway,Kyle Busch dominated the race and held off a hard chargingDavid Reutimann for his third win of the season.[73] Heading up toNew England for theLenox Industrial Tools 301 at Loudon,Ryan Newman andTony Stewart, both drivers forStewart-Haas Racing started first and second on the grid, and the two remained in the same order at the conclusion of the race, Newman's his first win of season.[74] After an off week, the series made its way to the prestigiousIndianapolis Motor Speedway for theBrickyard 400. ThoughJeff Gordon had the dominant car, pit strategy gotPaul Menard out front and eventually hold off a hard-charging Gordon for his first career Sprint Cup victory.
The series returned to Pocono for theGood Sam RV Insurance 500. TheJoe Gibbs Racing trio ofDenny Hamlin,Kyle Busch, andJoey Logano dominated the race, butBrad Keselowski, racing injured from a crash atRoad Atlanta, held off Busch with 10 to go to take his second win of the year. The next week atWatkins Glen, Cup drivers returned to road course racing, andMarcos Ambrose held off Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch in a green-white-checker finish and avoided several violent crashes, includingDavid Reutimann flipping in the esses on the final lap, to claim his first Sprint Cup Series win, becoming the fifth first-time winner in 2011. Ambrose also became the firstAustralian ever (and fourth foreign-born driver) to win a Cup Series race.[75] The series returned to Michigan for thePure Michigan 400, andKyle Busch would dominate the race and hold offJimmie Johnson for his fourth win of 2011. Heading to Bristol for theIrwin Tools Night Race,Jeff Gordon andMatt Kenseth dominated the race, butBrad Keselowski got out front after a fast final pitstop and held offMartin Truex Jr. for his third win of 2011.
Heading toAtlanta Motor Speedway for theLabor Day weekend, the race was pushed to Tuesday September 6 due toTropical Storm Lee dumping rain on the Southwest Sunday and Monday. When the race resumed,Jeff Gordon held offHendrick Motorsports teammateJimmie Johnson for his 3rd win of 2011 and his 85th overall win in the Cup Series. At theWonderful Pistachios 400, the last race of the regular season was hotly contested with multiple drivers needing a win to break into the Chase.Kevin Harvick would end up holding off the field for his 4th win of 2011 whileDenny Hamlin andBrad Keselowski completed the two wild card spots in the top 12. For the first time,Chicagoland Speedway was the site of the Chase opener. With the race delayed until Monday due to rain,Tony Stewart held off a hard-chargingKevin Harvick and outlasted the field on fuel to take his first win of 2011. The teams headed up north to return toNew Hampshire Motor Speedway for theSylvania 300. Once again, the race came down to fuel mileage asTony Stewart passedClint Bowyer with 2 laps to go and held on for his second consecutive win of the year. In the series' return to Dover,Jimmie Johnson dominated the race, butKurt Busch took advantage of a restart and held off Johnson for his second win of 2011. Heading to Kansas, Jimmie Johnson once again dominated the race, but sealed up his second win of the season on aGreen-white-checkered finish by holding offKasey Kahne.
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The series returned to Charlotte for the halfway mark of the Chase.Kyle Busch dominated the race, butMatt Kenseth passed Busch late in the race and held him off for his third win of 2011. During theGood Sam Club 500 at Talladega, the controversial two-car draft dominated the race, as theRCR duo ofJeff Burton andClint Bowyer pulled away from the field on a late restart, though Bowyer would pass Burton on the final lap and beat him to the line by a fender for his second consecutive fall Talladega win. The teams returned to Martinsville for the final short track of the season. There, the Chase drivers had up and down days, butTony Stewart passedJimmie Johnson on the final restart to grab his third win of 2011 and keep his Chase hopes alive. Returning to Texas, Stewart dominated and passed a gamblingJeff Burton with 5 to go to hold off points leaderCarl Edwards for his fourth win in 2011.
At the penultimate race in Phoenix, the drivers face a completely newPhoenix International Raceway. Stewart dominated once again, butKasey Kahne held off a hard-chargingCarl Edwards to snap an 81 race winless streak. At theseason finale, championship contenders Edwards and Stewart dominated the race with a razor-thin points gap, but Stewart prevailed and took home both his fifth win of 2011 and defeated Edwards for his first Cup championship as an owner-driver (Stewart and Edwards were tied in points after the race; Stewart prevailed on the first tie-breaker, number of race wins during the season – Stewart had five wins during the season (all during the Chase) while Edwards had only one win in the third race of the season). 2011 saw 5 drivers win their 1st ever Sprint Cup race (Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, David Ragan, Paul Menard, and Marcos Ambrose). 2011 also saw 19 different drivers winning at least one race. 2011 matched 2001 with both modern era record accomplishments.
(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time.Italics – Pole position set by final practice results. * – Most laps led.
| Pos | Driver | DAY | PHO | LVS | BRI | CAL | MAR | TEX | TAL | RCH | DAR | DOV | CLT | KAN | POC | MCH | SON | DAY | KEN | NHA | IND | POC | GLN | MCH | BRI | ATL | RCH | CHI | NHA | DOV | KAN | CLT | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tony Stewart | 13 | 7 | 2* | 19 | 13 | 34 | 12 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 29 | 17 | 8 | 21 | 7 | 39 | 11 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 27 | 9 | 28 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 15 | 8 | 7* | 1 | 1* | 3* | 1 | 2403 | |
| 2 | Carl Edwards | 2 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 16 | 5 | 37 | 5 | 3 | 37 | 5 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 12 | 36 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2* | 2403 | |
| 3 | Kevin Harvick | 42 | 4 | 17 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 6 | 22 | 22 | 7 | 1* | 2 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 32 | 4 | 13 | 19 | 8 | 2345 | |
| 4 | Matt Kenseth | 34 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 1* | 36 | 21 | 25 | 1 | 14* | 6 | 8 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 5 | 16 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 23 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 31 | 4 | 34 | 4 | 2330 | |
| 5 | Brad Keselowski | 29 | 15 | 26 | 18 | 26 | 19 | 18 | 33 | 36 | 3 | 13 | 19 | 1 | 23 | 25 | 10 | 15 | 7 | 35 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 20 | 3 | 16 | 4 | 17 | 24 | 18 | 20 | 2319 | |
| 6 | Jimmie Johnson | 27 | 3 | 16 | 3* | 2 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 9* | 28 | 7 | 4 | 27 | 7 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 31 | 10 | 18 | 2* | 1* | 34 | 26 | 2 | 14 | 14 | 32 | 2304 | |
| 7 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 24 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 19 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 21 | 41 | 19 | 30 | 15 | 16 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 17 | 24 | 14 | 19 | 25 | 7 | 7 | 24 | 11 | 2290 | |
| 8 | Jeff Gordon | 28 | 1* | 36 | 14 | 18 | 5 | 23 | 3 | 39 | 12 | 17 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 3* | 1* | 3 | 24 | 4* | 12 | 34 | 21 | 27 | 3 | 6 | 32 | 5 | 2287 | |
| 9 | Denny Hamlin | 21 | 11 | 7 | 33 | 39 | 12 | 15 | 23 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 10 | 3 | 19* | 1 | 37 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 27 | 15* | 36 | 35 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 31 | 29 | 18 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 20 | 12 | 9 | 2284 | |
| 10 | Ryan Newman | 22* | 5 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 20 | 14 | 25 | 20 | 5 | 21 | 31 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 25 | 23 | 4 | 1* | 12 | 5 | 16 | 5 | 8 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 25 | 23 | 18 | 10 | 38 | 10 | 16 | 5 | 12 | 2284 | |
| 11 | Kurt Busch | 5 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 18 | 22 | 27 | 14 | 4 | 9* | 2 | 11 | 1* | 14 | 9 | 10 | 21 | 3 | 38 | 34 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 6* | 22 | 1 | 13 | 13 | 36 | 14 | 30 | 22 | 34 | 2262 | |
| 12 | Kyle Busch | 8 | 2 | 38 | 1 | 3* | 3* | 16 | 35 | 1* | 11 | 4 | 32 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 1* | 36 | 10 | 2 | 3* | 1 | 14 | 23 | 6 | 22 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 2* | 33 | 27* | EX | 36 | 23 | 2246 | |
| Chase for the Sprint Cup cut-off | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pos | Driver | DAY | PHO | LVS | BRI | CAL | MAR | TEX | TAL | RCH | DAR | DOV | CLT | KAN | POC | MCH | SON | DAY | KEN | NHA | IND | POC | GLN | MCH | BRI | ATL | RCH | CHI | NHA | DOV | KAN | CLT | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | Points | |
| 13 | Clint Bowyer | 17 | 27 | 15 | 35 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 2* | 6 | 31 | 6 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 4 | 36 | 35 | 17 | 13 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 26 | 36 | 22 | 7 | 26 | 8 | 7 | 24 | 1 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 1047 | |
| 14 | Kasey Kahne | 25 | 6 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 39 | 21 | 37 | 3 | 4* | 36 | 22 | 14 | 12 | 28 | 20 | 4 | 13 | 6 | 18* | 28 | 26 | 7 | 11 | 34 | 38 | 12 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 1041 | |
| 15 | A. J. Allmendinger | 11 | 9 | 19 | 31 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 7 | 20 | 37 | 5 | 27 | 25 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 28 | 12 | 22 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 27 | 21 | 7 | 25 | 7 | 31 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 15 | 1013 | |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | 35 | 20 | 28 | 8 | 11 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 27 | 15* | 23 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 7 | 8 | 31 | 20* | 31 | 12 | 13 | 26 | 3 | 27 | 8 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 5 | 13 | 35 | 997 | |
| 17 | Paul Menard | 9 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 16 | 38 | 5 | 12 | 37 | 22 | 24 | 29 | 19 | 14 | 4 | 17 | 8 | 24 | 24 | 1 | 10 | 32 | 26 | 30 | 18 | 34 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 12 | 24 | 15 | 9 | 16 | 947 | |
| 18 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | 14 | 6 | 17 | 21 | 40 | 35 | 13 | 27 | 10 | 8 | 26 | 20 | 10 | 26 | 8 | 35 | 18 | 8 | 24 | 12 | 4 | 19 | 2 | 14 | 30 | 18 | 16 | 30 | 36 | 23 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 3 | 937 | |
| 19 | Marcos Ambrose | 37 | 16 | 4 | 15 | 28 | 29 | 6 | 32 | 23 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 26 | 34 | 23 | 5 | 17 | 20 | 9 | 34 | 20 | 1 | 27 | 10 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 30 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 19 | 29 | 11 | 8 | 39 | 936 | |
| 20 | Jeff Burton | 36 | 26 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 24 | 11 | 16 | 16 | 33 | 11 | 21 | 25 | 20 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 35 | 17 | 9 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 29 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 21 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 27 | 4 | 10 | 935 | |
| 21 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 6 | 19 | 3 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 30 | 29 | 23 | 32 | 12 | 17 | 7 | 30 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 30 | 28 | 32 | 7 | 25 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 22 | 23 | 14 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 31 | 932 | |
| 22 | Mark Martin | 10 | 13 | 18 | 12 | 20 | 10 | 36 | 8 | 14 | 19 | 2 | 34 | 21 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 33 | 22 | 22 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 4 | 38 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 24 | 19 | 10 | 37 | 20 | 28 | 19 | 16 | 24 | 930 | |
| 23 | David Ragan | 14 | 36 | 22 | 16 | 22 | 8 | 7 | 39 | 4 | 21 | 28 | 2 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 29 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 23 | 34 | 28 | 12 | 20 | 35 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 21 | 20 | 11 | 28 | 33 | 12 | 33 | 38 | 906 | |
| 24 | Joey Logano | 23 | 33 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 13 | 24 | 10 | 11 | 35 | 27 | 3 | 23 | 11 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 25 | 26 | 5 | 21 | 13 | 24 | 35 | 16 | 14 | 29 | 29 | 12 | 24 | 18 | 37 | 11 | 19 | 902 | |
| 25 | Brian Vickers | 31 | 30 | 10 | 36 | 8 | 17 | 27 | 38 | 10 | 34 | 5 | 18 | 16 | 22 | 10 | 36 | 12 | 27 | 34 | 15 | 39 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 11 | 33 | 13 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 20 | 5 | 30 | 21 | 23 | 17 | 846 | |
| 26 | Regan Smith | 7 | 34 | 39 | 22 | 27 | 31 | 37 | 15 | 17 | 1 | 34 | 8 | 24 | 15 | 33 | 16 | 24 | 17 | 33 | 3 | 21 | 23 | 13 | 18 | 33 | 18 | 17 | 10 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 30 | 13 | 23 | 38 | 13 | 820 | |
| 27 | Jamie McMurray | 18 | 35 | 27 | 21 | 23 | 7 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 9 | 20 | 37 | 29 | 33 | 19 | 15 | 22 | 36 | 31 | 4 | 22 | 18 | 23 | 5 | 16 | 14 | 38 | 23 | 15 | 22 | 27 | 29 | 35 | 36 | 17 | 14 | 795 | |
| 28 | David Reutimann | 30 | 29 | 13 | 30 | 19 | 15 | 29 | 14 | 31 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 22 | 13 | 35 | 24 | 25 | 2 | 19 | 36 | 24 | 29 | 18 | 36 | 31 | 26 | 32 | 28 | 13 | 35 | 26 | 13 | 20 | 22 | 7 | 18 | 757 | |
| 29 | Bobby Labonte | 4 | 21 | 24 | 13 | 38 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 18 | 18 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 38 | 31 | 26 | 7 | 17 | 25 | 19 | 16 | 34 | 38 | 20 | 37 | 19 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 35 | 32 | 28 | 21 | 27 | 670 | |
| 30 | David Gilliland | 3 | 22 | 37 | 27 | 31 | 33 | 42 | 9 | 25 | 32 | 22 | 33 | 33 | 29 | 29 | 12 | 16 | 31 | 25 | 33 | 23 | 33 | 32 | 24 | 37 | 27 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 22 | 34 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 572 | |
| 31 | Casey Mears | DNQ | 18 | 25 | 37 | 29 | 36 | 26 | 22 | 28 | 30 | 23 | 23 | 37 | 30 | 38 | 34 | 32 | 25 | 38 | 29 | 36 | 22 | 37 | 23 | 28 | 17 | 29 | 42 | 35 | 42 | 32 | 17 | 12 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 541 | |
| 32 | Dave Blaney | 26 | 42 | 34 | 25 | 37 | 30 | 30 | 27 | 13 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 32 | 26 | 34 | 31 | 39 | 33 | 29 | 31 | 30 | DNQ | 33 | 35 | 43 | 19 | 33 | 35 | 32 | 31 | 35 | 3 | 23 | 35 | 27 | 28 | 508 | |
| 33 | Andy Lally(R) | 33 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 19 | 26 | DNQ | 33 | DNQ | 31 | 32 | 36 | 35 | 27 | 32 | 28 | 26 | 29 | 24 | 29 | 25 | 30 | 32 | 28 | 34 | 33 | 37 | 421 | 39 | 29 | DNQ | 398 | ||||
| 34 | Robby Gordon | 16 | 32 | 31 | 39 | 34 | 23 | 31 | 20 | 35 | 37 | 38 | 37 | 18 | 34 | DNQ | 43 | 35 | 21 | 43 | 39 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 38 | 37 | 35 | 268 | |||||||||||
| 35 | J. J. Yeley | 43 | 37 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 43 | 39 | 40 | 42 | 38 | 42 | 39 | DNQ | 40 | 23 | DNQ | 43 | 42 | 43 | DNQ | 25 | 42 | 34 | 27 | 34 | 43 | 22 | 42 | 40 | 43 | 28 | 41 | 192 | |||
| 36 | Michael McDowell | DNQ | 41 | 41 | 43 | 43 | 32 | 40 | DNQ | 40 | 43 | 43 | 39 | 41 | 41 | 43 | 30 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 37 | 41 | 39 | 41 | 39 | 43 | 37 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 39 | 33 | 40 | 43 | 139 | |||
| 37 | Tony Raines | 25 | 35 | 28 | 36 | 25 | 34 | DNQ | 33 | 36 | 35 | DNQ | DNQ | 36 | DNQ | DNQ | 38 | DNQ | 38 | DNQ | 129 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 38 | Ken Schrader | DNQ | 33 | 22 | 33 | 32 | 28 | 30 | 21 | 110 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 39 | Terry Labonte | 15 | 34 | 32 | 28 | 41 | 34 | 33 | 34 | 102 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 | Bill Elliott | 12 | 23 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 41 | David Stremme | 34 | 41 | 42 | 40 | 39 | 41 | DNQ | 371 | DNQ | 38 | 40 | 32 | DNQ | 40 | 41 | 38 | 41 | 40 | 41 | 38 | DNQ | DNQ | 42 | 80 | ||||||||||||||
| 42 | Michael Waltrip | 40 | 28 | DNQ | 9 | 56 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 43 | Boris Said | 28 | 20 | 38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 44 | Geoff Bodine | 38 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 38 | 37 | 30 | 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 45 | T. J. Bell(R) | 381 | DNQ | DNQ | 39 | DNQ | 42 | DNQ | 37 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 29 | 29 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 46 | Stephen Leicht | 24 | DNQ | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 47 | Andy Pilgrim | 26 | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 48 | Chris Cook | 27 | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 49 | Brian Simo | 33 | DNQ | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 50 | Brian Keselowski(R) | 41 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 51 | Erik Darnell | 391 | DNQ | 42 | DNQ | DNQ | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 52 | Steve Park | 42 | DNQ | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ineligible for Sprint Cup driver points, but eligible for owner points if pre-entered | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pos | Driver | DAY | PHO | LVS | BRI | CAL | MAR | TEX | TAL | RCH | DAR | DOV | CLT | KAN | POC | MCH | SON | DAY | KEN | NHA | IND | POC | GLN | MCH | BRI | ATL | RCH | CHI | NHA | DOV | KAN | CLT | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | Points | |
| 53 | Trevor Bayne | 1 | 40 | 20 | 34 | 30 | 35 | 17 | 40 | INJ | INJ | INJ | INJ | INJ | 16 | 41 | 30 | 24 | 23 | 31 | 15 | 17 | 25 | – | |||||||||||||||
| 54 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 11 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 55 | Landon Cassill | 38 | 43 | 42 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 31 | 38 | 29 | 30 | 35 | 35 | 24 | 12 | 26 | 23 | 26 | 20 | 27 | 31 | 22 | 25 | 30 | 33 | 31 | 17 | 28 | 16 | 42 | 26 | 29 | 36 | – | |||||
| 56 | Travis Kvapil | 32 | 39 | 33 | 26 | 35 | 37 | DNQ | 29 | 30 | 26 | 31 | 25 | 34 | 31 | 29 | 29 | DNQ | 31 | 28 | 37 | 42 | 28 | DNQ | 43 | 43 | 27 | 40 | 21 | 16 | 31 | 43 | 22 | – | |||||
| 57 | Steve Wallace | 20 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 58 | Mike Bliss | 25 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 36 | 25 | 31 | 36 | 28 | 30 | 34 | 30 | 21 | – | |||||||||||||||||||
| 59 | Mike Skinner | 24 | 29 | 42 | 43 | DNQ | 41 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 40 | DNQ | DNQ | 42 | 40 | 43 | 42 | 40 | DNQ | 43 | 42 | 41 | 27 | DNQ | DNQ | Wth | DNQ | DNQ | Wth | 43 | 41 | 42 | DNQ | – | |||||
| 60 | Cole Whitt | 25 | 37 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 61 | Hermie Sadler | 28 | 33 | 26 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 62 | Austin Dillon | 26 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 63 | David Starr | 38 | 36 | DNQ | 27 | 29 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 64 | Scott Wimmer | 38 | DNQ | 38 | 37 | 27 | DNQ | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 65 | Joe Nemechek | 39 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 39 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 39 | 41 | 43 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 39 | 41 | 38 | 41 | 40 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 40 | 36 | 39 | 41 | 43 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 41 | 40 | – | |
| 66 | Patrick Carpentier | 30 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 67 | Ron Fellows | 30 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 68 | Scott Speed | 39 | 40 | 39 | 42 | 32 | 43 | 35 | 41 | 42 | 33 | DNQ | DNQ | 37 | 39 | 39 | DNQ | – | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 69 | Jason White | 33 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 70 | Sam Hornish Jr. | 35 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 71 | Andrew Ranger | 35 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 72 | Reed Sorenson | 38 | 38 | 36 | DNQ | DNQ | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 73 | Johnny Sauter | 36 | DNQ | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 74 | Josh Wise | 42 | 39 | 37 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 40 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 75 | Todd Bodine | DNQ | 40 | 37 | 39 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 76 | Dennis Setzer | 38 | Wth | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 77 | Robert Richardson Jr. | 38 | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 78 | Scott Riggs | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 42 | 43 | 42 | 42 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 79 | Kevin Conway | DNQ | 43 | 43 | 43 | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 80 | P. J. Jones | 43 | DNQ | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 81 | Jeff Green | 43 | DNQ | – | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 82 | Derrike Cope | DNQ | Wth | DNQ | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 83 | Tony Ave | DNQ | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 84 | Grant Enfinger | DNQ | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 85 | Norm Benning | Wth | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 86 | David Mayhew | QL | – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pos | Driver | DAY | PHO | LVS | BRI | CAL | MAR | TEX | TAL | RCH | DAR | DOV | CLT | KAN | POC | MCH | SON | DAY | KEN | NHA | IND | POC | GLN | MCH | BRI | ATL | RCH | CHI | NHA | DOV | KAN | CLT | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | Points | |
| References | [78] | [79] | [80] | [81] | [82] | [83] | [84] | [85] | [86] | [87] | [88] | [89] | [90] | [91] | [92] | [93] | [94] | [95] | [96] | [97] | [98] | [99] | [100] | [101] | [102] | [103] | [104] | [105] | [106] | [107] | [108] | [109] | [110] | [111] | [112] | [113] | [114] | ||
| *1 – Post entry, driver and owner did not score points. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Note:This list does not include exhibition races.
| Pos | Manufacturer | Wins | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet | 18 | 248 |
| 2 | Ford | 7 | 195 |
| 3 | Toyota | 6 | 187 |
| 4 | Dodge | 5 | 162 |
Source:[115] | |||
