• 84 drivers attempted to qualify for at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race this season.
• There were 15 different pole winners in 2008:
- Jimmie Johnson (six)
- Jeff Gordon (four)
- Kyle Busch (two)
- Greg Biffle (two)
- Kasey Kahne (two)
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one)
- Ryan Newman (one)
- Joe Nemechek (one)
- Denny Hamlin (one)
- Patrick Carpentier (one)
- Paul Menard (one)
- Brian Vickers (one)
- Carl Edwards (one)
- Travis Kvapil (one)
- David Reutimann (one)
• There were four first-time pole winners in 2008.
This continued a 22-year streak of at least one first-time pole winner (1987-2008).
- Patrick Carpentier (New Hampshire)
- Paul Menard (Daytona-2)
- Travis Kvapil (Talladega-2)
- David Reutimann (Homestead)
• Patrick Carpentier and Paul Menard won consecutive career-first poles – the first time that career first poles had been posted in back-to-back races since David Green (Homestead) and Kevin Lepage (Atlanta) in 1999.
Disheartening Rain
• Qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather at the Auto Club Speedway, Bristol, Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Richmond-2, New Hampshire-2, Lowe’s-2, Martinsville-2 and Atlanta-2.
• 49 different drivers have posted at least one top-10 start, led by Jimmie Johnson with 27.
• The pole winner (or driver who started first) won nine times and finished in the top 10 in 20 races this season.
• Two pole winners went on to finish last in that race: Ryan Newman (Phoenix) and Greg Biffle (Darlington).
• The average finish of the pole winner in 2008 is 12.28.
• Landon Cassill won the pole for the NASCAR Nationwide Series at New Hampshire and Patrick Carpentier followed up with the pole for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race. It was the first time ever that two Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates swept the poles at the same track in a weekend.
source: nascar press release
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