NASCAR's 'Driver Rating' is a special formula similar to the NFL's quarterback rating in which a number of performance-related factors are taken into consideration.
This stat often tells the truth about drivers because it uses their finishes as well as in-race statistics to determine which ones are running the best.
It may surprise you to learn that Jimmie Johnson was not only the best driver in the Chase, but by far the best driver all season according to the driver rating. Kevin Harvick scored the most points for the season as a whole, but was only fourth in driver rating.
Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch were second and third, respectively, but finished ninth and eighth in points. Busch was even better than teammate Denny Hamlin (fifth in driver rating), who came closest to toppling Johnson.
Some of the major overachievers (based on their points position in relation to driver rating) included Greg Biffle, who was 12th in driver rating but sixth in the point standings, and Matt Kenseth, who was 14th in driver rating and fifth in the points.
Underachievers included Juan Pablo Montoya, who was statistically the 11th-best driver but only 17th in points, and Kasey Kahne, who was 15th in driver rating and 20th in points.
The full list of season leaders:
Driver Rating Season Leaders
Formula combining the following categories: Win, Finish, Top-15 Finish, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race. Must have raced in 75 percent of scheduled point-paying races.
Rank Car Driver Pts Position SEASON DRIVER RATING
1 48 Jimmie Johnson 1 107.7
2 24 Jeff Gordon 9 98.5
3 18 Kyle Busch 8 98.2
4 29 Kevin Harvick 3 98.0
5 11 Denny Hamlin 2 96.2
6 31 Jeff Burton 12 96.2
7 99 Carl Edwards 4 91.8
8 33 Clint Bowyer 10 91.7
9 14 Tony Stewart 7 91.2
10 2 Kurt Busch 11 91.0
11 42 Juan Montoya 17 90.9
12 16 Greg Biffle 6 88.4
13 1 Jamie McMurray 14 86.5
14 17 Matt Kenseth 5 86.0
15 83 Kasey Kahne 20 82.8
16 5 Mark Martin 13 82.8
17 00 David Reutimann 18 82.7
18 39 Ryan Newman 15 82.2
19 56 M Truex Jr. 22 82.2
20 20 Joey Logano 16 80.3
21 43 AJ Allmendinger 19 79.1
22 88 D Earnhardt Jr. 21 75.7
23 98 Paul Menard 23 70.9
24 47 Marcos Ambrose 26 68.9
25 6 David Ragan 24 66.2
26 12 Brad Keselowski 25 65.1
27 77 Sam Hornish Jr. 29 61.5
28 19 Elliott Sadler 27 58.9
29 78 Regan Smith 28 58.4
30 82 Scott Speed 30 57.3
31 7 Robby Gordon 34 47.3
32 09 Bobby Labonte 31 45.9
33 37 David Gilliland 32 43.2
34 34 Travis Kvapil 33 41.8
35 38 Dave Blaney 37 34.2
36 87 Joe Nemechek 38 33.2
37 7 Kevin Conway 35 32.5
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NASCAR Driver Rating Season Leaders: The Truth Revealed
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Comments
Driver rating
“Driver rating” is really a misnomer. It should be called “speed rating,” because that’s what it really is measuring. And speed has as much to do with the guys at the shop and the pit crew as the driver. Finishing position is the true driver rating, because part of the skill of driving is avoiding trouble, the failure of which is what knocks some of these guys down in the points.
by goat10000 on Nov 26, 2010 11:26 AM EST reply actions
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