Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Mohegan Sun 200 At Lime Rock
The NASCAR Camping World Series East is set for its 17th annual trip to Lime Rock Park for the Mohegan Sun 200 on Saturday, August 15, in Lakeville, Conn.
Lime Rock Park Data
Race: #9 of 11 (8/15/09)
Track Layout: 1.53-mile, 12-turn road course
Race Length: 82 laps/200 kilometers (125.46 miles)
Qualifying/Race Data
2008 pole winner: None – rain
2008 race winner: Matt Kobyluck (99.309 mph (record), 1:15.48)
Qualifying Record: Bryan Wall (102.778 mph, 53.591 seconds, 10/12/01)
NCWSE Race Winners at LRP
1. Matt Kobyluck, 3
Butch Leitzinger, 3
3. Dale Quarterly, 2
Bryan Wall, 2
5. Six drivers with 1
NCWSE Pole Winners at LRP
1. Bryan Wall, 4
2. Matt Kobyluck, 3
3. Kelly Moore, 2
4. Four drivers with 1
At Lime Rock Park:
• Opened in 1957.
• Has played host to the NASCAR Camping World Series East every year since 1993.
• In the inaugural NCWSE race on Oct. 16, 1993, Ken Schrader beat Kenny Wallace by two seconds in the 50-lap event … Curtis Markham earned the pole.
• Matt Kobyluck has won three of the last four races at LRP, including the last two in a row.
• Kobyluck is tied with Butch Leitzinger for the most NCWSE wins at LRP with three apiece.
• Kobyluck could tie Bryan Wall for the most poles at LRP this year … Wall is the current leader with four.
Up to Speed:
• Brian Ickler won the NASCAR Camping World Series East season-opener at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway on April 11 … Rookie Brett Moffitt became the youngest driver in NCWSE history to earn a 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light at the event.
• Matt DiBenedetto was victorious on April 25 at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C., in just his second start … Rookie Alan Tardiff earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award at the event.
• Kyle Busch made his NCWS debut in the East/West combination race at Iowa Speedway on May 17 in Newton, Iowa … He set the series’ track qualifying record and went on to lead 168 of 200 laps to capture the race win.
• Moffitt became the youngest race winner in series history at South Boston (Va.) Speedway on May 30 … Ryan Truex also earned his first career 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light.
• Truex earned his first career win at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on June 6 … DiBenedetto earned his first career 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light … Both accomplished those feats in their first road course events.
• DiBenedetto emerged victorious at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., on June 26 from a last-lap battle with Truex for his second win in just four starts … Truex captured his second 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light on the year.
• Truex won at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on July 11 … With the win, he took the points lead for the first time this year … Steve Park earned his first NCWSE career Coors Light Pole Award at TIS.
• Last time out, Park drove to Victory Lane at Adirondack International Speedway in Lowville, N.Y. … It was his first NCWSE win since 1996, and third overall … Eddie MacDonald earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award prior to the race.
• Truex will bring a 26-point lead in the driver standings to Lime Rock Park … The No. 18 Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing and J.D. Gibbs is atop the current owner standings … The No. 18 team has registered three wins and top-10 finishes in seven of the eight races this year.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Matt DiBenedetto (No. 18 Toyota)
• First-year driver for Joe Gibbs Racing that splits time in the car with Max Gresham.
• Has top-10 finishes in each of his five starts, including two wins and four top fives.
• Won in his second start at Tri-County Motor Speedway and earned second win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• Earned first career pole at Watkins Glen International and finished fifth in his first road course race.
• Only remaining scheduled start in 2009 will be at Dover International Speedway.
Jesus Hernandez (No. 12 Dodge)
• Splits time in the Troy Williams Motorsports entry with Antonio Perez.
• Has made six starts in 2009 with a best finish of fourth at Adirondack International Speedway.
• Has 11 top fives and 17 top 10s in 31 career NCWSE starts.
• Has finished fourth in both of his previous starts at Lime Rock Park.
Jason Holehouse (No. 81 Toyota)
• Has one top-10 finish in nine career NCWSE starts … First eight starts came at the WGI and LRP road courses … Made oval track debut with a 15th place finish at AIS.
• Has a best finish of 15th in five previous NCWSE starts at LRP.
• Is the chief instructor of the Eastern Region for the Skip Barber Racing School.
Scott Ivie (No. 74 Ford)
• Is set to make his NCWSE debut … Has two starts in the NASCAR Camping World Series West this year, and four total in the last three seasons … All four have been at road courses.
• The 2004 and 2005 ASC Racing Series champion.
Matt Kobyluck (No. 40 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NCWSE champion … Has seven poles, 16 wins and 90 top 10s in 165 career NCWSE starts … Has won at 11 different tracks, including at LRP in 2005, 07 and 08.
• Has two top fives and six top 10s in eight 2009 starts … Is fourth in points – 60 behind leader Ryan Truex – and has completed 1093 of 1094 laps so far this year, the most among all drivers.
• Has an average finish of 11th in 10 career starts at LRP with three wins and six top 10s.
Jody Lavender (No. 88 Chevrolet)
• Has 11 top 10s in 21 career NCWSE starts, including five in eight 2009 outings.
• Has previously held the points lead this year … Is currently second, 26 points behind Ryan Truex.
• Registered best career finish of second in the season opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway.
• Finished 23rd in his LRP debut in 2008.
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Chevrolet)
• Has five wins and 46 top 10s in 118 career NCWSE starts.
• Is currently third in points, just 35 behind leader Ryan Truex … Has registered a series-high seven top 10s in eight starts and has completed all but two laps.
• Has an average finish of 13th in seven career LRP starts with his best effort a sixth in 2005.
• Won the prestigious TD Banknorth Oxford 250 – an open Late Model race – on July 19.
Brett Moffitt (No. 44 Chevrolet)
• Has six top 10s in eight starts in his rookie season … Is sixth in overall points and second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.
• Became youngest driver in NCWSE history – surpassing Joey Logano – to earn a pole when he accomplished the feat in the season opener at GPS … Also surpassed Logano by becoming the youngest race winner in series history at South Boston Speedway.
• Finished third in his first road course experience in June at WGI.
Mike Olsen (No. 61 Chevrolet)
• The 2001 and 2006 NCWSE champion … This will be his second start of the season.
• Has six wins, 12 poles and 137 top 10s in 287 career starts.
• Has competed in 15 of the 16 all-time races at LRP and has an average finish of 10th … Best finishes at LRP were runner-up efforts in 1999 and 2005.
• Is the owner of the No. 16 Chevrolet regularly piloted by Jonathan Smith.
Steve Park (No. 35 Chevrolet)
• Has three wins and 21 top 10s in 34 career NCWSE starts.
• Earned first career NCWSE pole at TIS and was the AIS race winner last time out.
• Is currently fifth in points, 78 back of leader Ryan Truex.
• Has wins and poles in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series and Whelen Modified Tour in addition to the NCWSE.
• Has finishes of fourth (1996) and seventh (2008) in his only previous starts at LRP.
Alan Tardiff (No. 38 Chevrolet)
• Has six top 10s in 11 career NCWSE starts.
• All six top 10s have come in seven 2009 starts … Is seventh in points despite missing a race.
• Earned first career Coors Light Pole Award at Tri-County Motor Speedway.
• This will be his NCWSE road course debut.
Ryan Truex (No. 00 Toyota)
• Has nine career NCWSE starts … Made his series debut at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2008.
• Is a Michael Waltrip Racing development driver.
• Took the overall points lead for the first time at TIS … Has five-straight top-three finishes … Is also currently leading in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points.
• Earned his first career pole at SBS … Second pole came at NHMS.
• First race win came at WGI … Joined father, Martin Sr., and brother, Martin Jr., on the NCWSE all-time wins list in the process.
• Captured second career win last time out at TIS … Joined his brother on the TIS wins list.
Miscellaneous
• The eight races to-date have produced six different race winners and seven pole winners.
• Five of the eight races have featured a margin of victory of less than one second.
• The current points spread between first place Ryan Truex and second place Eddie MacDonald is just 26 points … That is the closest race in series history this late in the season.
• Despite competing in just two races, Brian Ickler is currently tied with MacDonald in season laps led at 145.
• Truex is looking to become just the second driver in NCWSE history to earn the championship and rookie of the year in the same year, joining Joey Logano in 2007.
• Of the 23 entrants on the preliminary Mohegan Sun 200 entry list, eight will be making their debut at Lime Rock Park.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR PR