GENERAL RACING NEWS 2011
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APRIL 17, 2011 ----- WILD, RECORD-TYING FINISH AT TALLADEGA; TWO NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RECORDS MATCHED IN SUNDAY'S AARON'S 499 ----- Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway tied two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series records – number of lead changes and closest margin of victory.
There were 88 lead changes at the start/finish line, tying an all-time NASCAR record set in last season’s April event at Talladega. The final lead change occurred on the last lap – eight of the last 12 Talladega races featured a last-lap lead change.
Jimmie Johnson edged Clint Bowyer by .002 seconds, which matches the closest margin of victory since the inception of electronic scoring in May 1993. That mark was originally set at Darlington Raceway on March 16, 2003, with Ricky Craven beating Kurt Busch.
Since 1993, every race at Talladega finishing under green – 29 in all – has had a MOV under .400 seconds.
Johnson, with his 54th-career victory, moved into a tie with NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Lee Petty for ninth on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins list.
Passing numbers – for the lead and otherwise – also were high.
There were 159 green flag passes for the lead all around the race track, with a total of 11,025 green flag passes throughout the field.
Sunday’s race capped off a record-breaking weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
In Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race, there were 56 lead changes, an all-time record since the series’ inception in 1982.
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