USA Today’s 2006 NASCAR Crash Data

Let’s start with Ryan Newman’s information for all you #12 Alltel Dodge fans out there and then we will continue on with the rest of it. J.J Yeley led the pack in 2006 with 17 accidents in 36 races for 47.2%. Joe Nemechek was a close second with 16 out 36 for 44.4%. Ryan Newman and the Alltel Dodge came in 3rd (tied with Casey Mears and Robby Gordon – BUT Newman listed third) with 15 out of 36 for 41.7%. That explains Ryan Newman’s year last year!

USA Today has released it’s 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Crash Report. It is really pretty interesting. In 2006 there was an average of 6.6 accidents per race with and average of 96. cautions in a race. To me that sounds like a lot of cautions per race. Those numbers are down from 2005 but high than the numbers from years before 2005 (back to 2001).

This one makes sense to me, but accidents accounted for more than half of the DNF’s (Driver did Not Finish) in 2006 at 53.8%. Now I would have thought that number would be higher, but in a distant second places Engine troubles at 26.2%. Then it drops way off to 3.6% for rear ends and on down from there. There is an “other” category at the bottom of the Cause Of DNF list that reports 4.5%.

Turn 4 had the most crashes at 68 for 28.7% of the crashes with turn 2 in second at 25.3. After that it drops off at least 10% points to start accounting for the other areas of the track.

Track with the most accidents is a no brainier I think. Martinsville heads up the list with 32 for 16% and Bristol is right behind with 25 at 12.5%. California had the lowest percent last year with 2.5%.

Percentage wise, Walkins Glen International had the most caution laps at 24.4% with 10 cautions – 22 caution laps out of a 90 lap race. Following closely was the Martinsville Subway 500 at 21.4% with 18 cautions for 107 caution laps in a 500 lap race.

I think they have the information laid out pretty good and it is worth taking a look at. I enjoyed it.

Mike

Follow this link for the full story, then scroll down a little and you will see "inside motor sports" and look for the crash data link.