DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 27, 2008) – The new car matched – and exceeded – the boom in competition from the last visit to a restrictor plate track (February’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway).

There were 52 lead changes among 20 drivers during Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

The Daytona 500 saw similar numbers – 42 lead changes among 16 drivers.

Sunday’s 20 different leaders is tied for eighth all-time in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition.

The 52 lead changes topped both Talladega races from last season. In the 2007 spring race, there were 42 lead changes; in the fall contest, there were 41.

There was also a jump in Green Flag Passes for the Lead, a Loop Data statistic that accounts for lead changes all around the track (not only at the start/finish line). Sunday’s race saw 84 Green Flag Passes for the Lead, compared to 67 during the last race held at Talladega.
 
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Kyle Busch, winner of Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega, will attempt to pull the “season circuit” in next weekend’s races at Richmond International Raceway.

With a win at the .75-mile Richmond short track, Busch would have a win on every style of track in NASCAR.

He currently has a win at two intermediate tracks (Atlanta in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and Texas in the NASCAR Nationwide Series), a restrictor plate track (Talladega in NASCAR Sprint Cup), a road course (Mexico City in the NASCAR Nationwide Series), a one-mile track (Phoenix in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) and a two-mile track (Auto Club Speedway in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series).