Thursday, February 28, 2008

By the Numbers: Las Vegas

One grew up 337 miles from the site of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the other grew up on a three-eighths-mile tract of land adjacent to Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
One is 32, the other is 22.
One traveled 2,391 miles to join Hendrick Motorsports, the other traveled 2,233 miles to work for Hendrick before packing up after four years and moving to Joe Gibbs Racing.
There are miles of differences between Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, but their roads have brought them to Busch's hometown this weekend -- one seeking to extend a streak, the other seeking to break one.
Johnson has won three consecutive races at Las Vegas heading into Sunday's UAW-Dodge 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX) and aims to make it four in a row (listen to more). But it's been 33 races since Busch celebrated the first victory in the new car (Bristol, March 25, 2007). Johnson is the defending champion; Busch is the current points leader.
Although not a sure bet, seeing either of them in Victory Lane Sunday night isn't a high-stakes gamble -- the numbers line up.
4Consecutive victories by Jimmie Johnson at Lowe's Motor Speedway between 2004-2005, the last time a Cup driver won at the same track four consecutive times.
4Consecutive victories by Jeff Gordon in the fall event at Darlington Raceway between 1995-1998, the last time a Cup driver won the same event four consecutive times.
4Consecutive victories by Jimmie Johnson in 2007 between Oct. 21-Nov. 11, the last time a Cup driver won four consecutive races on the schedule.
4Finishing position of Kyle Busch in the season's first two races. Busch has three consecutive top-10 finishes at his home track of Las Vegas (second, third

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