For those of you NASCAR fans that like stats and love to hate commercials, here is the breakdown from the race on Sunday afternoon. This was the last race of the season.

I began recording the times at the waving of the green flag at 3:45 PM, and stopped at the waving of the checkered flag at 7:06 PM (all times are EST). I did not keep records for the pre- and post-race coverage.

ABC was the broadcaster for this event.

Below the commercial breakdown, be sure to check out how often drivers were focused on during the race. Throughout the breakdown, you can find links to sponsors, or special items-of-interest such as links to contests and movie sites.

In the near future, please look for a review of this season’s broadcasts based on the statistics we have collected for every Cup race since February. While some observations and outcomes are obvious, some are surprising.

We are also looking for suggestions for next year’s breakdowns. We have enjoyed collecting the statistics, and the fans’ reactions to them.

Race and Commercial Breakdown of the Ford 400 11-18-2007

Total number of commercials: 132 (in 2006: 151)

Total number of companies or entities advertised: 75 (in 2006: 76)

Total number of brief promos of products/services during the race broadcast: 28 (in 2006: 25)

Total number of companies or entities advertised in brief promos or crawlers: 18 (companies: Ford; Coca-Cola; Subway; Pennzoil; Allstate; Gillette Fusion; NAPA; AFLACracing.com; American Music Awards on ABC; GoodYear, ABC in HD presented by DLP HDTV; Monday Night Football on ESPN; ESPN’s ‘NASCAR Now’, season’s last edition, presented by DirecTV; espn.com/deportes; espn.com/communications; espn.com/techcenter; espn.com/knowhow)

Total amount of time these brief promos take during broadcast: app. 4 min. 45 sec.

Also, there are the following race statistics during the broadcast, sponsored by companies:

Sprint ‘Speed Lap’
FedEx ‘Race Rundown’
Ford ‘Lap Leaders’
AT&T ‘Crew Chief Challenge’
ESPN/Dish Tech Center
Chevy ‘Cutaway Car’
Allstate ‘Good Hands Move of the Race’

Start time to record race/commercial periods 11/18/07: 3:45 PM (in 2006: 2:50 PM)
End time to record race/commercial periods 11/18/07: 7:06 PM (in 2006: 6:31 PM)

Total minutes: 201 (in 2006: 221)

Minutes of race broadcast: 143 (in 2006: 147)
Minutes of commercials: 58 (in 2006: 74)

Number of missed restarts: 0 (in 2006: 0)

Click here for last year’s commercial breakdown of this race.

Breakdown of what the commercials were for, by category:

_ ABC/TV Previews/Promos_

Dancing With the Stars – 4
Dirty Sexy Money – 3
American Music Awards on ABC – 3
ESPN Sportscenter powered by Vizio – 2
Samantha Who? – 2
October Road – 2
Pushing Daisies – 2
Private Practice – 2
Good Morning America – 1
Grey’s Anatomy – 1

Total: 22

Movies

I Am Legend – 2
‘The Mist’ – 1
Spiderman III on DVD – 1
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story – 1

Total: 5

Local News/Sports/Points-of-Interest in Penna.

ABC local news – 9
GotItBanks.com – 1
Manor House Kitchens – 1
Arthur Murray Dance Studio – 1
Three Rivers Chrysler Jeep Dodge – 1
King’s Jewelers – 1
Pittsburgh Ballet Theater – 1
SteelCityCars.com – 1
Shadyside Honda – 1

Total: 17

Restaurants/Food

Mycokerewards.com (various claymation drivers) – 2
Oreo and nascar.com – 2
Diet Mountain Dew – 2
Burger King – 2
McDonald’s – 2
Coke Zero – 1
Oreo – 1
Subway (Tony Stewart & Greg Zipadelli) – 1

Total: 13

Beer

Budweiser – 1

Total: 1

Car/Truck/Bike

Ford – 6
Enterprise Rent-a-Car (Martin Truex Jr.) – 3
Click It or Ticket – 2
Buyatoyota.com – 2
Ford – 1
Pennzoil – 1
NAPA (Michael Waltrip & Dale Jarrett) – 1
Shell (Kevin Harvick) – 1
Mobil 1 – 1
Havoline – 1
CarCare.org and nascar.com (Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler, Bobby Labonte) – 1
Featherlite – 1

Total: 21

Insurance/Health

Allstate (Kasey Kahne) – 4
AFLAC – 1

Total: 5

Wireless Phone

AT&T – 4

Total: 4

Home Improvement

Home Depot Decorating – 1
Glidden Paint at Home Depot (Tony Stewart) – 1
Home Depot (Tony Stewart) – 1

Total: 3

Technology

DLP and Sears – 2
DirecTV – 2
Dish Network (Carl Edwards) – 2
Nextel (Jeff Gordon) – 2
Comcast (Jeff Green) – 2
Radio Shack – 2
Sirius – 1
Nextel – 1

Total: 14

Financial/Employment/Real Estate

Bank of America – 1
KnowYourFee.org – 1

Total: 2

Products/Services for the Home and Personal Use

Wrangler jeans – 3
Hanes – 1
Gillette Fusion – 1
Aleve – 1
Stop Team Tylenol – 1
SportsAuthority.com – 1
Zantac – 1
Zales – 1

Total: 10

Shipping

UPS (Dale Jarrett) – 1

Total: 1

Business Resources

Office Depot (Carl Edwards) – 2
FedEx Kinkos – 2
Yellow Book – 1

Total: 5

Racing Related

nascar.com Superstore – 5
nascar.com – 2
nascar.com Champions’ Week – 1
Daytona 500 – 1

Total: 9

Breakdown of specific times, broken into two categories (race broadcast times, and commercial broadcast times)

Race brdcast times: Total min: Comm. brdcast times: Total min:

3:45 PM – 3:50 PM – 5 // 3:50 PM – 3:53 PM – 3

3:53 PM – 3:57 PM – 4 // 3:57 PM – 4:00 PM – 3

4:00 PM – 4:10 PM – 10 // 4:10 PM – 4:12 PM – 2

4:12 PM – 4:17 PM – 5 // 4:17 PM – 4:20 PM – 3

4:20 PM – 4:25 PM – 5 // 4:25 PM – 4:29 PM – 4

4:29 PM – 4:37 PM – 8 // 4:37 PM – 4:40 PM – 3

4:40 PM – 4:44 PM – 4 // 4:44 PM – 4:46 PM – 2

4:46 PM – 4:56 PM – 10 // 4:56 PM – 4:59 PM – 3

4:59 PM – 5:01 PM – 2 // 5:01 PM – 5:04 PM – 3

5:04 PM – 5:11 PM – 7 // 5:11 PM – 5:14 PM – 3

5:14 PM – 5:20 PM – 6 // 5:20 PM – 5:23 PM – 3

5:23 PM – 5:26 PM – 3 // 5:26 PM – 5:29 PM – 3

5:29 PM – 5:37 PM – 8 // 5:37 PM – 5:39 PM – 2

5:39 PM – 5:45 PM – 6 // 5:45 PM – 5:48 PM – 3

5:48 PM – 5:54 PM – 6 // 5:54 PM – 5:56 PM – 2

5:56 PM – 6:04 PM – 8 // 6:04 PM – 6:07 PM – 3

6:07 PM – 6:11 PM – 4 // 6:11 PM – 6:14 PM – 3

6:14 PM – 6:19 PM – 5 // 6:19 PM – 6:21 PM – 2

6:21 PM – 6:31 PM – 10 // 6:31 PM – 6:33 PM – 2

6:33 PM – 6:40 PM – 7 // 6:40 PM – 6:43 PM – 3

6:43 PM – 6:56 PM – 13 // 6:56 PM – 6:59 PM – 3

6:59 PM – 7:06 PM – 7 // 7:06 PM – checkered flag flies

Total race brdcst time: 143 Total comm. brdcst time: 58

How often were different drivers focused on during the Ford 400?

3:45 PM – 3:50 PM
Featured driver: Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson, Reed Sorenson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Steve Letarte, Chad Knaus

3:53 PM – 3:57 PM
Featured drivers: Jimmie Johnson; Carl Edwards (audio with Rusty Wallace); Bob Osborne (audio with Andy Petree)

4:00 PM – 4:10 PM
Featured drivers: Matt Kenseth; Jeff Gordon; Jeff Gordon, Dave Gilliland; Chad Knaus; Jimmie Johnson; Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd, Tony Raines, Carl Edwards (in-car cameras); Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman; Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne; Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton; David Ragan, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart; Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth; Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson; Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman; Jeff Gordon; Jeff Burton, Martin Truex Jr.; Jeff Burton, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer; Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer; Jeff Burton (replay); Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson; Jimmie Johnson; Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne; Matt Kenseth

4:12 PM – 4:17 PM
Featured drivers: Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson; Jeff Burton (tire); Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart; Jeff Burton (pit stop); Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon; Martin Truex Jr.; Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon; Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch; Kurt Busch

4:20 PM – 4:25 PM
Featured drivers: Matt Kenseth; Martin Truex Jr.; Martin Truex Jr., Brian Vickers; Martin Truex Jr.; Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson; J.J. Yeley, Martin Truex Jr.; Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Dave Blaney, Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Dave Blaney, Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr.; Jimmie Johnson; Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart; Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart; Jeff Gordon

4:29 PM – 4:37 PM
Featured drivers: Matt Kenseth; Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth; Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch; Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch; Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr., Reed Sorenson, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson; Kurt Busch; Dale Earnhardt Jr. (spins coming to pit road); Jeff Gordon (pit stop); Dale Earnhardt Jr., Patrick Carpentier, Kyle Busch (replay of wreck); Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick (pit road violations); Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart; Kyle Busch; Kyle Busch (pit stop); Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (replay); Tony Stewart, Juan Montoya, Ryan Newman, Dale Jarrett, Dave Blaney

4:40 PM – 4:44 PM
Featured drivers: Ricky Rudd, Matt Kenseth; Reed Sorenson; Reed Sorenson (replay of pit stop); Reed Sorenson (another replay); Reed Sorenson; Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin; Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Johnny Benson; Jeff Gordon, Tony Raines; Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (wreck); Matt Kenseth; Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (replay); Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (another replay)

4:46 PM – 4:56 PM
Featured drivers: Steve Letarte, Chad Knaus, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson (pit stops); Jimmie Johnson; Jeff Burton; Carl Edwards; Jeff Gordon; Jeff Gordon, Steve Letarte (radio); Carl Edwards (audio with Rusty Wallace); Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Juan Montoya, Tony Stewart; Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth; Paul Menard, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Patrick Carpentier (replay of restart); Jeff Gordon, Paul Menard, Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle; Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Paul Menard; Carl Edwards; Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Jeremy Mayfield; Elliott Sadler (wreck); Ryan Newman, Juan Montoya; Dale Earnhardt Jr. (black flagged); Ryan Newman, Juan Montoya; Kurt Busch

4:59 PM – 5:01 PM
Featured drivers: Paul Menard (pit stop); Ricky Rudd, Paul Menard; Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Jimmie Johnson

5:04 PM – 5:11 PM
Featured drivers: Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin; Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth; Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch; Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr.; Jimmie Johnson, Bill Elliott, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer; Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton; Matt Kenseth; Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin; Jeff Gordon, Juan Montoya, Martin Truex Jr.; Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Martin Truex Jr., Juan Montoya; Jeff Gordon; Jimmie Johnson, J.J. Yeley, Mark Martin; Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr.; Jimmie Johnson, J.J. Yeley, Mark Martin; Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin; Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr.

5:14 PM – 5:20 PM
Featured drivers: Kurt Busch; Matt Kenseth; Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton; Kurt Busch (tire); Kurt Busch (replay of pit stop); Matt Kenseth; Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton; Jimmie Johnson; Jimmie Johnson (replay of ’06 pit stop; then receiving trophy); Jimmie Johnson; Chad Knaus, Jimmie Johnson; Kurt Busch; Matt Kenseth; Tony Stewart; Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton; Ryan Newman; Denny Hamlin; Martin Truex Jr.; Juan Montoya; Martin Truex Jr.; Matt Kenseth

5:23 PM – 5:26 PM
Featured drivers: Kevin Harvick, Juan Montoya altercation/Kevin Harvick winning Daytona 500/Jimmie Johnson/Dale Earnhardt Jr. (replays for choices for AT&T ‘Crew Chief Challenge); Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Jeff Gordon; Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson

5:29 PM – 5:37 PM
Featured drivers: Tony Stewart; Kevin Harvick (pit stop); Martin Truex Jr.; Martin Truex Jr., Patrick Carpentier; Matt Kenseth, Robby Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Juan Montoya, Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, Reed Sorenson (pit stops); Matt Kenseth; Juan Montoya (replay of pit stop); Juan Montoya, Patrick Carpentier; Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr.

5:39 PM – 5:45 PM
Featured drivers: Matt Kenseth; Matt Kenseth, Casey Mears; Denny Hamlin; Martin Truex Jr.; Ryan Newman; Dave Blaney; Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon; Jeff Gordon; Jimmie Johnson; Carl Edwards; Mark Martin; Ryan Newman (spins); Kurt Busch; Ryan Newman (pit stop); Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart (replay); Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson (pit stops)

5:48 PM – 5:54 PM
Featured drivers: Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Carl Edwards; Matt Kenseth; Kevin Harvick, David Stremme; Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer; Jimmie Johnson, Tony Raines, Jeff Burton; Reed Sorenson, Tony Raines, Jimmie Johnson; Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson; Robby Gordon, Ricky Rudd, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson; Jimmie Johnson; Robby Gordon, Ricky Rudd, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson; Ricky Rudd; Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Rudd; Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr.; Johnny Sauter, Brian Vickers; Patrick Carpentier (pit stop); Johnny Sauter, Brian Vickers (replay); Johnny Sauter, Brian Vickers (another replay); Johnny Sauter (climbs from car)

5:56 PM – 6:04 PM
Featured drivers: Matt Kenseth; Carl Edwards (audio with Rusty Wallace); Bob Osborne (audio with Andy Petree); Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon; Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch; Jeff Gordon, Steve Letarte (radio); Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick; Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr.; Dave Gilliland (rubs wall); Dave Gilliland (pit stop); Juan Montoya, Dave Gilliland (replay); Denny Hamlin

6:07 PM – 6:11 PM
Featured drivers: Denny Hamlin; Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth; Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte; Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Matt Kenseth; Jeff Gordon; Elliott Sadler, Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr.; Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr.; Jimmie Johnson, Dave Blaney; Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson

6:14 PM – 6:19 PM
Featured drivers: Matt Kenseth; Martin Truex Jr.; Sam Hornish Jr (wreck); Sam Hornish Jr., Bill Elliott (replay); Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson (pit stops); Jimmie Johnson

6:21 PM – 6:31 PM
Featured drivers: Jimmie Johnson, Bobby Labonte; Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth; Kevin Harvick; Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick; Jeff Gordon; Jeff Gordon, Reed Sorenson, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch; Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon; Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr.; Clint Bowyer (pit stop); Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch; Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Reed Sorenson; Jimmie Johnson; Chad Knaus (video of his thoughts on Rick Hendrick); Jimmie Johnson; Jeff Gordon; Jimmie Johnson; Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth; Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon; Rick Hendrick

6:33 PM – 6:40 PM
Featured drivers: Matt Kenseth; Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Rick Hendrick; Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Matt Kenseth; Martin Truex Jr., Kurt Busch; Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin; Jimmie Johnson; Carl Edwards; Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick; Dave Blaney; Tony Stewart; Mark Martin; David Ragan; Jeff Burton; Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte; Jeff Burton, Kyle Busch; Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr.; Matt Kenseth

6:43 PM – 6:56 PM
Featured drivers: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Steve Letarte; Jeff Gordon; Martin Truex Jr. (pit stop); Matt Kenseth; Greg Biffle (pit stop); Matt Kenseth; Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon, Elliott Sadler; Matt Kenseth; Jeff Gordon, Steve Letarte (pit stop); Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Dave Blaney, Juan Montoya, David Ragan (pit stops); Jamie McMurray; Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr.; Bill Elliott, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr.; Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick; Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Jimmie Johnson; Dave Gilliland, Jimmie Johnson; Jimmie Johnson, Dave Gilliland; Matt Kenseth; Tony Stewart (spins); Tony Stewart (replay); Matt Kenseth

6:59 PM – 7:06 PM
Featured drivers: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson; Chad Knaus; Steve Letarte; Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch; Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth; Matt Kenseth; Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch; Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon; Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr.; Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon; Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch; Jimmie Johnson; Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch; Denny Hamlin; Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch; Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr.; Chad Knaus and Chandra Johnson; Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr.; Matt Kenseth; Matt Kenseth

Number of times selected drivers were focused on:

Sam Hornish Jr. – 1
Johnny Benson – 1
Dale Jarrett – 2
Jamie McMurray – 2
Patrick Carpentier – 5
Bobby Labonte – 6
Chad Knaus – 7
Steve Letarte – 7
Ricky Rudd – 7
Juan Montoya – 13
Ryan Newman – 19
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 20
Denny Hamlin – 22
Martin Truex Jr. – 47
Matt Kenseth (race winner) – 67
Jeff Gordon – 71
Jimmie Johnson (champion) – 75