Chicagoland preview
By Micah Roberts
The second half of the NASCAR season kicks off in Chicago with a deep dish Giordano’s pizza and a six-pack of Old Style beer. Every time I have visited Chicago I have got the feeling that the city really could care less about motor sports, especially NASCAR. The track is located in the suburbs outside the city limits in Joliet. The folks in Joliet don’t care much either.
Can you blame them? The city of Chicago has never gotten into motor sports. Their interest has always been on the lovable Cubs, despite being perennial losers. Now, the Cubs are rolling through the regular season in 1st place, their cross town rivals for ink in the papers, the White Sox are also in first place, and the Chicago Rush from the Arena league is in first place. The only team not in first place in Chicago right now is the MLS’ Chicago Fire, and they still have a winning record. Who has time for NASCAR?
However, someone is going to the races. They have sold out each of the last 7 years the track has been in existence. If talking to anyone in the city, they’ll tell you it isn’t them filling the 90,000 seats and they aren’t lying. The capacity is filled because of all the mid-west racing fans. The same folks that pack Indianapolis Motor Speedway a few times a year are the same ones traveling to Chicago. Their profile is likely to be that of a Cub or Cardinal fan, from Missouri, Southern Illinois, Iowa, or Indiana, and the only time they get to Chicago is for either a Cub-Cardinal game or the NASCAR race.
The dimensions of the track make it appear to be just another cookie cutter track. However, the history of top performers at the track haven’t been the same drivers that do well on all the other cookie cutters like a Jimmie Johnson or any one of the Roush drivers. It’s a bizarre twist of drivers that features a Childress driver like Kevin Harvick as the best average finisher in he tracks brief 7 year history. The Childress program and Kevin Harvick can’t seriously lay claim to being the best anywhere, but at Chicago, they really are the best.
Harvick won the first two races at Chicago beginning in 2001. The last two seasons he has finished 4th. The only driver to come close to Harvicks greatness over the same period has been Tony Stewart who has pulled off two wins himself, including last years event.
Stewart hasn’t won yet this season and generally over his career this is the juncture where Stewart takes off. The big difference this season for Stewart is the uncertainty about his future. Where is he going? What’s his plans? Is Joe Gibbs going to let him out of his contract? Will he drive for Chevy again?
All those are questions that he has been asked week after week. You wouldn’t think that there would be any lingering affects with those weekly questions, however, the fact remains that he hasn’t won a race while his teammates have combined to win seven races.
Other than Stewart and Harvick, the obvious choices because of this layout are Carl Edwards and Kasey kahne, and of course Kyle Busch can not be put out of any thought process because he wins on just about any type of track he wants to.
Kahne has wins at Charlotte and Pocono this season. The only link that we can decipher between Chicago and those two that Kahne won on is the success that Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart had in 2003. Newman won at both Chicago and Pocono. Stewart finished 2nd that year at Chicago and won at Charlotte and Pocono. The connection is slight, but it is somewhat relative.
TOP 5 Finish Prediction:
1- #9 Kasey Kahne (10/1)
2- #20 Tony Stewart (8/1)
3- #17 Matt Kenseth (12/1)
4- #99 Carl Edwards (6/1)
5- #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr (9/1)
VegasInsider.com
LifeLock.com 400 Preview
Kyle Busch did it again last week, as he ruled Daytona to win the Coke Zero 400 for his series-leading sixth victory of the season. On Saturday Busch leads the rest of the Sprint Cup Series into Chicagoland for another race under the lights.
Don't be surprised when Busch is the favorite once again this weekend when the green flag is set to fly at Chicagoland in the LifeLock.com 400. With last week's win Busch's lead in the driver standings grew to 182 points over Dale Earnhardt Jr., who moved up to second after overtaking Jeff Burton.
Last year when NASCAR rolled into Chicagoland for the then-named USG Sheetrock 400 Tony Stewart took the checkered flag. Stewart's hard-luck season continued at Daytona last week after he got sick part-way through the race and abandoned his car (J.J. Yeley took over). Stewart also won this race in 2004, and he should be among the favorites to add a third Chicagoland win to his total this weekend.
Between Stewart's two victories in 2004 and 2007, Earnhardt Jr. won in 2005, while Jeff Gordon captured the checkered flag in 2006. Junior finished eighth last weekend at Daytona. Gordon appeared to be headed to his first win of the season after leading 461 laps before costly mistakes caused him to lose the lead, then crash out and finish well back in 30th place. If Gordon's car performs as well this weekend he should find his way to the front of the pack again. If he can stay there this time he'll pay off well as an underdog.
Analyzing The LifeLock.com 400 At Chicagoland Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Tony Stewart is in familiar territory. And if the past is any indicator, he shouldn’t be all that worried that he’s winless over the first half of the season.
The exact same drought occurred last year, with Stewart not winning until race No. 19 at Chicagoland Speedway. That win spurred a two-race winning streak, and wins in three of four events.
But there is one difference between last season and this one. His points cushion to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup cut-off of 12th isn’t so comfortable this time around.
Last season after 18 races, the seventh-place Stewart was 243 points ahead of 13th-place Jamie McMurray.
Right now, Stewart’s in 12th, only two points ahead of 13th-place Kevin Harvick.
This Saturday night’s race at Chicagoland should provide some stability to his inconsistent season. He has two wins and five top fives in seven races, and a third-best Driver Rating of 112.2.
Jeff Gordon, who is also looking for his first win of 2008, won at Chicagoland in 2006.
Gordon has won at least two races in every season except his rookie year of 1993.
But only in 2002 did it take Gordon this long to capture his first victory of the season. That year, Gordon needed until race No. 24 to nab his first win.
Chicagoland could be the slump buster for Gordon, as well. He has four top fives in his seven starts there and a solid Driver Rating of 91.8.
Selected Driver Highlights
Note: All driver statistics that follow are from Chicagoland Speedway. The Loop Data statistics -Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. - in this release, however, cover the last three races at Chicagoland. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.
Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
Average finish of 14.6
Finished 11th last season
Average Running Position of 13.5, 12th-best
Driver Rating of 95.3, ninth-best
29 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
203 Green Flag Passes, second-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 168.042 mph, 10th-fastest
Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
Five top fives
Average finish of 15.7
Average Running Position of 12.2, 10th-best
Driver Rating of 93.0, 10th-best
15 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
191 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
610 (75.9%) Laps in the Top 15, eighth-most
96 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), sixth-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
One top five
Average finish of 10.0
Average Running Position of 7.8, fourth-best
Driver Rating of 105.0, fifth-best
25 Fastest Laps Run, tied for eighth-most
174 Green Flag Passes, tied for ninth-most
693 (86.2%) Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most
112 Quality Passes, second-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet)
One win, two top fives, three top 10s
Average finish of 15.1
Average Running Position of 9.2, sixth-best
Driver Rating of 102.3, seventh-best
55 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
716 (89.1%) Laps in the Top 15, third-most
Series-high 119 Quality Passes
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
Two wins, four top fives, five top 10s
Average finish of 8.0
Average Running Position of 5.4, second-best
Driver Rating of 114.6, second-best
27 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 168.714 mph, fourth-fastest
764 (95.0%) Laps in the Top 15, second-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
Four top fives, five top 10s; one pole
Average finish of 9.2
Average Running Position of 9.4, seventh-best
Driver Rating of 107.2, fourth-best
65 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 168.757 mph, third-fastest
661 (82.2%) Laps in the Top 15, seventh-most
94 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
Two top fives, three top 10s
Average finish of 10.1; Finished second last season
Series-best Average Running Position of 3.9
Series-best Driver Rating of 126.2
Series-high 146 Fastest Laps Run
Series-fastest Average Green Flag Speed of 169.240
Series-high 792 (98.5%) Laps in the Top 15
99 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota)
Two wins, five top fives; one pole
Average finish of 11.0
Average Running Position of 7.6, third-best
Driver Rating of 112.2, third-most
82 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
Average Green Flag Speed of 168.925 mph, second-fastest
709 (88.2%) Laps in the Top 15, fourth-most
Brian Vickers (No. 83 Red Bull Toyota)
One top five
Average finish of 10.3
Average Running Position of 9.1, fifth-best
Driver Rating of 103.7, sixth-most
412 (76.7%) Laps in the Top 15, ninth-best percentage
At Chicagoland Speedway
History
Construction of the Chicagoland Speedway began in August 1999.
The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicago was July 14, 2001.
The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was held on July 15, 2001.
Notebook
There have been seven NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Chicagoland Speedway.
17 drivers have competed in all seven races at Chicago.
Todd Bodine won the first pole.
There has been a different pole winner in all seven races.
Kevin Harvick won the first race.
Five different drivers have won races, led by Kevin Harvick - who won the first two races there - and Tony Stewart, each with two.
Kevin Harvick won the inaugural race in 2001 from the sixth position - the best starting position of a Chicago winner. He won the 2002 from the 32nd starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner ever started at Chicago.
Kevin Harvick has an 8.00 average finish in seven races at Chicago, the best of any driver with more than one start there.
One Chicago race has gone beyond the scheduled distance (2006 - 270 laps).
Greg Biffle finished 20th in each of his first two races at Chicago. He has finished 11th in his other three races.
The best starting position of a race winner at Chicago was sixth by Kevin Harvick in the inaugural race there in 2001. Since that time only one race has been won from a top-10 starting position with two coming from outside the top-25.
Three active drivers have had a runner-up finish be their best at Chicago: Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson has finished sixth or better in five of his six NASCAR Sprint Cup races and has a NASCAR Busch Series victory there - which was his career-first NASCAR win.
Kenseth has finished second twice in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Burton has just one other top-10 finish in six Chicago races and has finished third in all five of his NASCAR Busch Series races.
WIX Filters Lap Leader News and Notes: LifeLock.com 400
· DID YOU KNOW? Tony Stewart has led the most laps in three of the seven previous LifeLock.com 400 races at Chicagoland Speedway (2003, 2004 and 2007). Stewart won two of those races (2004 and 2007) and placed second in 2003.
· In seven races at Chicagoland, the driver leading the most laps has scored three victories and six top-five finishes.
· The record for lead changes in the LifeLock.com 400 is 20 in 2004.
· The record for most different leaders at Chicagoland is 13 in 2004.
· Matt Kenseth holds the record for most laps led in a race at Chicagoland. Kenseth led 176 of 267 laps in the 2004 event.
· DID YOU KNOW? A driver has led over 100 of the 267 laps in each of the past four consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Chicagoland and in five of the seven races.
· Kyle Busch leads the WIX Filters Lap Leader standings by two races (6-4) over Jimmie Johnson entering the LifeLock.com 400.
Frontstretch.com
Truex fined 150 points for failing inspection
July 8, 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -Martin Truex's bid to make the Chase for the championship took a severe hit Tuesday when NASCAR penalized his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team 150 points for bringing an illegal car to Daytona.
Truex's car failed its initial inspection last week at Daytona because the No. 1 Chevrolet failed to fit NASCAR's roof template. NASCAR officials seized the car and sent it to their Research and Development Center in Concord for further inspection.
``We've dug ourselves a hole but we're not giving up. This team seems to respond the best when its back is against the wall,'' said Truex, who missed the only practice session before Saturday night's race because of the illegal car.
``We brought a new car to Daytona and it fit all of the templates at our shop. It doesn't appear to have been anything intentional on our part but it was still our responsibility. We'll deal with it and move on.''
But it will be an uphill battle from here for the star driver at DEI, who is in a contract negotiation year.
The 150-point penalty drops Truex from 14th in the standings to 18th. The top 12 drivers make the Chase, and Truex has just eight races to get back into contention.
In addition, crew chief Kevin ``Bono'' Manion and car chief Gary Putnam were suspended from the next six races and placed on probation until the end of the year.
Manion was also fined $100,000.
``I hate that we're going to lose Kevin and Gary,'' Truex said. ``Obviously, they are important to the team and it'll be weird not having them at the track.''
John Story, vice president of motorsports operations at DEI, said the team will use its 10-day window to decide if it will appeal the penalty.
``We are still trying to understand how the car fit our templates multiple times at the shop, but we respect NASCAR's determination that one of our cars did not exactly conform to their template at the track,'' Story said.
Truex, who won his only career Sprint Cup Series race last year at Dover, was DEI's only driver in championship contention. He made the Chase last season, but finished 11th in the final standings.
This year has not been as solid for Truex, who has just five top-10 finishes through 18 races.
He went into Saturday night's race just 71 points out of Chase contention, but had to drive a backup car that got no practice and just two qualifying laps before the race. While teammates Paul Menard and Mark Martin qualified first and second, and rookie Regan Smith was eighth, Truex qualified 35th.
He rallied somewhat to finish 17th in the race, but it wasn't enough to close the gap on 12th-place driver Tony Stewart.
Now he's 238 points out of 12th place, with 2004 Chase winner Kurt Busch and Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman among the drivers he's got to pass to move back into contention.
The penalty comes at a tumultuous time for DEI.
Truex, the star of the team since Dale Earnhardt Jr. left this year, is also in a contract negotiation that has yet to be resolved. 2009 is an option year for both the team and the driver, but Truex has not yet agreed to return.
In addition, Martin said last week he's leaving at the end of the season to drive for Hendrick Motorsports. DEI plans to promote Aric Almirola into that seat full time, but sponsorship is in question as the U.S. Army has been shopping its funding across the garage.
Also, Smith's team has had just partial sponsorship all season and DEI has acknowledged it may have to cut down to just three teams if funding for Smith's car isn't found.
Also Tuesday, multiple Internet reports suggested team owner Teresa Earnhardt is trying to sell all or part of the race team that was founded by her late husband, seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt.
Max Siegel, president of DEI, denied Earnhardt is trying to sell or searching for an investment partner.
``She's not selling it, I'm not buying it,'' Siegel said. ``We get calls all the time, but nothing is on the block.''
The recent trend in NASCAR has been for owners to take on outside investors as partners to secure financial stability. Most recently, Petty Enterprises sold majority ownership to Boston Ventures.
But Siegel said DEI is not currently looking for help.
``We're not for sale. We're not looking for partners,'' Siegel said. ``I don't know where this stuff comes from.''
LifeLock.com 400 PreQ
There are a handful of top drivers still searching for their first win of the season. Matt Kenseth is one of those drivers but has a good chance at getting his name of the list this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. He does not have a win at the track in his career but does have a pair of runner-up finishes including one in this race last season. Kenseth is a solid high-bank superspeedway driver averaging an 11th place finish in the last 57 events with 35 top 10s. He has finished in the top 10 in five of the six high-bank superspeedway races this season and is looking for more this weekend in the LifeLock.com 400.
Brian Vickers has been running extremely well this season and has a shot at making the Chase for the Championship. Many expect the #84 Red Bull Toyota to get to victory lane and this could be a race where he contends for the win. In three career starts at Chicagoland he is averaging a 10th place finish with a top finish of 4th place. Vickers has been running decent on the high-bank superspeedways this season posting a pair of top 10 finishes this season including a 4th place finish last time out at Michigan. Vickers has what it takes to get the win and should be a challenger for a top 10 if not top 5 finish this weekend.
It was announced last week that Mark Martin will return to NASCAR fulltime in 2009 in ‘one last chance’ at winning a title. Martin will pilot the Hendrick Motorsports #5 Chevrolet taking over the seat from Casey Mears – who was released from the team effective the end of 2008 season. Like Vickers many in the media feel that Martin can get to victory lane this season in his current ride with the DEI #8 Army Chevrolet. Martin ran very well last weekend at Daytona finishing the evening in the 10th position. It was his sixth top 10 this season in 13 starts. Martin could do even better this weekend at Chicagoland were he is averaging a 14th place finish in his career with three top 10s. Martin has the desire and hunger to win and will be a formidable foe this Sunday afternoon.
At one point in his career it looked like Kasey Kahne was going to be a race winner at Chicagoland. Unfortunately an incident with Tony Stewart put Kahne into the wall relegating him to a 41st place finish. Kahne has yet to finish in the top 20 at Chicagoland in his career with an average finish of 33rd place finish in four starts. Kahne has been running very well on the high-bank superspeedways over the last few events taking a 2nd place and a win in the last two races. Things could be different this weekend at a track where he has struggled in the past. We don’t think Kahne will be junk but he does get the ‘buyer beware’ label of the week.
It has been a season of misfortune for Elliott Sadler in 2008. He was running up front at Infineon when a cut tire forced him to fall to the middle of the pack. He then had another tire issue at Daytona sending him hard into the wall while again running up front. Sadler can salvage the season by running well but he will need his luck to change. That is unlikely to occur at Chicagoland where he has struggled in his career. In seven career starts Sadler is averaging a 24th place finish. He has just two top 20 finishes in his career at the track and none in the last four outings. It would be a wise move to avoid the #19 Best Buy Dodge this weekend.
profantasysports.com
LifeLock.com 400 Driver Rating
Matt Kenseth is atop NASCAR’s driver ratings for the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in seven of the previous eight races. He’s worked his way up to 9th in the Sprint Cup standings. He probably won’t backtrack any this weekend. In seven races at Chicago, Kenseth has two top 5s, with an average finish of 10.1. He is peaking at the right time, and looks to have momentum in his favor to carry him into the Chase.
Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick have each won twice at Chicagoland. Both will need their best effort this weekend. They currently are 12th and 13th respectively in the Sprint Cup standings, fighting for the last available spot in the Chase. Stewart is recovering from an illness, which forced him to leave the car mid-race at Daytona. His success in Joliet should help him recover fast. He has five top 5s in seven races, with an average finish of 11. Harvick has four top 5s, but has an amazing average finish of 8th over the span of seven races. Harvick is on the outside looking in at the Chase, so he can’t afford to have a bad week. ''Nothing has really gone right this year,'' Harvick said. ''We've wrecked too much. We started off the year really well and just haven't had anything go right since about Week 5.'It's good to come to a racetrack where things are going good. Hopefully, you get that monkey off your back and you can go on with it.''
profantasysports.com
Stewart set to be released from JGR
July 8, 2008
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -After 10 years and two championships, Tony Stewart appears set to end his relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing to pursue an opportunity to buy his own NASCAR team.
Stewart's contract with JGR runs through 2009, but the team was expected to announce Wednesday that it will release him from his contract at the end of the season. Team owner Joe Gibbs has been trying to sign Stewart to an extension for almost a year, but the popular driver was slow to commit and eventually decided to explore free agency.
Numerous options were presented to Stewart, including buying the fledgling two-car team of Haas-CNC Racing and driving for other organizations. It gave Stewart options Gibbs couldn't match, and likely forced the team to grant him his release despite an initial unwillingness to do so.
Mike Arning, a spokesman for Stewart, said an announcement concerning Stewart's future would be made Wednesday. ESPN.com reported late Tuesday night he would be released from his contract.
``We're just going to look at everything out there,'' Stewart said in April in announcing he'd test the market. ``A wise person once told me it doesn't cost a dime to listen, so right now we're all ears.''
While exploring his options, Stewart was most intrigued in potential ownership opportunities - and he's had an offer on the table since April to rejoin Chevrolet by buying Haas-CNC Racing. By owning a team, Stewart believes he could ensure a spot for himself in NASCAR long after his driving days.
But his contract with JGR stood in the way, and team officials had remained adamant that Stewart would drive the No. 20 through the 2009 season.
``We've got Tony signed through '08 and '09, and we want to go full bore and win a bunch of races and championships together,'' team president J.D. Gibbs said in April. ``Our hope is that if you do that, then long term this will be the spot he chooses to retire. But the reality is we only control these next couple of years, and we went through this his last contract negotiations when he had a lot of options out there.
``Our hope is we do our job, and he retires here.''
When it became clear Stewart wanted out, the Gibbs family finally relented and apparently was to sign off on his early departure Wednesday. The team is expected to replace the 37-year-old Stewart, one of NASCAR's most celebrated drivers, with 18-year-old phenom Joey Logano with Home Depot staying on board as the sponsor.
Stewart is in his 10th season with Gibbs, and he and crew chief Greg Zipadelli have the longest active driver-crew chief pairing. Zipadelli is not expected to leave JGR.
In their time together, they've racked up 32 Cup victories, the 1999 rookie of the year title and Cup championships in 2002 and 2005. Stewart has won at least two races a season through his first nine years.
He's been plagued by horrible luck this season and is so far winless. He had to get out of his car because of illness midway through Saturday night's race at Daytona International Raceway, a move many viewed as a sure sign Stewart was moving on. In 2005, Stewart got sick in his car but didn't relinquish the wheel and drove to the victory at Watkins Glen.
Assuming Stewart does buy Haas-CNC, he'll re-establish his long relationship with Chevrolet. The partnership was partially fractured this season when Gibbs moved to Toyota. General Motors continued to sponsor the sprint cup teams that Stewart also owns.
Gene Haas, owner of the two-car team, began serving a two-year prison sentence for tax evasion in January. The team fields a car this season for Scott Riggs, and a second entry that has been piloted by several drivers. Neither car is in the top 35 in points, and the team was devastated in May by stiff NASCAR penalties for bringing illegal cars to a race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Stewart is expected to gut the organization and bring in his own people, including a second driver. Fellow Indiana native Ryan Newman is among those rumored to be in line to join Stewart's team next season.
Facts & Figures: Chicagoland
Racingone.com
A look at some NASCAR Sprint Cup facts and figures at Chicagoland Speedway as the series gets ready to run Saturday's LifeLock.com 400 for the first time under the lights.
0 - The following drivers have had zero DNF's at Chicagoland (drivers in current top-12 in points): Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, and Greg Biffle.
1 - Kevin Harvick was the first Cup Series driver to go to victory lane at Chicagoland (2001). Todd Bodine won the first pole there.
2 - Tony Stewart has won twice at Chicago. He also has five top fives and one pole.
3 - There have been three active drivers who have had runner-up finishes as their best finish at Chicagoland: Jeff Burton (2006), Matt Kenseth (2005), and Jimmie Johnson (2004).
4 - Jimmie Johnson has four top-five finishes at Chicago.
5 - There have been five different race winners at Chicagoland: Kevin Harvick (2001, 2002), Tony Stewart (2004, 2007), Ryan Newman (2003), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2005), and Jeff Gordon (2006).
6 - The sixth starting position at Chicagoland is the best starting position where the driver has won the race (Harvick, 2001).
7 - There have been seven different pole winners at Chicagoland in the seven NASCAR Cup races there.
8 - Kevin Harvick has an Average Finish of 8.0 at Chicago (the best of any driver who has had at least two starts there).
9 - Greg Biffle holds the ninth-best Driver Rating of 95.3 (Formula combining the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race.)
10 - Kyle Busch has an average finish of 10.0 in three starts at Chicago. His best finish there is third (2006).
15.1 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. has an Average Finish of 15.1.
20 - Greg Biffle finished 20th in both of his first two races, but has finished 11th in his other three races.
32 - The 32nd starting position is the furthest back in the field a driver has come to win the race (Harvick, 2002).
82 - Tony Stewart has 82 Fastest Laps Run (second-most at Chicago). Fastest Laps is the number of laps where a driver had the fastest speed on the lap.
119 - Dale Jr. holds the series-high in Quality Passes with 119.
126.2 - Matt Kenseth holds the best Driver Rating at Chicago with 126.2 (complied from the three races between 2005-2007).
188.147 - Jimmie Johnson holds the Track Qualifying Record with 188.147.
191 - Kurt Busch has made 191 Green Flag Passes (fifth-most at Chicago). Green Flag Passes are determined by the number of passes a driver had under green conditions.
1999 - Construction began in August 1999 to build Chicagoland Speedway.
LifeLock.com 400 HOT! Sheet
After a long stretch of disappointment, the last couple of races have gone well for Reed Sorenson. Things started to turn around at New Hampshire when he qualified 6th and ended up finishing in the exact same position. That was his first top 10 since the Daytona 500. Speaking of Daytona, last week he improved 17 spots from start to finish, ending up 22nd. He’s battling to stay inside the top 35, and Chicago has been kind to him in the past, so you may want to consider him for your roster this week.
The roll of the dice may have been the start of a run toward the Chase for Kurt Busch. At New Hampshire, the #2 team gambled a bit with rain entering the area and it ended up paying off in the form of a victory. Last week under the lights, he avoided a few near misses and ended up crossing the line 4th. In seven trips to the windy city, he has finished 8th three times and 6th twice. Look for another top 10 Saturday night.
Right when Martin Truex, Jr. was starting to show some consistency, he gets delivered a huge blow from NASCAR for an illegal car at Daytona. Despite that, as you can see on our chart he has an average finish of about 13th in the last six races. Included in there is a 6th place showing at Dover, and a 4th place at New Hampshire. The team worked their way through the problems last week to place 17th. He’s going to want to go all out to make up the lost points, so he’s a decent option for you.
Although he is comfortably in position to make the Chase, Jeff Burton has been falling down recently. In the last four weeks, he has a 16.75 average finish. He hasn’t helped himself on pole day with an average start of 22.3 in the last six weeks. The team is coming off of their worst performance of the season. After getting caught up in an accident, they went home with their first DNF in 37th. He will get you points this week, but he gets our “buyer beware” label.
Ever since nearly winning back-to-back races at Charlotte and Dover, things have been rough for Greg Biffle. In the five weeks since then, his average finish is exactly 20th. Last week at Daytona, he caught the worst luck of any driver when he was involved in an early wreck that sent the #16 team home with only 69 laps complete and in last place. He has yet to post a top 10 in five trips to Joliet, so we advise you look elsewhere to fill the spot.
profantasysports.com
McMurray says Chicago's his Achilles' heel
At this point, Jamie McMurray might be happy just to avoid contact with another car for a full race.
The driver and his Roush Fenway Racing team have been running more competitively of late, but you wouldn't know it to look at his finishes. He was 18th at Infineon Raceway after running in the top five before being tagged from behind. He was caught up in an accident at New Hamphshire for a 41st-place finish. And Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway he was in the lead pack when he spun and faltered to a 32nd-place finish.
McMurray knows what a casual glance at his statistics says about his season. He's 23rd in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, with only three top-10 finishes. But he also believes his team is much better than that.
"I know, on paper, it doesn't appear that our team has had a very good run here recently, but if you ask me, we've had some of the fastest cars the last few weeks," he said. "In Michigan we were really fast. Sonoma we were running second. In Loudon we were good, and last week in Daytona, I thought we had a pretty decent car.
"This team has worked really hard in getting the cars exactly where we need them, but it just seems like we've had some rough finishes. We just need to be there at the end of these races."
Unfortunately, Chicagoland Speedway may not be the most confidence-inducing place for the team to be heading in its effort to rally in the standings. In five starts at the track, which is the site of this weekend's Lifelock.com 400 race, McMurray has scored only one top-10 and averages a 24th finishing position.
So he's not exactly counting on faring better this weekend.
"I would have to say that Chicagoland is probably one of the toughest tracks for me on the Sprint Cup circuit," he said. "I'm not sure exactly why, but it's my Achilles' heel. Other than my first couple visits to the track, I've always seemed to struggle at Chicagoland. I told myself after the race on Saturday in Daytona that all week I wouldn't focus on the past at Chicago but that I'd go into the track with a fresh outlook on the weekend."
Crew chief Larry Carter is optimistic the team can turn its luck at the 1.5-mile track. He says that the team has a good car for the race.
"I know Chicago hasn't been the best track to Jamie over the years, but I'm pretty confident about the race this weekend," he said. "This is the same car that we ran well with at Texas. This weekend has a lot of unknowns going in - this is the first time we've raced at Chicago at night, and also the first time with us running the new car at the track. I'm pretty confident we'll be able to take a lot of the information we learned at Charlotte and Texas and transfer over into this car. This weekend, we just need to get solid track position and stay out of trouble, and it should be a good race for the No. 26 team."
SceneDaily.com.
LifeLock.com 400 HOT! Sheet
After a long stretch of disappointment, the last couple of races have gone well for Reed Sorenson. Things started to turn around at New Hampshire when he qualified 6th and ended up finishing in the exact same position. That was his first top 10 since the Daytona 500. Speaking of Daytona, last week he improved 17 spots from start to finish, ending up 22nd. He’s battling to stay inside the top 35, and Chicago has been kind to him in the past, so you may want to consider him for your roster this week.
The roll of the dice may have been the start of a run toward the Chase for Kurt Busch. At New Hampshire, the #2 team gambled a bit with rain entering the area and it ended up paying off in the form of a victory. Last week under the lights, he avoided a few near misses and ended up crossing the line 4th. In seven trips to the windy city, he has finished 8th three times and 6th twice. Look for another top 10 Saturday night.
Right when Martin Truex, Jr. was starting to show some consistency, he gets delivered a huge blow from NASCAR for an illegal car at Daytona. Despite that, as you can see on our chart he has an average finish of about 13th in the last six races. Included in there is a 6th place showing at Dover, and a 4th place at New Hampshire. The team worked their way through the problems last week to place 17th. He’s going to want to go all out to make up the lost points, so he’s a decent option for you.
Although he is comfortably in position to make the Chase, Jeff Burton has been falling down recently. In the last four weeks, he has a 16.75 average finish. He hasn’t helped himself on pole day with an average start of 22.3 in the last six weeks. The team is coming off of their worst performance of the season. After getting caught up in an accident, they went home with their first DNF in 37th. He will get you points this week, but he gets our “buyer beware” label.
Ever since nearly winning back-to-back races at Charlotte and Dover, things have been rough for Greg Biffle. In the five weeks since then, his average finish is exactly 20th. Last week at Daytona, he caught the worst luck of any driver when he was involved in an early wreck that sent the #16 team home with only 69 laps complete and in last place. He has yet to post a top 10 in five trips to Joliet, so we advise you look elsewhere to fill the spot.
profantasysports.com
Driver Handicaps: Chicagoland
JOLIET, Ill. - This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Chicagoland Speedway for Saturday's LifeLock.com 400. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 267-lap event.
Who's HOT at Chicagoland
• Defending race winner Tony Stewart has two wins and five top fives.
• Kevin Harvick leads all drivers with an 8.0 average finish.
• Matt Kenseth leads all drivers with a 126.2 driver rating.
• Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have scored four top fives each. Gordon won in 2006.
• Chicagoland is Kyle Busch's best 1.5-mile speedway on the circuit based on his 10.0 average finish.
Keep an Eye on at Chicagoland
• Carl Edwards has the best average finish (3.7) in the three races with the new car on tracks exactly 1.5-miles in length.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. will race the same car that won at Michigan.
• Clint Bowyer has finished in the top 10 in his two Chicago starts.
• Chicagoland is Reed Sorenson best track on the circuit based on his 9.5 average finish.
• Ryan Newman is the only other driver not listed that has won at Chicagoland.
• Kasey Kahne and David Ragan have posted a 10.7 average finish in the three starts with the new car on tracks exactly 1.5-miles in length.
• Mark Martin has captured 49 top 10s on 1.5-mile tracks.
• Greg Biffle and Martin Truex Jr. were fast in the first practice session.
Track Performers
Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are tied for the lead with nine wins on tracks exactly 1.5-miles in length. Mark Martin and Tony Stewart are tied for second with seven wins each. Jeff Burton rounds out the top five in wins with six. Martin leads all drivers with 49 top-10 finishes, followed by Gordon with 46. Ryan Newman is the current pole leader on 1.5-mile tracks with 11. Carl Edwards has the best average finish (3.7) with the new car on 1.5-mile tracks, thanks to wins at Las Vegas and Texas.
Chicagoland Rookie Report
None of the Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates have made a Sprint Cup Series start at Chicagoland Speedway. Michael McDowell has visited victory lane once at the 1.5-mile speedway in a stock car when he won the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series event. Sam Hornish Jr. holds the best average finish (28.7) among the rookies on tracks exactly 1.5 miles in length in 2008. Rookie Standings
Qualifying Tidbits
Casey Mears won the pole in 2006 at Chicagoland Speedway, giving Chevrolet its fifth consecutive pole at the track. In 2005, Jimmie Johnson set the qualifying record in with a lap of 188.147 mph. Johnson's pole was the second-straight for Hendrick Motorsports after Jeff Gordon took the top spot the year prior. There has been a different pole winner each season since the inaugural race in 2001 when Todd Bodine won the pole in a Ford. Brian Vickers, who will make his first track start with Team Red Bull, has the best starting average among all drivers with three or more starts at 3.7. Kevin Harvick won from the furthest position (32nd) in 2002.
RacingOne Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Pete Pistone: Jeff Gordon
Rachael West: Jimmie Johnson
Kym Opalenik: Kyle Busch
Top 20 Driver Notes - Based on Current Standings
1. Kyle Busch: Chicagoland Speedway is Busch's best 1.5-mile speedway on the circuit based on his 10.0 average finish. His best finish came in 2006 when he led two laps en route to a third-place finish. This weekend he will be shooting for his second top 10 at Chicago when he makes his fourth start at the track. So far in his three starts with Joe Gibbs Racing on tracks exactly 1.5-miles in length, Busch has posted an average finish of 5.7. At the last 1.5-mile race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Busch led 61 laps en route to a third-place finish.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Prior to his 19th-place finish last season at Chicagoland Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. posted a fifth-place finish and a win. A late race pit stop decision to take on two tires proved to be the winning move for Junior in 2005. Earnhardt's only other top 10 in the seven starts came in the 2002 race when he led four times for 81 laps en route to a 10th-place finish. This weekend, Junior will return in the same car (chassis No. 488) that won on Michigan when he makes his Chicago debut with Hendrick Motorsports.
3. Jeff Burton: Burton scored his best performance at Chicagoland Speedway after he won the pole and finished second in his second track start with Richard Childress Racing in 2006. He went on to finish in the top 10 for the third time in seven starts last season with a seventh-place finish. With the exception of the 2004 race when he finished sixth, Burton has finished 18th or worse in his four other starts and did not finish the race in 2002. Burton will drive chassis No. 252 in Saturday night's race. This is the same car that finished 15th at Michigan last month.
4. Carl Edwards: Last year Edwards turned his Chicagoland Speedway record around by finishing third, which marked his first finish inside the top 20 in three starts there. This weekend Edwards will look to lower his overall Chicago average finish (20.7) even more when he climbs back behind the wheel of the same car (chassis No. RK-540) that won at California Speedway in its maiden race.
5. Jimmie Johnson: Up until last season, Johnson had finished sixth or better in five straight races at Chicagoland Speedway, giving him an average finish of 3.6. But his finishing average fell to 9.2 in 2007 after a flat tire relegated him to a 37th-place result. Despite his strong record, Chicagoland is one of only seven tracks in which Johnson hasn’t been to Victory Lane. This weekend he will look for his first win at the 1.5-mile track by driving the same car (chassis No. 502) that finished sixth at Michigan.
6. Jeff Gordon: In 2006, Gordon scored his first win at Chicagoland Speedway from the 13th starting position. The previous year Gordon scored his first DNF at Chicagoland after Mike Bliss hit him from behind and the two crashed in Turn 2. Gordon finished 33rd, his first finish outside the top 20 in seven starts at the track. From 2002 - 2004 Gordon finished in the top five and led a combined 61 laps. In 2004, Gordon won his first pole at Chicagoland and led 14 laps en route to his second consecutive fourth-place finish. Last season Gordon posted his fifth top 10 with a ninth-place finish.
7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 14th in his first start at Chicagoland Speedway, in 2006, after a loose wheel put him a lap down early in the race. This weekend Hamlin will be racing the same car (chassis No. 196) that most recently finished third at Pocono.
8. Kasey Kahne: Chicagoland Speedway is Kahne's worst track on the circuit based on his 33.0 average finish. Kahne scored his best start (second) in his first attempt at the track, but finished 41st after a crash took him out of contention. This weekend will mark Kahne's fifth start with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports at Chicago.
9. Matt Kenseth: In 2006, Kenseth finished outside the top 15 for the first time at Chicagoland Speedway after he was spun out while leading the race with only four laps to go, then ran out of fuel to finish 22nd. His best finish, of second, came in the 2005 and 2007 event. In 2005, Kenseth dominated the race after he led 176 laps. The last three seasons saw Kenseth's first top 15 starts at Chicago. This weekend Kenseth will be racing one of his best cars (chassis No. RK-550) in the 2008 stable. This car has yet to finish outside the top 10 in three starts.
10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer started 38th and raced his way to a ninth-place finish in his first career start at Chicagoland Speedway in 2006. He followed that finish up with another top 10 in 2007. This weekend he will debut a new car (chassis No. 253) in the LifeLock.com 400. In 2002, Bowyer’s crew chief Gil Martin guided Kevin Harvick to the win in the 2002 LifeLock.com 400.
11. Greg Biffle: Biffle posted his best finish at Chicagoland Speedway in the last three races, finishing 11th, breaking a string of consecutive 20th-place finishes. In 2005, Biffle led for the first time at Chicago, holding the No. 16 up front for 34 laps. This weekend Biffle will look to crack the top 10 at Chicago when he gets behind the wheel of the same car that finished second in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
12. Tony Stewart: Stewart combined to lead 268 laps en route to his wins at Chicagoland Speedway in 2004 and 2007. His finishing average of 11.0 is coupled by a 33rd-place finish in his first start and a 32nd-place finish in 2006. This weekend Stewart will be back in the same car (chassis No. 209) that almost won at Lowe's Motor Speedway until a flat tire knocked him out of contention while leading with three laps to the finish.
13. Kevin Harvick: Harvick won the first two events at Chicagoland Speedway in 2001 and 2002. He won his second race from the 32nd position, which is the deepest any Chicagoland winner has started. Harvick, who finished fourth in the last two races at the Joliet track, is third in laps led at Chicago with 282. This weekend he will debut a new car (chassis No. 254) in the LifeLock.com 400.
14. Martin Truex Jr: After being handed a 150-point penalty for a rule infraction at Daytona, Truex Jr. heads to Chicagoland Speedway. If he plans on making up some of those points he will need to break into the top 10 for the first time at the 1.5-mile Speedway. Truex Jr's best finish in two previous starts at Chicago was a 16th in 2006. However, last season Truex started second and led 12 laps up until he lost the engine in the No. 1 Chevrolet, relegating him to a 39th-place finish.
15. David Ragan: Ragan will be making his second career Sprint Cup Series start at Chicagoland Speedway. Last year he started 32nd and finished 25th. This year has been a different story for Ragan as he has posted a 10.7 average finish in the three races on tracks exactly 1.5-miles in length. Ragan, who also finished second in a 2005 ARCA race at Chicago, will debut a new car (chassis No. RK-602) in the LifeLock.com 400.
16. Brian Vickers: Chicagoland Speedway is Vickers' best track on the circuit based on his 10.3 average finish. Vickers' three track starts all came with Hendrick Motorsports with his best finish (fourth) coming in 2005. After failing to qualify for the Chicago race last season, this weekend he will make his track debut with Red Bull Racing.
17. Ryan Newman: Newman posted two top-five finishes, including one win, in his first two starts at Chicagoland Speedway. In the next three races, Newman went on to post an average finish of 33.0. The 2006 race saw Newman's worst performance at the 1.5-mile speedway after he finished two laps down in 36th place. Newman, who has led in three races for a total of 163 laps at Chicago, will debut a new car (chassis No. PRS-577) in the LifeLock.com 400. The car will also carry a new paint scheme that will promote the new movie, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.
18. Kurt Busch: Last year Busch captured his third consecutive top-10 finish at Chicagoland Speedway. The only time Busch has not placed in the top 10 at Chicago came in the 2003 and 2004 when he finished 39th (his only DNF) and 35th, respectively. Busch, who led his first laps (2) at Chicago last season, will return in the same car (chassis No. PSC-550) that finished eighth at Pocono.
19. Bobby Labonte: Labonte's best finish at Chicagoland Speedway came in 2006 after finishing 12th in his first track start with Petty Enterprises. His only finishes outside the top 20 came when he posted DNFs for an engine problem in 2001 (finished 39th) and an accident in 2003 (finished 36th).
20. Travis Kvapil: Kvapil will be making his third career start at Chicagoland Speedway, and first with Yates Racing. His best finish was 37th in 2006 with PPI Motorsports.
Racingone.com
Cup qualifying cancelled at Chicagoland
Joliet, IL (Sports Network) - Persistent rain forced NASCAR officials to cancel qualifying for the LifeLock.com 400 at the Chicagoland Speedway. Rain fell on the track just after Sprint Cup practice. Officials made a valiant effort to dry the track for qualifying, but another storm moved through the area, giving NASCAR no other option but to pull the plug.
By rule, the Sprint Cup starting grid for Saturday night's 400-mile race at Chicagoland will be set by the current owner points. Kyle Busch will start on the pole with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on the outside of the first row.
Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards will start in row two.
Other drivers of note and their starting positions: Jimmie Johnson (fifth), Jeff Gordon (sixth), Kasey Kahne (eighth), Matt Kenseth (ninth), Tony Stewart (12th), Kevin Harvick (13th) and Ryan Newman (17th).
Without the opportunity to make a qualifying attempt, Johnny Sauter and Tony Raines will miss Saturday's race.
After scoring his sixth victory this year in a wild finish under the lights at Daytona last weekend, Busch is looking to continue his winning ways as the series kicks off its second half of the season at Chicagoland.
His previous finishes at Chicagoland have been third, 13th, and 14th.
Busch carries a 182-point lead into Chicagoland, while his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Stewart is on the brink of losing his 12th-place spot with eight races to go before the "Chase" begins. Stewart is just two points ahead of 13th-place Harvick. The 12th spot is the cutoff point for "Chase" eligibility.
Stewart is the defending winner at Chicagoland. Stewart passed up new tires on the final pit stop and the strategy worked as he captured his first victory of the 2007 season. He also won there in 2004. He has scored five top-five finishes in seven starts at Chicagoland.
Earlier on Thursday, Stewart announced he'll merge with Haas CNC Racing in 2009 to serve as both driver and owner of the newly-formed Stewart-Haas Racing.
Stewart, who will acquire a 50-percent share of the team, and Haas CNC general manager Joe Custer made the announcement at Chicagoland.
He was granted a release from the final year of his contract with JGR on Wednesday, a move that will take effect at the conclusion of the 2008 season.
Meanwhile, the weather at the track looks much better for tomorrow night's Nationwide Series race with the forecast calling for mostly clear skies, but Saturday's forecast for the "Cup" race calls for scattered showers with a 50- percent chance of rain.
The green flag is scheduled to drop on Saturday around 8 p.m. (et).
Stewart announces Haas CNC plans
JOLIET, Ill. (AP) -- Tony Stewart knows he's taking a gamble by leaving NASCAR's elite Joe Gibbs Racing team to join one that usually runs in the middle of the pack.
But Stewart also can imagine what it might feel like to be in victory lane at the Daytona 500 both as a driver and a car owner, so it's a risk he's willing to take.
Having recently negotiated a release from his Gibbs contract at the end of this season, the two-time Cup series champion announced Thursday that he will join the team currently known as Haas-CNC as an owner-driver in 2009.
"There's no guarantees that this is going to be successful," Stewart said. "But after sitting down and evaluating what the potential of this team is, I wouldn't have made this decision if I didn't think it would be successful and if I didn't think it had the potential to be great."
Stewart will be given a 50 percent ownership stake in the team, which will be renamed Stewart-Haas Racing. The two-car team currently fields the No. 66 car for Scott Riggs and the No. 70 car for Jason Leffler, and both cars are outside the top 35 in owners points going into Saturday's race at Chicagoland Speedway.
The move had been widely anticipated, but Stewart confirmed it to his current crew members and other Gibbs employees at the team's race shop Wednesday.
"I wondered how it was going to feel," Stewart said. "I wondered how everybody was going to react."
But Stewart said after he spoke, several employees stood in line to congratulate him.
"We could never be mad or hold that against him," said Stewart's longtime crew chief, Greg Zipadelli. "His success, our success as a group, would not be possible without him."
Stewart said the hardest part about his decision to leave was the fact that Zipadelli isn't coming with him. Zipadelli will stay with Gibbs, and may end up being paired with 18-year-old racing phenomenon Joey Logano on the No. 20 team next year.
"For myself, I think you've got to look at what's best for me, where am I most comfortable, and where are my obligations," Zipadelli said. "They're with Joe Gibbs Racing. My guys have supported me and most of them have continued to work with me for 10 years or more. That's important to me."
A plan to stay involved in NASCAR after he's done driving is important to Stewart, who already has several financial interests in racing -- including ownership of sprint car teams and grassroots race tracks.
Stewart and Haas-CNC general manager Joe Custer did not directly confirm the financial details of Stewart's ownership stake in the team. But both Custer and Stewart strongly hinted that adding Stewart's name and fame to the marquee was enough, and he wouldn't be investing a large chunk of his own money.
Is that really enough to warrant giving him half the team?
"He doesn't just put his name on it. He puts his heart into it," Custer said. "What's Tony Stewart's heart worth?"
The other 50 percent of the team is owned by Haas Automation, a California-based machine tool builder. The company's founder, Gene Haas, began serving a two-year prison sentence for tax evasion in January.
Custer said Gene Haas was not involved in making the deal with Stewart. It was approved by another Haas executive, general manager Bob Murray.
Stewart said the team's sponsors and second driver for next season have not been finalized. It has been speculated that Ryan Newman, who currently drives for Penske, could end up as Stewart's new teammate.
The addition of Stewart -- perhaps joined by another big-name driver and some big-money sponsors -- could go a long way toward boosting the performance of the team. They already have good equipment, getting their cars and engines from the Hendrick Motorsports team.
But what if they continue to struggle early on next season? Can Stewart handle running in the middle of the pack after years of running up front and contending for championships?
"I feel like that we have the variables in place to go out and be competitive right away," Stewart said. "At the same time, we know it's a rebuilding process and it's going to be an adjustment period. How long is this adjustment period going to take? We don't know."
Zipadelli said Stewart has matured in recent years, perhaps allowing him to better weather short-term challenges.
"He's done a much better job at controlling his emotions on the bad days, when situations aren't quite to his liking," Zipadelli said. "I think if he doesn't start off with the success he's used to or wants, then when he get it, it's going to be much more fulfilling knowing that he took it from what it is to hopefully what it will be."