ChicagoLand Facts

compiled by Mike Forde
NASCAR media services

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 eight NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Chicagoland Speedway.
• 14 drivers have competed in all eight races.
• Todd Bodine won the first pole.
• There has been a different pole winner after every qualifying session (qualifying was canceled in 2008).
• Kevin Harvick won the first two races.
• Six different drivers have won races, led by Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart, each with two.
• Kyle Busch won the 2008 race from the pole, the first time a driver won from the pole. It was also the first time a driver had won from a top-five starting position. Kevin Harvick won the 2002 race from the 32nd starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner ever started at Chicago.
• Kevin Harvick has a 7.4 average finish in eight races, the best of any driver with more than one start there.
• One Chicago race has gone beyond the scheduled distance (2006 – 270 laps).

NASCAR in Illinois
• There have been 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Illinois.
• 71 drivers all-time in NASCAR three national series have their home state recorded as Illinois. • There have been four race winners from Illinois in NASCAR’s three national series: