Monday, September 10, 2012

Chicagoland Odds & Ends: 2012 Geico 400


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.
·         This weekend marks the second year Chicagoland Speedway has been included in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – Sept. 18, 2011.
Notebook
·         There have been 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Chicagoland Speedway.
·         11 drivers have competed in all 10 races.
·         Todd Bodine won the first pole.
·         There has been a different pole winner after every qualifying session (qualifying was canceled in 2008), 10 total.
·         Kevin Harvick won the first two races.
·         Eight different drivers have won races, led by Tony Stewart with three.
·         Kyle Busch won the 2008 race from the pole, the first time a driver won from the pole. It was also the only 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.
·         Only one starting position has multiple wins: 14th. Mark Martin won from the 14th starting position in 2009, as did Ryan Newman in 2003.
·         Tony Stewart (8.7), Jeff Gordon (10.0) and Jimmie Johnson (10.0) are active drivers who average a top-10 finish at Chicago.
·         Six of the last seven races have ended with a margin of victory under one second. The closest margin of victory at Chicago was 0.159 sec. (7-12-08).
·         Joe Gibbs leads all car owners in wins at Chicago with three, followed by Richard Childress and Rick Hendrickwith two each.
·         Chevrolet leads the series with the most wins by a manufacturer at Chicago with eight.
·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chicagoland Speedway winner: Kyle Busch (07/12/2008 – 23 years, 2 months, 10 days).
·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chicagoland Speedway winner: Mark Martin (07/11/2009 – 50 years, 6 months, 2 days).
 
Chicagoland Speedway Data
Tony Stewart got his Chase started quick in 2012 (Getty)
Chase Race #: 1 of 10
Season Race #: 27 of 36 (09-16-12)
Track Size: 1.5-miles
Banking/Turns: 18 degrees
Banking/Tri-Oval: 11 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 2,400 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,700 feet
Race Length: 267 laps / 400 miles
 
Top 12 Driver Rating at Chicago
Jimmie Johnson........................ 112.2
Tony Stewart............................ 111.0
Matt Kenseth............................ 104.1
Kevin Harvick............................. 98.5
Kyle Busch................................ 97.8
Jeff Gordon................................ 95.4
Carl Edwards............................. 92.8
Clint Bowyer.............................. 90.7
Mark Martin............................... 89.5
Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 89.2
Greg Biffle.................................. 88.5
Kurt Busch................................. 87.8
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2012 races (7 total) at Chicagoland Speedway.
 
Qualifying/Race Data
2011 pole winner:
Matt Kenseth, Ford (183.243 mph, 29.469 sec., 09-17-11)
 
2011 race winner:
Tony Stewart, Chevrolet (143.306 mph, 2:47:41, 09-19-11)
 
Track qualifying record:
Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet (188.147 mph, 28.701 sec., 07-08-05)
 
Track race record:
David Reutimann, Toyota (145.138 mph, 2:45:34, 07-10-10)
NASCAR in Illinois
·         There have been 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Illinois.
Track Name
City
NSCS
Years
Chicagoland Speedway
Joliet
11
2001-2012
Santa Fe Speedway
Willow Springs
1
1954
Soldier Field
Chicago
1
1956
·         74 drivers all-time in NASCAR three national series have their home state recorded as Illinois.
·         There have been five race winners from Illinois in NASCAR’s three national series:
Driver
NSCS
NNS
NCWTS
Fred Lorenzen
26
0
0
Tom Pistone
2
0
0
Justin Allgaier
0
3
0
Bobby Dotter
0
1
0
Erik Darnell
0
0
2
 

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