 |
| Martin Truex Jr won at Chicagoland last season, and he's favored to do so again Sunday. |
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Fast Facts: Chicago
· This is the seventh year in a row the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs has opened at Chicagoland Speedway (2011 – 2017). New Hampshire was the first race of the Playoffs from 2004 – 2010.
· Of the 10 tracks on the Playoff schedule in 2017, Chicagoland has hosted the fewest Playoff races with six.
· Five different drivers have won the Chicago Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races – Martin Truex Jr. (2016), Denny Hamlin (2015), Brad Keselowski (2014, 2012), Matt Kenseth (2013) and Tony Stewart (2011).
· Three times the winner of the opening race of the postseason went on to win the title – 2012, 2011, and 2004:
o In 2004 (inaugural MENCS Playoffs), Kurt Busch won the opening race of the playoff at New Hampshire, and went on to win the title.
o In 2012, Brad Keselowski won the playoff race at Chicago, and went on to win the title.
o In 2011 (Race was delayed until Monday due to rain), Tony Stewart won his first race of the season at Chicago to open the Playoffs. Stewart went on to set the record for the most wins in a playoff run with five victories and the title.
· The worst finish in the opening race of the playoffs by a driver that went on to win the title was Jimmie Johnson’s 39th-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the 2006 postseason.
· The worst finish in the opening playoff race at Chicago for a driver that went on to win the title was Jimmie Johnson’s 12th-place finish last season. Eventual champions and their finish at Chicago: 2015 Kyle Busch – ninth; 2014 Kevin Harvick – fifth; 2013 Jimmie Johnson – fifth; 2012 Brad Keselowski – first; 2011 Tony Stewart – first.
· No non-playoff driver has ever won the opening race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
· Three drivers have won the pole at Chicagoland Speedway as the opening race to the playoffs – Matt Kenseth (2011), Jimmie Johnson (2012) and Joey Logano (2013). The last three seasons the qualifying session have been cancelled due to weather; Kyle Busch started first in 2016 and 2014; Kevin Harvickstarted first in 2015.
· Since Chicago has become the first race of the playoffs starting in 2011 (last six races), Toyota leads the series in Chicago wins with three (2016, 2015, 2013); followed by Ford (2014), Dodge (2012) and Chevrolet(2011) all with just one win each.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2017 Top 16 at Chicagoland Speedway
Rank
|
Driver
|
Races
|
Poles
|
Wins
|
Top Fives
|
Top 10s
|
DNFs
|
Average Finish
|
Driver Rating
| |
1
|
Martin Truex Jr
|
11
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
14.9
|
91.3
| |
2
|
Kyle Larson
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
9.3
|
94.9
| |
3
|
Kyle Busch
|
12
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
7
|
1
|
11.1
|
106.0
| |
4
|
Brad Keselowski
|
8
|
0
|
2
|
4
|
6
|
0
|
9.6
|
99.7
| |
5
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
15
|
2
|
0
|
7
|
10
|
1
|
9.5
|
114.7
| |
6
|
Kevin Harvick
|
16
|
0
|
2
|
8
|
9
|
0
|
12.2
|
96.9
| |
7
|
Denny Hamlin
|
11
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
5
|
1
|
16.1
|
87.6
| |
8
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
17
|
73.2
| |
9
|
Ryan Blaney
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
91.9
| |
10
|
Chase Elliott
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
129.1
| |
11
|
Ryan Newman
|
15
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
9
|
1
|
14.1
|
84.4
| |
12
|
Kurt Busch
|
16
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
9
|
1
|
15.4
|
89.2
| |
13
|
Kasey Kahne
|
13
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
4
|
2
|
17.5
|
82.2
| |
14
|
Austin Dillon
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
24.3
|
78.7
| |
15
|
Matt Kenseth
|
16
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
8
|
0
|
11.1
|
102.3
| |
16
|
Jamie McMurray
|
14
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
20.1
|
74.9
|
* – Based on last 12 races at Chicagoland Speedway (2005-2016).
2017 Stage Winners / Drivers with Playoff Points
Track
|
Stage 1 Winner
|
Stage 2 Winner
|
Stage 3 Winner
|
Race Winner
|
Following Race #26
| ||
Daytona
|
Kyle Busch
|
Kevin Harvick
|
N/A
|
Kurt Busch
|
Drivers
|
Pts
| |
Atlanta
|
Kevin Harvick
|
Kevin Harvick
|
N/A
|
Brad Keselowski
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
53
| |
Las Vegas
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
N/A
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Kyle Larson
|
33
| |
Phoenix
|
Joey Logano
|
Chase Elliott
|
N/A
|
Ryan Newman
|
Kyle Busch
|
29
| |
Auto Club
|
Kyle Larson
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
N/A
|
Kyle Larson
|
Brad Keselowski
|
19
| |
Martinsville
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Chase Elliott
|
N/A
|
Brad Keselowski
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
17
| |
Texas
|
Ryan Blaney
|
Ryan Blaney
|
N/A
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
Kevin Harvick
|
15
| |
Bristol
|
Kyle Larson
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
N/A
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
Denny Hamlin
|
13
| |
Richmond
|
Matt Kenseth
|
Brad Keselowski
|
N/A
|
Joey Logano
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
|
10
| |
Talladega
|
Brad Keselowski
|
Denny Hamlin
|
N/A
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
|
Ryan Blaney
|
8
| |
Kansas
|
Kyle Busch
|
Ryan Blaney
|
N/A
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Chase Elliott
|
6
| |
Charlotte
|
Kyle Busch
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Denny Hamlin
|
Austin Dillon
|
Ryan Newman
|
5
| |
Dover
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
N/A
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
Kurt Busch
|
5
| |
Pocono
|
Kyle Busch
|
Kyle Larson
|
N/A
|
Ryan Blaney
|
Kasey Kahne
|
5
| |
Michigan
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
N/A
|
Kyle Larson
|
Austin Dillon
|
5
| |
Sonoma
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
N/A
|
Kevin Harvick
|
Matt Kenseth
|
5
| |
Daytona
|
Brad Keselowski
|
Matt Kenseth
|
N/A
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
|
Jamie McMurray
|
3
| |
Kentucky
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
N/A
|
Martin Truex Jr.
| |||
New Hampshire
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Kyle Busch
|
N/A
|
Denny Hamlin
| |||
Indianapolis
|
Kyle Busch
|
Kyle Busch
|
N/A
|
Kasey Kahne
| |||
Pocono
|
Kyle Busch
|
Clint Bowyer
|
N/A
|
Kyle Busch
| |||
Watkins Glen
|
Kyle Busch
|
Daniel Suarez
|
N/A
|
Martin Truex Jr.
| |||
Michigan
|
Brad Keselowski
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
N/A
|
Kyle Larson
| |||
Bristol
|
Kyle Busch
|
Matt Kenseth
|
N/A
|
Kyle Busch
| |||
Darlington
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
N/A
|
Denny Hamlin
| |||
Richmond
|
Kyle Busch
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
N/A
|
Kyle Larson
| |||
Chicagoland Speedway Data
Season Race #: 27 of 36 (09-17-17)
Playoff Race #: 1
Track Size: 1.5-miles
Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 18 degrees
Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 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 / 400.5 miles
Stage 1 & 2 Length: 80 Laps (each)
Final Stage: 107 Laps
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Chicago
Chase Elliott............................. 129.1
Jimmie Johnson........................ 114.7
Kyle Busch............................... 106.0
Matt Kenseth............................ 102.3
Brad Keselowski......................... 99.7
Kevin Harvick............................. 96.9
Kyle Larson................................ 94.9
Ryan Blaney............................... 91.9
Martin Truex Jr........................... 91.3
Joey Logano............................... 90.0
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2016 races (12 total) among active drivers at Chicagoland Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2016 pole winner:
None – Due to weather
2016 race winner:
Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
145.161 mph, (02:47:24), 09-18-16
Track qualifying record:
Joey Logano, Ford
189.414 mph, 28.509 secs. 09-13-13
Track race record:
Martin Truex Jr., Toyota
145.161 mph, (02:47:24), 09-18-16
|
Chicagoland Speedway:
History
· Construction of the Chicagoland Speedway began in August 1999.
· The first NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Chicago was July 14, 2001 – won by Jimmie Johnson.
· The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race was held on July 15, 2001 – won by Kevin Harvick.
· This is the seventh season Chicagoland Speedway has been the opening race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs (2011 – 2016)
· There have been 16 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Chicagoland Speedway, one race per season since the first event in 2001.
Starts
· 122 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway; 94 in more than one.
· Three drivers have competed in all 16 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events at Chicagoland Speedway; all three are playoff contenders this season: Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, and Kevin Harvick.
· Seven drivers all-time have posted their first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start at Chicago; Joey Gase (2014), Justin Allgaier (2013), Josh Wise (2011), Todd Kluever (2006), David Stremme (2005), Chad Blount (2004) and Johnny Sauter (2003).
· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Chicago with a 7.867.
Poles
· 11 MENCS drivers have posted Coors Light poles at Chicago, led by Jimmie Johnson with two. The last three qualifying session have been cancelled due to weather.
· Todd Bodine won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Chicago in 2001 with a speed of 183.717 mph.
· Youngest Chicago MENCS pole winner: Joey Logano (09/15/2013 – 23 years, 3 months, 22 days).
· Oldest Chicago MENCS pole winner: Matt Kenseth (09/19/2011 – 39 years, 6 months, 9 days).
· Three different manufacturers have won a MENCS Coors Light pole at Chicago led by Chevrolet with seven, followed by Ford (four) and Toyota (one).
Wins
· A total of 12 different Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Chicagoland Speedway.
· Tony Stewart leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Chicago with three victories (2004, 2007, 2011).
· Kevin Harvick (first two series events at the speedway; 2001 and 2002) and Brad Keselowski (2012 and 2014) lead all active drivers in wins with two each.
· Stewart, Harvick and Keselowski are the only three drivers with multiple wins at Chicago.
· Kevin Harvick (2001, 2002) is the only driver to post consecutive series wins at Chicagoland Speedway
· Youngest Chicago MENCS winner: Kyle Busch (07/12/2008 – 23 years, 2 months, 10 days).
· Oldest Chicago MENCS winner: Mark Martin (07/11/2009 – 50 years, 6 months, 2 days).
· Joe Gibbs Racing has the series-most wins at with five victories: Tony Stewart (two), Kyle Busch (one), Matt Kenseth (one) and Denny Hamlin (one).
· Four different manufacturers have won in the MENCS at Chicago led by Chevrolet with eight victories; followed by Toyota with five, Dodge has two and Ford has one.
· Only one of the 16 (6.3%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Chicago have been won from the Coors Light pole - Kyle Busch in 2008 – it is also the only win from the front row.
· Only one of the 16 (6.3%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Chicago have been won from a top-five starting position.
· Six of the 16 (37.5%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Chicago have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· Five of the 16 (31.3%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Chicago have been won from a starting position outside the top 20 – most recent was Denny Hamlin (29th) in 2015.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Chicago is 32nd, by Kevin Harvick in 2002.
· Kyle Busch swept the weekend at Chicagoland Speedway winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series races in 2008 – the only time the feat has been accomplished at Chicago.
· Seven of the eight active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winners at Chicagoland Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Kevin Harvick won at Chicago in his first two appearances (2001, 2002). Ryan Newman won in his second appearance (2003).
· Kurt Busch leads the series among active drivers with the most Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts at Chicago without visiting Victory Lane at 16.
Additional Finishing Position Stats
· Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon lead the series in runner-up finishes at Chicago with three each; followed by Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards with two each.
· Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick lead the series in top-five finishes at Chicago with eight each; followed by Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon with seven each.
· Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart lead the series in top-10 finishes at Chicago with 10 each; followed by Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick with nine each.
· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position with a 9.467.
Track / Event Specific Stats
· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Chicagoland Speedway was the July 12, 2008 race won by Kyle Busch over Jimmie Johnson with a MOV of 0.159 second – the only race won from the pole.
· Top Five Closest Margins of Victory at Chicago:
Margin of Victory
|
Date
|
Race Winner
|
Runner-Up
|
0.159
|
7/12/2008
|
Kyle Busch
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
0.291
|
7/10/2005
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr
|
Matt Kenseth
|
0.415
|
7/11/2009
|
Mark Martin
|
Jeff Gordon
|
0.461
|
7/9/2006
|
Jeff Gordon
|
Jeff Burton
|
0.649
|
7/15/2001
|
Kevin Harvick
|
Robert Pressley
|
· Two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race has resulted with NASCAR Overtime:
Date
|
Scheduled No. of Laps
|
Actual No. of Laps
|
NASCAR Overtime Laps
|
Race Winner
|
9/18/2016
|
267
|
270
|
3
|
Martin Truex Jr
|
7/9/2006
|
267
|
270
|
3
|
Jeff Gordon
|
· None of the series races at Chicagoland Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions.
· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the MENCS at Chicagoland Speedway four times – 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2016.
· Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers in the series in laps led at Chicago with 695 laps led in 15 starts.
Female Competitor Stats
· Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has competed at Chicagoland Speedway in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series; Shawna Robinson attempted to qualify in 2001, but failed to qualify for the event.
Season
|
Driver
|
Starting Position
|
Finishing Position
|
Driver Rating
|
2016
|
Danica Patrick
|
25
|
24
|
58.5
|
2015
|
Danica Patrick
|
25
|
26
|
62.8
|
2014
|
Danica Patrick
|
18
|
19
|
69.2
|
2013
|
Danica Patrick
|
23
|
20
|
61.2
|
2012
|
Danica Patrick
|
41
|
25
|
49.0
|
Averages:
|
26.4
|
22.8
|
60.14
| |
NASCAR in Illinois
· A total of 81 NASCAR national series races among five different tracks have been held in the state of Illinois.
Tracks in Illinois
| |||||
Track Name
|
City
|
MENCS
|
NXS
|
NCWTS
|
Total Races
|
Chicagoland Speedway
|
Joliet
|
16
|
21
|
8
|
45
|
Gateway Motorsports Park
|
Madison
|
0
|
15
|
17
|
32
|
Chicago Motor Speedway
|
Cicero
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
Santa Fe Speedway
|
Willow Springs
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
Soldier Field
|
Chicago
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
TOTALS
|
18
|
36
|
27
|
81
|
· The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held in the state of Illinois was at Willow Springs, Illinois at Santa Fe Speedway in 1954 – the event was won by Dick Rathmann (72.216 mph, 1:23:05, 07-10-1954).
· A total of 80 with their home state recorded as Illinois have made at least one start in a NASCAR national series race.
· Five of the 80 have posted at least one victory in a NASCAR national series event; including NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen with 26 victories in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Driver
|
MENCS
|
NXS
|
NCWTS
|
Fred Lorenzen
|
26
|
0
|
0
|
Tom Pistone
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
Justin Allgaier
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
Bobby Dotter
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Erik Darnell
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Milestones
| |||
Drivers
|
Has
|
Needs
|
Milestones
|
STARTS
| |||
Ryan Newman
|
574
|
1
|
To become the 30th driver in series history to start 575 or more races
|
Denny Hamlin
|
424
|
1
|
To become the 55th driver in series history to start 425 or more races
|
Clint Bowyer
|
423
|
2
|
To become the 56th driver in series history to start 425 or more races
|
Landon Cassill
|
249
|
1
|
To become the 105th driver in series history to start 250 or more races
|
WINS
| |||
Jimmie Johnson
|
83
|
1
|
Tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip (84) for fourth on MENCS wins list
|
Kyle Busch
|
40
|
4
|
Tie Bill Elliott (44) for 16th on all-time MENCS wins list
|
Matt Kenseth
|
38
|
1
|
Tie Tim Flock (39) for 18th on all-time MENCS wins list
|
Kevin Harvick
|
36
|
1
|
Tie Bobby Isaac (37) for 21st on MENCS all-time wins list
|
Denny Hamlin
|
31
|
1
|
Tie Dale Jarrett (32) for 24th on all-time MENCS wins list
|
Kurt Busch
|
29
|
1
|
Tie Denny Hamlin (30) for 25th on all-time MENCS wins list
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr
|
26
|
2
|
Tie Rex White (28) for 28th on all-time MENCS wins list
|
Brad Keselowski
|
23
|
2
|
Tie Joe Weatherly, Jim Paschal (25) for 31st on all-time MENCS wins list
|
POLES
| |||
Ryan Newman
|
51
|
3
|
Tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time MENCS poles list
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
35
|
1
|
Tie Rusty Wallace and Rex White for 17th on all-time MENCS poles list
|
Kasey Kahne
|
27
|
2
|
Tie Ricky Rudd (29) for 24th on the all-time MENCS poles list
|
Kyle Busch
|
25
|
1
|
Tie Bobby Labonte for 27th on all-time MENCS poles list
|
Denny Hamlin
|
24
|
1
|
Tie Kyle Busch for 28th on the all-time MENCS poles list
|
ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS
| |||
Jimmie Johnson
|
46
|
2
|
Tie Lee Petty for 11th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr
|
149
|
1
|
To become the 24th driver to post 150 or more MENCS top-five finishes
|
Joey Logano
|
148
|
2
|
To become the 53rd driver to post 150 or more MENCS top-10 finishes
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr
|
24
|
1
|
To post his 25th career MENCS top-10 finish
|
LAPS LED
| |||
Jimmie Johnson
|
18,634
|
366
|
To become the ninth driver in series history to lead 19,000 or more laps
|
Kyle Busch
|
13,706
|
294
|
To become the 10th driver in series history to lead 14,000 or more laps
|
Matt Kenseth
|
11,653
|
347
|
To become the 15th MENCS driver all-time to lead 12,000 or more laps
|
Kevin Harvick
|
10,808
|
192
|
To become 17th MENCS driver all-time to lead 11,000 or more laps
|
Kurt Busch
|
8,874
|
126
|
To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps
|
Denny Hamlin
|
8,523
|
477
|
To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr
|
8,210
|
790
|
To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps
|
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