Final Chicagoland Driver Ratings & Betting Notes: 2016 TMNT 400

Jimmie Johnson super-fast on long runs during all practices.

Jimmie Johnson had his 41st birthday Saturday and the best gift was getting a perfectly set-up car that dominated final practices in preparation for Sunday's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. The Westgate SuperBook was so impressed with Johnson's simulated race runs on Saturday that they slashed his odds to win in half from 12-to-1 down to 6-to-1.

Johnson was listed at high odds to begin the week just because he hasn't been his typical self this season, and he's also never won at Chicago's 1.5-mile layout, one of only four tracks he's never taken the checkered flag. He's had only one top-five finish in his last 13 starts and hasn't won a race in his last 21 heading into Chicago. That's an eternity for a driver that has posted 77 wins over 15 seasons.

During Friday's first practice session, Johnson posted the fastest individual lap (183.780 mph) and had the best 10-consecutive lap average. In Saturday'a final sessions he had the second-best 10-consecutive lap average early and he was tops during 'Happy Hour'. Kyle Larson had the fastest single lap times in both Saturday sessions, but the the long run speeds are what the crews try to work on most. It's also what bettors and oddsmakers look at the most. During the race when there are long green flag runs, we should see Johnson making a lot of passes and extending a lead if/when he gets out front. He starts eighth.

Now just because Johnson has never won at Chicago doesn't mean he's not good there. He's rated No. 1 in NASCAR's loop data by a large margin over second-best Kyle Busch. He holds the track record with 577 laps led and has a 9.2 average finish over 14 starts, which included runner-up on three occasions.

While the team has been slumping, it's apparent that the beginning of the Chase has motivated the team with six Sprint Cup trophies in their garage. Crew chief Chad Knaus obviously found something during an Aug. 23 test session at Chicagoland that they're putting to good use this week. And it probably won't stop there, because five of the 10 races in the Chase are on 1.5-mile tracks where the same notes can be applied.

HAPPY HARVICK
Johnson was the best on long runs overall during practices, but Kevin Harvick was right behind him and actually had the best 10-consecutive lap average during Saturday's early session. He's listed as the 5-to-1 favorite at the Westgate and book manager Ed Salmons said "Harvick is a touch better than Johnson, but it's close." Harvick won Chicagalond's first Cup race as a rookie in 2001 and then did it again the next year. He's averaged an 11.7 finish in 15 starts.

FAST START EQUALS CHAMPIONSHIP?
Kurt Busch won the first Chase race at New Hampshire in 2004 and went on to win the title, but surprisingly the double has been done only two other times. Brad Keselowski won at Chicago in 2012 and Tony Stewart won there in 2011. Last years champ, Kyle Busch, finished ninth at Chicago to kick off the Chase. No non-Chase driver has ever won the Chase opener.

START POSITION NOT A BIG DEAL
Only five of the 15 Chicago winners have started from a top-10 position while five winners have started outside the top-20, including Kyle Busch's 2008 win when he started 32nd. Denny Hamlin started 29th last season and won there for the first time in his career.

LARSON IN A GROOVE
It took Kyle Larson four seasons and 99 starts to finally win a Sprint Cup race and since doing so at Michigan three weeks ago, he's gone on to finish third at Darlington and was runner-up last week at Richmond. And he really likes Chicagoland, too. He was third as a rookie in 2014 and seventh last season. Now that he's finally won, the bookmakers can trust him after so many 'almosts' over the past three seasons. You won't find 20-to-1 odds on him anymore. This week he's 10-to-1 to win and his recent run is so respected that he's also 10-to-1 to win the Chase, right up there with Hamlin and Johnson.


Micah Roberts' Sprint Cup Driver Ratings
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400
Chicagoland Speedway
Sunday, September 18, 2016 - 11:46 am PT

RATING  DRIVER    ODDS                   PRACTICE 1       START POS*     .PRACTICE 2         PRACTICE 3

 1. Jimmie Johnson 12/1              1st                8th                17th                 11th

Track record 577 laps led, but no wins; best 10-consecutive lap average in practice 1 and 3.

 2. Kevin Harvick 5/1                  12th                4th                16th                 22nd 

Won first two Cup races at track (2001, 2002); best 10-consecutive lap average in practice 2. 

 3. Kyle Busch 7/1                     10th               1st                 13th                  3rd

2008 winner, ninth or better in past four starts. Two wins in six of the races on 1.5-mile tracks. 

 4. Kyle Larson 10/1                    8th               10th                 1st                   1st

He's on incredible roll past three weeks with his first career win, a third and second last week.

 5. Brad Keselowski 10/1             4th                2nd                25th                  9th

Two-time winner, including his 2012 championship season. Two of his wins on 1.5s this season. 

 6. Matt Kenseth 8/1                   13th               7th                11th                 18th 

2013 winner with 11.3 average finish in 15 starts; third-best 10-consecutive lap average in practice 2. 

 7. Carl Edwards 8/1                    2nd               5th                  4th                   4th

Two-time runner-up, including last season. His last top-five came on last 1.5-mile track at Kentucky.

 8. Martin Truex Jr. 6/1                 7th                6th                 5th                   7th  

No top-fives in 10 career starts, but he's been season best overall on the six 1.5s leading 785 laps.  

 9. Denny Hamlin 8/1                   3rd                3rd                23rd                 14th 

Won this race ,last season; comes in on roll with a career-best eight straight top-10 finishes.

10. Joey Logano 10/1                 17th                9th                 3rd                   6th

Career-best fourth in 2014, sixth last season; steady with a top-10 in 12 of last 14 on schedule. 

* Early Friday afternoon rain forced NASCAR to alter its schedule opting to allow teams to practice rather than qualify -- only 40 drivers entered. The starting lineup was set by driver points.

Odds courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

Micah Roberts, a former sports book director, has been been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1994. Follow on Twitter @MicahRoberts7

Chicagoland Betting Preview: 2016 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400

Denny Hamlin won at Chicagoland in 2015 to kick off Chase.

LAS VEGAS -- When the green flag drops Sunday afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway, it begins the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Championship, NASCAR's version of the playoffs. And the format that has been tweaked over the past few seasons now actually gives the fans something similar to other sports with a major build up for the finale.

“It’s very comparable," said 2004 Sprint Cup champion Kurt Busch. "The way that the 2004 Chase was introduced that puts us into a 10-week stretch of accumulating the most points or doing the best in the postseason. Now, with our new structure where it’s three races, advance, three races, advance, it’s a bit tougher because you can have a part failure come up in one of those three and completely kill the whole season. Yet, you’ve got to be your best at the end. That is what this format is all about. You have a regular-season atmosphere; you have your playoff season, Chase atmosphere.”

Sunday's event will be the seventh race this season on a 1.5-mile layout and the first of five in the 10-race Chase. Do well on these type of tracks over the next 10 weeks and chances are great of hoisting the championship trophy in the Chase finale, or NASCAR's Super Bowl, at Homestead on November 20.

As a refresher, let's review how this playoff format is structure. There are 16 drivers competing and they are stacked with bonus points based on wins this season. Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski each won four races during the 26 regular season events and will be given 3-points for each. They're both 3-points ahead of Denny Hamlin, who won three times. Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon and Jamie McMurray didn't win, so they start at the lowest total with no bonus points.

The 10-race Chase is broken down into four stages, the first three consisting of three races each with the four worst performers of each being eliminated from contention. If an eligible driver wins any of those three races, they immediately advance to the next stage no matter how points they accumulate. The drivers that don't win during a three-race stage have to advance to the next round by accumulating the most points.

The first round consists of races at Chicagoland, New Hampshire and Dover. The next round, featuring only 12 eligible drivers, has races at Charlotte, Kansas and a huge wild card event at Talladega as the turn race. Eight drivers will battle for the right to advance to the final four at Homestead with races at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix. Then it's one race for all the marbles at Homestead where the best finisher among the four win the title.

The driver coming in that is at peak performance in all facets with his own driving skills, high performing reliable engines and a great crew on pit stops is Denny Hamlin who is riding a career-best eight race streak of top-10 finishes that includes two wins. Last season he kicked off the Chase with a win at Chicagoland and he's got tracks in each of the stages where he'll be favored at like Talladega and Martinsville and he's also a two-time winner at Homestead.

The only negative going against Hamlin is that he's had only one top-five finish (Charlotte) between the six races on 1.5-mile tracks. It's kind of a surprise because all of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates have fared well on those tracks led by Las Vegan Kyle Busch with wins at Texas and Kansas. Busch is also the defending Cup champion and feels the competition might be a little stiffer for him this season.

“I kind of feel about the same (as 2015), actually," Kyle Busch said. "I feel like we kind of are right even with where we were last year – kind of doing the same things – but there are other guys who are better than us, so we’re just going to have to figure out how to out-race them and out-finish them when we need to. A couple of our ‘teammates’ – the 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) especially – he’s just been stellar fast each and every week. He’s had some bad luck go his way and hasn’t been able to finish all the races where he should have. You can see that in the Chase, as well – something happening to you and taking you out of a round. That’s why you’ve got to be careful and try to again minimize your bad days and make it forward.”

Martin Truex Jr., who isn't 'officially' a Gibbs teammate, but uses their equipment, led 392 of 400 laps at Charlotte in late May in the most dominating performance in track history. The main concern about wagering on him to win is just as Kyle noted with the pit crew blowing so many winning opportunities. One or two errors happens to everyone, but when the errors happen more than a dozen times in 26 races, it's more than just a trend, it's the reality of who they truly are. Think is similar terms of a running-back in football who keeps fumbling the ball.

Read More Here.....Top-5 Finish Prediction on VegasInsider.com

Chase Elliott looking to make most of Chase "opportunity"

Chase Elliott is 15/1 to win at Chicagoland.

Chase Elliott on racing into his first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
“It is definitely exciting. It is a heck of an opportunity. Getting in is the first very small step of these last 10 races. Obviously, you would rather have won your way in and have a win at this point, but I would much rather win in these last 10 races if I had a choice. We will take it a week at a time. I think we have to have the mentality that we could go to Homestead and give ourselves a chance.. We are going to give it our best effort and we are going to fight as hard as we can and give it the best shot we can.”

REGULAR SEASON ROUNDUP: Chase Elliott placed 10th in the regular-season standings – a culmination of 26 points-paying events in which he earned an impressive 13 top-10 finishes and five top-five finishes.

CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER: Elliott will be seeded 14th to start the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. It marks the second time in the history of the Chase that a rookie has qualified for the 10-race postseason. The last driver to do so was Denny Hamlin in 2006. Elliott will start his bid for the championship with 2,000 points, trailing leaders Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski by 12 markers going into the 10-race playoff, which begins this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.

MEDIA TOUR: After clinching a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berth Saturday night, Elliott’s week continues to be a whirlwind. He is on the West Coast this week promoting the Chase alongside teammate Johnson before heading to Chicago for Chase Media Day. Elliott will talk with FS1’s "NASCAR Race Hub" (Tuesday), "FOX Sports Live" (Tuesday), "At the Buzzer" (Tuesday), ESPN’s "SportsCenter" (Tuesday evening), SiriusXM (Wed. 8 p.m. ET) and "The Rich Eisen Show" (Thursday) among others. Timing is TBD.

ELLIOTT IN CHICAGO: Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contender Elliott will be making an appearance at Chicagoland Speedway’s “Green Flag Garage” event on Sunday at 11 a.m. for a question-and-answer session. He recently visited Chicago alongside the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to promote the upcoming race weekend event. For footage from the day, please contact Caitlin Barry.

SWANCHO SWAGGER: NAPA engineers have developed cutting-edge NASCAR sweatshirt poncho technology – dubbing their creation the “Swancho.” These limited-edition NAPA AUTO PARTS Swanchos feature Elliott’s headshot on one side with the No. 24 and NAPA logos emblazoned on the opposite side. It’s the only racing Swancho endorsed by Elliott. Check out Elliott and “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” regular Michael Torpey in their two-minute “infomercial,” featuring a special guest appearance by Elliott’s teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. here. Visit napa24swancho.com for additional details.

WINDY CITY WIN: In July 2014, Elliott led 85 laps in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race to earn a victory at Chicagoland Speedway with the guidance of crew chief Greg Ives. It was his first victory at the 1.5-mile speedway and his third win of that year. The margin of victory was 1.773 seconds but at one point during the race event he had an eight-second lead over second place.

CHASE UNIVERSITY: Elliott is asking collegiate students to enroll in “Chase University” at Charlotte Motor Speedway later this year – a ticket-package program for collegiate fans looking to join in a unique NASCAR experience. “Chase University” will feature concerts, food, beverages and tailgating games before, during and after the Bank of America 500. The 20-year-old driver will make an appearance on race day, taking part in a cornhole challenge with select ticket holders. Students with a valid college ID can enroll in “Chase University” with a special $24 party pass available online at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267).

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2016 Season 14th in standings 26 starts 0 wins 2 pole positions 7 top-five finishes 13 top-10 finishes 163 laps led     Career 31 starts 0 wins 2 pole positions 7 top-five finishes 13 top-10 finishes 163 laps led     Track Career  0 starts 0 wins 0 pole positions 0 top-five finishes 0 top-10 finishes 0 laps led

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Jimmie Johnson still searching for first Chicagoland win

Jimmie Johnson is 12/1 to win at Chicago, 10/1 to win Sprint Cup.

Jimmie Johnson on the start of the Chase
“Chicago is a great place to start off the Chase. It’s a great market and a good track where we’ve run pretty well. I’ve wanted to win there so bad for (No. 48 team crew chief) Chad (Knaus) since it’s his hometown track. We’ve been close at Chicago a few times but ended up giving them away. For the next 10 weeks, we are in championship focus. We learned a lot last year from this format and we need to be there at the cutoffs and also to be there at the end at Homestead. We need to run well every week. There is a lot of effort going on to make this chase for our seventh championship.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JIMMIE: Jimmie Johnson will turn 41 years old on Saturday, Sept. 17. The El Cajon, California, native will pilot the blue-colored Lowe’s paint scheme this weekend for the first race of the Chase.

CHICAGO TEST: Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and the No. 48 team participated in a one-day test at Chicagoland Speedway on Aug. 23 in preparation for this weekend’s event.

HOME TRACK FOR CHAD: Knaus was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, approximately 106 miles north of Joliet. Knaus made a name for himself racing Late Model Stock cars at Rockford Speedway with his father, John. Knaus graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Rockford.

JOHNSON’S SECOND TRI: On just a few hours’ sleep after finishing 11th at Richmond International Raceway, Johnson participated in the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Lake Davidson Triathlon on Sunday, Sept. 11, in Davidson, North Carolina. Johnson won his age group, and finished 12th overall out of 301 people.

LA MEDIA TOUR: Johnson will visit the Los Angeles area on Tuesday and Wednesday before heading to Chicago. He will make an appearance on "The Late, Late Show with James Corden," "Access Hollywood," NBC’s "The Superstore" and make a visit to FOX.

CHASE SEED: Johnson enters the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as the No. 8 seed thanks to his two wins during the regular season. This is his 13th postseason berth, making Johnson the only driver to have made the Chase every year.

WINLESS IN CHICAGO: Even though Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s team have led 577 laps at Chicago and own seven top-five finishes, the 1.5-mile track remains one of the four venues on the current Sprint Cup schedule where Johnson has yet to score a win. The others are Kentucky, Watkins Glen and Homestead-Miami.

CHICAGO DRIVER RATING: According to NASCAR's loop data statistics, Johnson has the series-best driver rating at Chicago with a score of 114.1 during the past 10 years at the track. The driver rating is a formula that combines wins, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum a driver can earn in each race is 150 points. The driver rating number is used pre-race as a prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator.

​ ​ ​ ​ ​   2016 Season 8th in standings 26 starts 2 wins 1 pole position 7 top-five finishes 10 top-10 finishes 266 laps led     Career 533 starts 77 wins 35 pole positions 214 top-five finishes 324 top-10 finishes 17,975 laps led     Track Career  14 starts 0 wins 2 pole positions 7 top-five finishes 10 top-10 finishes 577 laps led   ​ ​ ​ ​

 

Odds to win 2016 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland

Renovated Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has nicest layout in town to watch sports. NASCAR is always on as well.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPER BOOK
ODDS TO WIN TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 400
CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2016 - 2:43 PM ET

Kevin HARVICK 5/1
Martin TRUEX JR 6/1
Kyle BUSCH 7/1
Carl EDWARDS 8/1
Denny HAMLIN 8/1
Matt KENSETH 8/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 10/1
Joey LOGANO 10/1
Kyle LARSON 10/1
Kurt BUSCH 12/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 12/1
Chase ELLIOTT 15/1
Tony STEWART 35/1
Austin DILLON 40/1
Jamie McMURRAY 50/1
Ryan NEWMAN 100/1
Kasey KAHNE 100/1
Alex BOWMAN 100/1
Ryan BLANEY 100/1
Greg BIFFLE 100/1
Chris BUESCHER 200/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 200/1
Paul MENARD 200/1
AJ ALLMENDINGER 300/1
Trevor BAYNE 300/1
Clint BOWYER 500/1
Aric ALMIROLA 1000/1
Danica PATRICK 1000/1
Casey MEARS 1000/1
FIELD 1000/1

Kurt Busch loves everything about Chicago sports

Kurt Busch is 20/1 to win Sprint Cup.

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina –There’s just something about the Chicago sports scene that Kurt Busch loves.

The driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) is an unabashed fan of the Chicago Cubs. He has an unwavering loyalty to the Chicago Bears.

Busch was just a kid in Las Vegas when he adopted the Chicago sports teams as his own, and his love for the Bears and the Cubs hasn’t faded one iota through the years. His support of the Chicago sports teams stems from the fact his parents hail from the Windy City, so it’s only natural for him to support its “hometown” teams.

In 2000, Busch made his first visit to Wrigley Field to watch his beloved Cubs. Busch readily admits that he got a tear in his eye as he sat in the bleachers and took in the electric atmosphere at the historic ballpark.

Since that first visit to Wrigley, Busch has been back to watch his “Cubbies” numerous times.

In 2002, Busch was given the honor of throwing out the first pitch before a game. That first time on the mound at Wrigley Field, Busch did everything he could to savor the moment. As he tells it, he stood on the mound and actually shook off the sign from the catcher – wanting to prolong the moment and soak in his surroundings for as long as possible. When he finally did make the pitch, Busch says he “threw it right down the pipe with heat.”

Since then, the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has thrown out the first pitch several other times at Wrigley, and also has led the singing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch.

It doesn’t matter how many times Busch has the opportunity to visit Wrigley Field, he relishes every moment.

This weekend, Busch will become part of the Chicago sports scene he loves so much as the Sprint Cup Series rolls into Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400– the first of 10 races in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship playoffs.

Busch qualified for the Chase via his win at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in June. He’ll start the Chase 12th in points. This is Busch’s fourth consecutive Chase appearance and 10th overall. He won the championship in his Chase debut in 2004, then finished 10th in 2005, seventh in 2007, fourth in 2009, 11th in 2010 and 2011, 10th in 2013, 12th in 2014 and eighth in 2015.

In 15 Sprint Cup Series starts at Chicagoland, Busch has two top-five finishes and nine top-10s. His best finish at the 1.5-mile track came in this race last year, when Busch brought home a third-place finish. He overcame a flat tire on lap 86 and a green-flag pit stop that put him a lap down to still contend for the win. However, a late-race caution took away what appeared to be a sure win and an automatic advance into the next round of the Chase for Busch and the No. 41 team.

Busch, who has cheered for the Chicago teams throughout his life, hopes to give the Chicago crowd something to cheer about this weekend. There’s nothing he would like more than to get the first win at Chicagoland and his first of the 2016 Chase, and continue his quest for his second Sprint Cup championship.

Chassis No. 1016: Kurt Busch will pilot Chassis No. 1016 in Sunday’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. Built new for 2016, Chassis No. 1016 will see its first laps of competition in Sunday’s opening round of the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

KURT BUSCH, Driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Talk about heading to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend and kicking off the Chase. Is getting a strong finish at Chicago as important as ever with the new playoff format?
“The first Chase race is important but not as important as it used to be. When we had a 10-race stretch, starting off strong could carry you a long way. Now it’s three races at a time. You could say it’s more important or you can look at it and go, ‘Well, if you are in the Chase, it means your team has done a good job all year and you shouldn’t stress it more than any other race and that, if you just go and do your job, you are going to end up with a solid finish.’ But the Chase now is structured three races at a time. So it’s Chicago, Loudon and Dover. If you win Chicago then, yeah, you don’t have to sweat it at Loudon and Dover. Same thing in the next round – if you win at Charlotte, you don’t have to stress at Kansas or Talladega. So, the Chase is broken up into four sectors, three races at a time (for the first three sectors).”

Why is Chicago such a good track to kick off the Chase?
“There are endless reasons on why it’s a cool place to start the Chase. It’s a one-race venue. It’s a big market. It’s in the Midwest, where we have a ton of NASCAR fans who are hungry for NASCAR. And, when you go to one track, one time, it just has that different feel about it, like it’s very important. It’s great that we only go there once. May as well kick off the Chase at a track like that and end it at Homestead, another track we only go to once.”

What have your previous races at Chicago been like for you?
“Chicago is a fast, mile-and-a-half track I have always enjoyed racing since I started racing there in my rookie season. The track isn’t as smooth as it used to be – it has some bumps in it – but it’s a place I like. It’s another one of those tracks, though, where I just haven’t had the best of luck. An example is the 2002 race. We had a really fast car for that race but, for some reason after the last pit stop, the car just wasn’t handling the same as it had been. We were just way too tight and really couldn’t figure out why. When we got back to the shop and started going over the car, we realized that the radiator pan had come off and that’s like 100 pounds of front downforce. We were going so fast that the car bottomed out and dragged the radiator pan out. It’s just weird stuff like that.”

What makes Chicago difficult and what does it take to be successful there?
“It’s tough because we only go there once a year. It’s a typical mile-and-a-half that has its own characteristics, but you can use the balance from other mile-and-a-half tracks to get you close. Then, as the race plays out, restarts are important. The bumps going into turn one, the bumps coming through turn four, all of that will play out and you just have to kind of roll with it. If you’ve got a chance to win, you want to capitalize on that. That helps ease the stress of the next two rounds of the Chase.”

How would you compare the Chase for the Sprint Cup to playoffs in other sports?
“It’s very comparable. The way that the 2004 Chase was introduced that puts us into a 10-week stretch of accumulating the most points or doing the best in the postseason. Now, with our new structure where it’s three races, advance, three races, advance, it’s a bit tougher because you can have a part failure come up in one of those three and completely kill the whole season. Yet, you’ve got to be your best at the end. That is what this format is all about. You have a regular-season atmosphere; you have your playoff season, Chase atmosphere.”

What is the pressure like to perform?
“It’s my job. It’s what I do. It’s what our team does. It is what our team prepares for. It’s what I prepare for. It’s part of being against the best of the best in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and, to come out on top, you have to perform under all the different pressure situations – qualifying, short-track, superspeedways, intermediates, the pit stops. The pit stop guys, they have a tremendous amount of responsibility and that is just part of being a team. That is what the team aspect is all about.”

How do you see pressure affecting not only yourself, but other drivers, as well?
“You could have your back against the wall by having a bad finish in one of the rounds and you have to win. Case in point – my teammate Kevin Harvick, last year at Dover, they had to go in there and win. That was really the only way they were going to advance and they pulled it off. That is a bottom of the ninth, clutch moment. That is what this Chase format does for the 16 different drivers. It puts everybody in their own little scenario and they have to go and compete not only against themselves, but against the guys they are very similar to.”

Is there anything you can take for granted in these first three Chase races?
“Not much, but the first three races there are 16 guys, we look at ourselves on the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevy as a top-eight team. When we do that, you can’t just ignore nine through 16th. But, if we go out there and do our job, we should have no problem advancing through the first round.”

Is there an equivalent in the Chase of being able to throw a Hail Mary?
“Those are the games that I just turn off. You don’t want to watch it zig-zag that violently, back and forth. Are there those moments? Yeah, I mean Harvick pulled one off last year at Talladega where he had cars spinning and scrambling – green, white, checkered. When was NASCAR going to freeze the field? We didn’t know. Then there is the Phoenix race with the rain. Can we get the track dry on time? There were so many different intangibles that came up last year that are part of the excitement. That is part of rolling with whatever is going to happen. That is like having a blizzard come through in the AFC championship playoff. You just never know what is going to come your way.”

How do you have to go about your business in the first round?
“Business as usual. That is what I think is the best, easiest, way to play to the strengths of this No. 41 car.”

How do you look at Chicago this weekend?
“You want to win there and set the tone for the Chase.”

We’ve heard so many times that you can’t win the Chase in the first race, but you can lose it. Do you agree with that mentality?
“Oh, this whole Chase format, you can lose it at any moment. You can have a black flag because of speeding on pit road, or a restart thing that NASCAR might not have liked. Then there is just the fact somebody spins out and you’ve got no place to go. There are so many things that can pop up in this format.”

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing

Chicagoland Speedway Track Facts: 2016 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400

Here we go!

Chase Fast Facts: Chicago

·         This is the sixth year in a row the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup has opened at Chicagoland Speedway (2011 – 2016). New Hampshire was the first race of the Chase from 2004 – 2010.

·         Of the 10 tracks on the Chase schedule in 2016, Chicagoland has the fewest Chase races with five.

·         Four different drivers have won the Chicago Chase races – Denny Hamlin (2015), Brad Keselowski (2014, 2012), Matt Kenseth (2013) and Tony Stewart (2011). 

·         Three times the winner of the opening race went on to win the title – 2012, 2011, and 2004 –

o    In 2004 (inaugural Chase), Kurt Busch won the opening race of the Chase at New Hampshire, and went on to win the title.

o    In 2012, Brad Keselowski won the Chase 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 Chase and then went on to set the record for wins in the Chase with five and win the title.

·         The worst finish in the opening race for a driver that went on to win the title was by Jimmie Johnson in 2006 when he finished 39th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

·         The worst finish in the opening Chase race at Chicago for a driver that went on to win the title was by Kyle Busch when he finished ninth last season. Eventual champions and their finish at Chicago: 2014 Kevin Harvick – fifth; 2013 Jimmie Johnson – fifth; 2012 Brad Keselowski – first; 2011 Tony Stewart – first.    

·         No non-Chase driver has ever won the opening race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

·         Three drivers have won the pole at Chicagoland Speedway as the opening race to the Chase – Matt Kenseth(2011), Jimmie Johnson (2012) and Joey Logano (2013). The last two seasons the qualifying session have been cancelled due to weather; Kyle Busch started first in 2014 and Kevin Harvick started first in 2015.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2016 Top 16 at Chicagoland Speedway

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Kyle Busch	11	0	1	4	6	1	11.4	106.1
2	Brad Keselowski	7	0	2	3	5	0	10.3	97.3
3	Denny Hamlin	10	0	1	2	4	1	17.1	85.5
4	Kevin Harvick	15	0	2	8	9	0	11.7	98.7
5	Carl Edwards	11	0	0	4	4	0	15.1	89.6
6	Martin Truex Jr	10	0	0	0	2	1	16.3	87.8
7	Matt Kenseth	15	1	1	4	7	0	11.3	103.4
8	Jimmie Johnson	14	2	0	7	10	1	9.3	114.1
9	Joey Logano	7	1	0	1	3	1	15.3	87.0
10	Kyle Larson	2	0	0	1	2	0	5.0	100.4
11	Tony Stewart	14	1	3	8	10	1	10.4	101.2
12	Kurt Busch	15	0	0	2	9	1	15.6	90.1
13	Chris Buescher	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0
14	Chase Elliott	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0
15	Austin Dillon	2	0	0	0	0	0	29.5	77.5
16	Jamie McMurray	13	1	0	1	3	1	20.8	73.7

* – Based on last 11 races at Chicagoland Speedway (2005-2015).

Chicagoland Speedway Data Season Race #: 27 of 36 (09-18-16) Chase 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 Top 10 Driver Rating at Chicago Jimmie Johnson........................ 114.1 Kyle Busch............................... 106.1 Matt Kenseth............................ 103.4 Tony Stewart............................ 101.2 Jeff Gordon............................... 101.0 Kyle Larson............................... 100.4 Kevin Harvick.............................. 98.7 Brad Keselowski......................... 97.3 Kurt Busch.................................. 90.1 Carl Edwards.............................. 89.6 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races (11 total) among active drivers at Chicagoland Speedway. Qualifying/Race Data 2014 pole winner: None – Due to weather 2014 race winner: Denny Hamlin, Toyota 140.117 mph, (02:51:30), 09-20-15 Track qualifying record: Joey Logano, Ford 189.414 mph, 28.509 secs. 09-13-13 Track race record: David Reutimann, Toyota 145.138 mph, (02:45:34), 07-10-10

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 – won by Kevin Harvick.

·         This is the sixth season Chicagoland Speedway has been the opening race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup (2011 – 2016)

Starts

·         There have been 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Chicagoland Speedway, one race per season since the first event in 2001.

·         118 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway; 91 in more than one.  

·         Five drivers have competed in all 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Chicagoland Speedway; five of which are Chase Contenders: Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, and Kevin Harvick.

·         Seven drivers all-time have posted their first NSCS start at Chicago; including active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Josh Wise (9/19/2011).

·         Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Chicago with a 7.857.

Poles

·         Todd Bodine won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Chicago in 2001 with a speed of 183.717 mph.  

·         11 drivers have posted Coors Light poles at Chicago, led by Jimmie Johnson with two.  

·         Youngest Chicago NSCS pole winner: Joey Logano (09/15/2013 – 23 years, 3 months, 22 days).

·         Oldest Chicago NSCS pole winner: Matt Kenseth (09/19/2011 – 39 years, 6 months, 9 days).

Wins

·         11 different NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have won at Chicagoland Speedway.

·         Only three of the 11 Chicago NSCS winners have multiple wins; led by Tony Stewart with three (2004, 2007, 2011); followed by Kevin Harvick with two (first two series events at the speedway; 2001 and 2002) and Brad Keselowski with two (2012 and 2014).  

·         Kevin Harvick (2001, 2002) is the only driver to post consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Chicagoland Speedway

·         Youngest Chicago NSCS winner: Kyle Busch (07/12/2008 – 23 years, 2 months, 10 days).

·         Oldest Chicago NSCS winner: Mark Martin (07/11/2009 – 50 years, 6 months, 2 days).

·         Joe Gibbs Racing has the most wins at Chicago in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with five: Tony Stewart(two), Kyle Busch (one), Matt Kenseth (one) and Denny Hamlin (one).

·         Team Penske has the second most wins with three; followed by Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports with two each at Chicago in the NSCS.

·         Four different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Chicago. Chevrolet leads the series in wins at Chicago with eight victories; followed by Toyota with four, Dodge has two and Ford has one.

·         Only one of the 15 (6.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Chicago have been won from the pole - Kyle Busch in 2008.

·         Only two of the 15 (13.3%) races have won from the front row starting positions – First starting position (one) and second-place (one).

·         Five of the 15 (33.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Chicago have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·         Five of the 15 (33.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Chicago have been won from a starting position outside the top 20 – most recent was Denny Hamlin (29th) last season.

·         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 NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR XFINITY Series races in 2008 – the only time the feat has been accomplished at Chicago.    

·         Seven of the eight active NASCAR Sprint 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 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Chicago without visiting Victory Lane at 15.

Additional Finishing Position Stats

·         Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon lead the series in runner-up finishes at Chicago with three each; followed byMatt 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 byJimmie 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 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at 9.286.

Track / Event Specific Stats

·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Chicagoland Speedway was the July 12, 2008 race won by Kevin Harvick over Jimmie Johnson with a MOV of 0.159 second.

·         10 out of the 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Chicagoland Speedway have had a Margin of Victory less than a second.

·         Only one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race has resulted with a green-white-checkered finish at Chicagoland Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): 7/9/2006 (267/270).

·         None of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Chicagoland Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions.    

·         Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Chicagoland Speedway three times – the 2008 event, 2014 event and last season’s event.

·         Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Chicago with 577 laps led in 14 starts.

Female Competitor Stats

·         Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has competed at Chicagoland Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; Shawna Robinson attempted to qualify in 2001 but failed to qualify for the event

Season	Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Driver Rating
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:		26.8	22.5	60.6

NASCAR in Illinois

·         There have been 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races among three different tracks in the state of Illinois.

·         The first NASCAR Sprint 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). 

Track Name	City	NSCS Races
Chicagoland Speedway	Joliet	15
Santa Fe Speedway	Willow Springs	1
Soldier Field	Chicago	1

·         79 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Illinois.

·         Five of the 79 have posted at least one victory in a NASCAR national series event; including NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen with 26 victories in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. 

Driver	NSCS	NXS	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

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
Tony Stewart	49	1	Tie Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson for 11th on all-time NSCS wins list
Kyle Busch	38	1	Tie Tim Flock for 18th on all-time NSCS wins list
Matt Kenseth	38	1	Tie Tim Flock for 18th on all-time NSCS wins list
Kevin Harvick	33	1	Break the tie with Fireball Roberts to become solely 22nd on all-time wins list
Kurt Busch	28	1	Tie Denny Hamlin for 25th on all-time NSCS wins list
Carl Edwards	27	1	Tie Rex White and Kurt Busch for 26th on all-time NSCS wins list
Jimmie Johnson	35	1	Tie Rusty Wallace and Rex White for 17th on all-time NSCS poles list
Kasey Kahne	27	1	Break the tie with Terry Labonte to become solely 25th on all-time NSCS poles list
Kevin Harvick	48	1	Break the tie with Lee Petty and become solely 10th on all-time NSCS second-place finishes list
Jimmie Johnson	324	1	Become the 13th driver in the NSCS to post 325 or more top-10 finishes
Jimmie Johnson	17,975	25	To become ninth NSCS driver all-time to lead 18,000 laps
Tony Stewart	12,818	182	To become 11th NSCS driver all-time to lead 13,000 laps
Matt Kenseth	10,872	128	To become 16th NSCS driver all-time to lead 11,000 laps
Kurt Busch	8,860	140	To become 20th NSCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 laps
Denny Hamlin	8,013	176	To become 25th NSCS driver all-time to lead 8,000 laps
Track Specific Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
Kevin Harvick	2	1	To tie Tony Stewart for series-most wins at Chicago
Brad Keselowski	2	1	To tie Tony Stewart for series-most wins at Chicago
Richard Childress	2	1	To tie Roger Penske for the second-most NSCS car owner wins at Chicago
Rick Hendrick	2	1	To tie Roger Penske for the second-most NSCS car owner wins at Chicago

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup

Round of 16

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27.                                                Chicagoland Speedway

28.                                                New Hampshire Motor Speedway

29.                                                Dover International Speedway

Round of 12

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30.                                                Charlotte Motor Speedway

31.                                                Kansas Speedway

32.                                                Talladega Superspeedway

Round of Eight

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33.                                                Martinsville Speedway

34.                                                Texas Motor Speedway

35.                                                Phoenix International Raceway

Championship Four

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36.                                                Homestead-Miami Speedway