Tuesday, September 13, 2016

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
____________________________________________________________
27.                                                Chicagoland Speedway
28.                                                New Hampshire Motor Speedway
29.                                                Dover International Speedway

Round of 12
______________________________________________________
30.                                                Charlotte Motor Speedway
31.                                                Kansas Speedway
32.                                                Talladega Superspeedway

Round of Eight
______________________________________________________
33.                                                Martinsville Speedway
34.                                                Texas Motor Speedway
35.                                                Phoenix International Raceway

Championship Four
______________________________________________________
36.                                                Homestead-Miami Speedway

                                                                  

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