Chicagoland Speedway: History

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 weekend marks the fourth year Chicagoland Speedway has been included in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – Sept. 18, 2011.

Notebook

• There have been 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Chicagoland Speedway, one race per season since the first event in 2001.
• 108 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway; 84 in more than one. 
• Eight drivers have competed in all 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Chicagoland Speedway; four of which are Chase Contenders: Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick.
• Todd Bodine won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Chicago in 2001 with a speed of 183.717 mph. 
• 10 drivers have Coors Light poles at Chicago, led by Jimmie Johnson with two. 
• Youngest Chicago pole winner: Joey Logano (09/15/2013 – 23 years, 3 months, 22 days).
• Oldest Chicago pole winner: Matt Kenseth (09/19/2011 – 39 years, 6 months, 9 days).
• 10 different NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have won at Chicagoland Speedway, led by Tony Stewart with three; followed by Kevin Harvick with two (first two series events at speedway). 
• Six Chase Contenders are former winners at Chicagoland Speedway: Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Kevin Harvick (2001, 2002) is the only driver to post consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Chicagoland Speedway
• Youngest Chicago winner: Kyle Busch (07/12/2008 – 23 years, 2 months, 10 days).
• Oldest Chicago 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 four: Tony Stewart (two), Kyle Busch (one) and Matt Kenseth (one). Richard Childress Racing, Penske Racing and Hendrick Motorsports each have two.
• Three different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Chicago; led by Chevrolet with eight victories; followed by Toyota with three and Dodge with two each. Ford has yet to win at Chicago.
• One of the 13 (7.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Chicago have been won from the Coors Light pole; Kyle Busch in 2008.
• Five of the 13 (38.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Chicago have been won from a top-10 starting position.
• Three of the 13 (23.0%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Chicago have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
• 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 Nationwide Series races in 2008.   
• Jimmie Johnson leads the series in runner-up finishes at Chicago with three; followed by Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth with two each.
• Tony Stewart leads the series in top-five finishes at Chicago with eight; followed by Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick with seven each and Jeff Gordon with six.  
• Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart lead the series in top-10 finishes at Chicago with 10 each; followed by Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman with eight each.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Chicago with a 7.667.
• Tony Stewart leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at 8.500.
• 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 and Matt Kenseth lead the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Chicago without visiting Victory Lane at 13.
• 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. It is the 75th closest finish scored by electronic scoring in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
• Nine out of the 13 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 once – the 2008 event.  
• Two active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career start at Chicagoland Speedway: Justin Allgaier (09/15/2013) and Josh Wise (9/19/2011).
• Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Chicago with 537 laps led in 12 starts.
• Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has competed at Chicagoland Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; Shawna Robinson attempted to in 2001 but failed to qualify for the event