Chicagoland 400 Betting News and Notes

Chicagoland - Driver Tale of the Tape

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.3

2017 Rundown
· Four wins, ten top fives, 17 top 10s,
· Led 1646 laps
· Average Finish of 11.4
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, one top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 14.909, 14th-best
· Average Running Position of 12.935, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 91.3, ninth-best
· 160 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.008, ninth-fastest
· 1962 Laps in the Top 15 (66.7), ninth-most
· 354 Quality Passes, seventh-most

2 - Kyle Larson (No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet SS)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.9

2017 Rundown
· Four wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s,
· Led 971 laps
· Average Finish of 11
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, two top 10s
· Average finish of 9.333, third-best
· Average Running Position of 10.729, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 94.9, seventh-best
· 53 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.614, third-fastest
· 626 Laps in the Top 15 (77.9), fourth-most
· 119 Quality Passes, 19th-most

3 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 106.0

2017 Rundown
· Two wins, ten top fives, 16 top 10s,
· Led 1349 laps
· Average Finish of 11.7
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 11.083, sixth-best
· Average Running Position of 8.992, third-best
· Driver Rating of 106.0, third-best
· 183 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.377, fifth-fastest
· 2578 Laps in the Top 15 (80.3), third-most
· 390 Quality Passes, third-most

4 - Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Team Penske Ford Fusion)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.7

2017 Rundown
· Two wins, 11 top fives, 14 top 10s,
· Led 604 laps
· Average Finish of 14.1
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, four top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 9.625, fourth-best
· Average Running Position of 10.675, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 99.7, fifth-best
· 144 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.305, sixth-fastest
· 1522 Laps in the Top 15 (71.2), seventh-most
· 268 Quality Passes, 11th-most

5 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 114.7

2017 Rundown
· Three wins, three top fives, eight top 10s,
· Led 188 laps
· Average Finish of 16.7
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Seven top fives, ten top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 11.083, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 7.043, second-best
· Driver Rating of 114.7, second-best
· 411 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.846, second-fastest
· 2871 Laps in the Top 15 (89.4), second-most
· 397 Quality Passes, series-most

6 - Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Fusion)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.9

2017 Rundown
· One win, eight top fives, 16 top 10s,
· Led 567 laps
· Average Finish of 11.4
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, eight top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 13.917, 11th-best
· Average Running Position of 12.665, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 96.9, sixth-best
· 124 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.258, seventh-fastest
· 2070 Laps in the Top 15 (64.5), 11th-most
· 360 Quality Passes, sixth-most

7 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.6

2017 Rundown
· Two wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s,
· Led 390 laps
· Average Finish of 11.5
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, two top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 16.091, 16th-best
· Average Running Position of 15.609, 15th-best
· Driver Rating of 87.6, 13th-best
· 42 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.793, 14th-fastest
· 1916 Laps in the Top 15 (65.1), 10th-most
· 340 Quality Passes, ninth-most

8 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr (No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 73.2

2017 Rundown
· Two wins, four top fives, seven top 10s,
· Led 50 laps
· Average Finish of 17
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top 10
· Average finish of 17.000, 17th-best
· Average Running Position of 17.619, 18th-best
· Driver Rating of 73.2, 20th-best
· 12 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.245, 19th-fastest
· 389 Laps in the Top 15 (36.3), 20th-most
· 100 Quality Passes, 21st-most

9 - Ryan Blaney (No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Fusion)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.9

2017 Rundown
· One win, three top fives, nine top 10s,
· Led 260 laps
· Average Finish of 18.8
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, one top 10
· Average finish of 4.000, second-best
· Average Running Position of 12.474, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 91.9, eighth-best
· 8 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.258, eighth-fastest
· 201 Laps in the Top 15 (74.4), sixth-most
· 51 Quality Passes, 23rd-most

10 - Chase Elliott (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 129.1

2017 Rundown
· Six top fives, 14 top 10s,
· Led 184 laps
· Average Finish of 13.5
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, one top 10
· Average finish of 3.000, series-best
· Average Running Position of 3.070, series-best
· Driver Rating of 129.1, series-best
· 30 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 171.423, series-fastest
· 270 Laps in the Top 15 (100.0), series-most
· 33 Quality Passes, 27th-most

11 - Ryan Newman (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet SS)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 84.4

2017 Rundown
· One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s,
· Led 42 laps
· Average Finish of 14.7
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.333, 12th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.671, 14th-best
· Driver Rating of 84.4, 15th-best
· 34 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.411, 18th-fastest
· 1792 Laps in the Top 15 (55.8 ), 15th-most
· 331 Quality Passes, 10th-most

12 - Kurt Busch (No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Fusion)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.2

2017 Rundown
· One win, five top fives, 13 top 10s,
· Led 13 laps
· Average Finish of 15.2
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Two top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 13.250, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 14.218, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 89.2, 12th-best
· 115 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.809, 13th-fastest
· 2059 Laps in the Top 15 (64.1), 12th-most
375 Quality Passes, fifth-most

13 - Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.2

2017 Rundown
· One win, three top fives, four top 10s,
· Led 31 laps
· Average Finish of 20
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Two top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 15.917, 15th-best
· Average Running Position of 16.893, 16th-best
· Driver Rating of 82.2, 16th-best
· 78 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.427, 17th-fastest
· 1638 Laps in the Top 15 (51.0), 18th-most
· 263 Quality Passes, 12th-most

14 - Austin Dillon (No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet SS)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 78.7

2017 Rundown
· One win, three top fives, four top 10s,
· Led 11 laps
· Average Finish of 19.6
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Average finish of 24.333, 25th-best
· Average Running Position of 17.831, 19th-best
· Driver Rating of 78.7, 17th-best
· 11 Fastest Laps Run
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.965, 10th-fastest
· 465 Laps in the Top 15 (57.8 ), 14th-most
· 121 Quality Passes, 18th-most

15 - Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.3

2017 Rundown
· Seven top fives, 12 top 10s,
· Led 323 laps
· Average Finish of 15.6
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.083, seventh-best
· Average Running Position of 10.438, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 102.3, fourth-best
· 238 Fastest Laps Run, 37th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.386, fourth-fastest
· 2449 Laps in the Top 15 (76.3), fifth-most
· 390 Quality Passes, fourth-most

16 - Jamie McMurray (No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet SS)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 74.9

2017 Rundown
· Two top fives, 13 top 10s,
· Led 16 laps
· Average Finish of 13.4
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, three top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 21.750, 20th-best
· Average Running Position of 19.636, 20th-best
· Driver Rating of 74.9, 18th-best
· 50 Fastest Laps Run, 22nd-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.182, 20th-fastest
· 1194 Laps in the Top 15 (37.2), 19th-most
· 215 Quality Passes, 13th-most

Chicagoland 400
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Yes, let's drop the green flag already and get this playoff party started!

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs kicks off this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway with 16 eligible drivers vying to become the season champion. Martin Truex Jr. comes in with a 20-point lead over Kyle Larson based on incentive points earned during the regular season, but he's only 50 points ahead of 16th-place Jamie McMurray. For the next 10 races, it doesn't matter what drivers did in the first 26 races.

Right now, it's put up or shut up.

For a quick overview of how this playoff system works, think of a bracket with four stages of advancement. Sunday's Chicagoland race starts the Round of 16 which also consists of next week's race at New Hampshire and the following week at Dover. Any driver winning any one of those races automatically advances and the top-12 points earners advance. The bottom four drivers in points will be eliminated.

The same process occurs in the Round of 12 with races at Charlotte, Talladega and Kansas. Then it's the Round of 8 with races at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix where the Final Four drivers will be determined to race in the Championship Round at Homestead on November 19. Whoever has the best finish among those final four drivers will be the 2017 Champion.

Picking the favorites to win it all isn't a hard process because we've been seeing the likes of Truex and Larson dominate for most of the season, especially on 1.5-mile tracks and it's important to note that five of the 10 playoff races are on 1.5-mile tracks starting with Chicagoland. We've seen six races on 1.5s this season so far and Truex won on three of them. He has four wins this season, which is tied for the series lead with Larson.

The last time we saw a race on a 1.5-mile track was at Kentucky way back on July 8 and a lot has changed in the series since then. The biggest change has been the resurgence of Joe Gibbs Racing which has won four of the past eight races. They started to regain some speed by the time Kentucky came around with Denny Hamlin finishing fourth and Kyle Busch finishing fifth, but they were still behind the likes of Truex, who won, and Larson, who finished second.

Last year's race at Chicagoland saw Truex win with Joey Logano finishing second and Chase Elliott third. Elliott is an interesting look this week to win his first Cup race. He was third at Kentucky in July also. Hamlin won this race to kick off the 2015 Chase.

Brad Keselowski won it in 2014 and Matt Kenseth won it in 2013. Kevin Harvick and Keselowski lead all active drivers with two Chicagoland wins, and surprisingly, seven-time Cup champ Jimmie Johnson doesn't have any although he has averaged a 9.4 finish in 15 starts.

The best long shot of the bunch might be Ryan Blaney in the 25/1 range. He's had lots of speed on big horsepower tracks in the Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford. Last season in his first Cup start at Chicagoland he finished fourth.

I wish I could offer some great advice on a few long shot drivers to win the title, but it would be irresponsible to suggest anyone else than those who have dominated all season. However, I could see Hamlin, Kenseth or Keselowski giving Truex, Larson and Kyle Busch some trouble. As for Chicagoland, it's hard to make a strong case for anyone but Truex.

As for the championship in 10 weeks, it's hard to go against Truex there as well, but I'll be rooting for Las Vegan Kyle Busch and his teammate Denny Hamlin.

The best story of all would be Jimmie Johnson winning a record eighth championship, but it seems very doubtful based on what he's been doing lately. The famed No. 48 won three times this season, but last one was June 4 at Dover. He hasn't really been a factor in any race since then. It's been quite a bizarre fall off.

Top-5 Finish Prediction

1) #78 Martin Truex Jr (9/2)
2) #18 Kyle Busch (6/1)
3) #42 Kyle Larson (5/1)
4) #11 Denny Hamlin (10/1)
5) #24 Chase Elliott (18/1)

Tales of the Turtles 400 Betting Predictions
By Adam Burke
Bangthebook.com

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin on Sunday with the Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Sixteen drivers are eligible to be crowned the championship, but full fields will be in play for the remaining 10 races. There will be three races in the Round of 16 before the number of eligible drivers to win the championship goes down to 12. After three more races, we go down to eight, and then three races later, we’ll cut it down to four and have a showdown at Homestead-Miami to crown a winner.

The format is a little bit different in the standings this year because NASCAR changed its scoring system. Drivers were able to pick up bonus points for wins and stage wins, so Martin Truex Jr. opens the postseason with a 20-point edge over Kyle Larson with 2,053 points. Kyle Busch is third with 2,029. Brad Keselowski is fourth with 2,019. Jimmie Johnson is fifth with 2,017. Kevin Harvick is next with 2,015. Denny Hamlin is seventh with 2,013 points. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has 2,010 points and sits in eighth. Ryan Blaney is next with 2,008 points, followed by Chase Elliott with 2,006 points to round out the top 10. Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon, and Kasey Kahne all have 2,005 points with one win on the season. Matt Kenseth has 2,005 points and Jamie McMurray narrowly snuck into the playoffs. He has 2,003 points. The remaining drivers can still win these last 10 races, but they will not accumulate any playoff points.

The 1.5-mile oval at Chicagoland, which is actually in Joliet, is a once-a-year stop for the Cup Series and the Xfinity Series. This race was originally in July, but with the shift to September in 2011, it has taken on significantly more importance. It is obviously plenty important this week as the kick off to the playoffs.

Something to pay attention to as we go along is that playoff points accumulated during the regular season carry over from round to round until the race at Homestead-Miami. That could create some different motivational angles and other things for drivers as we go through the rounds. A win in a playoff round means automatic advancement to the next round. It’ll make more sense as we go along.

As far as the Tales of the Turtles 400 goes, the clear race favorite is Martin Truex Jr. at +350 at 5Dimes Sportsbook. This price may not be low enough. Truex is the top seed as the playoffs begin and he is the reigning champion in this race. Truex makes his money on 1.5-mile tracks and there are several of those on the playoff calendar, so he should be considered the favorite to win it all as well. Surprisingly, last year’s run at Chicagoland was far and away the best one for Truex, but with 1.5-mile wins at Kentucky and Kansas already this season and several other good runs in the past, he’s a deserving favorite.

Similarly, the second favorite isn’t a big surprise in Kyle Busch at +500. Busch hasn’t won this race since 2008, but Toyotas have run extremely well on the 1.5-mile tracks under Joe Gibbs Racing. Denny Hamlin won this race in 2015 and Matt Kenseth in 2013, so it stands to reason that Busch, who is one of the sport’s top drivers, would get a price like this with some of the best equipment. Busch has come on strong as well. Over his last eight races, he has two wins and seven stage wins. He won both stages and led the most laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before finishing 34th, so that one certainly wasn’t his fault. Busch hasn’t finished outside the top 10 at Chicagoland since 2011, though he hasn’t finished in the top five since 2013. He was eighth last season and ninth the year prior, but he led the most laps in 2015.

Kyle Larson has run well on the longer tracks this year, so it isn’t a surprise to see him check in at +550. Larson’s win at Richmond was his first on a track shorter than two miles this year, with two wins at Michigan and one at Auto Club Speedway in California. Larson’s Chicagoland debut in 2014 went well, as he finished third, but he’s been seventh and 18th the last two years. He has finished second twice at the Xfinity Series level, so Larson may not be a bad grab this week. It will be tough for him to fight off the Toyotas, but he’s got the best shot of any non-Toyota driver and the odds reflect that.

There’s a big gap between Larson and the next spot on the odds board, which belongs to Kevin Harvick at +900. Harvick is tied with Brad Keselowski among active leaders in driver wins at Chicagoland, but Harvick hasn’t won in Joliet since 2002. He won the first two races at the Speedway and has not won since. Harvick hasn’t finished in the top five in his last five races, so this might not be the best time to be backing him. Harvick was second in 2011, third in 2013, and fifth with the most laps led in 2014, but he hasn’t had much success the last two years and isn’t exactly running on much momentum. He hasn’t even fared as well as usual on 1.5-mile tracks this season.

Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson share the next spot at +1000. Keselowski’s wins came in 2012 and 2014, so he has one in a Dodge and one in a Ford. Chevrolet hasn’t won at Chicagoland since 2011 when Tony Stewart grabbed the third of his all-time leading wins at this track. Keselowski also hasn’t cracked the top five in his last five races, though he did win Stage 1 and led the most laps at Michigan three races ago. Johnson hasn’t been a factor most of the season. In fact, his only three top-five finishes are wins. It seems unlikely that those two will be a primary factor this weekend.

Denny Hamlin, on the other hand, could be. Hamlin is generally a better short-track racer who also fares well on the long restrictor-plate tracks. He’s +1500 this week, but he does have a recent win at Chicagoland and is backed by Joe Gibbs Racing, which doesn’t hurt. Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano are at the same prices.

The long shot to consider this week is Erik Jones at +3000. Jones, quietly, has six straight top-10 finishes with three in the top five. He was second at Bristol, third at Michigan, fifth at Darlington, sixth at Richmond, eighth at Pocono, and 10th at Watkins Glen. It just so happens that Jones also won this Xfinity Series race at Chicagoland last season. Sure, he’s running with the big boys, but he’s a great value grab while he’s riding some momentum.

Chicagoland Fantasy Racing Preview
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com

Detailed driver notes and statistics to help set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday's Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Who's HOT at Chicagoland

• Brad Keselowski is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in each of the last six races, including two wins.
• Kyle Busch, the 2008 winner, has finished ninth or better in his last five starts and led 255 laps in the last four races.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with 695 laps led and has finished in the top 10 in 10 of his 15 starts.
• Matt Kenseth has one win and an average finish of 6.5 in four track starts with Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Kurt Busch has a 7.0 average finish, which includes three top 10s, in his last four starts.
• Denny Hamlin has finished sixth or better in the last three races, including a win in 2015.
• Martin Truex Jr., who leads the playoff grid, is the defending race winner.

Keep an Eye On at Chicagoland

• Kyle Larson has finished in the top 10 in his two of his three starts at Chicagoland. He finished 18th last year because he has a right-front tire issue late in the race.
• Kevin Harvick has combined to lead 89 laps and post one top-five finish in his three starts at Chicagoland with Stewart-Haas Racing. He is also second in laps led (424) in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks.
• Joey Logano leads all drivers that have raced in all of the last three races at Chicagoland with a 4.0 average finish.
• Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney finished third and fourth, respectively, in their first Chicagoland Cup start last year.
• Jamie McMurray (8.7) and Clint Bowyer (11.3) each rank in the top 10 in average finish in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Rookie Erik Jones has the best average finish (5.2) in the last five races this season, dating back to Watkins Glen.
• Johnson, Austin Dillon, McMurray, Ty Dillon, Kenseth, Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch and Blaney participated in the organizational test last month.

MRN.com Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Matt Kenseth
Pete Pistone: Martin Truex Jr.
Robbie Mays: Martin Truex Jr.
Tyler Burnett: Kyle Busch
John Singler: Jimmie Johnson

Driver Notes - Ordered by Average Finish (Top 15) in the Last Five Races at Chicagoland

Chase Elliott finished third last season in his first Chicagoland start in the Monster Energy Cup Series. He did participate in the Goodyear tire test at Chicagoland in June. Elliott finished third at Kentucky in July for his fourth top 10 in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.

Ryan Blaney finished fourth last season in his first Chicagoland start in the Monster Energy Cup Series. Blaney tested at Chicagoland last month. Blaney finished 10th at Kentucky in July for his third top 10 in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.

Brad Keselowski is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in each of the last six races at Chicagoland Speedway. Keselowski has two wins in that span with his last coming in 2014. One of Keselowski's wins this season came at the 1.5-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway. Crashes in the last two races at 1.5-mile tracks have resulted in 39th-place finishes. Keselowski tested at Chicagoland last month and led the opening day.

Kyle Busch is one of two drivers that have finished in the top 10 in each of the last five races at Chicagoland Speedway. Busch does have a win at Chicagoland, but it came in 2008 when the race was held under the lights in July. This season, Busch ranks fifth in average finish (10.8 ) and third in laps led 9234) in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks.

Jimmie Johnson has yet to win at Chicagoland in the Monster Energy Cup Series, but does lead all drivers with 695 laps led. Last year he led a race-high 118 laps, but was caught speeding exiting pit road late in the race. One of Johnson's win this season came at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway. Johnson represented Hendrick Motorsports last month at the organizational test at Chicagoland.

Matt Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in his four Chicagoland starts with Joe Gibbs Racing, which started with a win in 2013. This season, Kenseth ranks fourth in average finish (10.2) in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks. Kenseth was the fastest driver last month at the organizational test at Chicagoland.

Kyle Larson had a right-front tire issue last year at Chicagoland to finish 18th and snap a streak of two consecutive top 10s. This season, Larson ranks second in average finish (7.8 ) in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks.

Ryan Newman has posted a 12.7 average finish in three Chicagoland starts with Richard Childress Racing. He finished fourth in 2013. Newman does have a win at Chicago, but it came in 2003 with Team Penske. Newman's lone top 10 at 1.5-mile track this season came in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.

Martin Truex Jr. is the defending race winner at Chicagoland. He's combined to lead 71 laps in his last two starts. This season, Truex leads all drivers in wins (3), laps led (688) and average finish (3.7) in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks.

Joey Logano, the first non-playoff driver listed, has finished sixth or better in his last three Chicagoland starts. His teammate Brad Keselowski participated in the organizational test last month.

Kasey Kahne is coming off his fourth top 10 in 13 starts at Chicagoland. Kahne's only top 10 at a 1.5-mile track this season came at Atlanta Motor Speedway early in the year.

Kurt Busch has finished eighth or better in three of the last four races at Chicagoland. Busch's best run with Stewart-Haas Racing came in 2015 when he led 37 laps en route to a third-place finish. Busch represented Stewart-Haas Racing last month at the organizational test at Chicagoland.

Denny Hamlin has finished sixth or better in the last three races at Chicagoland, including a win in 2015. Hamlin has finished in the top five in his last two starts at 1.5-mile tracks in 2017.

Jamie McMurray scored his last of three top 10s in 14 Chicagoland starts in 2014 after leading 32 laps. This season, McMurray ranks third in average finish (8.7) in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks.

Kevin Harvick has combined to lead 89 laps and post a 17.5 average finish in his four Chicagoland starts with Stewart-Haas Racing. His average finish with the team is hampered by a 42nd-place finish in 2015 following a left-rear cut tire cut after contact with the No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson. This season, harvick has finished in the top 10 in five of the six races at 1.5-mile tracks and ranks second in laps led (424).

Tale of the Turtles 400 - Drivers to Bet
By: StatFox.com

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular season is over and the drivers now head to Chicagoland Speedway for the Tale of the Turtles 400 on Sunday. The races the rest of the season are all monumental, so look for these drivers to be a bit more determined moving forward. Last year, Martin Truex Jr. was the winner of this race. He finished in 2:47:24, which is the best time recorded since David Reutimann won for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2010. The all-time winningest driver in this race is Tony Stewart, who has won this event three times in his career. He is, however, retired, which leaves both Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski as the two guys that have won this race more than anybody. Each driver has won the race twice, so it’s not like anybody has truly dominated the event just yet. But it is a relatively new race, as it began in 2001. With that out of the way, let’s now take a look at who stands out as a good value to win this one on Sunday:

Martin Truex Jr. (7-to-2) - Martin Truex Jr. has already won four races this season and we really like his chances to pick up a fifth win on Sunday. As previously mentioned, Truex Jr. won the Tale of the Turtles 400 a year ago. He did it in impressive fashion, too. Truex Jr. clearly likes something about this track, so look for him to be a huge factor once again on Sunday. And if you think his odds aren’t that great then perhaps there is a good reason for that.

Brad Keselowski (10-to-1) - Brad Keselowski appears to be an incredible value at 10-to-1 this weekend, as he is one of only two active drivers that has won this race more than once. Keselowski emerged victorious in the Tale of the Turtles 400 in both 2012 and 2014, and there is little reason to doubt that he’ll be a huge factor this weekend. Not only has he won twice here, but he also has four other top-10 finishes here in his past six appearances.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (45-to-1) - Dale Earnhardt Jr. has not had the season he was hoping for, but he can easily come away with a victory in one of these next couple of weeks. This is a race that actually suits him quite well, and he won this thing back in 2005. He also has finished inside the top-12 in four of his past five appearances in this event. That shows some serious consistency, which makes him a solid play at 45-to-1.

Kasey Kahne (75-to-1) - Kasey Kahne is going off at 75-to-1 this weekend and he is far too good of a driver to be anywhere near there. Kahne has had a very good season thus far and he also happens to be coming off of a solid performance in the Tale of the Turtles 400 last year. Kahne finished in seventh in that race and easily could have won had things broken differently. He’s worth a shot with a very small play.