Chicagoland Speedway Data
Season Race #: 27 of 36 (09-20-15)
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 115.5
Kyle Larson 110.1
Tony Stewart 105.0
Matt Kenseth 104.8
Kyle Busch 103.6
Jeff Gordon 100.1
Kevin Harvick 99.5
Brad Keselowski 98.5
Clint Bowyer 89.4
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 89.2
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (10 total) among active drivers at Chicagoland Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2014 pole winner:
None – Due to weather
2014 race winner:
Brad Keselowski, Ford
142.330 mph, (02:48:50), 09-14-14
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 Driver Tale of the Tape
1 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.6
2015 Rundown
· Four wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.1
· Led 9 races for 467 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Seven top fives, ten top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 11.000, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 7.129, series-best
· Driver Rating of 115.5, series-best
· 359 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.733, second-fastest
· 2350 Laps in the Top 15 (87.9%), series-most
· 320 Quality Passes, sixth-most
2 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Crispy Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.8
2015 Rundown
· Four wins, six top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.4
· Led 11 races for 538 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, four top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 11.600, sixth-best
· Average Running Position of 9.879, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 103.6, fifth-best
· 136 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.145, sixth-fastest
· 2060 Laps in the Top 15 (77.1%), fourth-most
· 322 Quality Passes, fifth-most
3 – Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.3
2015 Rundown
· Four wins, 10 top fives, 16 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 13.3
· Led 13 races for 645 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.900, seventh-best
· Average Running Position of 10.093, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 104.8, fourth-best
· 226 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.342, third-fastest
· 1993 Laps in the Top 15 (74.6%), sixth-most
· 289 Quality Passes, eighth-most
4 – Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 104.7
2015 Rundown
· Three wins, 16 top fives, 20 top 10s; five poles
· Average finish of 8.6
· Led 18 races for 862 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, two top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 16.8, 17th-best
· Average Running Position of 16.314, 19th-best
· Driver Rating of 83.0, 18th-best
· 30 Fastest Laps Run, 18th-best
· 650 Laps in the Top 15 (40.6%), 21st-most
5 – Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 118.7
2015 Rundown
· Two wins, 18 top fives, 22 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 7.6
· Led 20 races for 1,450 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, eight top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 10.500, third-best
· Average Running Position of 11.240, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 99.5, seventh-best
· 89 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.158, fifth-fastest
· 1879 Laps in the Top 15 (70.3%), eighth-most
6 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.5
2015 Rundown
· Two wins, 12 top fives, 17 top 10s
· Average finish of 10.2
· Led seven races for 203 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 13.600, 10th-best
· Average Running Position of 13.182, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 89.2, 11th-best
· 74 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.683, 11th-fastest
· 1803 Laps in the Top 15 (67.5%), ninth-most
· 332 Quality Passes, fourth-most
7 – Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 105.6
2015 Rundown
· Two wins, eight top fives, 14 top 10s
· Average finish of 10.9
· Led 12 races for 728 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 14.300, 11th-best
· Average Running Position of 15.086, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 86.5, 13th-best
· 67 Fastest Laps Run, third-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.610, 12th-fastest
· 1576 Laps in the Top 15 (59%), 13th-most
· 288 Quality Passes, ninth-most
8 – Carl Edwards (No. 19 STANLEY Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.1
2015 Rundown
· Two wins, three top fives, nine top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 16.1
· Led 16 races for 336 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Three top fives, three top 10s
· Average finish of 16.400, 13th-best
· Average Running Position of 15.167, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 88.6, 12th-best
· 112 Fastest Laps Run, series-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.485, 13th-fastest
· 1676 Laps in the Top 15 (62.7%), 10th-most
· 334 Quality Passes, third-most
9 – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.2
2015 Rundown
· One win, six top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.3
· Led 18 races for 607 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, three top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 10.667, fourth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.000, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 98.5, eighth-best
· 125 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.133, eighth-fastest
· 985 Laps in the Top 15 (61.5%), 12th-most
· 191 Quality Passes, 11th-most
10 – Martin Truex Jr. (No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.2
2015 Rundown
· One win, seven top fives, 17 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.1
· Led 10 races for 497 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Two top 10s
· Average finish of 16.7, 16th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.254, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.3, 15th-best
· 79 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best
· 1,482 Laps in the Top 15 (61.6%), 12th-most
11 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.8
2015 Rundown
· One win, nine top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 14.1
· Led 13 races for 491 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 18.8, 21st-best
· Average Running Position of 16.367, 20th-best
· Driver Rating of 82.6 19th-best
· 23 Fastest Laps Run, 21st-best
· 1,505 Laps in the Top 15 (62.6%), 11th-most
12 – Jamie McMurray (No. 1 McDonald’s/CESSNA Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 84.3
2015 Rundown
· Two top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 15.0
· Led three races for 14 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 21.2, 23rd-best
· Average Running Position of 20.868, 25th-best
· Driver Rating of 73.6 23rd-best
· 50 Fastest Laps Run, 14th-best
· 788 Laps in the Top 15 (29.5%), 19th-most
13 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.6
2015 Rundown
· Three top fives, 13 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 16.0
· Led nine races for 167 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, seven top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.600, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 11.032, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 100.1, sixth-best
· 167 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.135, seventh-fastest
· 2036 Laps in the Top 15 (76.2), fifth-most
· 365 Quality Passes, series-most
14 – Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 79.2
2015 Rundown
· Four top fives, 12 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.8
· Led four races for 19 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.538, 11th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.996, 16th-best
· Driver Rating of 84.1, 17th-best
· 33 Fastest Laps Run, 17th-best
· 1,417 Laps in the Top 15 (53%), 13th-most
15 – Paul Menard (No. 27 Pittsburgh Paints/Menard’s Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 77.6
2015 Rundown
· Two top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 16.7
· Led one race for one lap
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top-10 finish
· Average finish of 23.875, 27th-best
· Average Running Position of 19.645, 23rd-best
· Driver Rating of 67.9, 25th-best
· 11 Fastest Laps Run, 24th-best
· 805 Laps in the Top 15 (37.7%), 18th-most
16 – Clint Bowyer (No. 15 PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 77.8
2015 Rundown
· Two top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 16.6
· Led five races for eight laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 13.222, ninth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.846, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 89.4, 10th-best
· 29 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.742, 10th-fastest
· 1693 Laps in the Top 15 (70.4), seventh-most
· 335 Quality Passes, second-most
Chicagoland 400
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
How in the world is anyone going to stop Joe Gibbs Racing in the Chase?
Ever since the low down force aero package at Kentucky Speedway was introduced in July, they've been on an amazing tear winning eight of the past 11 races as NASCAR's playoffs begin at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday.
Chicagoland will incorporate the same 1.5-mile package that we saw to start the season, tracks where Jimmie Johnson won three of the first four. However, Johnson has kind of struggled ever since the aero-package change at Kentucky. His last win came at Dover May 31, but he still is tied with a series-high four wins on the season. He's 10/1 to win his record-tying seventh Sprint Cup title.
There are 16 drivers that qualified for this years Chase and Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch open as the 4/1 co-favorites to be the last man standing at Homestead in late November. Harvick won at Homestead last season to win his first career championship, while Busch has never fared very well in the Chase.
The thing that makes the Chase very interesting is that drivers are rewarded for consistency, as well as wins. Last season we saw Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman advance -- with Harvick -- to the championship game without winning during the 'Eliminator Round'. Newman didn't win a race all season.
There are three stages of three races and drivers that finis in the bottom four each stage will be eliminated, unless they win a race in that round. Four drivers will race head-to-head at Homestead in the final race of the season on equal terms. Best finish wins the title.
Who will be this seasons Hamlin or Newman? Could it be Jamie McMurray? How about Paul Menard? Maybe Hamlin and Newman duplicate their run based on experience and give themselves a chance to win the title again.
Hamlin is part of the red hot JGR squad, even though he's been the only driver to not win a race in the stable during their recent hot run. Hamlin's only win this season came at Martinsville. But Hamlin gets a bunch of bonus points for being in these situations many times. He has the mentality to absorb pressure well. Hamlin is 10/1 to win the title, same as teammate Carl Edwards.
This is seventh race on a 1.5-mile track this season and there will be four more over the course of the Chase which gives cause to look at what happened on the first six 1.5-mile tracks. However, it's been a tale of two seasons. The first half was dominated by Harvick, Martin Truex Jr and Johnson. And then all of a sudden JGR and Penske Racing came to life, and Truex and Johnson went to sleep. It was the craziest dropoff ever seen and it all seems to correlate with the low down force aero-package changes at Kentucky. That's the race Kyle Busch began a three race win streak with. Johnson hasn't won since then, neither has Harvick. Kenseth has won three of the past six and Logano has won two of the past five.
As great as JGR has been, you have to be extremely impressed with the way the two Penske cars have come on since the major power shift at Kentucky. The aero-package that the season started with will be in play throughout the Chase, but it's within the low down force package that JGR and Penske found some things that helped them with the regular package. Keselowski has a run of nine straight top-10s going as he begins the Chase and Logano has finished in the top-five in 10 of his past 13 starts.
Even though Harvick hasn't won a race since March at Phoenix, I'm going to roll with the Champ to repeat. He's got 18 top-five finishes in 26 starts. That is some crazy consistency. He's always in the mix and I'd be surprised if he didn't win two races in the Chase, especially at Phoenix again where he's won the past four races ina row. That Phoenix race is the gateway to Homestead and no one is better than Harvick there.
This will be the 15th race ever held at Chicagoland. Tony Stewart leads the way with three wins, while Harvick and Keselowski each have two. It's one of four tracks that Johnson has never won at. Brad Keselowski kicked off the Chase last season with a win there and also did it in 2012 when he went on to win the championship. Let's look for Keselowski to get it started again witha bang, and then to be Harvick's top competition during the Chase. Kenseth will be tough over the next 10 races, Hamlin and Newman will point well and McMurray might surprise like Newman did last year.
Top-5 Chicago Finish Prediction:
1) #2 Brad Keselowski (6/1)
2) #4 Kevin Harvick (6/1)
3) #20 Matt Kenseth (8/1)
4) #22 Joey Logano (7/1)
5) #48 Jimmie Johnson (12/1)
Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook Odds to Win 2015 Sprint Cup Championship
Jimmie Johnson 10/1
Kevin Harvick 4/1
Jeff Gordon 30/1
Brad Keselowski 8/1
Joey Logano 6/1
Matt Kenseth 6/1
Kyle Busch 4/1
Carl Edwards 10/1
Denny Hamilin 10/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 20/1
Kurt Busch 12/1
Ryan Newman 100/1
Clint Bowyer 100/1
Jamie McMurray 100/1
Paul Menard 200/1
Martin Truex Jr. 12/1
Drivers to Watch - Chicago
By Sportsbook.ag
Sunday’s MyAFibRisk.com 400 will be the first chance for the Sprint Cup drivers to guarantee themselves a spot in the championship race. Now that the regular season is over, drivers will have three chances to prevent themselves from being eliminated. Winning one of the next three races guarantees a spot in the championship race, so all of the drivers will be extremely aggressive on Sunday.
Chicagoland Speedway is a 1.5-mile, tri-oval speedway and it is the seventh track of this length this season. The track features 18 degree banking on the turns, 11 degree banking on the frontstretch and 15 degree banking on the backstretch.
Tony Stewart has the most career wins on this track with three. Kevin Harvick is tied with Stewart for the most career top fives on this track with eight and Jimmie Johnson is tied with Stewart with the most career top 10s on this track with 10. Johnson has won two poles in Joliet as well.
With the most exciting part of the Sprint Cup season upon us, let’s take a look at who might be coming away with a victory on Sunday:
Drivers to Watch
Kevin Harvick (9/2) - Kevin Harvick is the favorite to win this race and it’s definitely deserved. Harvick has dominated at Chicagoland Speedway in his career, winning two Sprint Cup races here and picking up another three victories in the XFINITY series as well. As mentioned earlier, Harvick is tied with Tony Stewart for the most career top five finishes at this course. He is as safe of a pick as there is to be competing for a victory in the final laps of this event and he is a very good play at 9/2 this weekend.
Kyle Busch (6/1) - Kyle Busch had one of the best runs in recent memory when he returned from an injury in the middle of the season. Busch had a stretch where he finished first in four of five races and, while he has not won since then, he has been racing well heading into this one. Busch finished second at the Federated Auto Parts 400 and he should be set up for a chance to win here. He thrives on 1.5-mile courses and at 6/1 is a good pick to come away with a victory on Sunday.
Jimmie Johnson (10/1) - Like Harvick, Jimmie Johnson has also done extremely well at Chicagoland Speedway in his career. Johnson has taken two poles at this track and is tied for the most top 10 finishes here with 10. Johnson was the winner in three of the first four races on 1.5-mile tracks this season and is coming off of a 9th at the Federated Auto Parts 400. He’ll be gunning for a top finish on Sunday and is receiving incredible odds at 10/1 for a driver with his history of success.
Tony Stewart (100/1) - Tony Stewart has not been at his best this season, but he’s returning to a track where he flat out knows how to win. He is the all-time best driver at Chicagoland and is going to be a threat to win as long as he doesn’t wreck on Sunday. He finished in the top-15 two races ago and will be looking to pick up his first victory of the season here. At 100/1, it’s too good of odds to not at least think about putting a unit on Stewart.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (500/1) - Stenhouse Jr. has not won a race all season, but he’s a very solid driver and 500/1 is tough to pass on. Every driver will be extra motivated to take home a first place finish on Sunday and Stenhouse Jr. looked good at the Federated Auto Parts 400 last race. He finished in 16th and is trending in the right direction heading into this one.
Odds to win MyAFibRisk.com 400
Kevin Harvick 9/2
Brad Keselowski 6/1
Kyle Busch 6/1
Matt Kenseth 6/1
Joey Logano 7/1
Kurt Busch 8/1
Carl Edwards 10/1
Jimmie Johnson 10/1
Denny Hamlin 12/1
Martin Truex Jr 12/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr 25/1
Jeff Gordon 30/1
Kyle Larson 30/1
Jamie McMurray 40/1
Kasey Kahne 50/1
Ryan Newman 60/1
Austin Dillon 100/1
Clint Bowyer 100/1
Paul Menard 100/1
Ryan Blaney 100/1
Tony Stewart 100/1
David Ragan 200/1
Greg Biffle 200/1
Aric Almirola 300/1
AJ Allmendinger 500/1
Casey Mears 500/1
Danica Patrick 500/1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr 500/1
Trevor Bayne 500/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 500/1
Driver Handicaps: Chicagoland
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com
To assist in making your fantasy racing picks, MRN.com's Jeff Wackerlin helps steer you toward Sunday's MyAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.
Who's HOT at Chicagoland
• Brad Keselowski has finished seventh or better in the last four races, including a win last year and in 2012.
• Kyle Busch, the 2008 winner, has finished seventh or better in his last three starts.
• Kevin Harvick has finished in the top five in his last two starts and led 79 laps last season.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with 577 laps led and has finished in the top 10 in 10 of his 13 starts.
• Matt Kenseth has one win and an average finish of 5.5 in two track starts with Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon each have finished in the top 10 in their last two starts.
Who to Keep an Eye On at Chicagoland
• Joey Logano, who finished fourth at Chicagoland last season, ranks fourth among all drivers in average finish (6.3) and laps led (219) in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the only driver that has finished in the top five in all five of the races this season at 1.5-mile tracks using the current rules package.
• Martin Truex Jr. (8.0) and Ryan Newman (10.2) each rank in the top eight among all drivers in average finish at 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Keselowski, Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Justin Allgaier, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, JJ Yeley and Sam Hornish Jr. participated in the open test at Chicagoland Speedway. Note: Some teams also tested the low-downforce and high-drag aero packages that day.
• Larson led 20 laps and finished third last season in his first Chicagoland start.
• Carl Edwards has finished first and fourth, respectively, in his last two starts at 1.5-mile tracks this season.
• Bowyer has finished in the top 10 in five of his last six Chicagoland start.
MRN.com Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Kevin Harvick
Pete Pistone: Joey Logano
Robbie Mays: Kevin Harvick
John Singler: Matt Kenseth
Driver Notes - Ordered by Top 20 in Average Finish in the Five Races at Chicagoland
Kyle Larson led 20 laps and finished third last season in his first track start. He participated in the open test in July at Chicagoland.
Brad Keselowski is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in the last four races, which includes a win in this event last season and in 2012. Keselowski has yet to win at a 1.5-mile track this season, but ranks third in average finish (6.8) in the six races. He tested at Chicagoland in July.
Tony Stewart has raced in four of the last five races, finishing in the top 10 three times including a win in 2011. Stewart is a three-time winner at Chicagoland but has yet to post a finish inside the top 20 at a 1.5-mile track this season. This weekend, Stewart is racing the same car (chassis No. 938) that he last finished 28th with at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Kasey Kahne has posted a 9.3 average finish in three track starts with Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne has yet to lead a lap at Chicagoland since 2009. He also has only led six laps in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.
Kyle Busch has finished seventh or better in the last three races and has combined to lead 113 laps in that span. Busch, who won at Chicagoland in 2008, has competed in two races at 1.5-mile tracks this season, winning in his last start at Kentucky Speedway after leading 163 laps.
Jimmie Johnson has yet to win at Chicagoland but leads all drivers with 577 laps led. Johnson finished 12th last season in this event to snap a streak of consecutive top 10s at three. This season, Johnson leads all drivers with three wins at 1.5-mile tracks.
Kevin Harvick led a race-high 79 laps in this event with the same left and right-tire combination that will be used this weekend. Harvick finished fifth in that race for his second consecutive top five. He won the first two races at Chicagoland in 2001 and 2002. This season, Harvick leads all drivers with a 4.0 average finish and 433 laps led in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks. The No. 4 team will be unloading the same car (chassis No. 841) that Harvick has raced four times this season finishing no worse than third. He led 224 laps en route to the win at Phoenix International Raceway with this chassis.
Carl Edwards will be making his first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards has posted a 14.8 average finish in six races at 1.5-mile tracks with the team with the last two resulting in finishes of first and fourth, respectively.
Ryan Newman finished 15th last year in this event in his first track start with Richard Childress Racing. In his previous 12 track starts, Newman has posted eight top 10s, including a win in 2003. This season, Newman ranks seventh among all drivers in average finish (10.2) at 1.5-mile tracks.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has recorded a 12.5 average finish in two starts at Chicagoland. Stenhouse's 4.5 average start is best among all drivers. This season, Stenhouse has posted an average start pf 23.2 and an average finish of 25.3 at 1.5-mile tracks.
Matt Kenseth won the 2013 race in his first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing after finishing second two times prior. Kenseth, who finished 10th at Chicagoland last season, has recorded an average finish of 8.7 in the six races at 1.5-mile tracks this season and is coming off two consecutive top fives.
Clint Bowyer finished 39th in this event last season, after an accident, to snap a streak of consecutive top 10s at five. Bowyer did participate in the open test at Chicagoland in July. He's yet to finish inside the top 15 at a 1.5-mile track this season.
Jeff Gordon has posted a 4.0 average finish and combined to lead 48 laps in his last two starts. Gordon, who won at Chicagoland in 2006, has finished seventh or better in three of the last four races at 1.5-mile tracks this season.
Martin Truex Jr. finished 14th last season in his first Chicagoland start with Furniture Row Racing. This season, Truex has finished ninth or better in the five races at 1.5-mile tracks that utilized the 2015 rules package that will be used this weekend. He also participated in the Goodyear tire test in July.
Kurt Busch finished eighth last season in his first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing. The finished marked his second consecutive top 10 and third in the last four races. Busch has races in four of the six events at 1.5-mile tracks this season and has finished in the top 10 in the last three. He tested at Chicagoland in July.
Austin Dillon finished 16th in his first track start last season. Dillon participated in the open test in July at Chicagoland and is still seeking his first top 10 at a 1.5-mile track this season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has posted a 15.9 average finish in seven track starts with Hendrick Motorsports. This season, Earnhardt ranks fourth among all drivers in average finish (6.2) at 1.5-mile tracks. He participated in the Goodyear tire and open test in July.
Joey Logano has finished fourth last season in his second track start with Team Penske. The finish marked Logano's second top 10 in his last three starts. This season, Logano ranks fourth in both average finish (6.3) and laps led (219) at 1.5-mile tracks.
Paul Menard has posted one top 10 and an average finish of 21.3 in seven starts at Chicagoland. Menard has finished in the top 15 in four of his six starts at 1.5-mile tracks this season. This weekend Menard will debut a new car (chassis No. 520).
Jamie McMurray led 32 laps and finished ninth in this event last season. His lone top 10 at a 1.5-mile track this season came at Texas Motor Speedway, ninth.