Statistically speaking: a look at Chicagoland (Chase race 1)
The Chase for the Sprint Cup 12-race postseason for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series kicks off Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., with the running of the Geico 400. This year’s Chase, specifically, the Chase field, has already been in the news for much of the week with the penalties handed down to Michael Waltrip Racing that knocked Martin Truex Jr. out and replaced him with Ryan Newman. With the dust from that settled, teams get down to business, setting their sights on the 2014 Sprint Cup.
Of the 12 Chase drivers, Kevin Harvick is the only one with multiple wins at Chicagoland, with two trips to victory lane. Other race winners at the track among the 12 Chasers include Kyle Busch, who his tied with Jimmie Johnson for second in points, three points behind leader Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Newman.
Here’s a statistical look at how this year’s Chase drivers have fared in previous trips to Chicagoland Speedway (stats provided by NASCAR Media Group):
1 – Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 108.6
2013 Rundown
· Five wins, six top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 13.9
· Led 17 races for 1,149 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Two top fives, four top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.8 in 12 races
· Average Running Position of 10.9, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 101.5, fourth-best
· 178 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 168.894 mph, third-fastest
· 1,473 Laps in the Top 15 (68.9%), fifth-most
2 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 104.3
2013 Rundown
· Four wins, nine top fives, 15 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.8
· Led 14 races for 1,139 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Six top fives, nine top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 9.3 in 11 races
· Series-best Average Running Position of 7.2
· Series-best Driver Rating of 116.2
· Series-high 310 Fastest Laps Run
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 169.329 mph
· Series-high 1,856 Laps in the Top 15 (86.8%)
· 226 Quality Passes, seventh-most
3 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 102.2
2013 Rundown
· Four wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 13.9
· Led 13 races for 1,102 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, three top 10s
· Average finish of 13.4 in eight races
· Average Running Position of 11.1, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 99.4, fifth-best
· 95 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· 455 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 168.646 mph, fourth-fastest
· 1,533 Laps in the Top 15 (71.7%), fourth-most
· 246 Quality Passes, fifth-most
4 – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.1
2013 Rundown
· Two wins, six top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.7
· Led 8 races for 51 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, six top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 10.5 in 12 races
· Average Running Position of 12.0, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 95.8, sixth-best
· 439 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 168.640 mph, fifth-fastest
· 1,462 Laps in the Top 15 (68.3%), sixth-most
· 207 Quality Passes, ninth-most
5 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.6
2013 Rundown
· Two wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.3
· Led 11 races for 447 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Three top fives, three top 10s
· Average finish of 16.6 in eight races
· Average Running Position of 15.2, 15th-best
· Driver Rating of 90.9, ninth-best
· 110 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 1,393 Laps in the Top 15 (65.1%), seventh-most
· 263 Quality Passes, third-most
6 – Joey Logano (No. 22 Penske Racing Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.6
2013 Rundown
· One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.7
· Led 9 races for 216 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top 10
· Average finish of 15.0 in four races
· Average Running Position of 16.8, 18th-best
· Driver Rating of 78.8, 21st-best
7 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.5
2013 Rundown
· One win, three top fives, 10 top 10s
· Average finish of 15.1
· Led 3 races for 115 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, one top 10
· Average finish of 18.2 in 10 races
· Average Running Position of 15.8, 17th-best
· Driver Rating of 87.6, 13th-best
· 71 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· Series-high 559 Green Flag Passes
· Average Green Flag Speed of 168.251 mph, 12th-fastest
8 – Clint Bowyer (No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.3
2013 Rundown
· Eight top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.3
· Led 6 races for 285 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One top five, six top 10s
· Average finish of 10.1 in seven races
· Average Running Position of 12.6, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 91.8, eighth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 168.346 mph, 10th-fastest
· 1,277 Laps in the Top 15 (68.2%), ninth-most
· 229 Quality Passes, sixth-most
9 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.3
2013 Rundown
· Five top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.2
· Led 7 races for 146 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 14.3 in 12 races
· Average Running Position of 13.5, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 89.5, 12th-best
· 64 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
· 516 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 168.246 mph, 13th-fastest
· 1,383 Laps in the Top 15 (64.7%), eighth-most
· 251 Quality Passes, fourth-most
10 – Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.1
2013 Rundown
· Eight top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.2
· Led 13 races for 441 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Six top 10s
· Average finish of 18.3 in 12 races
· Average Running Position of 15.2, 14th-best
· Driver Rating of 84.3, 15th-best
· 60 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
· 1,239 Laps in the Top 15 (57.9%), 10th-most
· 193 Quality Passes, 12th-most
11 – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.2
2013 Rundown
· Two wins, eight top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 16.2
· Led 6 races for 466 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· Two top fives, three top 10s
· Average finish of 19.0 in nine races
· Average Running Position of 18.0, 21st-best
· Driver Rating of 81.0, 18th-best
· 74 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
12 – Ryan Newman (No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet)
· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 81.3
2013 Rundown
· One win, six top fives, 12 top 10s, one pole
· Average finish of 16.0
· Led 10 races for 84 laps
Chicagoland Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, seven top 10s, one pole
· Average finish of 15.5 in eight races
· Average Running Position of 15.0, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 82.8, 17th-best
· 20 Fastest Laps Run, 22nd-most
· 468 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
· 1,166 Laps in the Top 15 (54.5%), 14th-most
· 192 Quality Passes, 15th-most
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