The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup gets underway this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images
Two words describe the upcoming 10 races, in both driving style and championship handicapping: Wide open.
A 26-race regular season that brought us 15 different winners and five first-time victors, now offers up 12 championship contenders. These 12 – the best-of-the-best – will compete over the next 10 races, at 10 different tracks, in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
It all begins this Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway, a fitting spot to kick-off NASCAR’s playoff. Chicago, one of the biggest sports towns in the country, knows big events. And this is one of the biggest on a busy NASCAR calendar.
Green flag for Sunday’s Chase-opening GEICO 400 is set for 2 p.m. ET.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series racing kicks off the triple-header weekend with Friday night’s Fast Five 225. New points leader James Buescher looks to defend his top spot for the first time.
On Saturday afternoon, the NASCAR Nationwide Series runs the Dollar General 300 Powered by Coca-Cola. Illinois-native Justin Allgaier looks to complete the sweep of his home track.
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
Mighty Chase Field Blows Into Windy City
Five past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions pepper the field. A few more seem likely to win a title in the future. Another is the eight-time Most Popular Driver. All are multi-race winners.
This season’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field just might be the strongest ever, making it seem like Jimmie Johnson’s five-year title run may finally come to an end.
Four other champions are taking aim: Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth.
Three names who often come up during the “future champion” discussion are also vying for 2011 crown: Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin.
Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Ryan Newman are all in the top 50 on the all-time series wins list – and all are Daytona 500 champions.
Then there’s the dark horse, who actually might be the favorite: Brad Keselowski. Keselowski nabbed the first Wild Card spot, and is arguably the hottest driver right now. Keselowski scored 362 points in the Race to the Chase – the 10 races preceding the Chase. Only Jeff Gordon (392) scored more.
Johnson Vulnerable Heading Into 2011 Chase?
It’s not so much that Jimmie Johnson has lost his mojo. Certainly not.
It’s more that the competition has grown in ferocity. That’s the reason why 2011 seems more like the year that someone steals Johnson’s crown.
Then there’s this statistic that might provide some blood-in-the-water: Johnson is entering this Chase with one win, the fewest of any of his previous seven Chases.
There’s also the possibility of a slow start. Chicagloand is one of five active tracks at which Johnson has not won. The others: Watkins Glen, Michigan, Homestead and Kentucky. Though, that might not matter. Johnson has had slow Chase starts before, finishing 39th in the 2006 opener and 25th last year. Both those races were held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
How Important Is A Strong Start?
Short answer: The jury’s still out. The average finish of the eventual champion in the Chase opener is 11.3. Not too bad, not too good.
Only one eventual champion has won the Chase opener: Kurt Busch in 2004.
The others…
2005: Tony Stewart finished 2nd
2006: Jimmie Johnson finished 39th
2007: Johnson finished 6th
2008: Johnson finished 2nd
2009: Johnson finished 4th
2010: Johnson finished 25th
Spoil Sports: Can Someone Crash Chase Party
Only 12 drivers can win the 2011 championship. But over the next 10 weeks, the other 31 are still racing for pride, sponsors and, of course, victories.
Last year, only one non-Chase driver won during the Chase – Jamie McMurray. Don’t be surprised if a non-Chase opens up the Chase with a quick victory.
The last two races at Chicagoland were won by Mark Martin and David Reutimann. Both missed the Chase this year.
Regular Season Full Of Surprises
This year’s regular season packed punch to the tune of competitive balance and record-breaking competition.
Here’s a few notable facts and figures…
– 15 different winners, most through 26 races since 2003.
– 5 first time winners (Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, David Ragan, Paul Menard, Marcos Ambrose)
– 16 different Coors Light Pole winners, most through 26 race since 2005
– An average of 13 different leaders per race, most through 26 races in series history
– An average of 28 different leaders per race, most through 26 races in series history
– 16 races had a margin of victory under a second, most through 26 races since 2001. That includes Talladega’s MOV of .002 seconds, which tied the closest finish since the inception of electronic scoring in 1993.
Justin Allgaier (31) races Ryan Truex (99) during the June Chicagoland Nationwide race. Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images for NASCAR
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NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Allgaier Looking For Comfort At Home
When you’ve had a bad day, sometimes coming home is the best remedy. Justin Allgaier, who’s from Riverton, Ill., has had a rough last couple of weeks. Actually, the last couple of months haven’t been all that great for him either.
Since winning the inaugural summer race at his home track in June, Allgaier’s season has taken a downward turn. He’d led the point standings for three consecutive weeks before falling to fifth after an accident at Dover. He improved to fourth following his Chicagoland victory, but had tumbled to 51 points behind the leader.
He’s still fourth in the standings, but now is 75 points behind first-place Ricky Stenhouse Jr. He’s had two Did Not Finish (DNF) results in that span, including a dry fuel cell while leading on the final lap of a green-white-checkered finish at Road America that cost him a certain victory. Then three weeks ago at Bristol, his inadvertent bump to teammate Reed Sorenson turned him into the wall, perhaps costing Sorenson a realistic chance at the series title. Going into that race Sorenson was third in the standings, nine points out of the lead. Heading to Chicago, he’s still in third, but is 45 points out of first. And he’s still not speaking to Allgaier.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Allgaier. Despite his inconsistent finishes over the last 13 races, his average finish is 13.5. He’s had three top-10 finishes in his last four races, including ninth at Richmond. In three career series starts at Chicago, he’s got two top-10 finishes in addition to the June win.
Truex, Wallace Move In On Stenhouse’s Storyline
Much talk this season has been about the spectacular turnaround by standings leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Nearly out of a ride in 2010 due to an inconsistent first half, he used the second half of the season as a springboard to the Rookie of the Year title. More importantly, he solidified his ride with Roush Fenway Racing for this year.
He hasn’t missed a beat since last November and is showing no signs of slowing down. With seven races left in the 2011 season, Stenhouse leads the standings by 16 points over second-place Elliott Sadler. He’s got two wins, having swept both races at Iowa, and also tied for second-most poles in the series with three. He was third last at Richmond, his sixth top-five finish in the last nine races. But the drivers who finished fourth and fifth at RIR have stolen some of Stenhouse’s thunder heading into Chicago.
Ryan Truex, the two-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion, posted a career-best fourth-place finish at Richmond in his second start for Joe Gibbs Racing. Truex, 19, started the season with Pastrana-Waltrip Racing, and before finishing 11th two weeks ago at Atlanta – his first start in a six-race deal for JGR – had last raced in the series at Chicago in June where he finished 20th. Truex also is scheduled to race at Dover, Kansas and Phoenix. He may also land another ride since he qualified for the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ final “Dash 4 Cash” race at Charlotte.
Kenny Wallace also qualified for the last “Dash 4 Cash” race on the heels of his fifth-place finish at Richmond— his first top five since finishing third at Memphis in 2008. Wallace is having a renaissance season. Driving for independent RAB Racing (by his choice, not being paid to help the team save money), Wallace is seventh in the standings, 21 points ahead of his nephew, Steve Wallace, who sits in eighth.
Wallace, who has 870 combined starts in each of NASCAR’s national series, earlier this year, became only the second driver to reach 500 starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He’s on track to break Jason Keller’s all-time record of 519 at Texas in November. Watch for Wallace at Chicago – he finished ninth in June.
Edwards, 60 Team, Have Best Shot For Elusive Owner Title
Defending Chicagoland race winner – and 2009 series champion – Kyle Busch isn’t entered this weekend. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and 2009 Chicagoland race winner, Joey Logano will be in the No. 18 Toyota in his stead while Ryan Truex drives the No. 20 JGR Toyota.
The No. 18 leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series owner standings by 48 points over the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford and is on pace to capture the record-setting fourth consecutive series owner title for Joe Gibbs Racing. JGR has won the last three – with the No. 20 in 2008 and with the No. 18 the last two seasons. Busch’s 2009 championship was the series’ last unified title.
Ever since he won the 2007 series driver championship, but failed to unify the title as the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing team won the owner title, Carl Edwards has been on a mission to collect an owner title for the No. 60 team.
This last seven-race stretch may be his best shot, especially since he’ll cut back his series schedule in 2012, the first time in his career he won’t run a full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule.
Busch has only three more NASCAR Nationwide Series races left on his 2011 schedule – Charlotte, Texas and Homestead. Edwards will compete in each of the seven remaining races. Edwards’ average finish in the fall races on the last seven tracks is 7.7 with five wins (2010 at Texas; 2008-10 at Phoenix and 2008 at Homestead). Busch’s average fall finish at his final three tracks is 8.3 with six wins (2008-09 at Charlotte; 2008-09 at Texas and 2000-10 at Homestead).
Ron Hornaday (33) will be looking for his 50th career CWTS victory beginning this weekend at Chicagoland. Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
Hornaday: The Countdown To 50
Ron Hornaday Jr. has accomplished just about everything possible in the NCWTS during his 14-year career – including a record four series championships.
The next number on his to-do list is 50.
Hornaday is one victory away from capturing his 50th NCWTS win – a feat no one else has accomplished.
Chicagoland – where he finished third in 2010 – will mark the first opportunity for the California native to capture the illusive victory.
He has two wins (Texas &Atlanta) this season. He has led an impressive 9,344 laps in his truck series career.
KHI has won the last four truck series races dating back to Pocono in August.
NCWTS Standings Lead Held by Six Different Drivers in 2011
With eight races remaining in the NCWTS season it is hard to remember that James Buescher and his Turner Motorsports team failed to qualify for the second race of the season (Phoenix).
Since then Buescher has earned 13 consecutive top-10 finishes – more than any other competitor in 2011.
And now the standings Championship lead.
The Texas native holds a 12-point lead over second place contender Jonny Sauter.
Buescher became the sixth different driver to hold the top spot during the season:
Clay Rogers (Daytona)
Matt Crafton (Phoenix, Darlington, Dover)
Johnny Sauter (Martinsville, Nashville, Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, Iowa, Nashville, Lucas Oil Raceway, Michigan, Bristol)
Cole Whitt (Charlotte)
Austin Dillon (Pocono)
James Buescher (Atlanta)
Sauter Looks For Chi-Town Rebound
Going into the last race at Atlanta, Johnny Sauter had held the points lead after eight of the last night races. Now, it’s gone.
But there’s reason for optimism. In his two Chicagoland starts, Sauter has two top-five finishes. Plus, he excels at tracks of this ilk. Two of his three wins have come at 1.5-mile track (Kansas and Las Vegas).
