Chicagoland Speedway
Track data
Race: 18 of 36 (7-9-06)
Track Size: 1.5 Miles
Event: USG Sheetrock
400 Number of Laps: 267
Location: Joliet, IL
Length of Event: 400.5 Miles
Length of Front Stretch: 2,400 Feet
Length of Back Stretch: 1,700 Feet
Banking in Corners: 18 degrees
Banking on Back stretch: 5 degrees
Banking on tri-Oval: 11 degrees
Qualifying Data:
Last year's pole winner: Jimmie Johnson 188.147 7-8-05 28.701 seconds
Last year's race winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr. 127.638 mph 7-10-05 3 hr, 08 min, 16 sec
Track qualifying record: Jimmie Johnson 188.147 mph 7-8-05 28.701 seconds
Track race record: Kevin Harvick 136.832 mph 7-14-02 2 hr, 55 min, 37 sec
Historical data
Previous race winners
Kevin Harvick (2) Ryan Newman (1) Tony Stewart (1) Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1)
Races won from the pole: 0 of 5 events (0%)
Races won from in top 10: 2 of 5 events (40%)
Races won from outside top 10: 3 of 5 events (60%)
Track Milestones
Todd Bodine won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole at Chicagoland Speedway on June 13, 2001.
Kevin Harvick won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway on June 15, 2001 then
repeated as the race winner in 2002.
NASCAR Racing in Illinois
There were two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup (Grand National) races in Illinois prior to the opening of
Chicagoland Speedway:
Date Track City Winner
7-10-54 Santa Fe Speedway Willow Springs, IL Dick Rathmann
7-21-56 Soldier Field Chicago, IL Fireball Roberts
Update of the Week
Jimmie Johnson has posted four top-10 finishes in his four races at Chicago – all top-fives. Tony Stewart
has posted top-10 finishes in four of his five races at Chicago – also all top-fives.
Manufacturer Update
Chevrolet has won four of the five races at Chicago. Dodge won there in 2003. The best finish by a Ford has
been second: Robert Pressley (2001) and Matt Kenseth (2005).
Would You Believe?
Tony Stewart finished third Chicagoland Speedway in 2002. He improved his finish to second there in 2003
and won in 2004. Over the same three races, Jimmie Johnson finished fourth, third and second, respectively.
Car Owner Victories at This Track
Richard Childress 2
Roger Penske 1
Joe Gibbs 1
Teresa Earnhardt 1
Total 5
The Money
Purse $2,322,154
NEXTEL Leader Bonus $90,000
Fuel and Tire Data
Goodyear Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4008; Right-side -- D-4012
Other Nextel Cup Tracks At Which This Combination Is Run: Dover International Speedway, Michigan
International Speedway
Estimated Pit Window: Every 60-65 laps, based on fuel mileage
Track Tidbits
The field will consist of 43 cars. The 43rd position is reserved for a past NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion,
if needed. If unused, it will go to the next eligible owner.
Two qualifying laps will be used to determine the starting positions with the adjustments made afterwards as
required.
There have been five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at the Chicagoland Speedway since the track hosted its
first race in 2001.
Jimmie Johnson is the defending Bud Pole winner for the Chicago 400.
There have been five different Bud Pole winners at Chicagoland Speedway: Todd Bodine (2001), Ryan
Newman (2002), Tony Stewart (2003), Jeff Gordon (2004) and Jimmie Johnson (2005).
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the defending champion of the USG Sheetrock 400.
There have been four different race winners in the five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Chicagoland:
Kevin Harvick (2001 and 2002), Ryan Newman (2003), Tony Stewart (2004) and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
(2005).
Kevin Harvick won the 2002 Tropicana 400 from the 32nd starting position, the deepest in the field that a
Chicagoland race winner has started.
Three of the five races at Chicago have been won form outside the top-10 starting positions.
Strong Starters at Chicagoland
Dave Blaney, Joe Nemechek and Tony Stewart are the only drivers that have competed in all five races at
Chicago to score three top-10 starts there.
Greg Biffle has posted three top-10 starts in his three races at Chicagoland.
Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman have each posted three top-10 starts in four races at Chicago.
Starting Up Front NOT Important at Chicagoland Speedway
None of the five races at Chicagoland Speedway have been won from a top-five starting position.
Chicagoland Bud Pole Winners
There have been five different Bud Pole winners in the five races at Chicagoland Speedway.
Chicagoland Streaks
Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson have each posted three straight top-10 starts at Chicagoland Speedway and
are tied for the longest current streak.
Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson have each posted four straight top-five finishes at Chicagoland Speedway
and are tied for the longest current streak.
Owner Dominance at Chicagoland Speedway
Richard Childress has two victories at Chicagoland Speedway, the most of all car owners. Both victories
were scored by Kevin Harvick winning back-to-back races there in 2001 and 2002.
Leading The Way
Tony Stewart has led 275 laps in five races at Chicagoland Speedway, the most of all drivers.
Lots of Competition
Twenty-two drivers have competed in all five races at Chicagoland Speedway. Those drivers have accounted
for four of the five victories there and posted 37 of the 50 top-10 finishes.
Would you Believe?
A Chevrolet has won four of the five races at Chicagoland Speedway.
Chicagoland Speedway Standouts
Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers with two victories at Chicagoland Speedway.
Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson lead all drivers, each with four top-five finishes at Chicagoland
Speedway.
Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson lead all drivers, each with four top-10 finishes at Chicagoland
Speedway.
Brian Vickers leads all full-time active drivers with a 4.5 starting average in two races at Chicagoland
Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson has a 3.0 finishing average in his four races at Chicagoland Speedway, the best of all active
drivers with more than one start there.
Who's Hot
Jimmie Johnson has scored a top-15 finish in 15 of the 17 races in 2006. His other two finishes were 30th
or worse.
Kurt Busch has scored four straight top-10 finishes. He has climbed from 19th to 13th in the point
standings in the last five races.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., has climbed from sixth to third in the point standings in the last three races.
Jeff Burton has scored 11 straight top-15s since Martinsville.
Kasey Kahne has won four races in 2006, the most of all drivers.
Matt Kenseth is the only driver to score 10 top-five finishes in the 17 races this season.
Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to score 13 top-10 finishes in the first 17 races of 2006.
Greg Biffle is the only driver to lead at least one lap in 14 of the 17 races this season.
Matt Kenseth ranks second in the point standings. After 17 races one year ago, he ranked 19th.
Ryan Newman has scored five straight top-15 finishes.
Top 10 in Points at This Track
Point
Standing Driver Starts Wins Best Top 5s Top 10s
1st Johnson, Jimmie 4 *** 2 (1 Time) 4 4
2nd Kenseth, Matt 5 *** 2 (1 Time) 1 2
3rd Earnhardt Jr., Dale 5 1 1 (1 Time) 1 2
4th Kahne, Kasey 2 *** 36 (1 Time) *** ***
5th Stewart, Tony 5 1 1 (1 Time) 4 4
6th Martin, Mark 5 *** 6 (1 Time) *** 3
7th Burton, Jeff 5 *** 6 (1 Time) *** 1
8th Busch, Kyle 1 *** 14 (1 Time) *** ***
9th Harvick, Kevin 5 2 1 (2 Times) 2 3
10th Hamlin, Denny # *** *** *** ***
First
Jimmie Johnson finished 32nd in the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway scoring his worst
finish in 2006. Johnson remained first in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, just eight points ahead of
second-place Matt Kenseth. This tied the smallest point lead of the 2006 season set at Bristol after Race No. 5.
Johnson has scored 13 top-10 finishes in 17 races this season, the most of all drivers. Johnson's has three victories
(Daytona, Las Vegas and Talladega) second only to Kasey Kahne who has four. In 2006, Johnson has scored 15
top-15s in the first 17 races, the only driver to do so. Johnson ranked first in the point standings after Race No. 17
in 2005, 73 points ahead of second-place Greg Biffle. Johnson has ranked among the top-10 for 86 straight races,
since Atlanta in March 2004, tying Darrell Waltrip for eighth in consecutive races in the points top-10 since the
point system was established in 1975. Johnson has competed in four races at Chicagoland Speedway scoring four
top-five finishes. Johnson has a 3.0 average finish at Chicagoland, the best among drivers with more than one
start. Johnson and Tony Stewart have each scored top-five finishes in the last four races at Chicagoland Speedway,
the longest current streak. He finished third in this race one year ago. Johnson has led in all four of his races at
Chicagoland. He also has finished on the lead lap in all four of his races at Chicagoland. Johnson has won at least
one race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).
Second
Matt Kenseth finished fifth in the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway scoring his 10th top-five
finish in 2006, the most of all drivers. Kenseth scored his first victory of 2006 at California. Kenseth remained
second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings for the sixth straight race. One year ago he ranked 19th in
the point standings after 17 races. Kenseth has ranked among the top-five in the point standings since his victory
in Race No. 2 at California, 16 straight races. He has competed in all five races Chicagoland Speedway and has
scored two top-10 finishes there. Kenseth has been running at the finish in all of his races at Chicagoland. He
finished second in this race one year ago leading 176 laps. It was his best finish and only top-five at Chicagoland
Speedway. It was the third race at Chicagoland Speedway that he led at least one lap. Kenseth has a 9.4 finishing
average at Chicagoland Speedway. Kenseth has finished on the lead lap in four of the five races at Chicagoland
Speedway. His 12th-place finish in 2003 found him the first driver one lap down. Kenseth has won at least one
race each season for five consecutive years (2002-2006).
Third
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 13th in the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway and climbed from
fifth to third in the point standings. It marked his seventh top-15 finish in the last eight races. One year ago he
ranked 16th in the point standings. Earnhardt Jr. has scored 13 top-15 finishes in the 17 races in 2006. His only
victory in 2006 came at Richmond. He has competed in five races at Chicagoland Speedway scoring one victory
and two top-10 finishes. He became the fourth different race winner at Chicagoland Speedway when he won this
race one year ago. Earnhardt has a 16.4 average finish at Chicagoland Speedway. He has led in just two of his five
races at Chicagoland, but has never led the most laps there. Earnhardt Jr. has finished on the lead lap in four of his
five races at Chicagoland, failing to do so only in 2003. Earnhardt Jr. has won at least one race 2000-2006 seven
consecutive years.
Fourth
Kasey Kahne finished 25th in the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. He dropped from third
to fourth in the point standings. Kahne has scored four victories (Atlanta, Texas, Lowe's and Michigan) in 2006,
the most of all drivers. Kahne has scored 11 top-15 finishes in the first 17 races in 2006. One year ago he ranked
21st in the point standings. Kahne has competed in two races at Chicagoland Speedway, finishing 36th and 41st
there. Both of his finishes at Chicagoland Speedway were DNFs. Kahne has a 38.5 average finish at Chicagoland
Speedway. Despite his finishes, Kahne led 10 laps in his first race there in 2004. Kahne has won at least one race
each season for two consecutive years (2005-2006).
Fifth
Tony Stewart finished first in the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway, scoring back-to-back
victories in the event. He climbed from seventh to fifth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Stewart
has led at least one lap in 12 races in 2006, tied for second in races led this season with Matt Kenseth. His 80
lap leader bonus points are second only to Greg Biffle who has 90. Eight of his nine top-10 finishes in 2006 are
top-fives. He has competed in all five races at Chicagoland Speedway scoring one victory (2004) and four top-10
finishes, all top fives and all in the last four races there. Stewart finished fifth in this race one year ago. He has an
8.8 finishing average at Chicagoland Speedway. He has led in three of his five races at Chicagoland Speedway and
led the most laps in two of those races. His 275 laps led at Chicagoland Speedway are the most by any driver. He
has finished on the lead lap in the last four of his five races at Chicagoland Speedway. Stewart has won at least
one race each season for eight consecutive years (1999-2006).
Sixth
Mark Martin finished 33rd in the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway and dropped from fourth
to sixth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. This is his lowest points position since he was sixth after
Race No. 2 at California. At this point one year ago he ranked eighth in the point standings. He has had only one
DNF (Talladega in October 2005) in the 42 races since Dover in June 2005. Martin has competed in all five races
at Chicagoland Speedway, scoring three top-10 finishes there. He finished 10th in this race one year ago. Martin
has a 12.6 average finish at Chicagoland Speedway. Martin has led in three races at Chicagoland. He has never
led the most Chicagoland Speedway. He failed to finish on the lead lap in two of his five races at Chicagoland
Speedway (2003 and 2004). Martin is one of 22 drivers that have competed in all five races at Chicagoland
Speedway.
Seventh
Jeff Burton finished 15th in the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway and dropped from sixth to
seventh in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Burton has scored 11 straight top-15 finishes, extending
a streak that began at Texas in April. He has scored 10 top-10 finishes in 17 races this season. One year ago he
ranked 15th in the point standings. Burton has competed in all five races at Chicagoland Speedway and has scored
just one top-10 finish there, a sixth-place finish in 2003. His other four finishes at Chicagoland have all been
outside the top 15. He finished 30th in this race one year ago. He has never led at Chicagoland Speedway. Burton
has a 25.2 average finish at Chicagoland Speedway.
Eighth
Kyle Busch finished second in the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway and climbed from 12th
to eighth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. It was his eighth top-10 finish in 17 races in 2006. This
was his best finish in 2006. It marked his fourth top-15 finish in the last five races. Busch has posted just one DNF
in 2006, an accident at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Busch has competed in just one race at Chicagoland Speedway
finishing 14th in this race one year ago. He has never led at Chicagoland Speedway.
Ninth
Kevin Harvick finished ninth in the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway and climbed from
10th to ninth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. Harvick has ranked among the top 10 in the last
11 races, since Texas in April. One year ago he ranked 14th in the point standings. Harvick has scored eight top-
10 finishes in 2006. He has competed in all five races at Chicagoland Speedway posting victories there in 2001
and 2002. He is the only driver to score multiple victories at Chicagoland Speedway. He has scored three top-10
finishes at Chicagoland Speedway. He finished 19th in this race one year ago, his worst finish at Chicagoland
Speedway. He led in his first three races at Chicagoland Speedway but has not led in the last two. He has been
running at the finish in all five races at Chicagoland Speedway. Harvick has finished on the lead lap in four of his
five races at Chicagoland. Harvick has a 9.6 average finish at Chicagoland Speedway.
10th
Denny Hamlin finished 17th in the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway, his worst finish in his
last eight races. Despite his finish, he climbed from 11th to 10th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings.
He has a mere six–point lead on 11th-place Greg Biffle. Hamlin has scored 11 top-15 finishes in 2006. He has
been the top finishing Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year in nine of the 17 races in 2006. No other rookie has done so
more than three times. Hamlin has never competed in a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway.
Qualifying
Seventy-six drivers have attempted to make the field for at least one race in 2006 (including Ricky Rudd who
qualified for Tony Stewart at Dover).
There have been 11 different Bud Pole winners in 2006. Kasey Kahne (four), Greg Biffle (two) and Kurt
Busch (two) are the repeat Bud Pole winners this season.
Qualifying was canceled at Bristol.
Greg Biffle (7.41) has the best average start of all drivers that have competed in every race this season.
Three drivers have an average start of 10th or better to this point of 2006: Greg Biffle (7.41), Kurt Busch
(8.53) and Jeff Gordon (9.76).
Six of the 34 drivers that have competed in every race this season have posted top-10 starts in at least half of
their races.
Michael Waltrip (32.06) has the worst average start of all drivers that have competed in every race this
season.
Qualifying - Tidbit
Jeff Gordon has gone 37 races without scoring a Bud Pole - the longest streak in his NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup career.
The Races
Sixty-four drivers have competed in at least one race in 2006; 34 have competed in every race.
There have been three green-white-checkered finishes this season; Daytona (which finished under caution),
California and Las Vegas.
Three races have ended under caution in 2006, including both Daytona events.
There have been seven races with red-flag periods in 2006: Bristol, Martinsville, Texas, Phoenix, Pocono,
Michigan, Sonoma.
Finishes - Would You Believe?
Kasey Kahne has won from the Bud Pole in four of his five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories, inclduing
three times this season. He has two other top-five finishes when he has started from the Bud Pole and his worst
was 21st. Kahne's average finish in the races in which he has won the Bud Pole is 7.00.
Finishes
There have been 10 different race winners in 2006.
Kasey Kahne (four), Jimmie Johnson (three), Matt Kenseth (two) and Tony Stewart (two) are the multiple
race winners in 2006.
Matt Kenseth is the only driver to post 10 top-five finishes this season.
Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to post 13 top-10 finishes this season.
Jimmie Johnson (8.47) and Matt Kenseth (9.18) are the only drivers that have competed in every race this
season to average a top-10 finish over those races.
Michael Waltrip (30.35) has the worst average finish of the drivers that have competed in every race this
season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (3.78) has the best improvement of his average finish over his average start of all drivers
that have competed in every race this season.
Greg Biffle (-4.69) has the worst ratio of his average start to his average finish of all drivers that have
competed in every race this season.
Only five drivers in the current top 25 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings have yet to post a DNF
this season - including Scott Riggs who has competed in one less race than the rest.
Martin Truex Jr. and Jeff Green are the only drivers in the top-25 in points that has failed to finish in more
races than they have posted top-10 finishes.
The Bud Pole winner (or driver that started first) has posted a top-10 finish in eight races this season - four
were victories: Kasey Kahne at Atlanta, Texas and Michigan and Denny Hamlin at Pocono.
Something to Shoot At?
Jimmie Johnson has won at least three races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only
driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first five full-time seasons. Kurt Busch has won
at least three races in his first four full-time seasons and has one victory so far this season.
Bud Pole to Victory Lane
Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin's victories from the Bud Pole at Michigan and Pocno marks the first time
that back-to-back races have been won from the Bud Pole since Jeff Gordon did so at Sonoma and Daytona in
2004.
Lap Leaders
Greg Biffle is the only driver that has led in 14 races this season.
Nine different drivers have led the most laps in at least one race this season.
Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart have each led the most laps in four races. Jeff Gordon (three) is the only other
driver that have led the most laps more than once.
The driver that led the most laps in the race went on to win that race six times this season.
Ken Schrader is the only driver hat has completed in every race this season and has yet to lead a lap. The last
time Schrader led was Martinsville in October 2005.
Lucky Dogs
Forty-two drivers have been the beneficiary of the free lap back rule in 2006; including Kurt Busch (Bristol)
and Kasey Kahne (Michigan), who received the lap back and went on to win the race.
A driver has received the pass back more than once in the same race 16 times this season, including when
Terry Labonte recevied it three times at Bristol.
Points
There have been five changes among two drivers in the points lead this season.
There have been eight changes among six drivers in the second position in the points this season.
Jimmie Johnson, resumed the lead in points following Talladega - the third time this season that he has held
the top spot in the point standings.
Jeff Gordon returned to the top 10 following Las Vegas after a 14-race absence, the longest streak outside the
top 10 since his full time career began in 1993.
Jeff Burton returned to the top-10 of the point standings following Las Vegas, ending a 90-race absence that
dated to Pocono in July 2003.
