CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: JOLIET, ILLINOIS
EVENT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 27 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 2:30 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 (NBCSN/MRN/SIRIUSXM)
No. 5 LiftMaster Chevrolet SS / Kasey Kahne
Driver Kasey Kahne Hometown Enumclaw, Washington
Age 36 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2016 Season
18th in standings
26 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
Career
458 starts
17 wins
27 pole positions
88 top-five finishes
164 top-10 finishes
4,607 laps led
Track Career
12 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
3 top-10 finishes
12 laps led
LIFTMASTER AT CHICAGO: This weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, Kasey Kahne will pilot the No. 5 LiftMaster Chevrolet SS. It marks the final time this season that Kahne will be behind the wheel of a LiftMaster paint scheme. Chicagoland is the home track for LiftMaster as the company’s headquarters is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, which is approximately one hour north of the Joliet, Illinois track. The last time Kahne drove the LiftMaster Chevrolet was two weeks ago at Darlington, where he earned a seventh-place finish.
LOOP DATA AT CHICAGO: According to NASCAR’s loop data, in the last 10 years at Chicagoland, Kahne ranks second in the closer category, improving 16 positions in the last 10 percent of the race.
KAHNE AT 1.5-MILE TRACKS: Eight of Kahne’s 17 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins and 11 of the Enumclaw, Washington, native’s 27 pole positions have been at 1.5-mile tracks.
NEW HAMPSHIRE PAINT SCHEME: Earlier today, Hendrick Motorsports unveiled Kahne’s No. 5 Great Clips/Levi’s paint scheme that he will drive at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Longtime partner Great Clips is working in conjunction with Levi Strauss to give fans the chance to win a VIP race experience with Kahne, free haircuts for a year, Signature by Levi Strauss jeans or a Wal-Mart gift card. Fans have until Nov. 1 to enter for their chance to win by visiting www.greatjeansgreathaircuts.com.
FIVE KAHNE 5K: For the seventh consecutive year, Kahne will hold his 5K charity run. The event will take place at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 9, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Interested participants can pre-register online by visiting https://fivekahne5k.racesonline.com/home. Over 8,000 children in the states surrounding North Carolina have benefited from the funds raised by the annual charity run.
No. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS / Chase Elliott
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 20 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2016 Season
14th in standings
26 starts
0 wins
2 pole positions
7 top-five finishes
13 top-10 finishes
163 laps led
Career
31 starts
0 wins
2 pole positions
7 top-five finishes
13 top-10 finishes
163 laps led
Track Career
0 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
REGULAR SEASON ROUNDUP: Chase Elliott placed 10th in the regular-season standings – a culmination of 26 points-paying events in which he earned an impressive 13 top-10 finishes and five top-five finishes.
CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER: Elliott will be seeded 14th to start the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. It marks the second time in the history of the Chase that a rookie has qualified for the 10-race postseason. The last driver to do so was Denny Hamlin in 2006. Elliott will start his bid for the championship with 2,000 points, trailing leaders Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski by 12 markers going into the 10-race playoff, which begins this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.
MEDIA TOUR: After clinching a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berth Saturday night, Elliott’s week continues to be a whirlwind. He is on the West Coast this week promoting the Chase alongside teammate Johnson before heading to Chicago for Chase Media Day. Elliott will talk with FS1’s “NASCAR Race Hub” (Tuesday), “FOX Sports Live” (Tuesday), “At the Buzzer” (Tuesday), ESPN’s “SportsCenter” (Tuesday evening), SiriusXM (Wed. 8 p.m. ET) and “The Rich Eisen Show” (Thursday) among others. Timing is TBD.
ELLIOTT IN CHICAGO: Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contender Elliott will be making an appearance at Chicagoland Speedway’s “Green Flag Garage” event on Sunday at 11 a.m. for a question-and-answer session. He recently visited Chicago alongside the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to promote the upcoming race weekend event. For footage from the day, please contact Caitlin Barry.
SWANCHO SWAGGER: NAPA engineers have developed cutting-edge NASCAR sweatshirt poncho technology – dubbing their creation the “Swancho.” These limited-edition NAPA AUTO PARTS Swanchos feature Elliott’s headshot on one side with the No. 24 and NAPA logos emblazoned on the opposite side. It’s the only racing Swancho endorsed by Elliott. Check out Elliott and “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” regular Michael Torpey in their two-minute “infomercial,” featuring a special guest appearance by Elliott’s teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. here. Visit napa24swancho.com for additional details.
WINDY CITY WIN: In July 2014, Elliott led 85 laps in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race to earn a victory at Chicagoland Speedway with the guidance of crew chief Greg Ives. It was his first victory at the 1.5-mile speedway and his third win of that year. The margin of victory was 1.773 seconds but at one point during the race event he had an eight-second lead over second place.
CHASE UNIVERSITY: Elliott is asking collegiate students to enroll in “Chase University” at Charlotte Motor Speedway later this year – a ticket-package program for collegiate fans looking to join in a unique NASCAR experience. “Chase University” will feature concerts, food, beverages and tailgating games before, during and after the Bank of America 500. The 20-year-old driver will make an appearance on race day, taking part in a cornhole challenge with select ticket holders. Students with a valid college ID can enroll in “Chase University” with a special $24 party pass available online at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267).
No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 40 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2016 Season
8th in standings
26 starts
2 wins
1 pole position
7 top-five finishes
10 top-10 finishes
266 laps led
Career
533 starts
77 wins
35 pole positions
214 top-five finishes
324 top-10 finishes
17,975 laps led
Track Career
14 starts
0 wins
2 pole positions
7 top-five finishes
10 top-10 finishes
577 laps led
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JIMMIE: Jimmie Johnson will turn 41 years old on Saturday, Sept. 17. The El Cajon, California, native will pilot the blue-colored Lowe’s paint scheme this weekend for the first race of the Chase.
CHICAGO TEST: Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and the No. 48 team participated in a one-day test at Chicagoland Speedway on Aug. 23 in preparation for this weekend’s event.
HOME TRACK FOR CHAD: Knaus was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, approximately 106 miles north of Joliet. Knaus made a name for himself racing Late Model Stock cars at Rockford Speedway with his father, John. Knaus graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Rockford.
JOHNSON’S SECOND TRI: On just a few hours’ sleep after finishing 11th at Richmond International Raceway, Johnson participated in the Jimmie Johnson Foundation Lake Davidson Triathlon on Sunday, Sept. 11, in Davidson, North Carolina. Johnson won his age group, and finished 12th overall out of 301 people.
LA MEDIA TOUR: Johnson will visit the Los Angeles area on Tuesday and Wednesday before heading to Chicago. He will make an appearance on “The Late, Late Show with James Corden,” “Access Hollywood,” NBC’s “The Superstore” and make a visit to FOX.
CHASE SEED: Johnson enters the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as the No. 8 seed thanks to his two wins during the regular season. This is his 13th postseason berth, making Johnson the only driver to have made the Chase every year.
WINLESS IN CHICAGO: Even though Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s team have led 577 laps at Chicago and own seven top-five finishes, the 1.5-mile track remains one of the four venues on the current Sprint Cup schedule where Johnson has yet to score a win. The others are Kentucky, Watkins Glen and Homestead-Miami.
CHICAGO DRIVER RATING: According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Johnson has the series-best driver rating at Chicago with a score of 114.1 during the past 10 years at the track. The driver rating is a formula that combines wins, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum a driver can earn in each race is 150 points. The driver rating number is used pre-race as a prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator.
No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS / Alex Bowman
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 23 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2016 Season
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
Career
73 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
Track Career
2 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
0 top-10 finishes
0 laps led
THIRD TIME MAY BE THE CHARM FOR BOWMAN: Alex Bowman kicks off an eight-race stretch behind the wheel of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS, subbing for Earnhardt, who is out for the remainder of the 2016 season while recovering from a concussion. This Sunday’s event at Chicagoland Speedway will be the third race that the 23-year-old NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran has driven for Earnhardt and the No. 88 team. In his first two outings, Bowman looked to have solid top-10 finishes after starting strong at both New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Michigan International Raceway before he encountered misfortune in both events. Chicagoland will provide a great opportunity for the young gun to turn his luck around in the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS.
CHICAGOLAND: In his two Cup starts at the 1.5-mile tri-oval, Bowman’s best finish is 35th. He also has three starts at Chicagoland Speedway in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, where his best finish is 11th, and one ARCA Series start, earning an eighth-place result. Another part of Bowman’s duties filling in for Earnhardt in the Windy City will include a race day question-and-answer session with ticket package guests in the Chicagoland Speedway infield on Sunday morning.
TEAL AND GOLD: This weekend, Bowman will run a steering wheel accented with teal and gold in support of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation’s mission to raise awareness for both ovarian (teal) and pediatric (gold) cancer during the month of September. Click here to see a photo of the special steering wheel.
IVES’ BIRTHDAY: No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives celebrated his 37th birthday on Tuesday, Sept. 13. The Bark River, Michigan, native grew up working with his father and older brother at the racetrack and spent eight years behind the wheel before finding his true calling under the hood.
NATIONWIDE SUPPORTS THE NASCAR FOUNDATION: Nationwide will again be the presenting sponsor of The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. The award will be showcased on Sept. 27 at the Foundation’s inaugural Honors Gala at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. The award honors volunteers – who are also NASCAR fans – who dedicate themselves to children’s causes in their communities throughout the United States. This year’s finalists include Jim Giaccone of Bayville, New York, representing Tuesday’s Children; Andy Hoffman of Atkinson, Nebraska, founder of the Team Jack Foundation; Logan Houptley of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a founding member of Mikayla’s Voice; and Parker White of Greensboro, North Carolina, founder of BackPack Beginnings. The award winner will be determined via an online vote now underway and running through Sept. 26. The winner will receive a $100,000 donation to the charity they represent and the three other finalists will receive $25,000 for their respective charitable organizations. To vote and to learn more about The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide and each of the national finalists, please visit: www.NASCAR.com/Award.
A SURE CLASSIC: Nationwide is running a promotion for fans who own classic cars. By uploading a photo of their classic Chevrolet, Cadillac, Pontiac, Buick or Oldsmobile car, fans have a chance to get a VIP race experience during Charlotte Motor Speedway weekend. The experience includes tickets to the race, hot passes into the garage, a behind-the-scenes tour of Hendrick Motorsports and a meet-and-greet with Bowman, who will again be the driver of the No. 88 car. Visit http://www.nationwideclassiccar.com/ to enter.
Hendrick Motorsports
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT CHICAGO: At Chicagoland Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has two wins, four pole positions, 20 top-five finishes and 28 top-10s. Mark Martin most recently visited Victory Lane for the organization at the track in 2009.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 242 victories, 209 pole positions, 1,001 top-five finishes and 1,673 top-10 finishes in Sprint Cup competition. Its teams have led 65,499 laps since 1984.
QUOTABLE /
“The team has been giving me fast cars the last three weeks. They are doing a nice job so we just have to keep going from there. We want to be consistent in the last 10 races and keeping running in the top 10 and work on winning races. We’ll keep pushing forward.”
Kasey Kahne on the final 10 races
“It is definitely exciting. It is a heck of an opportunity. Getting in is the first very small step of these last 10 races. Obviously, you would rather have won your way in and have a win at this point, but I would much rather win in these last 10 races if I had a choice. We will take it a week at a time. I think we have to have the mentality that we could go to Homestead and give ourselves a chance.. We are going to give it our best effort and we are going to fight as hard as we can and give it the best shot we can.”
Chase Elliott on racing into his first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
“Chicago is a great place to start off the Chase. It’s a great market and a good track where we’ve run pretty well. I’ve wanted to win there so bad for (No. 48 team crew chief) Chad (Knaus) since it’s his hometown track. We’ve been close at Chicago a few times but ended up giving them away. For the next 10 weeks, we are in championship focus. We learned a lot last year from this format and we need to be there at the cutoffs and also to be there at the end at Homestead. We need to run well every week. There is a lot of effort going on to make this chase for our seventh championship.”
Jimmie Johnson on the start of the Chase
“Everybody at Hendrick Motorsports has been super-welcoming, from (Hendrick Motorsports owner) Mr. (Rick) Hendrick to (crew chief) Greg (Ives) and the No. 88 guys. There are some great racetracks ahead for me. I think we can run up front at all of them, but there are a couple I think we can go to and contend for wins. Chicagoland is one that I’m definitely looking forward to.”
Alex Bowman on driving the No. 88 at Chicago
