CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY RACE PREVIEW
Michael Annett• No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang
Annett has four career starts in the Nationwide Series at Chicagoland
Annett enters this weekend’s event in sixth place in the Nationwide point standings
Annett’s best finish (ninth) at the 1.5-mile track came in 2011
Michael Annett on Racing in Chicago: “Chicago is another track I really enjoy going to during our summer swing. It’s a fun 1.5-mile speedway. It’s got a lot of character, so the racing always seems to be exciting. We get another shot to qualify for the Dash 4 Cash program this weekend, so that’s our goal. I want to be racing for that $100,000 bonus again in Indy next week. We’ve been really consentient the past few weeks, and it would be really great to get another top-five finish for Pilot Flying J, Richard Petty Motorsports and my whole crew.”
Crew Chief Philippe Lopez’s Thoughts on Chicagoland Speedway: “Chicagoland Speedway has character to it, which from a driver’s perspective means it has bumps. Turns 1 and 2 aren’t too rough, but getting into Turn 3 is very tricky with all the bumps. Other than the rough track upsetting the race car, the biggest challenge we face is tire wear. The tires really seem to fall off quick at Chicago. We have to be mindful of how much speed we have in the beginning of the race, and see if we can continue to keep that speed throughout the day. The racing groove moves around a lot in Turn 3 and 4, the drivers will start at the bottom and then work their way to the top as the day goes on. We’ve got to have a good handling Pilot Flying J Ford, we need a car that can run on both the top and bottom of the racetrack. The tire fall-off at Chicago is significant enough that it can really play into how our team approaches the race as far as tire strategy. I expect we will see four-tire pit stops for the majority of the day. Hopefully at the end of the day we’ve got enough rubber on our tires to stay up front and bring home a good finish this weekend.”
Chassis History: The No. 43 RPM NASCAR Nationwide Series team has prepared chassis No. 635 for the 300-mile race at Chicagoland Speedway. This Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang was run previously this season at California and Charlotte.
Notes: Annett has four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Chicagoland Speedway. His best finish (ninth) and his best start (11th) at the 1.5-mile track came in came in 2011. Annett has completed 799 of 803 laps attempted at Chicago. His average start is 21.0 and his average finish at the Illinois track is 14.0.
Tune into Sirius XM Radio Channel 90 on Friday, at 1:30 p.m. CDT for Tradin’ Paint with Pat Patterson and Buddy Baker, to listen to Michael talk about the upcoming race on Sunday afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway.
Don’t miss out on your chance to meet Michael. Annett will participate in the NASCAR Nationwide Series autograph session on Saturday from 3—4 p.m. The session is located in Champions Park, directly behind the frontstretch.
Annett’s 11th-place finish last weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway marked his ninth finish of 11th or better this season.
Looking for a Pilot or Flying J store near Chicago? There are 22 Flying J or Pilot Travel Centers within 100 miles of Chicagoland Speedway. The nearest store is 10 miles away from the race track. (Pilot Travel Center (I-55 Exit 248) 23841 West Eames Street, Channahon, IL, 60410.) There are 78 stores within 250 miles of the track. Go to http://www.pilotflyingj.com/locations to find the nearest locations.
Race Information
Track: Chicagoland Speedway
Laps: 200 Laps/300 Miles
Track Size: 1.5-Mile
TV Information: 2 p.m. ET on ESPN
Radio Information: 2 p.m. ET on MRN
Be sure to follow Richard Petty Motorsports on Twitter @RPMotorsports for behind the scenes updates, driver appearance information and qualifying and race updates. You can also check us out on our Facebook page at Richard Petty Motorsports.
