Here we go, the Race for the Chase begins this Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400. It’s also back to the 1.5-mile length circuit, at least for this week. But it is an interesting dichotomy that is present this week as 16 of the drivers in the field are in the Chase and the other 24 are not, but are still racing for the win nonetheless. It will be the first time this year they race at the track, and that means the first time rookies get to see it too. The Chase shouldn’t change strategy that much in terms of DFS formats as they are all still racing the same.
| Avg. | Avg. | Laps | High | Low | Avg. | Diff | Laps Led | Laps Led | ||||||||
| Driver | Start | Finish | Races | Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Top 20's | Led | Poles | Finish | Finish | DNF | Rating | Pts. | Pts. | Pts./race |
| Brad Keselowski | 14 | 4.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 62 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 106.4 | 9.5 | 15.50 | 7.75 |
| Denny Hamlin | 26.5 | 3.5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 102.9 | 23 | 2.25 | 1.13 |
| Kurt Busch | 11.5 | 5.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 37 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 107.4 | 6 | 9.25 | 4.63 |
| Kyle Larson | 14 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 100.5 | 9 | 5.50 | 2.75 |
| Joey Logano | 15 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 102.8 | 10 | 0.25 | 0.13 |
| Matt Kenseth | 8.5 | 7.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 94.2 | 1 | 0.25 | 0.13 |
| Carl Edwards | 8.5 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 87.7 | -2.5 | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Ryan Newman | 4 | 9.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 95.3 | -5.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Kevin Harvick | 6.5 | 23.5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 89 | 0 | 5 | 42 | 0 | 108.8 | -17 | 22.25 | 11.13 |
| Kyle Busch | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 167 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 121.2 | -4 | 41.75 | 20.88 |
| Jamie McMurray | 12 | 12.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 32 | 0 | 9 | 16 | 0 | 94.3 | -0.5 | 8.00 | 4.00 |
| Aric Almirola | 21.5 | 25.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 41 | 1 | 78 | -4 | 0.50 | 0.25 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 15.5 | 13.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 0 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 90.2 | 2 | 9.75 | 4.88 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 9 | 11.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 100.7 | -2.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 15.5 | 17.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 18 | 0 | 75.4 | -2 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Austin Dillon | 10 | 29.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 43 | 0 | 77.5 | -19.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Kasey Kahne | 13.5 | 18.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 24 | 0 | 72.6 | -5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Paul Menard | 12.5 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 21 | 0 | 70.3 | -6.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Clint Bowyer | 16 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 39 | 1 | 68.4 | -13 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Tony Stewart | 22.5 | 21.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 25 | 0 | 67.1 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Danica Patrick | 21.5 | 22.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 26 | 0 | 66 | -1 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| David Ragan | 33.5 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 31 | 0 | 58.2 | 10.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Casey Mears | 26.5 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 26 | 0 | 55.5 | 3.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Brian Scott | 21 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 66.4 | -1 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Greg Biffle | 18.5 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 23 | 0 | 61.5 | -3.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| A.J. Allmendinger | 16 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 36 | 0 | 53.4 | -13 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Trevor Bayne | 30 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 52.5 | 2 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Cole Whitt | 33 | 29.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 30 | 0 | 47.2 | 3.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Landon Cassill | 37 | 27.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 28 | 0 | 46.5 | 9.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Alex Bowman | 34.5 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 37 | 0 | 43.7 | -1.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Michael Annett | 36 | 37 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 40 | 0 | 42.8 | -1 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Michael McDowell | 32 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Josh Wise | 37 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 39.4 | 4 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Reed Sorenson | 39 | 34.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 40 | 0 | 37.2 | 4.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| David Gilliland | 32.5 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 34 | 0 | 36.7 | -0.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | 39 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 39 | 0 | 30.3 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Chase Elliot | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Jeffery Earnhardt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Key Drivers on 1.5 Mile Tracks
| Avg. | Avg. | Laps | High | Low | Diff. | Laps Led | Laps Led | |||||||||
| Driver | Start | Finish | Races | Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Top 20's | Led | Poles | Finish | Finish | DNF | Rating | Pts. | Pts. | Pts./race |
| Jimmie Johnson | 13.7 | 13.06 | 31 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 24 | 842 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 2 | 101.0 | 0.64 | 210.50 | 6.79 |
| Brad Keselowski | 6.5 | 9.10 | 31 | 5 | 12 | 24 | 29 | 1,411 | 4 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 109.1 | -2.6 | 352.75 | 11.38 |
| Kevin Harvick | 7.2 | 8.61 | 31 | 4 | 18 | 25 | 28 | 2,074 | 4 | 1 | 42 | 1 | 119.6 | -1.41 | 518.50 | 16.73 |
| Joey Logano | 6.5 | 10.26 | 31 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 27 | 1,079 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 3 | 107.6 | -3.76 | 269.75 | 8.70 |
| Kyle Busch | 11.3 | 9.00 | 27 | 4 | 13 | 18 | 25 | 659 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 1 | 104.7 | 2.3 | 164.75 | 6.10 |
| Carl Edwards | 10.6 | 11.03 | 31 | 2 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 213 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 0 | 92.1 | -0.43 | 53.25 | 1.72 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 11.4 | 12.03 | 31 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 27 | 1,085 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 0 | 100.2 | -0.63 | 271.25 | 8.75 |
| Denny Hamlin | 11.4 | 14.16 | 31 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 305 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 3 | 92.0 | -2.76 | 76.25 | 2.46 |
| Kasey Kahne | 16.2 | 15.94 | 31 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 23 | 80 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 3 | 84.0 | 0.26 | 20.00 | 0.65 |
| Matt Kenseth | 14.1 | 11.53 | 30 | 0 | 9 | 20 | 25 | 516 | 3 | 2 | 42 | 2 | 98.8 | 2.57 | 129.00 | 4.30 |
| Kurt Busch | 10.3 | 14.34 | 29 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 370 | 3 | 3 | 42 | 5 | 91.9 | -4.04 | 92.50 | 3.19 |
| Ryan Newman | 12.4 | 10.90 | 31 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 29 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 89.5 | 1.5 | 8.00 | 0.26 |
| Kyle Larson | 15.2 | 17.03 | 31 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 20 | 83 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 3 | 86.0 | -1.83 | 20.75 | 0.67 |
| Jamie McMurray | 15.9 | 15.90 | 31 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 25 | 107 | 0 | 3 | 40 | 2 | 82.0 | 0 | 26.75 | 0.86 |
| Paul Menard | 16.9 | 19.32 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 42 | 3 | 74.8 | -2.42 | 4.00 | 0.13 |
Drivers to watch this week:
Brad Keselowski: Brad is one of the top drivers on the track this week with a win, and two top-10s in the last two races while leading 62 laps, good enough for third on the field. Keselowski also has shown great ability to move through the field there with an average start/finish difference of 9.5. He will be looking to lock up his spot in the next round of the Chase early in the first race of the 10 race playoffs.
Kyle Larson: Larson has been hot of late, with a win and a second place finish in the last few weeks, and now heads to a track that he has good experiences on with two top-10 finishes (3rd and 7th) in the last two races. Larson is one of the new young guns on the scene and will be trying to show that he belongs with the other top drivers as the playoffs get underway. His speed should play well at Chicago as the 18 degree banking carries speed throughout the lap.
Denny Hamlin: Fresh off the win at his home track of Richmond and bookending the regular season with a win at Daytona and last Sunday, he will look to carry the momentum into Chicago. He has a win and the best positional differential in the field moving from 26th to 3rd on average. Toyotas have been fast all season and here is another track where they can show the speed again. Even if he qualifies badly, he is still a very valuable play.
Kyle Busch: Kyle comes to Chicago trying to get his momentum jump-started and being the leader in the field in laps led in the last two years is a good head start. He also is tied for the best starting position and has two top-10 finishes in that span. Busch also has the second best average finish at 1.5-mile tracks in the last two years, over 27 races, with four wins to his credit.
Chase Elliot: His rookie year has gone just about as well as he could have hoped, though he’s still missing a win, but now it’s time for him to head to a track he hasn’t seen before in a Sprint Cup series car. Elliot, however, has done well at previous 1.5-mile tracks with five top-10 finishes in nine career races at the distance. Given his talent and the level of equipment at his disposal, he should be strongly considered for a spot in the lineup no matter the format.