This week we are back to a 1.5-mile layout as the NASCAR schedule heads to the suburbs of Chicago for Sunday’s Overton’s 400. Chicagoland Spweedway is one of the newest additions to the NASCAR schedule as it opened in 2001 and has hosted one race a year since the inaugural season of the track. As far as tracks of this distance are concerned, it’s a pretty standard 1.5-mile layout that involves a Tri-Oval and 18 degrees worth of banking in the turns. The front stretch is also banked at 11 degrees.
The major concerns with the track are that it’s a worn-down racing surface, similar to that of Atlanta where tire wear is a big time issue. The other concerns are the bumps in the third and fourth turns especially where the car is very loaded and it puts a lot of pressure on the springs and tires. The entrance to pit road requires a bit of a sharp turn off of the banking to get to and it’s hard to spot even from the middle of Turns 3 and 4 which can make green flag pit stops tricky to slow down for.
In the 17 races that have been held at Chicagoland Speedway in its history, only one winner has started on the pole (Kyle Busch in 2008) and only two winners have started inside the top-five starting spots (the aforementioned Busch win and Martin Truex Jr. last year starting P3). Seven of the 17 have started P10 or better and a winner has come from P25 or worse five times including twice in the last four races. So it’s a fairly unpredictable track that allows for cars to move up through field via passing and pit strategy and with a relatively small amount of cautions happening long-run speed will rule the day.
This race was originally run in July from 2001-2010 and then transitioned to the September weekend in 2011 when NASCAR made a schedule change that season. In terms of if that changes the track much, it really doesn’t from a lead changes, cautions, or winning position standpoint so despite it being earlier in the calendar once more, it should be pretty much the same track.
Two notes on scheduling before we continue, for those of you that watch the race coverage each week, this is the week that NBC and NBCSN become the broadcast team for the rest of the season as Fox’s last race was Sonoma. Also this weekend is a two-day show as they call it and so both practices are on Saturday and qualifying is Saturday evening with the race happening Sunday afternoon. That means that the playbook and Lineups will be out later on Saturday than normal.
Track Data
Last Four Races at Chicagoland Speedway
| Avg. | Avg. | Avg. | Top | Top | Top | Top | Laps | |||
| Driver | Races | Start | Run Pos. | Finish | Wins | 5s | 10s | 15s | 20s | Led |
| Martin Truex Jr | 4 | 10 | 10.5 | 7.3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 148 |
| Brad Keselowski | 4 | 8.8 | 6.3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 70 |
| Denny Hamlin | 4 | 14.5 | 10.5 | 4.3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| Joey Logano | 4 | 11.5 | 7.3 | 4.8 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Kyle Larson | 4 | 11 | 9.8 | 8.3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 22 |
| Kevin Harvick | 4 | 5.3 | 11.8 | 17.5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 148 |
| Chase Elliott | 2 | 11 | 3 | 2.5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 117 |
| Kurt Busch | 4 | 13 | 12.3 | 10.8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 37 |
| Ryan Newman | 4 | 10.5 | 16 | 15.3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Ryan Blaney | 2 | 17 | 13.5 | 7.5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Kyle Busch | 4 | 2.5 | 7 | 9.8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 273 |
| Jamie McMurray | 4 | 14.8 | 11.3 | 11.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 32 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 4 | 10 | 7.8 | 10.8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 118 |
| Kasey Kahne | 4 | 17.8 | 16.8 | 16.3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Alex Bowman | 3 | 28.7 | 27 | 27.3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Aric Almirola | 4 | 22.8 | 21.3 | 26.8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Austin Dillon | 4 | 11 | 18 | 22.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Paul Menard | 4 | 19.8 | 19.3 | 18.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Clint Bowyer | 4 | 17.8 | 17.5 | 23.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Daniel Suarez | 1 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| David Ragan | 4 | 32.5 | 28.5 | 27.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 4 | 17.3 | 21.5 | 21.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Landon Cassill | 4 | 33 | 27.3 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| AJ Allmendinger | 4 | 20.5 | 26 | 25.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Trevor Bayne | 3 | 25.3 | 25 | 24.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Buescher | 2 | 15.5 | 26.5 | 27.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ty Dillon | 2 | 28 | 27 | 27.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Erik Jones | 1 | 24 | 26 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael McDowell | 3 | 30.7 | 33.7 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | 3 | 35.3 | 33.3 | 33.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reed Sorenson | 4 | 37.8 | 35.8 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Corey LaJoie | 1 | 33 | 36 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gray Gaulding | 1 | 36 | 38 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Timmy Hill | 2 | 40.5 | 39.5 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bubba Wallace | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Custer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Weatherman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ross Chastain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| William Byron | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fast | Top 15 | Laps | Avg. | High | Low | Pos | Laps Led | High to | Low to | |
| Driver | Laps | Rate | Comp. | Rating | Rating | Rating | Diff | Pts./Race | Avg Rating | Avg Rating |
| Martin Truex Jr | 148 | 71% | 1071 | 109.2 | 129.9 | 69.5 | 2.70 | 9.25 | 20.7 | 39.7 |
| Brad Keselowski | 60 | 97% | 1071 | 109 | 123.2 | 89.6 | 3.80 | 4.38 | 14.2 | 19.4 |
| Denny Hamlin | 37 | 83% | 1071 | 106.8 | 112.8 | 93.9 | 10.20 | 0.75 | 6 | 12.9 |
| Joey Logano | 21 | 93% | 1071 | 104 | 111.1 | 94.6 | 6.70 | 0.13 | 7.1 | 9.4 |
| Kyle Larson | 54 | 83% | 1070 | 97.1 | 110.1 | 83.9 | 2.70 | 1.38 | 13 | 13.2 |
| Kevin Harvick | 99 | 65% | 1012 | 104.5 | 127.5 | 76.9 | -12.20 | 9.25 | 23 | 27.6 |
| Chase Elliott | 52 | 100% | 537 | 125.6 | 129.1 | 122 | 8.50 | 14.63 | 3.5 | 3.6 |
| Kurt Busch | 55 | 79% | 1069 | 93.9 | 125.6 | 79.3 | 2.20 | 2.31 | 31.7 | 14.6 |
| Ryan Newman | 16 | 45% | 1067 | 81.5 | 98.8 | 62.8 | -4.80 | 0.00 | 17.3 | 18.7 |
| Ryan Blaney | 8 | 76% | 537 | 87.5 | 91.9 | 83.1 | 9.50 | 1.00 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Kyle Busch | 113 | 85% | 1070 | 117.8 | 130.6 | 105.3 | -7.30 | 17.06 | 12.8 | 12.5 |
| Jamie McMurray | 16 | 85% | 1070 | 90.6 | 113.5 | 75.1 | 3.30 | 2.00 | 22.9 | 15.5 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 61 | 98% | 1071 | 103.9 | 121.3 | 93.1 | -0.80 | 7.38 | 17.4 | 10.8 |
| Kasey Kahne | 3 | 32% | 1065 | 77 | 96.2 | 66.7 | 1.50 | 0.00 | 19.2 | 10.3 |
| Alex Bowman | 6 | 26% | 790 | 59.7 | 91.8 | 42.9 | 1.40 | 0.50 | 32.1 | 16.8 |
| Aric Almirola | 1 | 36% | 1027 | 64.3 | 89.7 | 40.7 | -4.00 | 0.13 | 25.4 | 23.6 |
| Austin Dillon | 12 | 47% | 1001 | 78.2 | 81.2 | 76.7 | -11.30 | 0.00 | 3 | 1.5 |
| Paul Menard | 10 | 24% | 1067 | 68.6 | 72.3 | 61.6 | 1.50 | 0.00 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Clint Bowyer | 6 | 45% | 1044 | 69.3 | 79.2 | 61.2 | -5.50 | 0.00 | 9.9 | 8.1 |
| Daniel Suarez | 0 | 100% | 267 | 87.2 | 87.2 | 87.2 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| David Ragan | 1 | 11% | 1056 | 49.6 | 76.3 | 36.7 | 5.00 | 0.00 | 26.7 | 12.9 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 26 | 19% | 1063 | 64.3 | 81.5 | 52 | -4.00 | 0.00 | 17.2 | 12.3 |
| Landon Cassill | 4 | 9% | 1058 | 50.3 | 64.5 | 41.7 | 7.00 | 0.13 | 14.2 | 8.6 |
| AJ Allmendinger | 3 | 6% | 1058 | 55.8 | 68.7 | 43.6 | -4.80 | 0.00 | 12.9 | 12.2 |
| Trevor Bayne | 9 | 1% | 796 | 58.1 | 62.3 | 52.5 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 4.2 | 5.6 |
| Chris Buescher | 0 | 0% | 531 | 53.9 | 56.3 | 51.4 | -12.00 | 0.00 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Ty Dillon | 0 | 0% | 530 | 49.6 | 51.8 | 47.3 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 2.2 | 2.3 |
| Erik Jones | 6 | 1% | 259 | 58.6 | 58.6 | 58.6 | -9.00 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael McDowell | 2 | 0% | 786 | 38.7 | 44.5 | 31.6 | -2.30 | 0.00 | 5.8 | 7.1 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | 0 | 0% | 786 | 37.6 | 41.2 | 30.3 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 3.6 | 7.3 |
| Reed Sorenson | 0 | 0% | 1036 | 34.6 | 47 | 25.3 | 2.80 | 0.00 | 12.4 | 9.3 |
| Corey LaJoie | 0 | 0% | 256 | 32.7 | 32.7 | 32.7 | -3.00 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Gray Gaulding | 0 | 0% | 254 | 26.3 | 26.3 | 26.3 | -2.00 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Timmy Hill | 0 | 0% | 509 | 25.3 | 26.3 | 24.2 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 1 | 1.1 |
| Bubba Wallace | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| Cole Custer | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kyle Weatherman | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ross Chastain | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | |
| William Byron | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
Top-15 Drivers Over Last 10 Races at Chicagoland Speedway
| Avg. | Avg. | Avg. | Top | Top | Top | Top | Laps | |||
| Driver | Races | Start | Run Pos. | Finish | Wins | 5s | 10s | 15s | 20s | Led |
| Brad Keselowski | 9 | 12.8 | 10 | 9.2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 152 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 10 | 14 | 11.6 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 164 |
| Kyle Busch | 10 | 9.2 | 9.7 | 11.8 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 512 |
| Denny Hamlin | 10 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| Kevin Harvick | 10 | 17.1 | 13.7 | 14.3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 150 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 10 | 7.2 | 6.7 | 9.5 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 534 |
| Ryan Newman | 10 | 13.4 | 14.3 | 12.2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 19 |
| Joey Logano | 9 | 12.1 | 12.8 | 12.9 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 34 |
| Kasey Kahne | 10 | 14 | 13.5 | 11.6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
| Kurt Busch | 10 | 16.3 | 14.7 | 15.6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 102 |
| Kyle Larson | 4 | 11 | 9.8 | 8.3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 22 |
| Chase Elliott | 2 | 11 | 3 | 2.5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 117 |
| Clint Bowyer | 10 | 15.5 | 13.9 | 15.4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Jamie McMurray | 10 | 16.7 | 15.9 | 17.2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 107 |
| Ryan Blaney | 2 | 17 | 13.5 | 7.5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Fast | Top 15 | Laps | Avg. | High | Low | Pos. | Laps Led | Rating | |
| Driver | Laps | Rate | Comp. | Rating | Rating | Rating | Diff. | Pts/Race | Range |
| Brad Keselowski | 145 | 74% | 2403 | 100.5 | 133.3 | 57.6 | 3.60 | 4.22 | 75.7 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 215 | 72% | 2673 | 97.5 | 129.9 | 69.5 | 3.00 | 4.10 | 60.4 |
| Kyle Busch | 212 | 75% | 2661 | 108.1 | 146.3 | 61.8 | -2.60 | 12.80 | 84.5 |
| Denny Hamlin | 57 | 67% | 2646 | 90.9 | 112.8 | 52.3 | -0.70 | 0.33 | 60.5 |
| Kevin Harvick | 122 | 59% | 2598 | 94.2 | 127.5 | 56.8 | 2.80 | 3.75 | 70.7 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 347 | 93% | 2672 | 114.8 | 144 | 93.1 | -2.30 | 13.35 | 50.9 |
| Ryan Newman | 30 | 53% | 2668 | 85.7 | 107.4 | 62.8 | 1.20 | 0.48 | 44.6 |
| Joey Logano | 49 | 60% | 2313 | 91 | 111.1 | 66.3 | -0.80 | 0.94 | 44.8 |
| Kasey Kahne | 65 | 58% | 2667 | 89.4 | 121.2 | 66.7 | 2.40 | 0.05 | 54.5 |
| Kurt Busch | 104 | 61% | 2647 | 87.3 | 125.6 | 56.1 | 0.70 | 2.55 | 69.5 |
| Kyle Larson | 54 | 83% | 1070 | 97.1 | 110.1 | 83.9 | 2.70 | 1.38 | 26.2 |
| Chase Elliott | 52 | 100% | 537 | 125.6 | 129.1 | 122 | 8.50 | 14.63 | 7.1 |
| Clint Bowyer | 28 | 64% | 2646 | 83.6 | 108.1 | 61.2 | 0.10 | 0.18 | 46.9 |
| Jamie McMurray | 46 | 54% | 2566 | 83.5 | 125.7 | 53.7 | -0.50 | 2.68 | 72 |
| Ryan Blaney | 8 | 76% | 537 | 87.5 | 91.9 | 83.1 | 9.50 | 1.00 | 8.8 |
Top-15 Drivers at Similar Tracks (last 20 races combined)
| Avg. | Avg. | Avg. | Top | Top | Top | Top | Laps | |||
| Driver | Races | Start | Run Pos. | Finish | Wins | 5s | 10s | 15s | 20s | Led |
| Martin Truex Jr | 20 | 10.5 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 488 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 20 | 16.7 | 10.4 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 436 |
| Brad Keselowski | 20 | 7 | 7.8 | 9.2 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 271 |
| Kevin Harvick | 20 | 5.5 | 9.1 | 10.9 | 2 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 1428 |
| Kyle Busch | 18 | 7.6 | 8.4 | 9.7 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 510 |
| Denny Hamlin | 19 | 10 | 10.3 | 12.4 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 274 |
| Kyle Larson | 19 | 12.7 | 11.6 | 11.2 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 418 |
| Kasey Kahne | 20 | 18.1 | 18.6 | 19.2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 26 |
| Joey Logano | 20 | 11.3 | 8.6 | 9.8 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 210 |
| Kurt Busch | 19 | 11.6 | 12.7 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 245 |
| Chase Elliott | 10 | 15.9 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 122 |
| Ryan Newman | 20 | 9.4 | 14.1 | 15.7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| Clint Bowyer | 20 | 19.7 | 17.6 | 19.1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 3 |
| Jamie McMurray | 20 | 15.4 | 15.4 | 14.7 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 35 |
| Paul Menard | 20 | 18.4 | 18.9 | 17.8 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 2 |
| Fast | Top 15 | Laps | Avg. | High | Low | Pos | Laps Led | Rating | |
| Driver | Laps | Rate | Comp. | Rating | Rating | Rating | Diff. | Pts./Race | Range |
| Martin Truex Jr | 353 | 80% | 5323 | 101.6 | 150 | 55.9 | -1.20 | 6.10 | 94.1 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 318 | 76% | 5328 | 101 | 127.4 | 54.7 | 5.70 | 5.45 | 72.7 |
| Brad Keselowski | 242 | 91% | 5285 | 105.1 | 130.4 | 86 | -2.20 | 3.39 | 44.4 |
| Kevin Harvick | 658 | 78% | 5266 | 113 | 146.1 | 59.6 | -5.40 | 17.85 | 86.5 |
| Kyle Busch | 385 | 82% | 4780 | 108 | 136.1 | 68.7 | -2.10 | 7.08 | 67.4 |
| Denny Hamlin | 179 | 82% | 4924 | 98.6 | 130 | 67 | -2.40 | 3.61 | 63 |
| Kyle Larson | 304 | 74% | 4901 | 95.7 | 144.3 | 29.8 | 1.50 | 5.50 | 114.5 |
| Kasey Kahne | 64 | 41% | 5253 | 74.3 | 105.2 | 41.8 | -1.10 | 0.33 | 63.4 |
| Joey Logano | 200 | 89% | 5233 | 103.6 | 126.9 | 72.1 | 1.50 | 2.63 | 54.8 |
| Kurt Busch | 174 | 70% | 5005 | 91.2 | 135.4 | 36 | -0.40 | 3.22 | 99.4 |
| Chase Elliott | 128 | 90% | 518 | 102 | 129.1 | 67.7 | 8.30 | 3.05 | 61.4 |
| Ryan Newman | 78 | 62% | 5306 | 84.1 | 108.2 | 60.5 | -6.30 | 0.30 | 47.7 |
| Clint Bowyer | 79 | 52% | 2843 | 76 | 113.6 | 32.8 | 0.60 | 0.04 | 80.8 |
| Jamie McMurray | 27 | 56% | 5258 | 80.1 | 113.5 | 51.4 | 0.70 | 0.44 | 62.1 |
| Paul Menard | 41 | 31% | 5282 | 70.9 | 100.6 | 49 | 0.60 | 0.03 | 51.6 |
Momentum
| Avg. | Avg. | Avg. | Top | Top | Top | Top | Pos | Avg. | |||
| Driver | Races | Start | Run Pos. | Finish | Wins | 5s | 10s | 15s | 20s | Diff. | Rating |
| Martin Truex Jr | 5 | 9 | 7.4 | 4.8 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4.2 | 112.8 |
| Kyle Busch | 5 | 4.2 | 5.8 | 4.6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | -0.4 | 116.5 |
| Kevin Harvick | 5 | 10.4 | 8.6 | 9.8 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0.6 | 120.7 |
| Clint Bowyer | 5 | 20.2 | 8 | 10.2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 101.8 |
| Brad Keselowski | 5 | 7.8 | 11 | 8.4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | -0.6 | 98.8 |
| Kyle Larson | 5 | 14.6 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3.6 | 102.1 |
| Denny Hamlin | 5 | 10 | 10.4 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | -3 | 93.4 |
| Kurt Busch | 5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.8 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 97.8 |
| Chase Elliott | 5 | 13.2 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 92.6 |
| Joey Logano | 5 | 7 | 12.2 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | -5 | 88.5 |
| Paul Menard | 5 | 15 | 16.2 | 12.4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2.6 | 75.5 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 5 | 17.6 | 15.2 | 12.6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 83.3 |
| Aric Almirola | 5 | 15.4 | 12.2 | 9.6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5.8 | 91.1 |
| Erik Jones | 5 | 13.8 | 13.4 | 15.4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1.6 | 83 |
| Jamie McMurray | 5 | 12.4 | 17.2 | 19.8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | -7.4 | 77.6 |
Points Changes at Chicagoland Speedway
DraftKings
| 17 Race | Season | DK Pts +/- | |
| Driver | Total | Avg DK Pts. | Season AVG |
| Martin Truex Jr | 100.75 | 44.17 | 56.6 |
| Chase Elliott | 69.50 | 36.92 | 32.6 |
| Paul Menard | 47.00 | 26.08 | 20.9 |
| Jamie McMurray | 43.00 | 23.46 | 19.5 |
| Trevor Bayne | 30.50 | 18.31 | 12.2 |
| Landon Cassill | 32.50 | 22.15 | 10.4 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 42.50 | 33.68 | 8.8 |
| Daniel Suarez | 33.00 | 26.89 | 6.1 |
| Denny Hamlin | 47.25 | 41.24 | 6.0 |
| Kasey Kahne | 27.00 | 25.57 | 1.4 |
| Reed Sorenson | 14.00 | 13.56 | 0.4 |
| Kevin Harvick | 69.25 | 68.95 | 0.3 |
| Kyle Larson | 40.50 | 40.96 | -0.5 |
| Brad Keselowski | 37.75 | 38.91 | -1.2 |
| Ryan Blaney | 34.00 | 35.67 | -1.7 |
| Kyle Busch | 63.25 | 65.75 | -2.5 |
| Joey Logano | 38.00 | 42.14 | -4.1 |
| Ryan Newman | 16.00 | 21.42 | -5.4 |
| AJ Allmendinger | 21.00 | 27.79 | -6.8 |
| Austin Dillon | 21.50 | 28.74 | -7.2 |
| David Ragan | 17.00 | 24.39 | -7.4 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | 14.00 | 22.81 | -8.8 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 17.00 | 26.05 | -9.1 |
| Michael McDowell | 14.00 | 24.93 | -10.9 |
| Timmy Hill | 4.00 | 16 | -12.0 |
| Ty Dillon | 11.00 | 23.39 | -12.4 |
| Kurt Busch | 25.00 | 37.74 | -12.7 |
| Corey LaJoie | 5.00 | 18.33 | -13.3 |
| Gray Gaulding | 4.00 | 17.4 | -13.4 |
| Clint Bowyer | 32.00 | 47.5 | -15.5 |
| Chris Buescher | 8.00 | 25.69 | -17.7 |
| Erik Jones | 5.00 | 28.16 | -23.2 |
| Aric Almirola | 17.00 | 40.81 | -23.8 |
| Avg. +/- | 11.7 |
FanDuel
| 17 Race | 18 Season | FD Pts +/- | |
| Driver | Total | Avg FD Pts. | Season AVG |
| Martin Truex Jr | 78.4 | 55.87 | 22.53 |
| Chase Elliott | 73.9 | 53.59 | 20.31 |
| Jamie McMurray | 62.2 | 44.72 | 17.48 |
| Paul Menard | 60.6 | 47.38 | 13.22 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 62.7 | 50.73 | 11.97 |
| Daniel Suarez | 56.2 | 46.58 | 9.62 |
| Kyle Larson | 63.2 | 53.91 | 9.29 |
| Brad Keselowski | 61.3 | 52.36 | 8.94 |
| Ryan Blaney | 57.2 | 48.40 | 8.80 |
| Landon Cassill | 51.2 | 42.83 | 8.37 |
| Kevin Harvick | 71.1 | 63.30 | 7.80 |
| Denny Hamlin | 62.8 | 56.81 | 5.99 |
| Kasey Kahne | 48.4 | 43.23 | 5.17 |
| Trevor Bayne | 47.4 | 42.83 | 4.57 |
| Reed Sorenson | 35.9 | 31.40 | 4.50 |
| Corey LaJoie | 29.1 | 28.41 | 0.69 |
| Joey Logano | 60.7 | 60.23 | 0.47 |
| Austin Dillon | 48.1 | 49.31 | -1.21 |
| Ryan Newman | 40.9 | 43.03 | -2.13 |
| Michael McDowell | 37.2 | 40.26 | -3.06 |
| Timmy Hill | 26.9 | 30.44 | -3.54 |
| AJ Allmendinger | 42.8 | 47.24 | -4.44 |
| David Ragan | 39.2 | 45.42 | -6.22 |
| Kurt Busch | 47.5 | 53.99 | -6.49 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | 36.6 | 43.19 | -6.59 |
| Ty Dillon | 36.7 | 43.58 | -6.88 |
| Clint Bowyer | 53.6 | 61.28 | -7.68 |
| Chris Buescher | 35.8 | 44.02 | -8.22 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 37.3 | 46.95 | -9.65 |
| Gray Gaulding | 27.4 | 37.17 | -9.77 |
| Kyle Busch | 54.1 | 65.48 | -11.38 |
| Aric Almirola | 41.9 | 57.23 | -15.33 |
| Erik Jones | 29.4 | 48.28 | -18.88 |
| Avg. +/- | 8.52 |
Top-10 and Bottom-10 Driver Values
DraftKings
| Rank | Driver | Value | Rank | Driver | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 5.84 | 38 | Reed Sorenson | 2.83 |
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 5.77 | 37 | Jamie McMurray | 2.90 |
| 3 | Clint Bowyer | 4.90 | 36 | Ryan Newman | 2.93 |
| 4 | Aric Almirola | 4.59 | 35 | Trevor Bayne | 3.33 |
| 5 | Kurt Busch | 4.49 | 34 | Timmy Hill | 3.48 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 4.44 | 33 | Erik Jones | 3.56 |
| 7 | Denny Hamlin | 4.43 | 32 | Daniel Suarez | 3.59 |
| 8 | Chase Elliott | 4.34 | 31 | Cole Custer | 3.61 |
| 9 | Ryan Blaney | 4.30 | 30 | William Byron | 3.61 |
| 10 | Landon Cassill | 4.26 | 29 | Gray Gaulding | 3.70 |
FanDuel
| Rank | Driver | Value | Rank | Driver | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ross Chastain | 8.21 | 38 | Martin Truex Jr. | 4.37 |
| 2 | Landon Cassill | 7.79 | 37 | Ryan Blaney | 4.61 |
| 3 | Cole Custer | 7.69 | 36 | Brad Keselowski | 4.72 |
| 4 | Gray Gaulding | 7.43 | 35 | Kyle Larson | 4.73 |
| 5 | Chris Buescher | 7.22 | 34 | Jamie McMurray | 4.91 |
| 6 | Matt DiBenedetto | 6.86 | 33 | Chase Elliott | 5.06 |
| 7 | Aric Almirola | 6.81 | 32 | Kevin Harvick | 5.15 |
| 8 | Michael McDowell | 6.71 | 31 | Erik Jones | 5.19 |
| 9 | Ty Dillon | 6.71 | 30 | Kurt Busch | 5.19 |
| 10 | David Ragan | 6.68 | 29 | Jimmie Johnson | 5.34 |
Drivers To Watch This Week
Martin Truex Jr.: Truex is the two-time defending winner here and used those wins to move him through in the playoffs as it was the opening race of the playoffs the past few years. Aside from the two wins, there are two more top-15s and 148 each of laps led and fastest laps in the last four races. In the last 10 races here there are four top-10s and each trip finished with the 78-car being inside the top-20. Taking a look at the momentum section, Truex is the hottest driver in the field this week with two wins and four top-fives in the last five races this season including last week at Sonoma. He hasn’t yet overtaken Kevin Harvick or Kyle Busch on the DraftKings salary list, but he is this week’s most-expensive driver on FanDuel.
Brad Keselowski: Keselowski is one of only three drivers in the field to have four top-10s in the last four races. He also has a win and two top-fives to go along with the top-10s. The Penske driver is sixth in laps led with 70 and fifth in fastest laps with 60 and is third in top-15 rate with a mark of 97%. Overall that’s an impressive portfolio here and it gets a bit better when looking at the last 10 races given that he’s the only driver with more than six top-10s in that span too. Fords have been very fast at the mile and half tracks this year and Keselowski is still looking for his win to lock into the playoffs.
Denny Hamlin: Denny’s teammate Kyle Busch may have the most laps led here and the second most fastest laps but he doesn’t have as high of finishes as the 11-car does. In the last four races, Hamlin has a win, two top-fives and four top-10s (the second one of the field with four) but just 12 laps led and 37 fastest laps. His 106.8 average driver rating is a nice touch to the profile too as that puts him fourth in that stat. Like Brad, Hamlin is still looking for his first win this year and to clinch a spot in the playoffs for 2018, his history here suggests that could well happen as he’s also been running near the front in recent weeks too.
Joey Logano: Logano is the third and final driver in the field with four top-10s here in the last four races and his 4.8 average finish is second only to Hamlin among drivers with at least three races run in the last four. He does have just two top-five finishes and two laps led in that span so it’s mostly about him just running near the front, as his 93% top-15 rate demonstrates. With Joey and Brad, and Ryan Blaney for that matter, all performing well here it’s clear that Team Penske is a tough one to beat at Chicagoland.
Chase Elliott: Elliott only has two races here in his MENCS but they have been spectacular showings. He has an average finish of 2.5 in that time with two top-fives and 117 laps led. The 100% top-15 rate is the best in the field for drivers with multiple races run and his 125.6 average rating is also tops in that category and is higher than all but four driver’s highest ratings for just one race. Jimmie Johnson has also been good here in his career and as Chase’s teammate has helped him learn this track quickly. The fact that he has a win here in his Xfinity career and 88 laps doesn’t hurt either. His salaries this week are very nice for fitting him in any lineup as he is just $8,500 on DK and $10,600 on FD.