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Tony Stewart may take headlines this week, but Jimmie Johnson hopes to take the win.By the Numbers: Chicago
Johnson winless, but that number can be deceiving
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Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart will share the spotlight this week as the only two-time winners in Chicagoland Speedway's short history.
That, and they're battling it out for the 12th and final spot in the Chase as the summer stretch moves on.
That, and Stewart just announced he's leaving Joe Gibbs Racing for an owner/driver role at Haas CNC Racing (read more).
Beneath all that hype that's focused on the past (Harvick and Stewart's victories) and the future (Stewart's bold plans) is Jimmie Johnson. Glance quickly and his name doesn't appear on the list of winners at Chicagoland, site of Saturday night's LifeLock.com 400 (6:30 p.m. ET, TNT). It's that type of quick glance that the two-time champion uses to pull off surprises.
Johnson has never won a Cup race at Chicagoland, but he did win his first Nationwide race there. And it is crew chief Chad Knaus' home track. And, aside from a horrible introduction and an equally horrible recent memory, Johnson has been among the most consistent drivers at the 1.5-mile oval.
37Starting position for Jimmie Johnson in his first Chicagoland race, and finishing position for Johnson in his most recent Chicagoland race. Otherwise, he has never started worse than eighth and never finished worse than sixth.
Chicagoland Speedway
Jimmie Johnson
| Year | Start | Finish | Laps Led |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 37 | 4 | 2 |
| 2003 | 6 | 3 | 25 |
| 2004 | 3 | 2 | 31 |
| 2005 | 1 | 3 | 21 |
| 2006 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| 2007 | 8 | 37 | 82 |
Kevin Harvick
| Year | Start | Finish | Laps Led |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 32 | 1 | 29 |
| 2003 | 11 | 17 | 46 |
| 2004 | 17 | 10 | 0 |
| 2005 | 9 | 19 | 0 |
| 2006 | 4 | 4 | 40 |
| 2007 | 14 | 4 | 54 |
• Kevin Harvick won the 2001 race.
Tony Stewart
| Year | Start | Finish | Laps Led |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 6 | 3 | 35 |
| 2003 | 1 | 2 | 80 |
| 2004 | 10 | 1 | 160 |
| 2005 | 34 | 32 | 1 |
| 2006 | 13 | 5 | 0 |
| 2007 | 19 | 1 | 108 |
• Tony Stewart finished 33rd in the 2001 race.
Back In Time
July 12, 1958Richard Petty makes his first career start, in the NASCAR Convertible Division at Columbia Speedway dirt track. Petty started 13th on the 25-car grid in his 1957 Oldsmobile sponsored by Petty Engineering, completed 195 of the 200 laps and finished sixth to winner Bob Welborn. For his efforts, Petty earned $200. The next week he made his Cup Series debut at Toronto, finishing 17th in the 19-car field.
10 Key Facts
1Race at Chicagoland that was not won by a Chevrolet. Ryan Newman won the 2003 event in a Dodge; Chevrolets made up the rest of the top five.
2Points that separate 12th-place Tony Stewart and 13th-place Kevin Harvick in the standings. They are the only drivers with multiple victories at Chicagoland Speedway.
2Times a Chicagoland winner started in the top 10. Kevin Harvick won the inaugural race from the sixth starting position in 2001, and Tony Stewart started 10th and won in 2004.
4Finishing position of Kevin Harvick in the last two Chicagoland races. He won the first two races at the track. In the three races between, he was 17th, 10th and 19th.
9.5Average finish for both Clint Bowyer and Reed Sorenson at Chicagoland. Both drivers have two starts at the track. Bowyer finished ninth and 10th; Sorenson finished seventh and 12th.
11Finishing position of Greg Biffle in his last three Chicagoland races. His first two races at the track resulted in identical 20th-place finishes.
17Drivers who have started all seven races at Chicagoland Speedway. Only 14 of those drivers are entered in Saturday night's race.
33.0Average finish for Kasey Kahne at Chicagoland, the worst average among drivers ranked in the top 12 in points. Kahne has two DNFs at the track with a best finish of 23rd in the 2006 race.
46Drivers who have led at least one lap this season. Only 33 divers have led at least one lap in the seven races held at Chicagoland Speedway.
293Laps led by Matt Kenseth in seven Chicagoland starts, second-most among active drivers and the most among drivers without a victory at the track. Tony Stewart's 384 laps led are the most.
Also
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Chicagoland Speedway
Active drivers, based on victories
| Driver | Starts | Wins | Top-5 | Top-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Harvick | 7 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Tony Stewart | 7 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Jeff Gordon | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Ryan Newman | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Active drivers, based on average finish
| Driver | Starts | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Harvick | 7 | 13.3 | 8.0 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 6 | 10.0 | 9.2 |
| Clint Bowyer | 2 | 22.5 | 9.5 |
| Reed Sorenson | 2 | 20.0 | 9.5 |
| Jeff Gordon | 7 | 12.0 | 10.0 |
| Kyle Busch | 3 | 17.7 | 10.0 |
Sprint Cup Series
Official Standings
| Pos. | +/- | Driver | Points | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | -- | Kyle Busch | 2686 | Leader |
| 2. | +1 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 2504 | -182 |
| 3. | -1 | Jeff Burton | 2484 | -202 |
| 4. | -- | Carl Edwards | 2437 | -249 |
| 5. | -- | Jimmie Johnson | 2319 | -367 |
| 6. | -- | Jeff Gordon | 2249 | -437 |
| 7. | -- | Denny Hamlin | 2240 | -446 |
| 8. | +2 | Kasey Kahne | 2177 | -509 |
| 9. | +4 | Matt Kenseth | 2166 | -520 |
| 10. | +1 | Clint Bowyer | 2159 | -527 |
| 11. | -3 | Greg Biffle | 2153 | -533 |
| 12. | -3 | Tony Stewart | 2145 | -541 |
Cup Series News
- Former Mayfield attorneys sue to recover unpaid fees
- Putting a wrap on 2009 with the top 12 drivers
- Chance meeting provides Edwards insight into 2010
- Hendrick indicates deal in the works to secure Knaus
- Wingo named crew chief for Ragan, No. 6 team
- Hendrick turning attention to getting Junior on track
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