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Snapshot: Chicagoland
By Zack Albert, NASCAR.com | Published: September 17, 2016 7
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The 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup dawns anew for its 13th edition, starting in Sunday's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Chicagoland Speedway. This year's postseason marks the third year of the expanded 16-driver format with three eliminations whittling the field to a final four vying for the championship Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That path to playoff glory starts Sunday outside of the Windy City. With 16 hopefuls primed to go, here's a Snapshot look at Sunday's Chase opener.
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At A Glance:
Where: Chicagoland Speedway, 1.5-mile oval in Joliet, Illinois.
Green flag: 2:46 p.m. ET.
TV/Radio: NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Sunny with a high of 77 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
National anthems: Jim Cornelison, (@Anthem_Singer) longtime singer of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.
Grand marshal: Greg Cipes, voice of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Michelangelo, and The Kids of NASCAR.
Race distance: 267 laps (400.5 miles)
Fuel window: 54 laps
Pit road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 55 mph
Where: Chicagoland Speedway, 1.5-mile oval in Joliet, Illinois.
Green flag: 2:46 p.m. ET.
TV/Radio: NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Sunny with a high of 77 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
National anthems: Jim Cornelison, (@Anthem_Singer) longtime singer of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.
Grand marshal: Greg Cipes, voice of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Michelangelo, and The Kids of NASCAR.
Race distance: 267 laps (400.5 miles)
Fuel window: 54 laps
Pit road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 55 mph
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Busch aiming for a repeat
Kyle Busch's title defense begins on Sunday. Busch says he feels even stronger this year, and not just because of his health. One thing the 31-year-old driver won't have this season is the pressure to fill a Sprint Cup championship void, but the intensity is there all the same.
'We have a lot of expectations on us, but I feel as though being able to win the championship last year, it sort of solidified my career a little bit more, but also gave us the opportunity to know that we're a championship team and we can do this.'
Kyle Busch's title defense begins on Sunday. Busch says he feels even stronger this year, and not just because of his health. One thing the 31-year-old driver won't have this season is the pressure to fill a Sprint Cup championship void, but the intensity is there all the same.
'We have a lot of expectations on us, but I feel as though being able to win the championship last year, it sort of solidified my career a little bit more, but also gave us the opportunity to know that we're a championship team and we can do this.'
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Toyota carrying the torch
Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota organization and the one-car Furniture Row Racing affiliate enter the playoffs with momentum, having won half of the 26 regular-season events this year.
'It's a good problem to have that your teammates are the guys that you've got to beat a lot of weeks,' said Matt Kenseth, the 2003 champ. 'They all have multiple wins. They're all really good drivers. They've got good teams, good cars, good crew chiefs, so, yeah, they're hard to beat. But certainly if you can't win you want to keep it in house if possible.'
Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota organization and the one-car Furniture Row Racing affiliate enter the playoffs with momentum, having won half of the 26 regular-season events this year.
'It's a good problem to have that your teammates are the guys that you've got to beat a lot of weeks,' said Matt Kenseth, the 2003 champ. 'They all have multiple wins. They're all really good drivers. They've got good teams, good cars, good crew chiefs, so, yeah, they're hard to beat. But certainly if you can't win you want to keep it in house if possible.'
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The quest for seven
File Jimmie Johnson and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet team under the category of 'sleeping giant.' The six-time champ hasn't won since March and is winless for his stellar career at Chicagoland, but has shown speed so far this weekend. At Thursday's Ready. Set. Chase. launch event in Chicago, Johnson made it clear he wasn't pleased with being an under-the-radar contender.
'Hell, I'd rather be dominating and be on top and be the top pick,' Johnson said. 'I don't like where we're at. We're working hard. There's a lot of optimism and a lot of great things happening.'
File Jimmie Johnson and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet team under the category of 'sleeping giant.' The six-time champ hasn't won since March and is winless for his stellar career at Chicagoland, but has shown speed so far this weekend. At Thursday's Ready. Set. Chase. launch event in Chicago, Johnson made it clear he wasn't pleased with being an under-the-radar contender.
'Hell, I'd rather be dominating and be on top and be the top pick,' Johnson said. 'I don't like where we're at. We're working hard. There's a lot of optimism and a lot of great things happening.'
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Youth served
Rookies Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott join youngster Kyle Larson in making his first-ever Chase appearance this year. Conventional wisdom says the under-25 crowd needs more seasoning before piecing together the tools to win a championship, but this class of newbies seems poised to buck tradition.
'I think if you don't have that mindset, if you don't have it in your head that you're going to make it to Homestead, then you should have let the guy behind you in points in.' said Elliott, the postseason's youngest driver at age 20.
Rookies Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott join youngster Kyle Larson in making his first-ever Chase appearance this year. Conventional wisdom says the under-25 crowd needs more seasoning before piecing together the tools to win a championship, but this class of newbies seems poised to buck tradition.
'I think if you don't have that mindset, if you don't have it in your head that you're going to make it to Homestead, then you should have let the guy behind you in points in.' said Elliott, the postseason's youngest driver at age 20.
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Trophy moment
Kevin Harvick said his 4-year-old son, Keelan, doesn't quite have his head around the Chase concept, unless it means chasing him around the house. The 2014 Sprint Cup champion said that his son places the most importance on the trophies. With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as the race's title sponsor, the winner's trophy is every bit as colorful and cartoonish as you might expect. Harvick's wife, DeLana, indicated from her Twitter account Friday that Keelan has already placed Sunday's trophy atop his wish list. 'Note to the race tracks: It's important to have cool trophies,' Kevin Harvick said.
Kevin Harvick said his 4-year-old son, Keelan, doesn't quite have his head around the Chase concept, unless it means chasing him around the house. The 2014 Sprint Cup champion said that his son places the most importance on the trophies. With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as the race's title sponsor, the winner's trophy is every bit as colorful and cartoonish as you might expect. Harvick's wife, DeLana, indicated from her Twitter account Friday that Keelan has already placed Sunday's trophy atop his wish list. 'Note to the race tracks: It's important to have cool trophies,' Kevin Harvick said.