Chicagoland Speedway
| Information Location: Joliet, Illinois | Track Specifics
Type: Oval | Races
Current Series: |
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| Current Track Layout This track has been used with the permission of www.etracksonline.co.uk |
Chicagoland Speedway is a speedway in Joliet, Illinois, USA, southwest of Chicago. The speedway is actually located several miles south of Joliet proper, just off Illinois Route 53 between Joliet and Wilmington, Illinois. It currently has a capacity of 75,000 people. Since its inaugural season in 2001, the Chicagoland Speedway has became an unexpected and significant draw for major NASCAR and IRL events, often selling out major races months in advance.
Although listed simply as a D-shaped oval, Chicagoland is unique in that it is one continuous curve, as the backstretch has a noticeable bend to it.
Chicagoland is one of the "cookie cutter" oval tracks built in recent years. These tracks are often criticized (especially in NASCAR circles) for not having exciting racing. However, Chicagoland has been a very exciting track for IndyCar races, as three of the series eight closest finishes have taken place here, including the closest finish of .0024 seconds in 2002. In a 2007 Indy Lights race, a .0005 margin of victory between Logan Gomez and Alex Lloyd has been cited as a Guinness World Record for the closest finish in any auto race.
Contents |
[edit] Records
| Series | Driver | Speed (MPH) | Vehicle | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR | Qualifying |  Jimmie Johnson | 188.147 | Chevrolet | 7/8/2005 |
| Race | Kevin Harvick | 136.832 | Chevrolet | 7/14/2002 | |
| IndyCar | Qualifying | Richie Hearn | 223.159 | Dallara/Chevrolet | 9/6/2003 |
| Race |  Dan Wheldon | 194.828 | Dallara/Honda | 9/10/2006 |
[edit] Winners
[edit] NASCAR
| Season | Date | Driver | Manufacturer | Speed (MPH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | July 15 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 121.200 |
| 2002 | July 14 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 136.832 |
| 2003 | July 13 | Ryan Newman | Dodge | 134.059 |
| 2004 | July 11 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 129.507 |
| 2005 | July 10 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | 127.638 |
| 2006 | July 9 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 132.077 |
| 2007 | July 15 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 134.258 |
| 2008 | July 12 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 133.996 |
[edit] IndyCar
| Season | Date | Driver | Manufacturer | Speed (MPH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Sept 2 | Jaques Lazier | Dallara/Oldsmobile | 172.146 |
| 2002 | Sept 8 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Dallara/Chevrolet | 146.319 |
| 2003 | Sept 7 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Dallara/Chevrolet | 184.279 |
| 2004 | Sept 12 |  Adrian Fernandez | G-Force/Honda | 140.813 |
| 2005 | Sept 11 | Dan Wheldon | Dallara/Honda | 169.146 |
| 2006 | Sept 10 | Dan Wheldon | Dallara/Honda | 194.812 |
| 2007 | Sept 9 | Dario Franchitti | Dallara/Honda | 173.871 |
| 2008 | Race 7 |  Helio Castroneves | Dallara/Honda | 150.636 |
[edit] Video Gallery
[edit] Picture Gallery
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| Sprint Cup Series Tracks |
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Atlanta -
Bristol -
California -
Charlotte -
Chicagoland -
Darlington -
Daytona -
Dover -
Homestead -
Indianapolis -
Infineon |
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| IndyCar Series Tracks |
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Belle Isle -
Chicagoland -
Edmonton -
Homestead -
Indianapolis -
Infineon -
Iowa -
Kansas -
Kentucky -
Long Beach |
