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The first race of the 2011 Chase For the Sprint Cup will be held just outside Chicago, IL at the Chicagoland Speedway. The announcement could be a sign that NASCAR is looking to tap into the massive Chicago market by awarding the city one of the 10 Sprint Cup races. Chicagoland Speedway  played host to the LifeLock.com 400 last month that saw underdog favorite win his second Sprint Cup Series race. The 1.5 mile track has also hosted the Dollar General 300 on the Nationwide Series since 2001. Kyle Busch claimed the $81,570 prize last year finishing in 1st place. Located in Joliet, IL, the Chicagoland Speedway has been in operation for nine years. The $130 million stadium seats 75,000 spectators on race day. The Chase For the Sprint Cup opening race in Joliet will be followed by a race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

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Filed under: International Speedway Corp, NASCAR Tracks, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

Chicagoland Speedway took the fall as the first domino in NASCAR's realignment of the 2011 schedule it was announced on Monday by track and NASCAR officials.

The 1.5-mile track in Joliet, Ill. -- roughly 45 minutes from downtown Chicago -- will open NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup with a day race on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011.

"I can't think of a better market than Chicago and the Chicagoland area to kick off NASCAR's version of the playoffs," track president Craig Rust said in an announcement made Monday in Chicago with NASCAR officials, current series points leader Kevin Harvick and defending race winner David Reutimann.

For Chicago, it means their NASCAR Sprint Cup date moves from its original slot in mid-July and the racing moves to the afternoon following three years of night racing at the track. The Sunday race in September could put the action into direct fan competition with the NFL's Chicago Bears at a track that fell short in trying fill its modest grandstands less than a month ago.

"You are going to compete with somebody," Rust said. "You can't run from it. You have to get out there and compete, and we think by opening the Chase, this makes us a stronger event."

 

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The LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway had a feel-good ending this weekend with driver David Reutimann coming away with his second career win on the Sprint Series. At Victory Lane a host of drivers and NASCAR crew member congratulated Reutimann and his team after the #00 car held off Jeff Gordon for the win. The outpouring of congratulations gave racing fans a in-depth look into Reutimann’s popularity within NASCAR circles. Reutimann’s first win on the Sprint Series came with a boatload of scrunity. The 40-year-old got his first career Sprint Cup win at the Coke 600 last year due to weather conditions. The manner at which his won his first race caused critics to question if he deserved the win. Reutimann put all his critics to bed by leading the race Saturday for the last 32 laps and fending off the likes of Gordon and Carl Edwards. Congrats to David!

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Filed under: Nationwide Series, Danica Patrick, NASCAR

JOLIET, Ill. -- One ESPN television interview and three questions into an impromptu second pit road media question-and-answer session, Danica Patrick glanced over right shoulder and subtly motioned for water.

It wasn't a demanding wave, but more of a pass-me-the-water-while-I-listen gesture.

Hardly missing a beat, her public relations representative, standing between Patrick and her car, unscrewed the white cap from a small Aquafina bottle and passed it to the queen of open wheel racing and now stock car crossover. Two gulps later, she was on to the next question.

Such was the pace of Patrick's Friday in NASCAR country at Chicagoland Speedway -- just her fifth venture into the unknown, yet attractive world of racing with fenders. A long day, certainly, as NASCAR had packed Nationwide practice, qualifying and the race into a one-day show.

The extended day would prove to be her best, as the neon green, black-and-orange No. 7 crossed the finish line in 24th place, two laps behind winner Kyle Busch, under Chicagoland's lights. The finish topped her previous best, a 30th-place finish at New Hampshire.

 

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Filed under: Jamie McMurray, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

JOLIET, Ill. - Jamie McMurray had quite a hectic day, but even before it finished he was a celebrating a small, but worthy, victory.

The 2010 Daytona winner scored his third pole of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Season Friday evening at Chicagoland Speedway, giving him the prime starting position for Saturday night's LifeLock.com 400.

The pole was the sixth of McMurray's career, and follows top starting spots he won at Auto Club Speedway and Darlington Raceway this season.

In between practicing and qualifying his Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Sprint Cup car, McMurray was also preparing for Friday night's Nationwide Series race at the same track. In that race, his qualifying fortunes were not nearly as good, as he started 37th.

McMurray's average speed -- 183.542 mph -- was just a bit quicker than the pair of champions in second and third.

 

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