NEXTEL USG Sheetrock 400
Final
for this game
USG Sheetrock 400 Preview
Jul 15, 2007 - 10:33 AMJuly 15, 2007
Chicagoland Speedway
Joliet, Illinois
Race 19 of 36 on Nextel Cup circuit (18th points race)
TV: TNT, 2:30 p.m. EDT
Laps: 267
Track length: 1 1/2 miles
Race length: 400 miles
Qualifying record: Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 188.147 mph, 2005
Race record: Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 136.825 mph, 2002
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $3,604,556
Finished 16th last Saturday at Daytona to remain fifth in the
standings; ran seventh at New Hampshire two weeks ago and third
at Sonoma three weeks ago to end a slide of four consecutive
finishes outside the top 10; trails series points leader Jeff
Gordon by 465 points; has six top-five finishes and 10 top-10s
this season; captured his first victory of the season at Texas;
finished second to Gordon at this race a year ago.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $4,010,224
Continues to thrive without suspended crew chief Steve Letarte,
finishing fifth last week at Daytona following a second at New
Hampshire; still owns a comfortable 277-point cushion atop the
series standings despite being docked 100 points for failing
post-qualifying inspections at Sonoma, where he ran seventh; has
four checkered flags this season and 79 career, just four shy
of tying Cale Yarborough for fifth place all-time; reached a
landmark milestone at Talladega, recording his 77th career
victory to pass the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth all-time; has
completely dominated the circuit this season and is on pace to
capture his fifth career title, leading the series in poles (6),
top-five finishes (12) and top-10s (16); won this race last
year and has finished in the top-five four times in six races at
Chicago.
Denny Hamlin
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 11 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $2,793,746
Followed up his first win of the season at New Hampshire by
finishing dead last at Daytona after wrecking early in the race
with teammate Tony Stewart; dropped to 287 points behind Gordon,
but still owns a comfortable 106-point cushion for second place
in the standings ahead of Matt Kenseth; has avoided the
sophomore slump by finishing out of the top-10 just four times
in the past 14 races; has seven top-five finishes and 11 top-10s
this season; finished second at Darlington and has four
third-place finishes at Las Vegas, Martinsville, Phoenix and
Richmond; finished 14th in this event last season.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $3,826,823
Like teammate Jeff Gordon, Johnson has responded well to the
absence of suspended crew chief Chad Knaus, finishing 10th last
week at Daytona after running fifth at New Hampshire; remains
fourth in the standings but still trails Gordon by 407 points;
has posted victories this season at Las Vegas, Atlanta,
Martinsville and Richmond; despite collecting nine top-five
finishes, has been hurt by three finishes outside the top 35;
finished sixth in this event last season - the only time in six
starts he has finished out of the top five at this track.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $3,358,806
Rebounded from a tough stretch by finishing eighth at Daytona
after placing ninth at New Hampshire; ran 34th and 42nd,
respectively, before the past two top-10 results; remains third
in the standings, 383 points behind Gordon; captured his only
victory of the season in the campaign's second race at
California; has six top-five finishes and 12 top-10s this
season; ran 22nd in this event last season and has only two
top-10s in six starts at Chicago.
Jamie McMurray
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 26 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $2,163,157
Nipped Kyle Busch at the finish line to win last week at
Daytona, ending a 166-race winless drought; the win was the
first for McMurray as a member of Roush Fenway Racing after
struggling to a disappointing 25th finish in the standings a
year ago; has rebounded in 2007 with five top-10 finishes;
currently stands in 13th place, less than 50 points out of the
Chase for the Championship behind Dale Earnhardt Jr.; finished
39th in this race last year.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $3,151,203
Finished 38th at Daytona last week after an early-race crash
with teammate Denny Hamlin; dropped to seventh in the standings,
539 points behind Gordon; has yet to record a win this season
and collected just four top-five finishes over the first 18
races this season; one of the circuit's most inconsistent
drivers, collecting 11 top-10 finishes while placing 25th or
worse in the other six events; finished 32nd in this race last
year, but has four top-five finishes in six starts here,
including a win in 2004.
2006 Top 10
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1. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
2. Jeff Burton (31), Chevrolet
3. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
4. Kevin Harvick (29), Chevrolet
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8), Chevrolet
6. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet
7. Reed Sorenson (41), Dodge
8. Kurt Busch (2), Dodge
9. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
10. J.J. Yeley (18), Chevrolet
Past Champions
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2006 Jeff Gordon, 132.077 mph
2005 Dale Earnhardt Jr., 127.638 mph
2004 Tony Stewart, 129.507 mph
2003 Ryan Newman, 134.059 mph
2002 Kevin Harvick, 136.825 mph
2001 Kevin Harvick, 121.200 mph
