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In The Know – Chicago Street Course

NASCAR CUP SERIES OVERVIEW:

SHR FAST FACTS:

Kevin Harvick:

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), comes into the Grant Park 220 with some street-race experience, albeit 24 years ago when he drove on the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour. In 1998 and again in 1999, Harvick competed on a 1.1-mile street course layout around the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He completed 116 of the 215 laps available, thwarted by mechanical issues in both races. But his 23rd-place finish in the 1999 race doesn’t tell the whole story. Harvick started fourth in that race and took the lead on lap 19 and paced the field for 34 laps before suffering a mechanical failure.

Aric Almirola:

In Almirola’s 12-year fulltime NASCAR career, he never considered himself to be a road-course racer – until three weeks ago. While a Cup Series win remains the ultimate goal for Almirola, the 39-year-old veteran on June 10 made his way to victory lane in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, driving the No. 28 RSS Racing Ford Mustang. It was the first road-course victory of his career. Almirola’s best road-course outing in the Cup Series also came at Sonoma in 2018, when he finished eighth. He made it back-to-back top-10 finishes at the track when he returned for a ninth-place result in 2019.

Chase Briscoe:

Though it will be the first time racing on a street course in the NextGen, Cup Series drivers are familiar with the left and right turns it will take to maneuver through the streets of Chicago. In his time in the Cup Series, Briscoe has made 15 road-course starts resulting in four top-10 finishes and six inside the top-15

Ryan Preece:

Prior to the sole open date on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule on Father’s Day weekend June 17-18, competitors took on Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway for the season’s second road-course race. Preece kicked off the weekend on the West Coast with a victory in the ARCA Menards Series West race on Friday afternoon. He qualified his No. 9 Bonanza Ford on the pole. From there, he dominated the Friday race by leading 55 of 64 laps and crossed the finish line 9.675 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Sammy Smith. Preece qualified 22nd for Sunday’s 110-lap Cup Series race and finished 13th

OUR WEEKLY WRAPS:

WHAT OUR DRIVERS ARE SAYING:

Kevin Harvick Driver of the No. 4 GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang:

When you’re preparing to race on a track you’ve never been to before, you get acclimated by using a simulator. How helpful is the simulator when you don’t have that seat-of-the-pants feel?

“For the most part, the simulator is basically for reference points and things that come with that particular racetrack. You’re able to sit in your own seat and have your own steering wheel and you’re just in a more realistic surrounding. It’s good for me just to get visuals of everything and be able to have everything memorized with the shift points before we get there.”

Aric Almirola Driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang:

Are you excited to race on the streets of downtown Chicago?

“I’m excited, nervous, anxious all of the above. I’m excited to do something we have never done, but there is always anxiousness about the unknown and not knowing what to expect. It’s going to be such a fantastic event for the fans. There is so much to do around the course and it’s going to be a lot of fun for them not only during the race but before and after. As a driver, I’m looking forward to saying that I got to race on the streets of Chicago.”

Chase Briscoe Driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang:

What do you expect in the first NASCAR street race?

“I truthfully have no idea. I think we’ve seen a lot of attrition on the restarts at road course races this year and with the NextGen car, so I’d expect some of that. Maybe there will be some guys that take it easy, but I would guess you’ll have some ruffled feathers at some point and that could lead to excitement.”

Ryan Preece Driver of the No. 41 Operating Engineers Ford Mustang:

What kind of expectations do you and your team have this weekend?

“I believe our team can capitalize on moments like this. I embrace new and different and I look forward to it, so I don’t get nervous or worried about it. It’s going to be really challenging but that motivates me. The racetrack is so narrow and it’s going to continually change throughout the weekend. There’s going to be a lot of beating and banging on these cars. You’ve got long straightaways that abruptly turn into 90-degree corners. I think knowing when to press on the brake and knowing when it’s safe to make a move will be important. But, the most important thing will be where you qualify. Starting position is going to be crucial, those who qualify up front will likely stay up front and it’s going to be so hard to pass. We’ve seen how hard it is to pass this season as it is, and now being on a new street course, it’s going to be even harder. There’s also going to be a lot of things taking place on the track around you, so you’ve got to listen to all the spotters and be alert about those things, too.”