Event:               Chicagoland 300 (Round 26 of 33)
Date:                 Sept. 15, 2017
Location:          Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois
Layout:             1.5-mile oval

Cole Custer Notes of Interest 

• The Chicagoland 300 will mark Cole Custer’s 30^th career NASCAR XFINITY Series start and his first XFINITY Series start at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. Custer earned a top-10 in his first and only NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the 1.5-mile oval. 
• The Chicagoland 300 will be the regular-season finale before the seven-race, three-round playoff format begins at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. Custer has clinched his spot in the 2017 XFINITY Series Playoffs in his first attempt with Stewart-Haas Racing, which launched its XFINITY Series team this season.
• Custer’s best finish in the 25 XFINITY Series races run this season is fourth, earned in the 11^th race of the year June 3 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. It was his 14^th top-10 finish, fifth top-five, and equaled his career-best finish in 30 career XFINITY Series starts.
• Custer’s best qualifying effort in the 25 XFINITY Series races run this season is third, earned twice – April 22 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and June 10 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. Custer has 17 top-10 starts and seven top-five starts this season.
• In eight XFINITY Series starts and nine Camping World Truck Series starts at 1.5-mile tracks, Custer has three top-five finishes and nine top-10s. Custer has earned three top-10s this season at 1.5-mile tracks – Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (fifth), Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (seventh) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (10^th).
• Custer is third in the XFINITY Series Rookie of the Year standings, 64 points behind leader William Byron and 11 points behind second-place Daniel Hemric. Custer has earned six Rookie of the Race awards this season, three of which have come at 1.5-mile tracks – fifth at Texas, seventh at Charlotte and 11^th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Custer has been the highest-finishing XFINITY Series regular driver in four races this season – Charlotte, Dover, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Texas.
• Custer is sixth in the XFINITY Series driver standings, 277 points behind series leader Elliot Sadler.
• Custer has earned four top-five finishes, 12 top-10s, and has led 29 laps in the 2017 XFINITY Series season.

Cole Custer, Driver Q&A

What are your thoughts on Chicagoland Speedway?

“I’ve only raced at Chicago once, but the time I went there it was one of my favorite tracks. It’s worn out, a little rough, and you can run a lot of different lines, so it makes it one of the more fun tracks we go to.” 

Are you looking forward to getting back to an intermediate track?  

“Yeah. I think the intermediate tracks have been really good for us and our Haas Automation Ford Mustang. Hopefully, we can bring the same kind of consistency. I think we’ve put a lot of emphasis on our bodies and chassis at the intermediate tracks and have tested at a few, as well. Some of our best finishes this year have been at intermediate tracks, so I think we’ll get one more shot at a regular-season win with a fast car.”

You’re locked into the playoffs in your first season with a brand new XFINITY Series team. What does this mean to you and what do you focus on next?

“It’s incredible. Our first goal of the year was just to make the XFINITY Series playoffs. At the start of the year, we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. No one knew what to really expect. It was awesome to find some speed this year and hopefully we can fine tune what we’ve built and make a solid run through the playoffs. For Chicagoland, I think it’s all about winning. I just wanted to win a race before the end of the year, and last week was kind of heartbreaking because we just had the track go away from us toward the end. Going forward, the main goal is to just get some playoff points heading in so we can set ourselves up for a good run.”

Jeff Meendering, Crew Chief Q&A

What are your thoughts on the new composite body you ran last weekend in Richmond? 

“We didn’t have any issues at all with the new body. It really seemed to run well at Richmond. Our plan is to turn this car around for Dover with very minimal work. I think NASCAR did a really good job with the design and working with the teams to make it a success.”

Judy Garland’s character, Dorothy Gale, stated “there’s no place like home” in the 1939 movie classic “Wizard of Oz.” That sentiment rings true for Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), as she competes in Sunday’s Tales of the Turtles 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.

Patrick grew up in Roscoe, Illinois, which is 115 miles northwest of the racetrack and 90 miles northwest of Chicago. As a result, she will have a number of friends and family members in attendance. And when racing near home in front of family and friends, a driver wants to be successful.

In addition, as Patrick returns to Chicagoland, she will continue to help promote Aspen Dental’s “Get Started” initiative. As the “Official Dentist of NASCAR”, the dentists and teams at Aspen Dental practices are making it easier for NASCAR to “Get Started” on their way to a healthier mouth. In March, Aspen Dental, one of the largest and fastest-growing networks of independent dental care providers in the United States, announced a new health initiative with NASCAR and Patrick called Get Started. Together, they hope to get as many of the 150 million Americans who do not visit the dentist each year to get started or restarted on the road to a healthier mouth. Get Started makes it easier for fans to go to the dentist, no matter what’s holding them back. Fans can visit AspenDental.com/GetStarted to schedule appointments. Get Started is all about making it easier for NASCAR fans and the rest of the public to improve their oral health. There are 600 Aspen Dental practices around the country to choose from. And, from the moment fans make an appointment, they receive help with paperwork and insurance and, with its compassionate dentists and hygienists, Aspen Dental practices make it easier to Get Started – easier on patients’ time, wallets, and mouths.

When Patrick takes to the track at Chicagoland in her No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion this weekend, not only will she be returning to her “home” track and helping Aspen Dental further the “Get Started” effort, she will also be returning to a facility where she has experienced a measure of success. In five NASCAR Cup Series starts at the track, she finished a career-best 19th there in September 2014 and has two top-20 finishes to her credit. In four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, she finished a career-best 10th in June 2011 and has earned three top-15 finishes. Patrick also competed in six IndyCar Series events at Chicagoland, earning a pole award in September 2005, two top-10 race finishes and six top-15s.

This weekend “there’s no place like home” for Patrick as she looks to score another good run for the Aspen Dental team.

DANICA PATRICK, Driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What are your overall thoughts on Chicago?

“I enjoy any reason to get to Chicago. I just love the city. It’s a great place. There’s so much to do – the restaurants, the shopping – it’s just a world-class city. I’ve been going there ever since I got my driver’s license. I would drive downtown and park by the Water Tower and my girlfriend and I would put on our rollerblades and tear it up on Lake Shore (Drive).”

You grew up in Roscoe, Illinois, about 115 miles northwest of Chicagoland Speedway. Will you have a lot of family and friends at the race this weekend? 

“There are going to be a few out at the track. I normally don’t have a lot because I don’t exactly volunteer tickets because it’s a lot of work and there’s a lot going on during the weekend. For people who come out to the track, you want them to have a good time and, if you don’t feel like you can help them have a good time, then there’s not much point. But it will be nice to have family and friends out. It’s a little different because I rarely have people at the races with me. It’s nice to see everyone and have their support and hopefully we put on a good show for them.”

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is starting fresh with a new-look point system and rebranded NASCAR Playoff format following the 26-race regular season. The 2017 NASCAR Playoffs kick off Sunday afternoon with the Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.

Luckily for Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), his primary partner, Jimmy John’s, always starts “Freaky Fresh” when making its sandwiches and knows what it takes to deliver in “Freaky Fast” fashion.

Jimmy John’s, founded in 1983 by then-19-year-old Jimmy John Liautaud approximately 163 miles from Chicagoland Speedway in Charleston, Illinois, serves up ridiculously fresh sandwiches quicker than he can say “Turkey Tom,” a customer favorite which, ironically, is No. 4 on the menu. Jimmy John’s is all about the freshest ingredients, the fastest service and “Freaky Fast” delivery. While most people are more than impressed with the freaky fresh quality of Jimmy John’s sandwiches, it’s the speed with which they are prepared and delivered that really puts the Champaign, Illinois-based chain ahead of the rest.

Harvick is hoping to use the same principles to deliver a freaky fresh and freaky fast win early in each round of the 10-race playoffs to help him advance to the final four and add to his 2014 NASCAR Cup championship.

Harvick qualified for the 10-race playoff by virtue of his win at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June. He earned five playoff points for the win and gathered an additional three stage wins and a fourth-place overall finish in the points during the regular season. The 15 total playoff points enable Harvick to start the 2017 playoffs as the sixth seed.

This is his eighth consecutive playoff appearance and his 11th since the inception of the playoffs in 2004. He finished fourth in his playoff debut in 2006, 10^th in 2007, fourth in 2008, third in 2010 and 2011, eighth in 2012, third in 2013, won his first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2014, finished runner-up to champion Kyle Busch in 2015 and sixth in 2016.

Harvick already has two Cup Series wins at Chicagoland and three wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series there. He won the inaugural Cup Series race on July 15, 2001, and made it back-to-back Chicagoland wins as he reached victory lane again on July 14, 2002. His three Xfinity Series wins came in September 2005, July 2007 and September 2014.

The No. 4 Jimmy John’s team is hoping it can continue its approach of winning early and applying it all the way through the 2017 playoffs. Race wins, stage wins and playoff points are the only way to reach the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where the 2017 champion will be crowned.

Harvick is looking to ride his “Freaky Fresh” and “Freaky Fast” Jimmy John’s Ford all the way to a second NASCAR Cup Series championship.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Do you change anything in your preparation or in your own life to prepare for those final 10 weeks?

“My attitude. My attitude changes a lot. It’s all offense. Be greedy for your team. Do what you have to do.”

We’ve come to the end of the regular season. What are you anticipating most as the playoffs get under way?

“For those of us who are in the playoffs, I think the anticipation of the whole season getting to this point and being able to race for a championship and do the things we’re going to do are all here. For me, it seems like it took a long time to get to this point – 26 weeks is a long time. We’ll race as hard as we can and get after it.”

Can you approach this year similar to years past?

“I don’t think so. I think there are still a lot of things left to play out. As you look at this particular playoff point structure, you are going to have to collect stage points. If you look at the stage points, they basically line up to how the points are right now. I think you’re going to have to go after those stage points and stage wins will gain you some more bonus points, but those bonus points that you’ve already accumulated carry over to every round. I don’t think we all understand exactly how that is going to play out. I think everybody is anticipating that you have two or three guys with more points. Are those going to be the guys who go all the way to Homestead-Miami? If it works out that way, is it really a playoff structure? Does it give everybody a chance? I like the structure that we have with the points and the things we’ve done currently, but sometimes you have to step back as a fan and say, ‘Is that right or is that wrong?’ We don’t know yet because it hasn’t all played out. Is it going to be exciting? Most likely. Is it going to play out how everybody thinks it’s going to with the playoff points from those guys, or are there going to be teams that step up and win races and put everybody in a position where they have to perform and those points will become even that much more important? It’s going to be interesting and I look forward to watching it play out.”

With his victory in the season-opening Daytona 500, Kurt Busch pretty much solidified his spot in the NASCAR Playoffs for 2017.

And much like a baseball team that gets a huge lead in the division in May and doesn’t lose it, there is a feeling of, “Are the playoffs finally here? We’re, um, ready to play.”

For Busch, driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), the time is now as the playoffs start with Sunday’s Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.

Busch won the Cup Series title in 2004 during the first season of what was then known as the NASCAR Chase for the Championship.

The original 10-driver, 10-race Chase format has evolved into what is now a 16-driver playoff format involving three, three-race rounds and a winner-take-all championship among the final four drivers to advance. So, consistency and success are keys.

Busch will start this year’s playoffs 12th in points. This is his fifth consecutive playoff appearance and his 11th overall. After winning the championship in 2004, he finished 10th in 2005, seventh in 2007, fourth in 2009, 11th in 2010 and 2011, 10th in 2013, 12th in 2014, eighth in 2015 and seventh in 2016.

In 16 Sprint Cup Series starts at Chicagoland, Busch has two top-five finishes and nine top-10s. His best finish at the 1.5-mile track came in 2015, when he brought home a third-place finish. He overcame a flat tire on lap 86 and a green-flag pit stop that put him a lap down to still contend for the win. However, a late-race caution took away what appeared to be a sure win and an automatic advance into the next round of the playoffs for Busch and the No. 41 team.

And Busch heads into this year’s playoffs with a solid record in the last few weeks of the regular season. He has scored three consecutive top-five finishes and hasn’t placed lower than 13^th in the last six races.

Busch, his crew chief Tony Gibson and the entire No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation team would love to bring SHR its third championship.

And it starts at Chicagoland this weekend. Here we go.

KURT BUSCH, Driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You have a lot of connections to Chicago. Talk about that. 

“Both my mom and dad were born in the Chicagoland area. My grandfather lived downtown and was a big Chicago Cubs fan. I remember growing up and going to his house and seeing all of his Cubs stuff. And then in (Las) Vegas, where I grew up, we had WGN-TV and it was cool to be connected to the Cubs at an early age. I still have aunts and uncles in the Chicago area. The Busches moved out to Vegas in the early 70’s. And that’s where Kyle (brother) and I were born and raised.”   

Do you look at Chicago as another hometown race? 

“It’s fun just with my affinity for Chicago. I love the town, the Chicago Cubs, the Bears. Over the years, I’ve met a lot of good people throughout the Illinois area. It does feel like a second home.” 

What is the key to a good start in the playoffs?

“I think the key is having a strategy, sticking with it and staying calm. You might be a point or two ahead or a point or two behind, but you have to have a strategy. That’s what I remember about the year that I won and the years I was up in the top-five of the championship standings.” 

How important is luck in the playoffs?

“Luck is definitely a key ingredient. You can’t do it without it. And being prepared for it is having the downforce at the levels that you need and the setup balanced properly with the simulation models. And making sure the driver feedback is there. Luck can be just as simple as, two weeks ago at Darlington, my teammate was faster than me on lap four of a run and I let him pass me, and then a yellow came out a lap later and I was like, ‘Oh man.’ And then we were on the wrong side for the restart. So that was like a double-whammy. Lose a position and then you’re in the worst lane for the restart. If you’re making a championship run, things come at you when you don’t even know it. And that’s when you end up in the right lane on a restart or somebody gives you a spot. First thing you think about is having a smooth race. If you’re running eighth, next thing you know you’re running fourth. And you think, “How’d that happen?’ Those are the days championships happen.”

The 1.5-mile ovals all look the same but are completely different. How is Chicagoland? 

“They’re all very different. It’s all about the asphalt and grip level. And the tire that Goodyear is bringing for us to all race on. It’d be very interesting to all get to choose what sets of tires we all wanted to race on for grip levels. Chicago is very similar to Homestead and it’s similar to Atlanta that we run earlier in the year. Very worn-out mile-and-a-half that chews up tires and you have to be nice to your tires.”

Two weeks ago, Clint Bowyer stood by his stricken car in the Darlington (S.C.) Raceway garage thinking about his diminishing Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff chances after mechanical problems ended his race in just 18 laps.

After receiving the condolences of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) crew members and giving the obligatory media interviews, Bowyer walked to his motorhome admittedly “ready to throw things.”

But his 2-year-old son Cash greeted him at the door and told his father, “I’m sorry Daddy, you’ll get you a new car next week.”

Bowyer said his child’s counseling instantly put that evening’s disappointment versus the optimism surrounding his racing future in perspective.

“It really does ground you,” he said with a smile. “I put the whole family in the truck and drove home from Darlington. At the end of the day, I’m as happy as I have ever been enjoying this sport as much as I have. I look forward going to the racetrack.”

He’ll go to 10 more tracks in the 2017 season. He has a lot to accomplish.

Although he’s not part of the playoffs, there’s plenty of work to do for he and his Mike Bugarewicz-led team. This season is Bowyer’s first at SHR, his first with Bugarewicz, and it’s SHR’s first with Ford. Despite all the variables, the No. 14 team owns the 10th-best average finish of any full-time team in 2017. That’s better than five of the 16 teams in the playoffs.

Both the No. 14 driver and crew know there is work to be done to make sure they are part of the playoffs next season.

“I’m focused on getting better,” Bowyer said. “We have got to get to where we are consistently running at the front week in and week out. We have sniffed the front with three second-place and two third-place finishes. But we haven’t consistently run in the top-five and been part of that elite group. We know we can do it with this organization. We have the staff behind the 14 car, Ford and SHR that we know we can do it. Playoffs were important but establishing us at the front and leading laps week in and week out is our priority.”

That process begins this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, where Bowyer will drive the No. 14 Ford Fusion carrying a Rush Truck Centers paint scheme. Bowyer owns one top-five finish and seven top-10s in 12 career starts at the 1.5-mile track. 

“Success is measured by winning – that’s goal number one,” he said. “We still haven’t accomplished that, so that’s our priority. Whether that’s this weekend in Chicago or the final race at Homestead, we have got to get a race win this season and, if we don’t, I’ll be disappointed.”

Bowyer said it’s been a comfortable fit ever since inking the deal with SHR in 2015 to replace three-time champion Tony Stewart. Bowyer drove for another team in 2016 before climbing in the No. 14 in 2017.

“The cool thing about SHR is that every conversation I’ve ever had there has been only about how we get better,” said Bowyer, who has finished in the top-five in points three times in his 12 full seasons behind the wheel of a NASAR Cup car. “That’s what gives me confidence to know we are going to get where we want to go.”

A good first step begins this weekend with a trip to victory lane at Chicagoland.  

CLINT BOWYER, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Do you have a serious side?

“Oh yes. It’s come out a lot in the last few weeks. When you are racing the likes of the guys we do, who can get the job done, the serious side is always there. You have to be able to have fun and enjoy this. This is a grueling schedule on everybody, not just a driver.”