One might assume an inaugural event at a track new to the NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series would find everyone on equal footing.
Not necessarily so.
Chicagoland Speedway, host to Friday night's EnjoyIllinois.com 225, has been
part of both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series schedules
since 2001.
Kyle Busch (No. 51 Miccosukee Resort/Red Top Auction Toyota) won last year's
NASCAR Sprint Cup LifeLock.com 400 as well as the companion Dollar General 300.
Busch will drive in Friday's race hoping to complete the track's national series
triple before flying north for the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge at
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.
"The biggest thing I learned last year was the track didn't change much. It just
got cooler and gained grip," said Busch, who has wins in all three national
series at four different tracks. "Winning both races at Chicago last year - it
was just a great weekend."
Busch isn't the only driver doing double duty this week. Colin Braun (No. 6
Con-way Freight Ford) also will head for Montreal following Friday night's race.
Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Johnny Sauter (No. 13 Fun Sand/Curb
Records/Rodney Adkins Chevrolet) won the Dollar General 300 in 2002 with Todd
Bodine (No. 30 Ventrilo Toyota) second after winning the pole. Bodine also was
the pole winner for the inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 2001.
"Germain Racing's done a lot of testing there. We've run really well," said
Bodine, who hopes to make up some of the points he lost at Bristol where he
finished 32nd and fell out of the top five in the points standings. "Chicago is
a great town. I'm definitely looking forward to racing at the track again."
Series points leader Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 Turtle Wax Chevrolet) and Mike
Skinner (No. 5 PC Miller Navigator Toyota) boast a combined eight national
series starts at the 1.5-mile facility. Hornaday finished fifth in the 2002
NASCAR Nationwide event and 10th two years later.
"We had the Nationwide race won there back in 2001, but a late caution came out
for debris and Jimmie Johnson put on four fresh tires and we wound up second,"
said Skinner.
Stacy Compton (No. 60 SafeAuto Insurance Toyota) has amassed nearly 1,400 laps
at Chicagoland in NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide events. "Undoubtedly, the
trucks are going to go there and run wide open," said Compton, who likens the
track to Kentucky Speedway where he contended for a victory last month before a
late-race accident foiled his challenge.
