“Quote of the Week”
“I have a really good understanding of what Richard Petty has meant to our sport because I come from a racing family myself. He is one of the guys that helped make the dream of growing up to become a racecar driver a reality for a lot of kids. I’m so proud to be a part of the 50tth anniversary this weekend and honored to carry the 50th Anniversary paint scheme on the hood of the #43. Everyone, especially NASCAR and the folks at Chicagoland Speedway have jumped on board to help us out this weekend with stuff to honor ‘The King’. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Bobby Labonte Driver – No. 43 Richard Petty’s 50th Anniversary Dodge
‘THE KING’ CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY
• Richard Petty made his first start on July 12, 1958 in
NASCAR’s convertible series. In his 35-year career as a
driver, he amassed remarkable numbers:
- 200 wins
- 1,185 starts
- 7 NASCAR Sprint Cup championships
- 7 Daytona 500 wins
- 27 wins in a season (1967)
- 10 consecutive wins (1967)
• This week, NASCAR celebrates the Golden Anniversary
of Richard “The King” Petty.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Ryan Newman, driver No. 12 Alltel Dodge, is the
youngest Sprint Cup winner at Chicagoland Speedway.
Newman was 26 years, 7 months, 5 days old when he
won the 2003 Tropicana 400.
• The first ever gasoline-powered motor car race was held
up-and-down the Chicago lakefront in 1895. The contest
required vehicles to have at least three wheels and be
able to carry at least two people, one of whom was to be
an umpire selected by the judges to ride with the driver
during the race. The race winner, J. Frank Duryea.
• No NSCS race at Chicagoland Speedway has been won
from the pole or from the same starting position.
• All four manufacturers have won at least three races this
season.
• All four manufacturers are represented in the top 12.
CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY TRACK FACTS
• The height of the grandstands at Chicagoland is 15
stories tall, the same height as the Navy Piers Ferris
Wheel in downtown Chicago.
• Chicagoland Speedway sits on 930 acres of land, which
is large enough to accommodate 42 United Centers
(Home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks), making it
the largest sporting facility in Illinois.
• The D-shaped track has 18 degrees of banking in the
turns, 11 degrees in the tri-oval and five degrees on the
backstretch.
• Only Dodge and Chevrolet have posted wins at the Dshaped
track.
Chase Contenders
(after 18 of 36 Races)
Driver Points
Kyle Busch 2,686
Dale Earnhardt Jr. -182
Jeff Burton -202
Carl Edwards -249
Jimmie Johnson -367
Jeff Gordon -437
Denny Hamlin -446
Kasey Kahne -509
Matt Kenseth -520
Clint Bowyer -527
Greg Biffle -533
Tony Stewart -541
