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This weekend, NASCAR will do something it has never done before, drive on a street course. Now, since NASCAR has never driven on a street course, the best comparison we can make is how drivers tend to race on road courses. Who are the drivers to watch this weekend in Chicago that tend to race well at road courses?
By the Numbers: 4 Wins; 18 Top-5s; 27 Top-10s; 421 Laps Led; 14.8 Avg. Finish; 49 Races
Breakdown: It’s been since 2015 that Kyle Busch has won on a road course, but he is always a threat on these types of race tracks. In the last three Cup Series races on road courses, he has finished in the top-3, after a string of five out of seven where he finished outside of the top-20. The question is, how will Busch’s aggressive driving style translate to the very precise, technical streets of Chicago.
By the Numbers: 5 Wins; 14 Top-5s; 22 Top-10s; 353 Laps Led; 14.1 Avg. Finish; 47 Races
Breakdown: Martin Truex Jr. has the second most wins on road courses amongst active NASCAR drivers, and he is the Cup Series’ most recent road course winner at Sonoma earlier this month. One of the things to watch for is that Sonoma, which NASCAR’s more technical or finesse-type road course, is the track Truex Jr. has found the most success at. Truex Jr. knows how to handle the more technical-type of road courses, which will more closely resemble Chicago this weekend.
By the Numbers: 2 Wins; 7 Top-5s; 17 Top-10s; 162 Laps Led; 15.9 Avg. Finish; 34 Races; **3 Street Course Wins in IndyCar**
Breakdown: It’s well documented that A.J. Allmendinger is one of NASCAR’s best road course ringers, but it’s also worth noting that he has more street course experience than any full-time Cup Series driver. In his three full-time seasons in Champ Car (a precursor to the current IndyCar Series), Allmendinger won three races on street tracks. That experience is going to play a big role in how this weekend plays out.
By the Numbers: 3 Wins; 5 Top-5s; 10 Top-10s; 131 Laps Led; 13.4 Avg. Finish; 17 Races
Breakdown: With three of his four career Cup Series wins on road courses, Tyler Reddick is a budding road course superstar. He won at Circuit of the Americas in the spring despite a rash of late caution flags, and won two more races on road courses last year. He is a guy that will be a factor this weekend.
By the Numbers: 7 Wins; 15 Top-5s; 18 Top-10s; 470 Laps Led; 8.0 Avg. Finish; 26 races
Breakdown: Chase Elliott is not quite as dominant on road courses now as he was a few years ago when he won four road course races in a row. However, he is a guy to watch this weekend, especially when considering that he is between must-win territory and must gain every point he can territory. This an opportunity for Elliott to either lock himself into or put himself within striking distance of the Playoffs.
There really is nothing quite like the Chicago Street Race, but road course racers will undoubtedly have an advantage heading into this weekend. This race could be the biggest wild card as the race for the Playoffs heats up.
