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Predicting a winner at this Sunday?s USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway may prove to be a tough chore. Eight drivers have a Driver Rating over 100, meaning many excel at the track. Additionally, there have been five different winners in the last five Chicagoland races ? and all five have come from different race teams. Oddly enough, the two drivers who have had the most success there ? Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson ? have yet to win.

Chicagoland Speedway joined the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule in 2001, making it the youngest track on the circuit. The track continues to mature with each race. This Sunday, Cup drivers will make their only appearance of the year there, circling the 18-degree, 1.5 mile, cookie cutter tri-oval 267 times.

As I see it, the following drivers have the best chance of pulling out a top finish this Sunday. I have compiled my ranking by analyzing drivers? success at this track and similar tracks such as Kansas and Las Vegas, then throwing ol? momentum into the mix by factoring in the last month of racing.

TOP TWENTY
1) 48 Jimmie Johnson
2) 24 Jeff Gordon
3) 5 Kyle Busch
4) 20 Tony Stewart
5) 99 Carl Edwards
6) 17 Matt Kenseth
7) 11 Denny Hamlin
8) 1 Martin Truex Jr.
9) 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10) 16 Greg Biffle
11) 29 Kevin Harvick
12) 07 Clint Bowyer
13) 01 Mark Martin
14) 31 Jeff Burton
15) 83 Brian Vickers
16) 26 Jamie McMurray
17) 25 Casey Mears
18) 2 Kurt Busch
19) 7 Robby Gordon
20) 43 Bobby Labonte

SELECTED CHICAGOLAND HIGHLIGHTS

Keys to Victory
? Groove ? The groove continues to widen, making Chicagoland a track where you can run two or three wide. The 2006 race was decided by 0.461 seconds; look for another close finish in 2007.
? Curved Backstretch ? The backstretch is unique, in that it has a slight curve to it that other 1.5-mile tracks do not. This makes for good passing down the backstretch.

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe?s Chevrolet)
? Four top fives, five top 10s; one pole
? Average finish of 3.6
? Average Running Position of 10.0, ninth-best
? Driver Rating of 105.4, fourth-best
? 19 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
? Eighth-fastest Green Flag Speed
? 440 Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
? One win, four top fives; one pole
? Average finish of 10.2
? Driver Rating of 89.9, 11th-best
? 52 Fastest Laps Run, second-best
? 292 Laps in the Top 15, 11th-best

Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg?s/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
? One top five
? Average finish of 8.5
? Average Running Position of 8.7, third-best
? Driver Rating of 104.7, sixth-best
? 18 Fastest Laps Run, tied for seventh-most
? 125 Green Flag Passes, tied for sixth-most
? 437 Laps in the Top 15, eighth-best
? 68 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), third-most

Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet)
? One win, four top fives; one pole
? Average finish of 12.7
? Average Running Position of 9.3, sixth-best
? Driver Rating of 98.4, ninth-best
? 15 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
? Third-fastest Green Flag Speed
? 444 Laps in the Top 15, fourth-most

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
? One top five, two top 10s
? Average finish of 11.5
? Series-best Average Running Position of 3.4
? Series-best Driver Rating of 130.0
? Series-high 128 Fastest Laps Run
? Fastest Green Flag Speed
? Series-high 529 Laps in the Top 15

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet)
? One win, two top fives, three top 10s
? Average finish of 14.5
? Average Running Position of 9.5, seventh-best
? Driver Rating of 106.8, third-best
? 37 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
? Seventh-fastest Green Flag Speed
? 473 Laps in the Top 15, third-most
? 67 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
? Two wins, three top fives, four top 10s
? Average finish of 8.7
? Average Running Position of 5.9, second-best
? Driver Rating of 112.1, second-best
? Second-best Closer ? 12 positions improved in the final 10% of laps
? 18 Fastest Laps Run, tied for seventh-best
? Second-fastest Green Flag Speed
? 499 Laps in the Top 15, second-best

Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
? One top five, two top 10s; one pole
? Average finish of 21.3
? 25 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
? Ninth-Fastest Green Flag Speed

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
? Four top 10s
? Average finish of 17.3
? Average Running Position of 11.8, 10th-best
? Driver Rating of 94.2, 10th-best
? 129 Green Flag Passes, third-most
? 400 Laps in the Top 15, 10th-best
? Series-high 74 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)

Other Chicagoland Highlights
? There have been six NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Chicagoland Speedway since the first race
there in 2001.
? There has been a different Bud Pole winner in all six Chicago races.
? Five different drivers have won races. Kevin Harvick ? who won the first two races there ? is the
only repeat race winner.
? Jimmie Johnson (five races), Brian Vickers (three) and Kyle Busch (two) are the only drivers to
finish each of their races on the lead lap.

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