SB Nation Atlanta - NASCAR Chase Event, Chicagoland Speedway: Tony Stewart Wins Geico 400, Kevin Harvick Takes Point Leadhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46601/atlanta-fave.png2011-09-19T15:13:26-04:00http://atlanta.sbnation.com/rss/stream/21898372011-09-19T15:13:26-04:002011-09-19T15:13:26-04:00NASCAR At Chicago Results: Tony Stewart Gets First 2011 Triumph, Wins Geico 400
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<p>For the third time in his Sprint Cup career, Tony Stewart won at the Chicagoland Speedway, and for the third time it his his first win of the season.
The two-time Sprint Cup champion took the lead shortly after the final restart and saved enough gas to win the rain-delayed Geico 400. It is his 40th career win and continues his streak of consecutive seasons with a win. Stewart has now won in all 13 of his Sprint Cup seasons.
Kevin Harvick finished second and took the point lead, while Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top-five. The top-10 was filled out by Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin, and Jimmie Johnson. Matt Kenseth crossed the line in ninth, without fuel pressure, but as he was pushed by J.J. Yeley, he has been penalized to 21st, the first car one lap down.
Kyle Busch ran out of gas and hit pit road on the last lap, finishing 22nd, while Jeff Gordon also ran out and placed 24th.
Denny Hamlin's miserable day finally culminated in a flat left-front tire that led to a 31st-place finish. Hamlin's hopes to redeem himself for last year's championship loss appear to be dashed after just one race.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/9/19/2435953/nascar-at-chicago-results-tony-stewart-gets-first-2011-triumph-winsAaron Rosser2011-09-19T14:13:32-04:002011-09-19T14:13:32-04:00NASCAR At Chicago: Five-Time Defending Champion Jimmie Johnson Out Front
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<p>With fewer than 100 laps remaining in the opening round of the 2011 Sprint Cup Chase, the picture looks similar to past playoffs: Jimmie Johnson is out front.</p>
<p>The five-time defending Sprint Cup champion overhauled Brad Keselowski on a restart with just under 100 laps remaining to grab the top spot and leads at one of only five tracks he has never won at in Sprint Cup competition. He did win the 2001 Nationwide Series event at Chicago, his lone victory in that circuit.</p>
<p>Tony Stewart runs second, ahead of Keselowski - who did not pit under the caution flag for that restart - Ryan Newman, and Matt Kenseth. Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch run in spots six-eight, as Chase drivers hold the top-eight spots. Paul Menard runs just inside the top-10, where he has been all race, ahead of Martin Truex Jr.</p>
<p>The four Chase drivers outside those top eight spots are Carl Edwards (12th), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (14th), Jeff Gordon (18th), and Denny Hamlin (25th). As his position in the running order clearly illustrates, Hamlin has had a miserable day, the result of a poor-handling Toyota and a green-flag pit stop for a loose wheel earlier in the race.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/9/19/2435786/nascar-at-chicago-five-time-defending-champion-jimmie-johnson-outAaron Rosser2011-09-19T13:21:43-04:002011-09-19T13:21:43-04:00NASCAR Geico 400 Update: Championship Hopefuls Moving Forward, Denny Hamlin Struggling
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<p>With 100 laps complete in the Geico 400 at the Chicagoland Speedway, drivers racing for the Sprint Cup championship are making their way towards the top of the running order.</p>
<p>Carl Edwards leads Kurt Busch, with Jimmie Johnson, polesitter Matt Kenseth, and Ryan Newman rounding out the top-five. Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, and Kevin Harvick round out the top-eight. Paul Menard and Marcos Ambrose - both outside the Chase - round out the top-10.</p>
<p>While those eightdrivers are having strong runs and Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are solidly placed in 12th and 13th, Jeff Gordon is struggling in 17th while Denny Hamlin has had to made an unscheduled pit stop. for a loose wheel. Hamlin, who had run outside the top-25 the entire race, is now shown 32nd, one lap down. The miscue is just the latest self-inflicted blow - either by driver or by team - that has kept Hamlin from hoisting a Sprint Cup title in his five-year career.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/9/19/2435649/nascar-geico-400-update-championship-hopefuls-moving-forward-dennyAaron Rosser2011-09-19T12:37:16-04:002011-09-19T12:37:16-04:00NASCAR At Chicago: Matt Kenseth Dominates First 30-Lap Run
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<p>Because of the rain showers that postponed the Geico 400 at the Chicagoland Speedway, NASCAR scheduled a competition yellow at the 30-lap mark. Polesitter Matt Kenseth dominated that opening segment, leading every lap and holding a lead of near a second over Kurt Busch. Kenseth's Roush-Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle ran third, followed by Paul Menard and Ryan Newman.
In addition to title contenders Kenseth, Busch, and Newman, the rest of the title contenders were scattered throughout the field. Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch ran sixth and seventh.
At the other end of the spectrum, Denny Hamlin, who started 27th, was still there at the caution to bring up the rear of the Chase drivers. Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick had gained few spots from their 26th and 30th-placed starting spots, respectively, while Jeff Gordon held near his 23rd-place starting position.
In shades of their controversial incident two weeks ago at Atlanta, Clint Bowyer and Juan Pablo Montoya made contact while racing for position deep in the field. Bowyer nearly lost control moments later after being loosend up by A.J. Allmendinger.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/9/19/2435549/nascar-at-chicago-matt-kenseth-dominates-first-30-lap-runAaron Rosser2011-09-18T20:14:59-04:002011-09-18T20:14:59-04:00Geico 400 At The Chicagoland Speedway Postponed By Rain; To Be Held At Noon Eastern Monday
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<p>After a day of off-and-on rain, NASCAR officials have finally been forced to postpone Sunday's Geico 400 at the Chicagoland Speedway until Monday at 12 p.m. Eastern, 11 a.m. local time. The event will be shown on ESPN.</p>
<p>The postponement marks the first time an event in the Chase for the Sprint Cup has been postponed by rain, and the second rain delay in three weeks. The Advocare 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, originally scheduled for Sunday, September 4, finally ran the following Tuesday afternoon.</p>
<p>The Watkins Glen event last month was also postponed, the first race to be pushed back since April 2010.</p>
<p>Chicago was looking to host the Chase opener for the first time - becoming the only track other than New Hampshire Motor Speedway to host the first race of the 10-event playoff -and had moved from its traditional July date to fulfill that. Rain never affected a July race at Chicago, though qualifying sessions were hampered at times.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/9/18/2434185/geico-400-at-the-chicagoland-speedway-postponed-by-rain-to-be-held-atAaron Rosser2011-09-18T13:17:00-04:002011-09-18T13:17:00-04:00NASCAR At Chicago: Rain, Rain, Go Away...Again
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<p>It's only been two weeks since the Advocare 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway ran 48 hours after planned - believe me, I know all-too-well, as my unused tickets from that Tuesday still sit on my bedroom dresser - but NASCAR is playing the rain game once again.</p>
<p>The Geico 400 - and the start of the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship - is on hold at a soggy Chicagoland Speedway with a poor forcast on tap. No Chase race has ever been postponed due to rain, a streak that appears in serious jeopardy. Chicagoland Speedway does have lights - installed for the 2008 season - which opens the window of opportunity significantly.</p>
<p>When the race finally does go green, the title fight will be on display immediately. Six drivers in the Chase roll off from the top-10, five of whom start in the front three rows. Only outside polesitter Paul Menard is among the drivers racing for respect and wins and little else in the last 10 races. Matt Kenseth, the 2003 champion - the last under the pre-Chase season-long points format, making him the "Father of the Chase" - will roll off from his sixth-career pole.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/9/18/2433203/nascar-at-chicago-rain-rain-go-away-againAaron Rosser2011-09-17T19:50:21-04:002011-09-17T19:50:21-04:00NASCAR At Chicago: Chase Contender Matt Kenseth Wins Pole For Geico 400
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<p>Qualifying historically hasn't been Matt Kenseth's forte, but he has improved this season to post nine top-10 starts this years. The ninth came Saturday as he turned a lap of 29.469 seconds to secure the pole for Sunday's Geico 400 at the Chicagoland Speedway. It is Kenseth's second pole of the season (Las Vegas in March) and the sixth pole of his 427-race career.</p>
<p>Kenseth's fellow Wisconsinite Paul Menard will start second, followed by Chase contenders Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, and Brad Keselowski in positions three-six. The rest of the top-10 features Greg Biffle, Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano.</p>
<p>Jimmie Johnson, seeking his first-ever Chicago victory and his six-straight NASCAR Sprint Cup title, will start 12th. The rest of the championship hopefuls are Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 19th, Jeff Gordon in 23rd, Tony Stewart in 26th, Denny Hamlin in 27th, and Kevin Harvick in 30th.</p>
<p>Harvick's poor starting effort should not be cause for much concern. His Chevrolet has been fast throughout the weekend, and he consistently qualified poorly during the 2010 Chase but turned in performances during the races themselves that nearly ended Johnson's championship streak at four.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/9/17/2432049/nascar-at-chicago-chase-contender-matt-kenseth-wins-pole-for-geico-400Aaron Rosser