Chicagoland Speedway is host to the Nationwide Series drivers and their Dollar General 300 Powered by Coca-Cola race on Saturday, September 14th. Television coverage begins at 3:30 pm ET on ESPN2 with radio coverage on MRN, Sirius XM radio, channel 90 for all 300 miles and a total of 200 laps.
The last visit by the Nationwide Series to Chicagoland Speedway in July, Sam Hornish Jr finished runner-up to Sprint Cup regular Joey Logano and it was Austin Dillon crossing the finish line third.
On their return visit this weekend, Hornish and Dillon will engage in a tight points battle, and after a sixth-place finish at Richmond, Hornish has increased his points advantage over Dillon from six to 16. Regan Smith finished third in the race and now sits third in the point standings, ten points further behind.
Hornish led 56 laps in the July race, including the first 48 laps and was leading on lap 180 when the sixth and last caution flag flew. As he race returned to green-flag racing on lap 185, Logano jumped ahead of him and led the last 15 circuits around the oval. Dillon paced the field twice for a total of 24 laps. Elliott Sadler, who is now fourth in the standings (-28), led a race-high 81 laps before finishing fourth.
A second victory of the year for Hornish would put more separation in the standings between him and his closest rivals – mainly Dillon, Smith and Sadler – and could give the breathing room the former IndyCar Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner needs to reel in his first NASCAR title come November. His first win of 2013 came in March at Las Vegas. Hornish’s record at Chicagoland in four races is enough to convince even the most novice fans that a victory this weekend is a definite possibility. In addition to his runner-up finish he’s notched finishes of fifth, sixth and eighth for an average finish of 5.25.
If there is one driver whose record at Chicagoland most resembles Hornish’s, it’s Dillon. Although Dillon is without a victory at the track, his average finish in three starts is 4.0. He has two third-place finishes to go along with a sixth. Dillon is winless for the season, but has six poles, including a record four straight. A win this weekend for Dillon would close the gap on Hornish and make the championship but hotter with just seven races remaining.
Dale Earnhardt Jr will make his fourth and last Nationwide start of the season this Saturday in the Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola. His participation could be just what the doctor ordered – for his teammate Regan Smith, who races the No. 7 JR Motorsports car for Earnhardt and is third in the standings.
With both drivers in the race, one can only imagine that both Earnhardt and Smith along with their teams are more willing to share notes on car set-ups and racing conditions to help the latter move up the standings.
Earnhardt’s first three Nationwide races of the season came in the season opener at Daytona, where he finished fourth, Las Vegas in March (14th) and April’s Texas race (fourth). Smith finished 14th, seventh and seventh in the same three races. In addition, he’s captured victories at Talladega and Michigan.
Earnhardt, who won back-to-back Nationwide titles in 1998-99, has made one earlier start at the 1.5-mile oval. He finished 15th in 2006. In 12 Sprint Cup starts at the track, he has one victory (2005), three top-fives and five top-tens.
In four Chicagoland Nationwide starts, Smith’s best finish is 13th this past July. He placed 26th, 40th and 28th in his three other starts.
Nationwide regular and Illinois native, Justin Allgaier, who is fifth in the standings, 52 markers behind leader Sam Hornish Jr, will make his first appearance in the Sprint Cup Series this weekend in the Geico 400 with Phoenix Racing.
The 27-year-old will pull double-duty this weekend, also driving the No. 31 Turner Scott Motorsports car in the Nationwide Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola. In seven Nationwide starts at Chicaogland, Allgaier has one win (June 2011) and five top-tens.
Harry Scott, the co-owner of Allgaier’s Nationwide car with Steve Turner, recently purchased Phoenix Racing and is giving the driver some seat time in the No. 51 Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup race. Allgaier is competing in two more races in the No. 51 before the end of the season at Charlotte and Talladega.
Kenny Wallace will attempt his 900th national series start this weekend when he lines up for the Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola. His milestone start will come one night after starting in the Camping World Truck Series, EnjoyIllinois.com 225 for his 899th start.
Nelson Piquet’s No. 30 Turner Scott Motorsports car will be sporting a throwback Hooter’s paint scheme that Alan Kulwicki made popular.
Brett Butler, Maryeve Dufault and Kevin Swindell are all making their Chicagoland track debuts in the series.
