News & Notes
PAST WINNER: Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, earned his fourth win of the 2009 season at Chicagoland Speedway. Martin, who finished the season with five victories, started that race 14th and led 73 percent of the event (195 laps of 267 total). It was his first win at the track.
2009 DOMINATION: Martin dominated the 2009 Chicagoland race and earned a 145.6 driver rating, out of a possible 150. Martin had an average running position of second during the race and led all drivers in laps led with 195 total. He turned 63 of the fastest laps run in the 267-lap event, more than any other driver.
LOOP STATISTICS: Martin has the sixth-best average finish—12.5—and the seventh-best average start—14th—of all NASCAR Sprint Cup competitors in the last six races at Chicagoland Speedway. In those same six races, he has posted the eighth-best driver rating, with a score of 91.2. He also has led 196 laps in those six races, the third-most of any driver.
CHICAGOLAND HISTORY: Counting Martin’s 2009 win, he has earned one top-five finish and four top-10s in 10 races at the intermediate track. He’s led 239 laps during those 10 races and has finished every Cup race he’s started there. Overall, Martin has completed all but three laps in his Cup career at the 1.5-mile racetrack (99.9 percent).
POLE MAN: Although Martin has earned 50 pole positions in his Sprint Cup career, he never has started from the top spot at Chicagoland Speedway. Martin earned his highest-starting position at the track—fourth—in 2007.
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: Martin and the GoDaddy.com team did not qualify for the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, however, the team has climbed six positions in the standings in the last two races. Martin now ranks 16th and sits 37 points behind 13th.
CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew chief Lance McGrew has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-679 for Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway. This is the same chassis Martin drove to an eighth-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.
NEW TEAM MEMBER: Kevin Harris, of Sanford, Fla., joins the GoDaddy.com team this Sunday as the new front-tire carrier. His addition means a slight shuffle in the No. 5 team lineup, as Ben Fischbeck will move from his previous position as front-tire carrier to become the rear-tire carrier. Harris replaces former rear-tire carrier Matt Myers, who has chosen to focus on his successful oil drilling business.
HENDRICK AT CHICAGOLAND: In 10 races (42 Cup starts) at Chicagoland, Hendrick Motorsports has two wins, 15 top-five finishes and 19 top-10s. Jeff Gordon, who earned Hendrick Motorsports’ first Cup win at the racetrack in 2006, leads all drivers there with an average finish of 8.6.
BOWTIE BONANZA: Martin won the most recent Cup event at Chicagoland for both Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet when he went to Victory Lane in July 2009. A Chevrolet has won seven of the 10 Cup events that have been held at the 1.5-mile racetrack.
APPROACHING 200: With Gordon’s win on Sept. 6 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 198 Cup victories. The organization ranks first in NASCAR’s modern era for wins and second all-time behind Petty Enterprises, which has 268 victories.
Quotes
MARK MARTIN, DRIVER, NO. 5 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET (ON HIS 2009 CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY WIN.):
“That was such an incredible night. A nearly perfect night. The restarts there at the end, with Jeff (Gordon) were intense. I had to take his groove away from him and pick the outside lane, even though I didn’t want to. It worked out for us, though. We were so good all weekend. It was Rick’s (Hendrick) birthday the following day too, so it was kind of an early birthday present for him. The momentum the (No.) 5 team had at that point was just incredible. One of the most fun nights I’ve had for sure.”
MARTIN (ON NOT QUALIFYING FOR THE CHASE.):
“We’ve known for the past couple of races that it was going to be a long shot, so it wasn’t a big surprise after Richmond (Va.) that we weren’t in. We’re concentrating solely on wins. That’s all that racing used to be about—the win. And I like that. I like thinking one race at a time and not searching for point scenarios. Hopefully we can all take a deep breath and get us a win or two before the season ends.”
| 
|