RCR Looks For Turnaround At Chicagoland

Seven different teams populate the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12, the most after 18 races since the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup expanded to 12 teams in 2007.

But one team is noticeably missing from the list – Richard Childress Racing.

After putting all three of its cars in last year’s Chase, RCR expanded to a four-car operation in the offseason.

Currently, none of those four cars have a victory this season, and the closest driver to a Chase spot is Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) in 15th-place.

Eight races remain until the Chase’s start, meaning RCR must move quickly if it wants to make a serious playoff push. This Saturday night’s race at Chicagoland might prove a good launching point.

Burton has finished in the top 10 in two of the last three Chicagoland races, including a runner-up finish in 2006. Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, Burton has a Chicagoland Driver Rating of 82.3, 25 Fastest Laps Run and an 11th-fastest Green Flag Speed of 167.219 mph.

Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios Chevrolet), currently 16th in the series points, has been in a slump over recent weeks.

After spending the first 10 weeks in the top 12 – with a high-position of second – Bowyer has finished outside the top 10 in 10 of the last 12 races.

Still, he is solid at Chicagoland, finishing in the top 10 in two of the last three races.

At Chicagoland, Bowyer has an Average Running Position of 16.9, a Driver Rating of 79.4 and four Fastest Laps Run.

The RCR driver with the strongest record at Chicagoland is also the one furthest from Chase contention: Kevin Harvick.

Slumping through a surprisingly difficult season, Harvick is 26th in points. Statistically, this weekend seems like a perfect opportunity to turn that around.

Winner of the first two series races held at the track, Harvick has a Driver Rating of 114.9 (third-best), a series-best Average Running Position of 5.6, 37 Fastest Laps Run (ninth) and a series-best Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 96.3%.

Casey Mears (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet) is also strong at Chicagoland, finishing in the top 10 in two of the last four races, including a fifth-place run in 2007.

Mears, 22nd in series points, has a Driver Rating of 79.2, an Average Running Position of 16.9 and 15 Fastest Laps Run at Chicagoland.