NASCAR at Chicagoland 2016: TMNT 400 Start Time, Tickets, Lineup, TV Schedule
A 26-week long journey has culminated in this, the beginning of NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup at Sunday's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.
Joining the familiar names such as Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski are notable newcomers such as Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher and Tony Stewart.
Fresh blood is never a bad thing for a rebranded playoff format, in which the Challenger Round has morphed into the Round of 16 and the Contender Round has become the Round of 12.
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Simpler title, same nail-biting action, with every tweak, pit strategy and second counting. Here's a look at everything to know about the start of the Chase.
Viewing Details
Where: Chicagoland Speedway
When: Sunday, Sept. 18, 2:30 p.m. ET
Watch: NBCSN
Live Stream: NBC Sports
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Sprint Cup Standings
| 1 | Kyle Busch | 2012 |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | 2012 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 2009 |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | 2006 |
| 5 | Carl Edwards | 2006 |
| 6 | Martin Truex Jr. | 2006 |
| 7 | Matt Kenseth | 2006 |
| 8 | Jimmie Johnson | 2006 |
| 9 | Joey Logano | 2003 |
| 10 | Kyle Larson | 2003 |
| 11 | Tony Stewart | 2003 |
| 12 | Kurt Busch | 2003 |
| 13 | Chris Buescher | 2003 |
| 14 | Chase Elliott | 2000 |
| 15 | Austin Dillon | 2000 |
| 16 | Jamie McMurray | 2000 |
NASCAR at Chicagoland Lineup
| 18 | Kyle Busch |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick |
| 19 | Carl Edwards |
| 78 | Martin Truex Jr |
| 20 | Matt Kenseth |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 22 | Joey Logano |
| 42 | Kyle Larson |
| 14 | Tony Stewart |
| 41 | Kurt Busch |
| 34 | Chris Buescher |
| 24 | Chase Elliott |
| 3 | Austin Dillon |
| 1 | Jamie McMurray |
| 88 | Alex Bowman |
| 31 | Ryan Newman |
| 5 | Kasey Kahne |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne |
| 47 | AJ Allmendinger |
| 21 | Ryan Blaney |
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr |
| 16 | Greg Biffle |
| 10 | Danica Patrick |
| 27 | Paul Menard |
| 43 | Aric Almirola |
| 15 | Clint Bowyer |
| 13 | Casey Mears |
| 95 | Michael McDowell |
| 38 | Landon Cassill |
| 23 | David Ragan |
| 7 | Regan Smith |
| 44 | Brian Scott |
| 83 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 98 | Cole Whitt |
| 46 | Michael Annett |
| 32 | Joey Gase |
| 55 | Reed Sorenson |
| 30 | Josh Wise |
Drivers to Watch
Chris Buescher
Say hello to the ultimate underdog story.
Most might view Chris Buescher as the just-happy-to-be-here youngster who backed into the Chase after seizing a checkered flag at an odd fog-shortened event in Pocono.
Fans can have at it with such a line of thinking, but those drivers alive in the Chase can't. Buescher stole the show once, and though he only has one top-10 finish over his last four outings, there's no reason to think he can't again.
"There are a lot of us who are new to it, but just because it’s our first time in it doesn’t mean we haven’t paid attention through the years," Buescher told USA Today's Jeff Gluck. "We know how it’s going to play out—every single one of us does."
America loves an underdog, so as unlikely as it seems, keep a close eye on how the No. 34 Ford maneuvers on the track Sunday afternoon.
Jimmie Johnson
Every year, it seems a major name flails out of the Chase early, and like it or not, said name could be Jimmie Johnson this season.
Most would agree Johnson simply hasn't looked like himself for most of the season. His last win came back in March, and in two of his last four outings, he's finished outside the top 10. From early June to mid-July, he didn't record a top-10 finish.
Gluck added context to Johnson's miserable season: "If you haven’t noticed, this hasn’t exactly been Johnson’s best season. Yeah, he has two wins—but he’s also on pace for career lows in top-10 finishes and laps led. His 15.3 average finish is tied for the worst of his career."
Whether the problem is chemistry issues with the crew, a car problem or something else doesn't matter. Johnson hits the Chase without any notable momentum and must craft some of his own in a hurry. He doesn't have to win every race, but a victory Sunday sure wouldn't hurt.
Brad Keselowski
Second on the Chase grid, Brad Keselowski hits Sunday's event at a place he might as well call home.
Keselowski hasn't just recorded three top-10 finishes in a row and a trio of top-three finishes over his past six races—he's won this event two out of the past four times.
The man is focused on the task at hand, based on this Twitter post:
The recent Federated Auto Parts 400 was just another day at the office for the No. 2 Ford, Keselowski recording a fourth-place finish in Richmond despite starting out of the No. 17 hole.
Given his incredible momentum and obvious winning formula at the locale, it wouldn't come as much of a surprise to see Keselowski claim the checkered flag Sunday.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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