Stenhouse and team set sights on Chicagoland

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and his Roush Fenway/Fastenal
Racing team are settign their sights on Chicagoland
Speedway.

JOLIET, IL -- When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Chicagoland Speedway for the first race of the CHASE for the Sprint Cup this weekend, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 17 Fastenal Racing team will be ready.

Stenhouse has three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) starts at Chicagoland Speedway with an average starting position of 12.0 and average finishing position of 14.3. Out of three NSCS career starts at Chicagoland, Stenhouse has started in the top-five twice.  In 2012, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. dominated the final 20 laps of the XFINITY Series race and in the process earned Roush Fenway Racing’s first ever NASCAR win at the 1.5-mile tri-oval of Chicagoland Speedway.

“I’m looking forward to racing at Chicago this weekend because the track is rough and has character," Stenhouse said. "We’ve been competitive there in the past so I look to continue that trend this weekend. Our team tested here last month and we think we learned some things. Overall Chicago has been a good track for us so I look to have another solid run this weekend and kick off the final 10 races strong and build momentum going into the off season.”

Despite battling a tight handling machine for the majority of the race at Chicagoland last year, the two-time XFINITY champion was scored in the top – 20 for a majority of the 267-lap race. When the final caution was displayed on lap 258, crew chief Nick Sandler and Stenhouse decided to stay out because they knew track position would be key for the final five lap shootout. Stenhouse lined up 18th in his Fastenal Ford and was able to hold off the other cars on his lap to take the checkered flag in the 18th position.

“Chicago is a tough track because it is the one of the roughest tracks we go to and it’s hard to find the right balance," said Stenhouse's crew chief Nick Sandler. "We tested at Chicago last month with Trevor and Ricky came out for a little bit so they got to talk about the car and the handling but overall it was a good test for us. I think we learned some things that should make us competitive this weekend. The 17th position in the point standings is still up for grab so our goal is to finish out these last 10 races strong.”

Fastenal is currently in its fifth season as a primary partner in the NSCS for Roush Fenway. They spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping over to the No. 17 entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 XFINITY team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.