News

JOLIET, Ill. (July 10, 2008) - The NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and teams managed to get in all but the final 10 minutes of Thursday's practice for Saturday night's LifeLock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway before the first adverse weather hit. The skies cleared and officials were able to get the track dry in preparation for qualifying just as a second weather front hit the track, forcing NASCAR to cancel qualifying and establish Saturday night's starting field by the rule book.

"So we'll start back there in 18th on Saturday and go from there," said Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch, who had turned in the 17th-fastest lap in practice before the rain came. "The most important thing for now is being able to get in the two practice sessions scheduled for tomorrow. The rain washed all the rubber off the track and it looks like we're at one groove or a groove and a half at best. Hopefully we can lay some more rubber down here tomorrow and the Nationwide Series guys will help get the track in better shape for racing.

"But we're still plagued with getting our car turning better in the corners," added Busch. "so tomorrow's practice sessions will be very critical for us."

Kyle Busch will start Saturday night's race from the pole by virtue of the current 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup car owners' points. The lineup breakdown is as follows: owners' points [top-35], two past champs and the remaining by race attempts with ties broken by owners' points standings. So #18-Busch starts 1st followed by #88-Earnhardt Jr., #31-Burton, #99-Edwards, #48-Johnson, #24-Gordon, #11-Hamlin, #9-Kahne, #17-Kenseth and #07-Boweyer. Two drivers will miss the race: #34-Raines and #08-Sauter. Even though Kurt Busch stands 17th in the current driver points, the #8 car out of the DEI stables still carries more owners' points.

Friday's schedule here at Chicagoland Speedway features practice sessions from 4:00 p.m. till 4:45 p.m. and from 5:20 p.m. till 6:20 p.m. Saturday's LifeLock 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles) has a scheduled 7:00 p.m. CDT (8:00 p.m. EDT) starting time and features live coverage by TNT-TV and MRN Radio.