1. Jeff Gordon
He is starting on the pole for his fourth straight week. Gordon has won the last two races and now has a total of four victories this season. He’s threatening to return to his dominating style of the ’90s.
2. Jimmie Johnson
Gordon’s younger teammate leads the point standings by 27 over Dale Earnhardt Jr., has won three races of his own this season and starts an excellent third. He finished third in last year’s race.
3. Kasey Kahne
The 24-year-old rookie already has four second-place finishes this season and could break through for a win on any Sunday. He will start beside Gordon in the front row at Chicagoland.
4. Ryan Newman
The engineer from South Bend, Ind., who won this race last year while starting 14th, is starting a decent eighth. His team is meticulous with the chassis setups that are vital in Joliet.
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5. Kevin Harvick
He is starting a blah-looking 17th, the same spot he finished the 2003 race. But he won the first two Cup races at Joliet in 2001-02 because his team had found a nearly perfect chassis combination. A strong run last year was foiled when he ran out of gas near the end.