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Chicagoland Speedway took the fall as the first domino in NASCAR's realignment of the 2011 schedule it was announced on Monday by track and NASCAR officials.The 1.5-mile track in Joliet, Ill. -- roughly 45 minutes from downtown Chicago -- will open NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup with a day race on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011.
"I can't think of a better market than Chicago and the Chicagoland area to kick off NASCAR's version of the playoffs," track president Craig Rust said in an announcement made Monday in Chicago with NASCAR officials, current series points leader Kevin Harvick and defending race winner David Reutimann.
For Chicago, it means their NASCAR Sprint Cup date moves from its original slot in mid-July and the racing moves to the afternoon following three years of night racing at the track. The Sunday race in September could put the action into direct fan competition with the NFL's Chicago Bears at a track that fell short in trying fill its modest grandstands less than a month ago.
"You are going to compete with somebody," Rust said. "You can't run from it. You have to get out there and compete, and we think by opening the Chase, this makes us a stronger event."
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