Track: Chicagoland Speedway (1.5-mile D-shaped trioval) in Joliet, Ill.
Race: USG Sheetrock 400 Date: 07.10.05
NASCAR Nextel Cup driver points position: 34th (same as last week) Owner points: 35th (dropped one position from last week)
Notes:
- The No. 22 Caterpillar Dodge Charger at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend is Chassis No. 84. It was last run in March at Atlanta Motor Speedway where Wimmer finished 16th (started 27th), earning one of his best finishes this year. Chassis No. 84 also helped Wimmer post two top-15 finishes during his NASCAR Nextel Cup Series rookie season in 2004. He finished 14th at Michigan in June 2004 (started 29th) and 12th at Homestead in November 2004 (started 27th). The chassis was built in 2004 and has since been rebuilt to comply with the new 2005 NASCAR specifications.
- Tested and approved To prepare for this weekends NASCAR Nextel Cup USG Sheetrock 400, the No. 22 CAT Racing team and Wimmer tested at Chicagoland Speedway on Monday, July 20.
- Wimmer tours Caterpillar plants & more Wimmer is visiting with Caterpillar employees all over Illinois this week. He visited a hydraulics plant in Joliet on Wednesday, before heading to Peoria to hang out with the Caterpillar Employees Motorsports Club members. On Thursday, he will visit a Caterpillar research department in Peoria, then stop by an engine plant in Mossville.
- Wimmer races in uncles memorial event After competing in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway this weekend, Wimmer returned to his hometown of Wausau, Wis., to run in the 25th Annual Larry Detjens Memorial Race Tuesday night. Wimmers younger brother, Chris, also competed. Both brothers are past winners of the event that is named after their late uncle who was fatally injured at Kaukauna International Speedway in 1981. Unfortunately, neither brother had the best luck on the track this week. Scott encountered ignition problems at the beginning of the race and went two laps down right off the bat. Chris encountered problems, as well. To learn more details about the memorial event, go to wimmerracing.com.
- Batter up! Before racing this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, Wimmer is going to take in some Peoria Chiefs baseball action at OBrien Field in Peoria, Thursday, July 7. Wimmer will kick off the NASCAR Night festivities with an autograph session. He will then head out to the pitchers mound to throw out the first pitch. The No. 22 Caterpillar Dodge Charger will also be on display in the left-field concourse. The Chiefs, an affiliate team of the Chicago Cubs, will have several NASCAR giveaways throughout the night. To learn more about Wimmers visit to OBrien Field, go to www.peoriachiefs.com.
- Meet Wimmer at Chicagoland After qualifying for the USG Sheetrock 400 on Friday, July 8, Wimmer will stop by his merchandise trailer on souvenir row just outside Chicagoland Speedway to meet fans and sign autographs. He is scheduled to arrive at his merchandise trailer less than 30 minutes after the Nextel Cup qualifying session concludes, and is expected to visit with fans and sign autographs for almost one hour.
- Wimmer to visit memory lane in Chicago This weekend, Wimmer will take a timeout to reflect on his past as he visits fans at the Caterpillar Wheel Loader display in the exhibit area just outside Chicagoland Speedway. Before he became a professional race car driver, Wimmer worked with his dad in the construction business and operated the same type of wheel loaders that will be on display just outside the speedway this week. Wimmer will check out the Caterpillar equipment and sign autographs from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. CT Saturday, July 9.
- Dont miss it Qualifying for the NASCAR Nextel Cup USG Sheetrock 400 is scheduled to start at 4:10 p.m. ET Friday, July 8, and will broadcast LIVE on SPEED, MRN (radio) and XM Radio. The USG Sheetrock 400 is scheduled to start at 3:35 p.m. ET Sunday, July 10, and will broadcast LIVE on NBC (TV), MRN and XM Radio.
Q&A with S. Wimmer
I love going to Chicago. It is a great track. Its really fast. We thought it would lose a little bit of speed over the year with the winter weather and rain, but the times we were running during the test were either the same or faster than the times we ran there last year.
Chicago also is one of those tracks that was built not too long ago and had the brand-new paved surface. It is just now starting to get broken in and is finally starting to get some great multiple grooves in it. Its kind of like it is finally identifying itself to us, gaining its own unique characteristics with bumps here and there. That is really what we need to have good racing good two-wide racing.
Racing aside, the whole area of Chicago is nice especially for me and Bill Davis Racing because it is so close to Caterpillars home base, Peoria, Ill. I get to meet CAT customers and employees at the track all the time and that is great, but it is really fun and interesting to get to actually go to where they work and visit them on the job. So many NASCAR fans love learning about what makes our stock cars go, but they need to go check out these CAT plants. Its really amazing what goes into making the final Caterpillar product. Its also fun for all of us guys on the team to have that extra support at the track. So many of the employees come out to cheer us on at Chicagoland, and it does make you feel good.
Another reason I always look forward to this race is it is the closest race on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit to my hometown of Wausau, Wis. A lot of people from Wisconsin and the Midwest are coming down to catch the show this weekend. Its the same people who supported me when I started racing and are still supporting me today. So, if you add them to the CAT employees, the CAT Racing team should have a pretty nice cheering section this weekend in Chicago.