Jeff Wackerlin
Managing Editor
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Thursday, June 26, 2008
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Driver Averages | Driver Ratings | Past Winners
This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Sunday's LENOX Industrial Tools 301. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 301-lap event.
Who's HOT at New Hampshire
• Denny Hamlin leads all drivers with a 6.5 average finish.
• Matt Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in 10 of his last 11 starts.
• Jeff Burton leads all drivers with four wins.
• Four-time winner Jeff Gordon finished second in both races in 2007.
• 2006 September winner Kevin Harvick has 7.8 average finish in his last four starts.
• Tony Stewart has one win and three finishes of third or better in his last six starts.
Keep an Eye on at New Hampshire
• Martin Truex Jr. has the second best finishing average (4.0) in the two races with the new car at NHMS.
• 2007 September race and pole winner Clint Bowyer is the only driver to have led more than 70 laps in the two COT races at New Hampshire at 222.
• Series points leader Kyle Busch has one win and three top fives at NHMS.
• Earnhardt Jr. will be looking for some redemption with chassis No. 490. This is the car that nearly won at Richmond International Raceway before being involved a late-race accident with Kyle Busch.
• Along with Kenseth, Roush Fenway drivers Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and David Ragan will be looking for a good showing in the backyard of Fenway Sports Group.
New Hampshire Rookie Report
Regan Smith is the only rookie candidate that has started a Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Last season, Smith posted an average finish of 34.0 in his two starts. Sam Hornish Jr. failed to qualify for the September race, but will make the field this weekend as a result of being in the top 35 in owners points. Patrick Carpentier and Dario Franchitti will need to qualify on time. Marcos Ambrose will also attempt to make his second career Cup Series race on Friday. Rookie Standings
Qualifying Tidbits
Last September, Clint Bowyer became the fourth driver to win from the pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In this event in 2007, Dave Blaney won the first pole for the new car at NHMS and first for Toyota overall. Ryan Newman has won four of the last nine poles when qualifying has been contested with his last coming in the 2006 July race. Newman's 2003 lap of 133.357 mph still stands as the track record. Jeff Gordon, who has two poles in 2008, saw his last of three pole at NHMS come in 2001. Qualifying has been cancelled three times over the last 15 races due to weather. In the 26 races at NHMS, 14 have been won from within a top-10 starting position. Jeff Burton won from the furthest stating position in the July event in 1999 when he started 38th. Past Pole Winners | Starting Positions of New Hampshire Winners
New Hampshire Loop Data Stat Leaders (2005-2007)
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1. Tony Stewart | 1. Denny Hamlin | 1. Jeff Gordon - 7.1 | 2. Jeff Gordon | 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 2. Tony Stewart - 9.6 | 3. Ryan Newman | 3. Tony Stewart | 3. Denny Hamlin - 10.3 | 4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 4. Matt Kenseth | 4. Kevin Harvick - 10.6 | 5. Kyle Busch | 5. Mark Martin | 5. Jeff Burton - 12.1 | | | | | | | 1. Jeff Gordon - 600 | 1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 198 | 1. Tony Stewart - 117.9 | 2. Tony Stewart - 498 | 2. Tony Stewart - 192 | 2. Jeff Gordon - 108.7 | 3. Ryan Newman - 448 | 3. Jeff Gordon - 187 | 3. Ryan Newman - 102.7 | 4. Jimmie Johnson - 422 | 4. Jimmie Johnson - 186 | 4. Denny Hamlin - 102.4 | 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 328 | 5. Kurt Busch - 173 | 5. Kevin Harvick - 102.0 |
*Fastest Early In a Run: Ranks each driver during the first 25 percent of laps run since a pit stop.
*Fastest Late In a Run: Ranks each driver during last 25 percent of laps run since a pit stop.
*Quality Passes: Passing a car running in the Top 15 while under a green flag.
*Driver Rating : Formula combining the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish. Maximum: 150 points per race.
RacingOne Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Jimmie Johnson
Pete Pistone: Martin Truex Jr.
Rachael West: Jeff Burton
Kym Opalenik: Denny Hamlin
Top 20 Driver Notes - Based on Current Standings
1. Kyle Busch: Busch won the 2006 July race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after leading 107 laps from the fourth starting position. It marked his second of three top-five finishes in six starts at the track. Busch's finishing average is hindered by two finishes of 27th and 38th in the 2005 and 2006 fall races after coming together with two separate drivers in each incident. Busch, who finished fourth last September in his last track start with Hendrick, has led 176 laps at the 1.058-mile track. This weekend Busch will be shooting for his sixth win of the season when he makes his first New Hampshire start with Joe Gibbs Racing.
2. Jeff Burton: On no other track has Jeff Burton scored more victories than New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He has claimed four victories at the "Magic Mile", one each year beginning in 1997. His last win there was on September 17, 2000, and he started second and went on to lead all 300 laps of the race. In his third win at the track, Burton won from the furthest back of any NHMS winner after he started 38th and led for only two laps. The track is sentimental as well for one other reason, as it was the site of his Sprint Cup debut at this event in 1993. He has started in every race at the track since, with a total of seven top fives, 12 top 10s and has led a total of 694 laps in 10 races. This weekend Burton will be driving the same car (chassis No. 204) that raced to an 18th-place finish last September at NHMS and to a victory at Bristol Motor Speedway earlier this season. To prepare for Sunday's LENOX Industrial Tools 301, Burton and the RCR team tested at The Milwaukee Mile earlier this month.
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt Jr. picked up his best finish since 2004 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in this event last year after he came home fourth. The finished marked his seventh top 10 in 17 starts and it came after leading a race-high 64 laps. In the 2006 July event, Earnhardt Jr. posted his third DNF (finished 43rd) at NHMS after losing an engine. He started 25th in that race and spent 80 laps in the top 15 before the problem struck, and the result ended a streak of three consecutive top 10s. This weekend Junior will make his first track start with Hendrick Motorsports at NHMS. He tested with the team two weeks ago at The Milwaukee Mile in preparation for Sunday's race. The car (chassis No. 490) Earnhardt Jr. will race in the 301-lap race is the same one that nearly won at Richmond International Raceway before being involved a late-race accident with Kyle Busch.
4. Carl Edwards: Edwards has recorded an average finish of 13.7 in seven starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His best finish came in the 2006 July race when he took the checkered flag in second. Edwards has completed all but one of the laps he has attempted at the one-mile speedway. Despite that fact, his 2006 finish is his only top 10. Coming off a win at Milwaukee in the Nationwide Series, Edwards hopes to score another win on a flat track in this weekend's race at NHMS. He will attempt that driving a brand new car (chassis No. RK-605).
5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson swept both races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2003. His fifth and sixth-place finish last season pushed his top 10 total to seven in 12 career starts. In the 2006 September race, Johnson experienced engine problems early and then got caught in a chain reaction accident on lap 80 and ended up in the wall. The team made repairs to the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, but Johnson was credited with a 39th-place in the end, marking his first finish outside the top 15. Although Johnson has yet to win a pole at NHMS, his starting average of 8.2 ranks No. 3 among all active drivers. This weekend Johnson will be driving the same car (chassis No. 424) that he has driven to three wins, including his latest victory at Phoenix in April.
6. Jeff Gordon: Gordon is the leader among all drivers in top fives (12), top 10s (15) and laps led (1,141) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His last of three victories at NHMS came from the pole on August 30, 1998. Gordon's worst finish in the last 10 Loudon races came in the 2005 July race when he suffered a late race problem when his brakes gave out less than 15 laps from the checkered flag. After running in the top 10 most of the day, Gordon was credited with a 25th-place finish in that event. This weekend Gordon will be shooting for his fourth consecutive top-three finish at the 1.058-mile track.
7. Greg Biffle: Biffle has four top-10 finishes and five finishes of 27th or worse, including two DNFs, in 11 starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Biffle turned his New Hampshire record around with three consecutive top fives up until the last three races when he finished 14th, 31st and 13th, respectively. This weekend Biffle will be driving the same car (chassis No. RK-546) that finished third at Las Vegas.
8. Denny Hamlin: Defending race winner Hamlin leads all drivers with a 6.5 average finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His win last season was one of three finishes of sixth or better. This weekend Hamlin will look to continue his success on the flat tracks by driving. This weekend Hamlin will look to defend his win driving a brand new car (chassis No. 214). His backup car is the same one that raced at NHMS last season.
9. Kasey Kahne: This weekend will mark Kahne’s ninth career start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His worst non-DNF finishes at the track came last year in the Car of Tomorrow events in 25th and 20th place. After finishing 33rd last weekend on a road course, Kahne will be looking forward to getting back on an oval where he has posted an average finish of 1.5 in the last two speedway races in June.
10. Clint Bowyer: Prior to last September's race, New Hampshire Motor Speedway was Bowyer's worst non-restrictor plate track on the schedule based on his finishing average of 29.3. He turned around his performance at the 1.058-mile speedway by dominating the last race, leading 22 laps en route to his first career win. This weekend he will look for another victory when he climbs behind the wheel of chassis No. 212. This is the same car that won at NHMS and at Richmond this season.
11. Tony Stewart: In 18 starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Stewart has two wins (most recently in the 2005 July event), 10 top five and 11 top-10 finishes. Stewart, who has led in nine races for 803 laps, led a combined total of 388 laps in the two races he won. His worst finish in the last five races came in the 2006 July event when he finished 37th after a tangle with pole-sitter Ryan Newman early in the race. This weekend Stewart will pilot the same car (chassis No. 216) that appeared to be on its way to a top-10 finish at Pocono until a late-race pit road speeding penalty took him out of contention.
12. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth holds the best average finish (10.5) among all drivers that have made more than four starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His finishing average is bolstered by 11 consecutive finishes of 14th or better. Kenseth, who has led 88 laps at NHMS, will return in the same car (chassis No. RK-606) that finished seventh at Pocono last earlier this month.
13. Kevin Harvick: This weekend Harvick will be seeking his ninth top-10 finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Last September, he ended a streak of three consecutive finishes of eighth or better when he crossed the finish line in 17th. Harvick's only win at New Hampshire came in the 2006 September race when he led 196 laps from the pole. On Sunday Harvick will be driving a brand new car (chassis No. 251) that was tested at The Milwaukee Mile two weeks ago.
14. David Ragan: Ragan posted a 17.0 average finish in his two career starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during his rookie season in 2007. His best finish at the track came in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2006 when he took the checkered flag in 11th. This weekend will race a Boston Red Sox paint scheme on his No. 6 Ford. The chassis (No. RK-573) is the same one that finished 11th at Martinsville and 17th at Richmond.
15. Brian Vickers: Vickers failed to qualify for this event last season in his first attempt at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Team Red Bull. After finishing 43rd with the team last September, Vickers will look to continue his solid finishing average of 8.3 in the month of June with a good run at NHMS. Prior to joining Team Red Bull Vickers made six starts with Hendrick Motorsports where he posted one top-10 finish in fifth.
16. Ryan Newman: New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the site of Newman's first career Sprint Cup victory. The win came after he won his first of his series leading four poles at the "Magic Mile" in the 2002 fall event. His second victory came again in the fall race, in 2005, after leading 66 laps from the 13th starting position. Newman has led in all but one of his 12 Loudon starts for a total of 520 laps. In September 2004, Newman lost the engine in the Alltel Dodge while leading, relegating him to a 33rd-place finish, his only DNF at NHMS. This weekend, Newman will race the same car (chassis No. PRS-570) that finished 21st in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
17. Martin Truex Jr: Truex Jr's best finish in three starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway came in this event last season. He led 46 laps before finishing third to mark his first top 10 at the track. Later that season Truex backed up his July run with another top five in the second race at NHMS.
18. Travis Kvapil: Kvapil's best finishes at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a pair of 27th-place finishes in 2005 and 2006. In his two other starts, he was taken out in accidents. This weekend he will start his fifth New Hampshire race with his third different Team. Yates Racing will unload chassis No. 453 for Kvapil on Friday. This is the same car that finished 18th at Martinsville in March.
19. Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya posted a 21.0 average finish in his first two career starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2007. His best finish came in this event last year when he started fifth and battled a tight-handling car to finish 19th. This weekend Montoya will be racing the same car (chassis No. 818) that his teammate Reed Sorenson drove to a 36th-place finish with at Martinsville.
20. Jamie McMurray: The Car of Tomorrow helped McMurray lower his finishing average from 31.0 to 22.3 in his four races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Roush Fenway Racing. His best finish with the team came last September in 11th. McMurray's previous six starts came with Chip Ganassi Racing, where he posted three top-10 finishes. In the 2005 July event, McMurray posted his second DNF after crashing out of the race early. The incident, which was brought on by Matt Kenseth, relegated McMurray to a 40th-place finish. This weekend McMurray will race the same car (chassis No. RK-572) that finished 35th at Richmond in May.
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