Lenox Industrial Tools 301
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
This weeks NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race takes us to Loudon, New Hampshire for race 17 of the season, which is two races away from the halfway point and also ten races away from the beginning NASCAR‘s playoff system, the Chase for the Championship.
Last weeks win by Kasey Kahne on the road course moved him into 13th position in points, only three points away from the 12th and final position for the Chase. Juan Pablo Montoya raced himself into the 12th position, knocking Jeff Burton into an outside looking in position at 14th.
As always, we when we roll into one of the three tracks at Phoenix, Richmond, or New Hampshire, we can use the results from previously run races to get a better jump on who might win. While each of the tracks are different whether it be banking, width, configuration or distance, the crew chiefs normally use the same chassis for one of these races to the other if they had success.
New Hampshire’s layout is a one mile paper clip configuration with relative no banking at seven degrees in the turns. Think of it like a Martinsville with a longer drag strip on the straightaways.
Last Season, Jimmie Johnson won three of the six races on the combined tracks and throughout recent history, one driver has had multiple wins during the year in the six combined races.
This season there has been races run at Phoenix and Richmond already with Mark Martin and Kyle Busch getting the victories. Three drivers this season have finished in the top 10 in each of the two races.
After Martin finished first at Phoenix, he followed that up with a fifth at Richmond. Martin is currently 11th in points, only 12 ahead of Kahne in the Chase. This will be a good opportunity for Martin to get some more breathing room and distance himself from the cutoff mark. Although Martin doesn’t have any career wins at New Hampshire, he has finished in the top 10 thirteen times in his twenty-four career starts.
Tony Stewart and his start-up team got things really going at Phoenix with a strong 2nd place finish. Two weeks later using the same car, he cruised to another 2nd place finish in almost the same fashion where he waited with great patience the entire race, never looking like a solid contender, and then raced hard in the final 100 laps. Because of those great runs and others ensuing, Stewart has pushed himself atop the points lead with a nice comfortable 84 point cushion between him and second place Jeff Gordon.
Stewart’s success at New Hampshire is matched by no one. In twenty career Cup starts on the track, Stewart has finished in the top 5 on ten separate occasions getting two wins. Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, and Jeff Gordon all have more career wins than Stewart at New Hampshire, but Stewart can also claim an Indy Car win at Loudon. The year after winning the IRL Championship, Stewart claimed victory at New Hampshire in 1998 easily making him the only driver to get wins on the track from different national series.
There is little doubt that Stewart is the hottest driver on tour as his standing reflect. Last weeks 2nd place finish gave him four 2nd place finishes on the season and made it eight top 5 finishes overall in the 16 races run. He’s only got one victory to show for it all, but that could change this week.
If Kyle Busch keeps up inconsistent run going, he may miss the Chase. As great as he his with such an outstanding team behind him, Busch only has five top 10 finishes in the 16 races run thus far which is the worst number of anyone currently positioned in the top 12. There are four other drivers outside the top 12 that have at least five or more top 10 finishes this season. Kahne is only 48 points away from Busch in the 13th position.
However, the one thing that no one else has this season ,other than Martin, is three wins. It’s all or nothing for Kyle and it kind or resembles his overall persona that he exudes to the NASCAR public which is either high end admiration or high end dislike for the Las Vegas driver.
Whatever the case may be, Kyle needs to focus on these last ten races and if it takes a win to do it, then so be it. It’s been seven races since he last won and that was at Richmond, which should be a good sign for the similar set-up requirements of Loudon. He only has one career win on the track which came in 2006 while driving the No. 5 Hendrick car, the same one Martin currently drives.
Jeff Burton fell out of the top 12 giving Richard Childress no drivers in the top 12 among all four of his cars. These type of tracks used to be staples in the Childress arsenal, but ever since adding the fourth team prior to this season, the entire organization has been in a world of hurt. We can’t put the entire blame on the team stretching themselves out too far, but it is the one correlation that makes the most sense.
Prior to joining Childress, Burton accumulated four wins in Loudon, a track record that still stands. He was one of the first drivers to start the trend in 1997 of doing well at the combined tracks of Phoenix, Richmond, and New Hampshire. His last win came in 2000.
TOP 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #18 Kyle Busch (7/1)
2) #14 Tony Stewart (6/1)
3) #5 Mark Martin (12/1)
4) #39 Ryan Newman (20/1)
5) #2 Kurt Busch (18/1)
Odds To Win Lenox Industrial Tools 301
Jimmie Johnson +550
Denny Hamlin +650
Jeff Gordon +750
Tony Stewart +850
Greg Biffle +950
Kyle Busch +950
Carl Edwards +1000
Kurt Busch +950
Mark Martin +1250
Ryan Newman +1700
Matt Kenseth +1850
Kasey Kahne +1900
Martin Truex Jr +1900
Jeff Burton +2350
Dale Earnhardt Jr +2350
Kevin Harvick +2850
Brian Vickers +3400
Clint Bowyer +3400
Joey Logano +3850
David Reutimann +3850
Juan Montoya +4850
Jamie McMurray +4850
David Ragan +4850
Field +2250
LENOX Industrial Tools 301 PreQ
This may surprise some but Jimmie Johnson has just two wins on the season – one fewer than teammate Mark Martin. There is good news for Johnson. For one he is still third in the point standings. Second, both of his wins have come on the tracks less than 1.5-miles. One each on the speedways (Dover) and the short track (Martinsville). Third, the series heads to New Hampshire International Speedway this weekend where he has four consecutive top 10 finishes. Johnson has two wins and nine top 10s in 14 career starts with an average finish of 10th place. He is getting ready to defend his three time championship performance and a win at New Hampshire would make him one of the favorites to win the championship once again this season. Look out for the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet in the LENOX Industrial Tools 301.
Carl Edwards’ name has not been mentioned that often when we are talking about drivers that are “must have’s”. Edwards had posted four straight top 10 finishes before a 13th place run at Infineon this past weekend as he sits fifth in the point standings. Edwards, however, has yet to make it to victory lane after winning nine races last season – a career best. The #99 Aflac Ford has failed to finish in the top 10 seven times this season but with his current streak of solid finishes that is unlikely to occur this weekend. He has not had the beset of luck at New Hampshire but is still averaging a 13th place finish in nine career starts. Edwards is solidly in the top 12 in the Chase for the Championship standings but would like to wrap up a couple of wins before the Chase starts. It could begin this weekend.
After fighting his way into the top 12 with his third consecutive top 10 finish Juan Pablo Montoya may not stay there for long. Montoya has been workmanlike in the last months battling his way into championship contention. The problem is that he still struggles on a couple of the track types including the speedways. In the last nine speedway races he is averaging a 23rd place finish with zero finishes in the top 10. He has struggled at New Hampshire in his career as well with an average finish of 23rd place in four career starts. Montoya has the skill to be a contender at every track but still must gain experience at the more difficult tracks – including New Hampshire. Montoya gets the “buyer beware” label for the race.
Profantasysports.com
Driver Highlights - New Hampshire
VegasInsider.com
Note: All driver statistics that follow are from New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The Loop Data statistics – Driver Rating, Average Running Position, etc. – in this release, however, cover the last eight races at New Hampshire. NASCAR’s scoring loops began collecting data for statistical purposes in 2005.
Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
# Four wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s
# Average finish of 12.8
# Average Running Position of 11.4, seventh-best
# Driver Rating of 96.4, seventh-best
# 341 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 123.925 mph, sixth-fastest
# 1,772 Laps in the Top 15 (74.1%), sixth-most
# 178 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy Drink/National Guard Chevrolet)
# Five top fives, eight top 10s
# Average finish of 17.2
# Average Running Position of 10.9, sixth-best
# Driver Rating of 103.1, fourth-best
# 140 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 124.222 mph, third-fastest
# 1,899 Laps in the Top 15 (79.4%), third-most
# 238 Quality Passes, second-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
# Three wins, 12 top fives, 15 top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 11.6
# Series-best Average Running Position of 7.5
# Driver Rating of 106.7, second-best
# 196 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 124.241 mph, second-fastest
# Series-high 2,142 Laps in the Top 15 (89.5%)
# Series-high 261 Quality Passes
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
# One win, two top fives, five top 10s
# Average finish of 7.2
# Average Running Position of 9.2, second-best
# Driver Rating of 103.6, third-best
# Average Green Flag Speed of 124.031 mph, fourth-fastest
# 1,564 Laps in the Top 15 (87.3%), eighth-most
# 223 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
# One win, three top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 12.6
# Average Running Position of 10.1, fourth-best
# Driver Rating of 102.2, sixth-best
# 122 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 123.975 mph, fifth-fastest
# 1,791 Laps in the Top 15 (74.9%), fifth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
# Two wins, four top fives, nine top 10s
# Average finish of 9.9
# Average Running Position of 10.7, fifth-best
# Driver Rating of 102.8, fifth-best
# 160 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 123.808 mph, eighth-fastest
# 1,979 Laps in the Top 15 (82.7%), second-most
# 232 Quality Passes, third-most
Mark Martin (No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
# Eight top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 11.0
# Average Running Position of 12.6, ninth-best
# Driver Rating of 92.1, 10th-best
# Average Green Flag Speed of 123.786 mph, ninth-fastest
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet)
# Two wins, 10 top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
# Average finish of 12.6
# Average Running Position of 9.9, third-best
# Series-best Driver Rating of 115.6
# Series-high 235 Fastest Laps Run
# Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 124.308 mph
# 1,883 Laps in the Top 15 (78.7%), fourth-most
# 229 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 GE Reveal Chevrolet)
# Three top fives, four top 10s
# Average finish of 9.8
# Average Running Position of 12.6, eighth-best
# Driver Rating of 93.6, eighth-best
# Average Green Flag Speed of 123.764 mph, 10th-fastest
# 164 Quality Passes, 13th-most
Odds and Ends - New Hampshire
VegasInsider.com
Notebook
# There have been 28 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; one per year from 1993 through 1996 and two per year since.
# Four drivers have competed in all 27 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Joe Nemechek.
# Mark Martin won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole.
# Rusty Wallace won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
# There have been 15 different pole winners, led by Ryan Newman (four). Qualifying has been canceled four times.
# 18 different drivers have posted victories, led by Jeff Burton (four).
# Jimmie Johnson (2003) and Kurt Busch (2004) are the only drivers that have posted season sweeps. Those are also the only back-to-back winners.
# Roush Fenway Racing has won seven races, more than any other organization.
# 15 of 28 races have been won from the top-10 starting positions, including four from the pole.
# The deepest in the field that a New Hampshire race winner started was 38th, by Jeff Burton in 1999.
# There has been one postponed/rescheduled race at New Hampshire. The 2001 fall race was run as the season finale in November, after being rescheduled following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
# There have been eight different pole winners in the past nine New Hampshire races (qualifying was canceled once in the nine-race period).
# There have been seven different race winners in the past seven New Hampshire races.
# There have been three shortened races at New Hampshire: July 2002 (273 laps), September 2002 (207) and June 2008 (284).
# Jeff Burton led all 300 laps raced in the 2000 fall race.
# Clint Bowyer led 222 laps and scored a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0 in the 2007 fall New Hampshire race.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data
Race #: 17 of 36 (6-28-09)
Track Size: 1.058 miles
Race Length: 317.4 miles (300 laps)
Banking/Corners: Variable at 2 & 7 degrees
Banking/Straights: 1 degree
Driver Rating at New Hampshire
Tony Stewart 115.6
Jeff Gordon 106.7
Denny Hamlin 103.6
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 103.1
Jimmie Johnson 102.8
Kevin Harvick 102.2
Jeff Burton 96.4
Martin Truex Jr. 93.6
Ryan Newman 92.7
Mark Martin 92.1
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2008 races (8 total) at New Hampshire.
Qualifying/Race Data
2008 pole winner: Patrick Carpentier (129.776 mph, 29.349 seconds)
2008 race winner: Kurt Busch, 106.719 mph, 6-29-08)
Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (133.357 mph, 28.561 secs., 9-12-03)
Track race record: Jeff Burton (117.134 mph, 7-13-97)
Estimated Pit Window: 70-78 laps, based on fuel mileage
LENOX Industrial Tools 301 Driver Rating
The battle for Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup eligibility is heating up, which means two things: One - the thermometer says it’s summer; Two - it’s time to head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This Sunday’s LENOX Industrial Tools 301 kicks off the “Race to the Chase,” the 10-race stretch that leads to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The Race to the Chase begins amid Granite State greenery and ends on a September Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway - Race No. 26 and the cutoff point for Chase eligibility. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams then return to New Hampshire the following week to begin the Chase, in which the top 12 drivers (following Richmond) battle for the series title during the season’s final 10 races.
The mix of tracks in the Race to the Chase presents a worthy challenge. Drivers begin with New Hampshire’s flat, tricky one-mile oval and proceed, in order, to Daytona International Speedway’s high-banked 2.5-mile surface, Chicagoland Speedway’s 1.5-mile tri-oval, Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile tradition, Pocono Raceway’s triangular 2.5-mile layout, the season’s second road-course event at Watkins Glen International, Michigan International Speedway’s 2-mile oval, Bristol Motor Speedway’s high-banked half-mile, Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile tri-oval and finally, Richmond’s .75-mile venue. Atlanta is the only track new to the 2009 Race to the Chase; its second event of the season now takes place on Labor Day weekend. First, however, a deceptively difficult New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “It’s a little bit unique and it’s one that makes us work hard, that’s for sure,” said 2003 series champion Matt Kenseth, who’s seeking his first victory there.
Profantasysports.com
Driver Handicaps: New Hampshire
Racingone.com
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 7.2 average finish.
• Tony Stewart has one win and four finishes of eighth or better in his last eight starts.
• Jeff Burton leads all drivers with four wins.
• Two-time winner Jimmie Johnson has finished in the top 10 in six of his last seven starts.
• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in top fives (12), top 10s (15) and laps led (1,141).
• Martin Truex Jr. has the best average finish (4.8) in the four races with the new car.
• Defending race winner Kurt Busch posted a 3.5 average finish in the two races last season.
• Greg Biffle won last year's September race for his fourth top five.
Keep an Eye on at New Hampshire
• 2006 September winner Kevin Harvick has a 10.0 average finish in his last five starts at NHMS.
• Mark Martin will be driving the same car that won at Phoenix.
• Two-time New Hampshire winner Ryan Newan will be making his first track start in a Stewart-Haas Chevrolet.
• Kyle Busch has one win and three top fives at New Hampshire.
• Matt Kenseth has recorded 10 top 10s in the last 13 races at NHMS.
• Carl Edwards has posted an average finish of 6.0 in the last five races this season.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has led 176 laps and posted two top fives in the four races at New Hampshire with the new car.
Qualifying Tidbits
Patrick Carpentier, who will attempt to qualify the No. 36 Toyota into Sunday's race, is the defending pole winner. Carpentier captured the pole in his first start at NHMS and 17th career Cup start. Ryan Newman leads all drivers in poles at the track with four. Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin are the only other multiple pole winners. Four New Hampshire races have been won from the pole, the most of any other starting position at the track. Newman holds the qualifying record at the track of 133.357 mph set in qualifying in 2003. Last September, rain washed out qualifying for the fourth time
RacingOne Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Tony Stewart
Pete Pistone: Denny Hamlin
Rachael West: Jimmie Johnson
Kym Opalenik: Kurt Busch
Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings
1. Tony Stewart: In 20 starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Stewart has two wins (most recently in the 2005 July event), 10 top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. Stewart, who has led in 11 races for 936 laps, led a combined total of 388 laps in the two races he won. His worst finish in the last seven races came in the 2006 July event when he finished 37th after a tangle with pole-sitter, and now teammate, Ryan Newman early in the race. This weekend, Stewart will make his first track start with his Stewart-Haas racing team in the same car (chassis No. 535) that finished second at Phoenix.
2. 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 (25th) in the last 12 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. In the last five races at NHMS, Gordon has posted an average finish of 6.4.
3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson, who swept both races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2003, has finished in the top 10 in his last four starts. His only finish (39th) outside the top 15 came in the second event in 2006 when Johnson's No. 48 experienced engine problems early, got caught in a chain reaction accident on lap 80, and ended up in the wall. Although Johnson has yet to win a pole at NHMS, his starting average of 8.9 ranks second among all active drivers. This weekend, Johnson will be driving a new car (chassis No. 543) in the LENOX Industrial Tools 301.
4. Kurt Busch: Busch scored his third win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in this event last year after leading 10 laps up until rain called the race. The victory was his first of two top 10s in six starts at NHMS with Penske Racing. In 2004, Busch swept both races at NHMS after leading a combined 265 laps. This weekend, Busch will pilot the same car (chassis No. 576) that finished third at Phoenix in April.
5. Carl Edwards: Edwards has recorded an average finish of 12.9 in nine 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 third-place finish last September was only his second top 10. This weekend, Edwards will return in the same car (chassis No. 647) that finished 26th at Richmond in May.
6. 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 three of his 14 Loudon starts for a total of 520 laps. This weekend, Newman will race the same car (chassis No. 536) that most recently led 45 laps en route to a fourth-place finish at Richmond.
7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin leads all drivers with a 7.2 average finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His win in the 2007 June race is one of five finishes of ninth or better. This weekend, Hamlin will look to continue his success on the flat tracks by driving the same car (chassis No. 238) that finished second at Martinsville in March.
8. Greg Biffle: Biffle is coming off his first win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after leading 58 laps last September. Biffle has five top-10 finishes and six finishes of 21st or worse, including two DNFs, in 13 starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This weekend, Biffle will be driving the same car (chassis No. 610) that finished 28th at Martinsville in April.
9. 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 eight starts at the track. Busch's finishing average (15.7) 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. Last year, Busch finished 25th and 34th, respectively, in his first track starts with Joe Gibbs Racing. This weekend, Busch will drive the same chassis (No. 229) that he won with at Las Vegas in March.
10. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth's finishing average (12.6) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway took a hit last September after a crash relegated him to a 40th-place finish. Ten of his 11 top 10s have come in the last 13 races.
11. Mark Martin: This weekend, Martin will be making his 25th start, and first since 2006, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Sunday's start will also be Martin's first start at the track with a team other than Roush Racing. In his career at New Hampshire with Roush, he scored 13 top 10s and led 396 laps. Martin will be driving the same Hendrick Motorsports car (chassis No. 538) in the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 that won at Phoenix in April.
12. Juan Pablo Montoya: Montoya has posted an average finish of 22.8 in four starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Montoya’s best start came during his rookie year when he qualified fifth, and his best finish came last September when he crossed the finish line in 17th place. This weekend, Montoya will drive the same car (chassis No. 818) that finished 24th at Phoenix in April.
13. Kasey Kahne: This weekend will mark Kahne’s 11th career start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His worst non-DNF finishes at the track have come in the three of the four Car of Tomorrow events in 25th, 20th and 30th place. Kahne's last of four top 10s came in the June 2006 race.
14. David Reutimann: Reutimann has yet to finish in the top 10 in four starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His 15th-place run last September was his best finish and it lowered his average to 24.5.
15. 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 in 1993. He has started in every race at the track since, with a total of eight top fives, 13 top 10s and has led a total of 694 laps. Burton has posted an average finish of 10.3 in his nine starts at NHMS with Richard Childress Racing. This weekend, Burton will be driving the same car (chassis No. 255) that most recently finished third at Richmond in May.
16. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer's only top-10 finish in six starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway came in the 2007 when he led 222 laps en route to a win. His only other finish inside the top 20 came last year in the September race when he finished 12th. This weekend, Bowyer will be back in the same car (chassis No. 218) that most recently finished 18th at Richmond.
17. Brian Vickers: Vickers finished 16th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in this event last year for his best finish in three starts at the track with Team Red Bull. Prior to 2007, Vickers competed in six races with Hendrick Motorsports, capturing one top 10, a fifth-place finish in the 2006 September race.
18. Marcos Ambrose: Ambrose will be making his first Sprint Cup start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. However, he does have three combined starts in the Truck and Nationwide Series at the 1-mile oval. Ambrose's best finish came in last year's Nationwide race when he took the checkered flag in 14th.
19. Jamie McMurray: McMurray has competed in six races with Roush Fenway Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His best finish with the team came in the 2007 September race in 11th. Last year in this event, McMurray recorded his first DNF at NHMS with the team after a crash relegated him to a 41st-place finish. McMurray's first six starts came with Chip Ganassi Racing, where he posted three top-10 finishes. This weekend, McMurray will race the same car (chassis No. 635) that finished 11th at Phoenix in April.
20. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt Jr. has posted two top fives and has led 176 laps in the four races with the new car at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Last September, Earnhardt Jr. made his second start at NHMS with Hendrick Motorsports and finished fifth. In his 17 track starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Junior scored four top fives and seven top 10s. This weekend, Earnhardt will pilot the same car (chassis No. 541) that finished 27th at Richmond in May.
LENOX Industrial Tools 301 HOT! Sheet
Atop our list this week is one of the most consistent drivers this season, Jamie McMurray. Although he’s gone five races without a top 10, he’s still be making fantasy owners happy by finishing inside the top 15, which is what he’s done in each of the last four events. What makes it more impressive is the fact that he has started each of them outside the top 15. Most recently, at Michigan he started 31st and ended up 11th, and last week he qualified 23rd but made his way up to 14th. Don’t expect a win, but expect to get some points from him each week.
Speaking of consistency, let’s look at what Juan Pablo Montoya has done lately. In four of the last five weeks, he has finished either 8th or 6th. It started at Charlotte where he started in the top 10 and stayed there finishing 8th. Then came a little hiccup at Dover when he was 30th, but it was back to 8th at Pocono. At Michigan, he was a season best 6th, and then he duplicated that last week on the road course at Sonoma. It has vaulted him into the top 12 in the standings, a place we see him staying for the rest of the season.
If last week is any indication, look out for Carl Edwards. He started from near the rear of the field in both the Nationwide race and the Cup race, but he ended up at the front in both. In Milwaukee on Saturday night, he finally got to do a back flip for the first time this season. Then on the road course, he started 34th, which is not where you want to start a road race. However, he managed to weave his way up to 13th at the checkered flag. We wouldn’t be surprised if he took that flag first this weekend.
At the very bottom of our sheet this week is David Stremme. It has been a nightmare for the #12 team this season. The car has finished on the lead lap only three times all year (California, Texas, Charlotte). As you can see below, of the regular drivers on the circuit, he has by far the worst average in the last three races (37th). Last week the woes continued as he started and finished 39th. If this continues he may be out of the top 35, and out of a ride.
Recently, it’s been hit or miss for Kurt Busch. At Charlotte he was 34th. The next week at Dover he posted a top 5. Then at Pocono it was back to the rear in 37th. He followed that up with a top 10 at Michigan. But then last week he only managed to cross the line in 15th position. He swept both races at Loudon in 2004, and he won this event last year. So, there’s no way we’re suggesting that you sit him. However, we will slap the “buyer beware” label on him this week.
Profantasysports.com
This weekend, Stewart will make his first track start with his Stewart-Haas racing team in the same car (chassis No. 535) that finished second at Phoenix.
Stewart wrecked this car in the first practice and will go to a back up car but won't have to go to the rear since it was before qualifying.
Rain washes out qualifying at New Hampshire
Loudon, NH (Sports Network) - Rain forced NASCAR officials to cancel Friday's Sprint Cup Series qualifying at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. According to the rule book, the starting lineup for Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 will be set by owner points, with Tony Stewart being awarded the pole.
Stewart, however, wrecked during practice earlier in the day and was forced to use a backup car. He managed to get back out on the track in the closing minutes of the session.
"I just got loose going in the corner," Stewart said. "Goodyear came down and was worried, but it wasn't a tire problem. I just got loose, and once I got out of the groove, I was staying right with it. I just needed another 50 feet to finish getting gathered up and sliding up. I just ran out of race track."
Stewart, who currently holds an 84-point lead over Jeff Gordon, will not have to start from the rear of the field since his team prepared the backup car and presented it for pre-qualifying inspection in time.
"The bad part of it and where I feel worse about it is I've made my guys have to do that much extra work coupled with two more long days is going to make it a long weekend for these guys," he added.
Earlier this month, Stewart wrecked in final practice and had to switch to a backup car at Pocono. The two-time Cup Series champion started the 500-mile race from the back of the field, but went on to capture his first victory as both driver and owner.
Hendrick Motorsports teammates Gordon and Jimmie Johnson will start second and third, while Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards will roll off fourth and fifth.
Busch, who topped the charts in practice with a lap at 130.667 m.p.h., won at New Hampshire one year ago when rain curtailed the event with 17 laps remaining in the scheduled 301 laps.
Sixth through 10th will be: Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth.
Dexter Bean and Ted Christopher did not make the field.
Final practice is scheduled for tomorrow morning, and Sunday's race is slated to start just after 2:00 p.m. (et).
Top 5 Nascar Drivers to win New Hampshire
By Rocketman
The Sprint Cup boys move to New Hampshire this Sunday for the 17th race of the season. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a 1.058 mile Oval flat Track located in Loudon, New Hampshire. Here are my Top 5 drivers to win in New Hampshire this weekend. We still have to wait for Qualifying and Happy Hour before finalizing our Head to Head matchups. New Hampshire is normally a very good money track for us!! We are now 67% this year with our Head to Head Nascar matchups.
For starters, I think Tony Stewart has the best shot of winning this race. Stewart has 2 wins, 10 Top 5 finishes and 12 Top 10 finishes in his 20 starts here in New Hampshire. Stewart has an average finish of 12.6 here in New Hampshire. Past two years, Tony Stewart's average finish at track type - FLAT SHORT TRACK is 9.2. In 11 races, he has 0 wins and 7 top 10 finishes.Tony Stewart's average finish over the past 3 races is 3.3. In 3 races, he has 1 win and 3 top 10 finishes which is best among all drivers. Tony Stewart's average finish over the past 10 races is 6.5. In 10 races, he has 1 win and 8 top 10 finishes which is best among all drivers.
Next in line I would go with Jeff Gordon. Gordon has three wins, 12 Top 5 finishes and 15 Top 10 finishes in 28 starts here in New Hampshire. Gordon has an average finish of 11.6 here in New Hampshire. Past 2 years, Jeff Gordon's average finish at track type - FLAT SHORT TRACK is 12.6. In 11 races, he has 0 wins and 6 top 10 finishes. Jeff Gordon's average finish over the past 3 races is 5.0. In 3 races, he has 0 wins and 3 top 10 finishes.
Then, back in my 3rd spot, I have to go with Denny Hamlin. Hamlin has 1 win, 2 Top 5 finishes and 5 Top 10 finishes in his 6 starts in New Hampshire. Hamlin has an average finish of 7.2 here in New Hampshire which is best among all drivers. Past 2 years, Denny Hamlin's average finish at track type - FLAT SHORT TRACK is 7.3. In 11 races, he has 1 win and 9 top 10 finishes.
Looking at my pick for the 4th spot we turn to Martin Truex Jr. Truex Jr. has no wins, 3 Top 5 finishes and 4 Top 10 finishes in his 6 starts in New Hampshire. Truex Jr. has an average finish of 9.8 in New Hampshire which is 2nd best among all active drivers.
Rounding out my Top 5 and sitting in the 5th position is Ryan Newman. Newman has two wins, five Top 5 finishes and nine Top 10 finishes in his 14 starts in New Hampshire. Newman has an average finish of 13.1 in New Hampshire.
The odds for these drivers to win in New Hamsphire currently at Bodog are:
#14 Tony Stewart 8 to 1
#24 Jeff Gordon 8 to 1
#11 Denny Hamlin 8 to 1
#1 Martin Truex Jr. 25 to 1
#39 Ryan Newman 18 to 1
Trend is no repeat winners at NHMS
June 27, 2009
LOUDON, N.H. (AP) -Blame the tough racetrack, the Car of Tomorrow or simply circumstance. Whatever the reason, there have been no repeat winners in the last four years of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
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If that trend holds, Greg Biffle, who won here in September, won't be in Victory Lane on Sunday.
Nor will Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman or Tony Stewart.
That impressive group of drivers includes the last eight Cup winners on the 1.058-mile New Hampshire oval.
No repeats.
The trend is even more extensive in the Nationwide Series, which had 22 different winners in 22 races heading into Saturday's Camping World 200.
Certainly, this racetrack is one of the harder flat tracks that we go to,'' Biffle said. ``It's really, really flat, and I think that it changes a lot, and the guy that hits it just right that weekend is why you see different winners all the time with no repeat winners.
Hopefully, we'll break that trend this weekend. We'll just have to wait and see.''
Stewart started the Cup string when he won the summer race in July 2005. Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson and Busch all won multiple races here before that, including season sweeps by Johnson in 2003 and Busch in 2004.
Since then, though, no repeaters.
Busch said at least part of the explanation is the Car of Tomorrow, which began competing on NASCAR's shorter tracks in 2007.
You can say that the new car has added a different twist because we continually come back to the racetracks that we've seen before with completely different setups and that will create different winners and a trend such as that,'' Busch said.
This racetrack has a lot to do with pit strategy. Once you get towards the end, you want to pit and stay out as long as you can and, sometimes, guys who haven't been running well all day will stay out and try to stretch their fuel and they end up having track position,'' added Busch, who won a rain-shortened race here last June. ``Timely yellows come out, and so it creates a road course-type atmosphere where you pit as soon as you can make it to the end and then stay out and hang on.''
Stewart, who also won here in July 2000, said he has no idea why there has been a string of different winners in New Hampshire.
I think every year this track changes a little bit and every year everybody gets a little bit better on what it takes to be good here,'' said Stewart, the series points leader who will start from the pole in Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301. ``This is a unique place and I think that's the reason guys every year kind of hit it or miss it.''
Assuming the trend holds, keep an eye on Mark Martin, who won on the one-mile oval at Phoenix earlier this year and brings the same car to New Hampshire.
This is a tough race track,'' said Martin, who has never won at NHMS. ``It's kind of tough to pass on and it's tight quarters and it's like an expanded version of Martinsville in some ways. So it can be fun if your car is really good. But, if your car is not really good, it can sure be a challenge racing around the middle of the pack.''
Hamlin's car was really good when he won at New Hampshire in July 2007 and he's among several drivers hoping to end the streak of different winners on Sunday.
I know we've had a lot of success here each time we've been here, but we've been here with a different setup every single time,'' Hamlin said. ``It's just a real hard track to kind of perfect and get right.
I think the drivers can make up for a little bit, but ... I don't think we've got it figured out on the car side yet. I don't think anyone has.''
Lenox Tools 301 Prediction
by Christopher G. Shepard
There are 10 races to go before the Chase for the Sprint Cup. By virtue of a second-place finish at Sonoma last week Tony Stewart extended his lead to 84 points over Jeff Gordon in the Sprint Cup standings as NASCAR heads to New Hampshire and the short, flat-track of Loudon Speedway for the Lenox Tools 301 this Sunday at 2:15 p.m. TNT will televise the event.
Who will win the the Lenox Tools 301?
Kurt Busch is the Lenox Tools 301 defending race champion; if you call a rain-shortened race with a gimpy "Blue Deuce" a win. Certainly if the race had continued last year Busch would have been sent to the pits for work on whatever was hanging off his car when NASCAR stopped the race. Thanks to the rain it gave Michael Waltrip an improbable second and J.J. Yeley third. This year the No. 2 car is the only Dodge in the Chase.
This year more rain seems imminent, as New England has been drenched all of June with cold, rainy weather. If qualifiers get rained out Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon will pace the grid, which won't exactly thrill a lot of drivers since Stewart and Gordon are two of the best drivers at Loudon.
There is no doubt about it, but "Smoke" has had an inspired year. Just when you figure Stewart cannot continue his amazing inaugural run as driver-owner of Stewart-Haas racing, he does -- and on all the various tracks that NASCAR has to offer. In 2009 the Sprint Cup points' leader "Smoke" has one win, eight Top-5s and 12 Top-10s for an average season finish of 8.4 and has led eight races for 110 laps. At Loudon, however, Stewart has one pole, two wins, 10 Top-5s and 12 Top-10s. Stewart has led in 11 of 20 races for 936 laps in New Hampshire. Stewart finished 13th last June and eighth in September. Stewart has to be considered a top candidate to win on Sunday.
Currently second on the Sprint Cup leaderboard is Jeff Gordon, who finished this race in 11th place last year. However, remember Gordon was having a tough time last year with that newborn and wife in his trailer accompanying him to every race. This year Gordon kicked everyone out of the trailer and has had a resurgent year with one win, eight Top-5s and 11 Top-10s with an average season finish of 10.1 while leading nine races for 505 laps. At Loudon Gordon has always done well as he sports three poles, three wins, 12 Top-5s, and 15 Top-10s. Gordon has also led 17 of 28 races at Loudon for 1,141 laps.
This Sunday I like another short track specialist to win his first race of the season. Denny Hamlin currently has four Top-5s and six Top-10s and has led five races for a total of 513 laps but has yet to pass the waving checkers ahead of the grid. He'll have a great opportunity to do this on Sunday. At New Hampshire Hamlin has one win, two Top-5s and five Top-10s, but sports a very consistent 7.2 average finish at Loudon and has led three of six races for 51 laps. Keep in mind Hamlin has finished in the Top 15 every time he has raced at New Hampshire. Hamlin has done well at other short tracks like Martinsville, Richmond and Phoenix. Hamlin also won this race in 2007 so he knows how to handle the short, ill-banked temperamental track at New Hampshire. Hamlin is also coming off two Top-5 finishes in his last two races with a 3rd at the Lifelock 400 and a fifth at Infineon last week.
Pick! Denny Hamlin, No. 11, (8/1)
2009 Lenox Tools 301- Lucky Dog Long Odds Special
I'm going really long for this Sunday's Lenox Tools 301 and will select Penske Championship Racing's Sam Hornish, Jr. Keep in mind Hornish has never won a Sprint Cup race, but anything can and will happen at Loudon. Hornish is currently 26th in the Sprint Cup standings and is out of the Chase this year. However, that won't stop him from trying to best the 46-car field. While Hornish won the Sprint Showdown during All-star Weekend, that didn't count toward the standings. Hornish's best recent finish was 10th-place at Pocono, but at Richmond, another short-track, Hornish managed to finish sixth. Perhaps Hornish's Bill Davis' Dodge can upset the field, but perhaps not. In either case, the No. 77 should be in the running for most of the race.
Pick! Sam Hornish, Jr., No. 77, (100/1)
2009 the Lenox Tools 301 - Odds for Top 3 Finish
Third in the Sprint Cup points is none other than three-time Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson. In 2009 Johnson has two wins, seven Top-5s and 10 Top-10s. At Loudon Johnson holds two wins, four Top-5s and nine Top-10s with an average finish of 9.9 and he most notably finished ninth last June and improved on that with a second place finish at Loudon in September. Keep in mind that Johnson swept Loudon with two wins in 2003, but hasn't visited victory lane since. There is one X-factor for Johnson this Sunday -- he'll be driving a new chassis No. 543 this weekend. Even so, he has run well at New Hampshire in whatever chassis the Hendrick boys give him. While he might not win the race I have a hard time seeing him finishing out of the Top 3 on Sunday.
Pick! Jimmie Johnson, No. 48. (8/5)
Docsports.com
Post-Practice at New Hampshire
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
Martin Truex Jr was spectacular in both of Saturday’s practice sessions in preparation for Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Truex Jr ran 37 laps in the early session and was fourth fastest with top-10 average speed times. During Happy Hour, Truex Jr was even better laying down the fastest lap overall at 128.186 mph.
The top times overall shouldn’t come as much of a surprise because Truex Jr has done better on the combined tracks of New Hampshire, Richmond, and Phoenix than other similar group of tracks on the circuit since NASCAR started using the car of tomorrow.
Truex Jr had his second best finish of the season at Phoenix this season with a seventh and if we look at what he did last year in the six combined races, he finished in the top-10 in four of the six starts including both New Hampshire starts.
The biggest surprise of the day easily was the performance of Reed Sorenson who had the fastest single lap and average lap speed in the first session. During happy hour, Sorenson backed up his strong early performance by laying down the fourth fastest lap overall.
Here’s a look at the top rated drivers after all New Hampshire practice sessions are complete using a mix of past history, current history, and a big nod towards Saturday’s practice.
1) Jimmie Johnson brought a brand new car for this race and it was extremely fast in both practice sessions especially on the long runs. He ran the second most laps in the early session with the sixth fastest lap. In Happy Hour, he was second fastest overall with great average times running the most laps.
2) Mark Martin brought his winning chassis from Phoenix to Loudon this week and it looks equally as fast as it did then. He only ran 22 laps in the first practice, but out strong in happy hour with the fifth fastest lap. Hard to believe that Martin could be on his way his fourth win of 2009 after not winning for the previous three seasons, but he is well on his way to doing so.
3) Greg Biffle was the one Roush-Fenway driver to excel in the entire day of practices, which is surprising because of how well they have collectively done in front of the Red Sox Nation crowd. Biffle ran his fastest lap, the third fastest overall, late in the happy hour session and had excellent average times which should carry over on long runs Sunday. He won the last New Hampshire race run there last fall and has a great shot at doing again for his first win of 2009.
4) Kurt Busch ran the most laps in the first session and had the third best average times. In happy hour, Busch came back to run almost identically with running the second most laps and having the best average speeds overall among drivers who ran at least 45 laps. Busch won this race last season thanks to rain, but the chassis he has this week is much superior.
5) Martin Truex Jr ran 43 laps in happy hour with fastest lap overall.
6) Kevin Harvick hasn’t been considered a contender in any race other restrictor plate races this season based on practices. Whatever the team did this week, it’s working. Harvick ran the tenth fastest lap in the early practice and then built on that for an exceptional happy hour where they laid down the sixth fastest lap and best average speed overall while running 43 laps. This is a team that desperately needs a great run and he just might get it this week.
Best of the Rest
Juan Pablo Montoya and David Reutimann had terrific practices and could be in for another top-10 run in the midst of their best Cup seasons.
Kyle Busch wasn’t bad in practice, but wasn’t great either. Much was expected out of him this week because of winning at Richmond, but he could muster only the 11th fastest lap in each of the two Saturday sessions.
Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart are in their own class because they are just about the drivers who exceed what they did in practice out on the track on a weekly basis. Just looking at the times, they are very average, but it’s likely that Stewart will finish second again just like at Phoenix and Richmond this season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr gets a mention just because the team shows no signs of getting better. He brought his Richmond chassis and based on the times, it looks like he’ll finish close to 27th just like he did in that race. Hate to see it, but probably not more than Rick Hendrick.
Happy Hour practice top five:
1) #1-Truex Jr. 128.186
2) #48-Johnson 127.795
3) #16-Biffle 127.709
4) #43-Sorenson 127.666
5) #5-Martin 127.662
Slowest: #37-Raines 123.743 and #34-Andretti 125.203
Saturday’s first practice top five:
1) #43-Sorenson 128.472
2) #87-Nemechek 128.208
3) #07-Mears 128.135
4) #1-Treux Jr. 128.126
5) #00-Reutimann 128.027
Slowest: #37-Raines 124.029 and #34-Andretti 125.463
LENOX Industrial Tools 301 PostQ
Things have been going quite well for Tony Stewart in his inaugural season as an owner/driver. Stewart maintains the No. 1 spot in the series point standings after yet another stellar run at Infineon last week in which he posted a 2nd place finish. Stewart benefits from being the point’s leader after rain cancelled qualifying and will be leading the field to the green this Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301. Stewart has run well at New Hampshire ranking No. 1 overall in NASCAR’s Driver Rating category. Match that with some solid practice runs and you can bet that Stewart will be among the front runners this Sunday. Grab the #14 Old Spice Chevrolet while he runs his summer hot streak.
There have been very few times this season when things have gone well for Martin Truex, Jr. He has not been to victory lane since the 2007 season, a span of over 65 races. Things have been going particularly poorly for Truex this season as he has just three top 10s through the first 16 races of the season while sitting 22nd in the point standings. There are rumors swirling that Truex will be leaving DEI after this season but he may still have a little left in the tank for his #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team at New Hampshire. Truex was fastest in the final practice session propelling him to the 6th position on our Speed chart. He also ranks in the top 10 in NASCAR’s Driver Rating category. He is projected to finish in the top 5, which would be his first top 5 finish of the season. Truex would be a good option for this race.
While speaking about the expected solid performance out of Truex, Jr. it is a bit ironic to look at the stats for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 and see that former teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would be a poor selection for this race. Junior got a new crew chief a few weeks ago and things looked like it would take a turn for the better when he finished in the 14th position at Michigan. That good run did not carry over at Infineon where he finished in the 26th position. There is virtually no way the #88 Mountain Dew Chevrolet can make the Chase for the Championship with Junior sitting 20th in the point standings. A few top 10s, however, would be a major accomplishment. It is doubtful that will occur at New Hampshire as Junior was among the slowest of all drivers in the practice session. He ranks in the 36th position on our Speed chart while starting the race from the 20th position. This could be a long day for the team.
Profantasysports.com