Sylvania 300 Betting News and Notes

Driver Tale of the Tape at New Hampshire

1 - Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.6

2013 Rundown
· Six wins, seven top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 13.4
· Led 18 races for 1,238 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Five top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.8 in 27 races
· Average Running Position of 16.7, 20th-best
· Driver Rating of 80.6, 20th-best
· Series-high 1,040 Green Flag Passes

2 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Peanut Butter Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.2

2013 Rundown
· Four wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 13.5
· Led 14 races for 1,169 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, five top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.8 in 17 races
· Average Running Position of 14.3, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 91.9, 11th-best
· 197 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.323 mph, 13th-fastest
· 3,172 Laps in the Top 15 (62.6%), 11th-most
· 444 Quality Passes, ninth-most

3 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 105.0

2013 Rundown
· Four wins, 10 top fives, 16 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.6
· Led 15 races for 1,179 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Three wins, eight top fives, 16 top 10s
· Average finish of 9.4 in 23 races
· Average Running Position of 9.9, third-best
· Driver Rating of 105.1, third-best
· 409 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· 890 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.665 mph, fourth-fastest
· 4,157 Laps in the Top 15 (82.0%), third-most
· 565 Quality Passes, second-most

4 - Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.4

2013 Rundown
· Two wins, seven top fives, 14 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.3
· Led 9 races for 53 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, five top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.4 in 25 races
· Average Running Position of 12.9, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 92.1, ninth-best
· 154 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· 842 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.400 mph, ninth-fastest
· 3,275 Laps in the Top 15 (64.6%), seventh-most
· 400 Quality Passes, 13th-most

5 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.2

2013 Rundown
· Two wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.3
· Led 12 races for 448 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 14.1 in 18 races
· Average Running Position of 14.4, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 86.6, 15th-best
· 141 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
· 838 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most

6 - Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 95.4

2013 Rundown
· Nine top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.8
· Led 13 races for 441 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Three wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 15.4 in 25 races
· Average Running Position of 13.6, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 90.9, 12th-best
· 186 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· 869 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.382 mph, 10th-fastest
· 3,216 Laps in the Top 15 (63.4%), 10th-most
· 501 Quality Passes, fifth-most

7 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.6

2013 Rundown
· Five top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.2
· Led 11 races for 239 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Three wins, 16 top fives, 22 top 10s; four poles
· Average finish of 10.5 in 37 races
· Series-best Average Running Position of 7.3
· Driver Rating of 109.4, second-best
· Series-high 416 Fastest Laps Run
· 848 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 124.883 mph
· Series-high 4,576 Laps in the Top 15 (90.3%)
· Series-high 590 Quality Passes

8 - Ryan Newman (No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 81.5

2013 Rundown
· One win, six top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.8
· Led 11 races for 85 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Three wins, six top fives, 15 top 10s; six poles
· Average finish of 13.9 in 23 races
· Average Running Position of 13.0, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 93.1, seventh-best
· 154 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· 3,744 Laps in the Top 15 (73.8%), fifth-most

9 - Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 94.1

2013 Rundown
· Eight top fives, 14 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.2
· Led 6 races for 285 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Two wins, four top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.9 in 15 races
· Average Running Position of 12.1, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 96.2, sixth-best
· 230 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.537 mph, sixth-fastest
· 3,236 Laps in the Top 15 (72.4%), ninth-most
· 439 Quality Passes, 10th-most

10 - Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.2

2013 Rundown
· Two wins, eight top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 16.0
· Led 6 races for 466 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, three top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 15.9 in 19 races
· Average Running Position of 14.4, 14th-best
· Driver Rating of 92.1, 10th-best
· 300 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 907 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.498 mph, seventh-fastest
· 3,167 Laps in the Top 15 (62.5%), 12th-most
· 460 Quality Passes, seventh-most

11 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.8

2013 Rundown
· One win, three top fives, 10 top 10s
· Average finish of 15.1
· Led 4 races for 117 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, five top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 16.3 in 22 races
· Average Running Position of 14.5, 16th-best
· Driver Rating of 87.1, 14th-best
· 970 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· 2,894 Laps in the Top 15 (57.1%), 13th-most
· 445 Quality Passes, eighth-most

12 - Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.6

2013 Rundown
· One win, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 15.5
· Led 10 races for 248 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· One win, two top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 17.8 in 10 races
· Average Running Position of 22.7, 25th-best
· Driver Rating of 69.0, 22nd-best

13 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.5
2013 Rundown
· Five top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.0
· Led 8 races for 148 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
· Seven top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 16.0 in 28 races
· Average Running Position of 11.7, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 96.9, fifth-best
· 3,792 Laps in the Top 15 (74.8%), fourth-most
· 549 Quality Passes, third-most

Sylvania 300 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

Before the Chase started last week at Chicago, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch were posted as 7/2 (Bet $100 to win $350) co-second choices by the LVH Super Book to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup behind Jimmie Johnson at 3/2 odds. After Kenesth and Busch finished 1-2 at Chicago, Kenseth and Johnson are now the co-favorites at 2/1 with Kyle Busch at 3/1. After them, the next highest odds on are on Kevin Harvick at 12/1 and Kasey Kahne at 15/1, which kind of tells you that this is a three-horse race.

It’s only one race in the Chase, with nine more to go, but Chicago is very telling because it’s a 1.5-mile track and we’ll see four more along the way at Kansas, Charlotte, Texas and Homestead. Kenseth has now won on four of the seven races on 1.5-mile tracks this season and Bush has won on two of them. The only other driver to get in on the party on the type of tracks needing to be successful at to win the Chase was Kevin Harvick at Charlotte in late May.

The scary thing about both Kenseth and Busch is that they didn’t even look that great in practices prior to the Chicago race. Several other drivers had better looks in single and average lap speeds, but the cream still rose to the top when it counted as Kenseth led four times for 89 laps and Busch led three times for 67 laps.

We can still call this a three-horse race because Jimmie Johnson showed up with a fifth-place finish at Chicago. He hasn’t been impressive on the 1.5-mile tracks this season, which is a major surprise because he won five championships by being the best on them. By getting only his second top-5 finish on these type of tracks this season, it at least shows that they have shook of the rust that saw the No. 48 team finish 28th or worse in their previous four races before Chicago.

This week at New Hampshire, we have a completely new wave of candidates to win from what we saw last week. Kenseth, Busch and Johnson should all compete well, but the layout of New Hampshire’s 1-mile flat track gives us a different group of drivers to consider based on the four races run on similar tracks this season.

Crew chiefs routinely use the same chassis for races run at Phoenix, Richmond and New Hampshire, which is as good a reason as any to lump the three tracks together when handicapping the race. Each of the three are configured different, but all have relatively no banking and we’ve seen drivers over the years excel on all three in the same season.

This season, the dominator has been Carl Edwards. He has two wins in 27 races this season, but both came on the flat shorter tracks were discussing here. He won at Phoenix in March and two weeks ago at Richmond. In between the wins, he was sixth at Richmond in April and eighth at the first New Hampshire race in July. He is the only driver to finish in the top-10 of all four races.

In 18 New Hampshire starts, Edwards has never won. He’s got a 14.1 average finish with a best of second-place in 2006, but his date this year says he’s primed to be in position to get that first career victory there.

Johnson has three career wins at New Hampshire. He swept the 2003 season and grabbed his other one in 2010. He was runner-up in this race last season and finished sixth there in July.

The driver who has really taken a liking to New Hampshire is Brad Keselowski. He’s finished sixth or better in his last four starts there, including fourth-place in July, and finished fourth at Phoenix. He’s still looking for his first win of the season and it could come on Sunday.

Kevin Harvick has finished 13th or better in the four races at the three similar tracks, including a win at Richmond in April. In 2006, he won on all three tracks, compiling four wins between the six races. Look for another strong outing out of him this week.

The driver who has made a name for himself on these type of tracks is Clint Bowyer. He’s won twice at New Hampshire, the last coming in 2010. He is still seeking his first win on the season, and Sunday may present his best opportunity to do so.

Top-5 Finish Prediction:

1) #99 Cal Edwards (12/1)
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson (9/2)
3) #29 Kevin Harvick (12/1)
4) #2 Brad Keselowski (10/1)
5) #15 Clint Bowyer (15/1)

Driver Handicaps: New Hampshire
By: Pete Pistone
Racingone.com

To assist in making your fantasy racing picks, MRN.com's Pete Pistone brings you a detailed analysis to help steer you toward Sunday's SYLVANIA 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Who’s HOT at New Hampshire

Jeff Gordon – The 13th addition to this year’s Chase got off to a good start with a top-10 finish last week at Chicagoland Speedway and has a great opportunity to keep things rolling at New Hampshire. Gordon was 10th at NHMS in July and has the best average finish among active drivers over the last 10 races at the track, 7.5.

Jimmie Johnson – The five-time champion is no slouch at "The Magic Mile," either. Although he’s only won once dating back to 2004, Johnson’s average finish is just a tick more than Gordon’s at 7.9.

Denny Hamlin – He has no shot at this year’s championship, but perhaps Hamlin’s miserable season can have a silver lining at New Hampshire, where he’s been very good over the course of his Sprint Cup career. He’s the defending SYLVANIA 300 race winner and has four top-five finishes in his last six Loudon starts.

Clint Bowyer – The controversial Bowyer will no doubt raise the ire of fans, who still have not forgotten his role in the MWR Richmond manipulation, if he has a good run Sunday. It’s a distinct possibility based on Bowyer’s past NHMS body of work, which includes victories in 2007 and 2010 ... hmmmmm, every three years ...

Brad Keselowski – The defending series champion has been thrust into a spoiler role for this year’s Chase and goes into Sunday’s race with four straight top-10 Loudon finishes.

Who’s NOT

Paul Menard – New Hampshire has been a challenge for the Richard Childress Racing driver, who hasn’t been able to best his 12th-place run in 2012 over the last 10 starts at the track.

Jamie McMurray – The Earnhardt Ganassi Racing driver does have a fourth-place Loudon finish to his credit in 2010 but has an inflated 22.2 average finish in his last 10 New England outings.

Juan Pablo Montoya – If the outgoing EGR driver is going to add one more Sprint Cup Series win to his resume before leaving for the IndyCar Series next year, New Hampshire will be a tough place to turn the trick. He’s finished 25th, 22nd and 24th the last three times out in Loudon.

Matt Kenseth – The good news is the Chase points leader had a top 10 his first time at Loudon as a member of Joe Gibbs Racing back in July. But the bad news is prior to that effort, Kenseth only cracked the top 10 once dating back to 2008.

Joey Logano – Already in a Chase hole after his engine problems in Chicago knocked him out last weekend, Logano has to face a track where he came home 40th back in July.

Who to Watch in New Hampshire

Jeff Burton – He has nine races left for RCR and has been getting better in recent weeks. Burton has a third-place run in July to build on for Sunday’s New Hampshire return.

Brian Vickers – The only driver in the field to be doing double duty this weekend with a Saturday trip planned to run at the Kentucky Nationwide Series race, Vickers has his sights set on sweeping New Hampshire after his July win.

Aric Almirola – A July surprise with a fifth-place performance, can Almirola repeat and give the Richard Petty Motorsports team some much-needed good news?

Kyle Busch – Not one of his best tracks, but Busch did finish second at New Hampshire last summer. Another good run to follow his Chicagoland outing will help quiet the doubters that expect the wheels to come off his championship quest, which they literally did at Loudon a couple years ago.

Ryan Newman – Car No. 39 finished 39th at New Hampshire in July. Just thought that was interesting to point out.

MRN.com Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Jimmie Johnson
Pete Pistone: Jeff Gordon
Dustin Long: Denny Hamlin
John Singler: Ryan Newman

Sylvania 300 Post-Practice Betting Notes
By: Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had two sensational practice sessions Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway that give an indication that he might be the driver to beat in Sunday's Sylvania 300. It's pretty bold to say a driver "might the one to beat" when he's only won two races in seven seasons -- and has never won on New Hampshire's 1-mile flat layout -- but that's a testament to just how good he was during practices.

He didn't do anything special in Friday's practice session (13th), which was used primarily for a mock-qualifying set-up, only qualifying with the 17th fastest time, but when the race trim package was strapped on Saturday, Earnhardt Jr. was blazing fast. In the early session, he had the second fastest lap (132.406 mph), showing he's got speed on the short haul, and he also had the fastest 10-consecutive lap average, which shows he should be good on long runs.

During happy hour, Earnhardt Jr. laid down the fastest lap of the day at 133.059 mph, and he was also the only driver to top 133 mph.

Usually when a driver doesn't have much history at a track or is in the middle of a long winless streak, they'll get notched down a bit in the ratings department here. But practices matters at New Hampshire, and it counts for a lot -- even enough to alter a normal rating process. Last season in this race, Denny Hamlin had a similar stout day of Saturday practices and rolled to his second career win.

Earnhardt Jr. might even take his game as a driver up a notch because of this being a Chase race and knowing he's got the car to beat. I still find it hard to believe that every driver who comes through Hendrick finds themselves winning immediately while Junior languishes with solid finishes but few wins.

The rooting gallery for Junior this week might come from NASCAR and Michael Waltrip Racing, just because a huge moment by Junior in the Chase would surely be a big enough story to make the fans and media forget about the Richmond Chase fiasco.

The top drivers that could beat Junior to finish line are Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth. Bowyer loves flat tracks and has two wins at New Hampshire. Johnson is a three-time winner and has that ugly stretch of four straight finishes in his rear-view mirror after a quality run at Chicago last week. Kenseth has never won at New Hampshire, but he was right up there with Earnhardt Jr. and Bowyer as the most impressive.