Sylvania 300 preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
The 12-driver field in the Chase for the Championship has been set and this Sunday in Loudon, New Hampshire, the NASCAR playoffs begin.
It’s important for drivers to get out of the gate quickly, but also play it conservative along the way. Last season was one of the best Chases ever with two drivers, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards, battling like a classic 15-round heavyweight title match.
Johnson ended up winning because he stayed consistent throughout and had flashes of dominance during the 10-race stretch that’s saw him three times. His worse finish down the stretch was a 15th.
Edwards was equally dominant winning three times and finishing in the top-4 a total of eight times in the 10 races. His downfall, which ultimately cost him the title was finishing 29th and 33rd in race four and five of the Chase. Any other year, against any other driver, and Edwards would have won.
Last season, Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards finished 1-2-3 at New Hampshire. After the 10-race Chase, the final top three in the standings not surprisingly ended up with Johnson, Edwards, and Biffle as the top three finishers.
In 2004, the first year of the Chase format, Kurt Busch started the last kicked it off with a New Hampshire victory. He didn’t win again during the Chase but that Week 1 win proved critical – he edged Jimmie Johnson for the championship by only eight points.
In 2007, Clint Bowyer, who was given little thought to be a real contender, got his first career NASCAR Cup victory to open the Chase – and rode that momentum to an eventual third-place finish in the final standings. ?
This year looks to be much of the same as it’s been the last three seasons, which is more of Jimmie Johnson. The guy is a machine and when it comes down to business, no one is better. He has more wins (14) and top-5 finishes in Chase races than anyone else by a large margin. He gets into a prime-time mode like a Joe Montana or John Elway late in games and it’s almost a given that he will not fail in the crunch.
To see who will do well for this weeks race at New Hampshire, looking back at who did well in both Richmond races, Phoenix, and the first New Hampshire race prior to the rain is helpful. Many of the teams use the same chassis’ from those races if successful and use them on all three tracks because the banking and distances are similar, despite the configuration being vastly different on all three.
Over the years there has been a strong correlation between winners at one doing well on the other two, and sometimes winning multiple times.
We can look back at last week’s race as a quick refresher to who those candidates are because they did well all season on these type of tracks. Denny Hamlin won last week at Richmond after nearly coming close on several occasions in the past. Mark Martin has been stellar on all the tracks and claims a Phoenix win.
In the rain shortened Loudon race won by rookie Joey Logano, the dominant driver was Jimmie Johnson who led the most laps prior to the rain. Look for Johnson to start the Chase in style with a great run and possibly a win this week. He doesn’t want to dig himself a hole by getting too racey and finding trouble, as Kyle Busch did last year, but his car should be good enough to capture his third New Hampshire win overall and propel him to the top of the standings.
TOP 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)
2) #5 Mark Martin (10/1)
3) #11 Denny Hamlin (10/1)
4) #18 Kyle Busch (9/1)
5) #14 Tony Stewart (7/1)
Driver Averages - New Hampshire
By VI News
Below is a look at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series top 12 going into the first race of the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 20.
1 – Mark Martin (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.7
2009 Rundown
# Four wins, nine top fives, 14 top 10s
# Average finish of 15.6
# Led 17 races for 707 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# Eight top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles
# Average finish of 11.1 in 47 races
# Has led 397 laps
# Average Running Position of 11.9, sixth-best
# Driver Rating of 93.4, seventh-best
2 – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.6
2009 Rundown
# Three wins, 13 top fives, 18 top 10s
# Average finish of 9.1
# Led 14 races for 275 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# Two wins, 11 top fives, 13 top 10s
# Average finish of 12.3 in 21 races
# Has led 976 laps
# Average Running Position of 9.5, second-best
# Series-best Driver Rating of 115.8
# Series-high 253 Fastest Laps Run
# Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 124.397 mph
# 2,130 Laps in the Top 15 (79.9%), third-most
3 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 110.3
2009 Rundown
# Three wins, nine top fives, 15 top 10s
# Average finish of 12.7
# Led 21 races for 1,252 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# Two wins, four top fives, 10 tops 10s
# Average finish of 9.9 in 15 races
# Has led 274 laps
# Average Running Position of 10.1, third-best
# Driver Rating of 105.3, third-best
# 206 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 123.976 mph, fifth-fastest
# 2,240 Laps in the Top 15 (84.1%), second-most
# 277 Quality Passes, fourth-most
4 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 101.6
2009 Rundown
# Two wins, nine top fives, 14 top 10s
# Average finish of 12.3
# Led 12 races for 992 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# One win, two top fives, five top 10s
# Average finish of 8.3 in seven races
# Has led 52 laps
# Average Running Position of 10.3, fourth-best
# Driver Rating of 100.1, fifth-best
# Average Green Flag Speed of 124.037 mph, fourth-fastest
# 1,691 Laps in the Top 15 (81.9%), eighth-most
5 – Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.0
2009 Rundown
# Two wins, five top fives, 10 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.9
# Led six races for 180 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# One top five, five top 10s
# Average finish of 16.0
# Has led 49 laps
# Driver Rating of 82.3, 17th-best
6 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.4
2009 Rundown
# One win, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s
# Average finish of 10.9
# Led 14 races for 698 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# Three wins, 13 fives, 16 top 10s; three poles
# Average finish of 11.3 in 29 races
# Has led 1,205 laps
# Series-best Average Running Position of 7.0
# Driver Rating of 109.4, second-best
# 240 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
# Average Green Flag Speed of 124.380 mph, second-fastest
# Series-high 2,413 Laps in the Top 15 (90.5%)
7 – Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 99.7
2009 Rundown
# One win, seven top fives, 14 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.0
# Led 13 races for 391 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# Three wins, six top fives, eight top 10s
# Average finish of 14.8 in 17 races
# Has led 326 laps
# Driver Rating of 88.1, 14th-best
# Average Running Position of 14.6, 12th-best
8 – Brian Vickers (No. 83 Red Bull Toyota)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.8
2009 Rundown
# One win, four top fives, 13 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.9
# Led 10 races for 101 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# One top five; one pole
# Average finish of 23.1 in 10 races
# Has led 53 laps
# Driver Rating of 79.5, 19th-best
9 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.0
2009 Rundown
# Seven top fives, 11 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.0
# Led nine races for 159 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# Two top fives
# Average finish of 13.5
# Has led 63 laps
# Driver Rating of 87.2, 15th-best
# Average Running Position of 14.5, 10th-best
10 – Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 81.6
2009 Rundown
# Five top fives, 12 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.0
# Led 11 races for 157 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# Two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s; four poles
# Average finish of 14.2 in 15 races
# Has led 537 laps
# Driver Rating of 90.3, 10th-best
# 96 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
# 1,696 Laps in the Top 15 (63.6%), seventh-most
11 – Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.4
2009 Rundown
# Two top fives, 12 top 10s
# Average finish of 13.8
# Led six races for 164 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# Average finish of 20.6 in five races
# Has led six races
# Driver Rating of 74.4, 20th-best
12 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford)
# Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.2
2009 Rundown
# Eight top fives, 12 top 10s
# Average finish of 14.5
# Led 11 races for 432 laps
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:
# One win, four top fives, five top 10s
# Average finish of 18.1
# Has led 85 laps
# Average Running Position of 14.6, 11th-best
# Driver Rating of 88.8, 13th-best
# 73 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
Odds and Ends - New Hampshire
By VI News
Notebook
# There have been 29 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 29 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).
# 19 different drivers have posted victories, led by Jeff Burton (four).
# In June, Joey Logano became the all-time youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner at 19 years, one month and four days.
# 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.
# The deepest in the field that a New Hampshire race winner started was 38th, by Jeff Burton in 1999.
# The last race winner to win from the pole was Clint Bowyer in 2007.
# There have been nine consecutive different race winners.
# 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 race.
The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
# 22 different drivers have made the Chase, including Brian Vickers and Juan Pablo Montoya, who each made their first Chase this season.
# There will be 3,152 laps and 4,095.48 miles run during the 2009 Chase.
# Only one driver has made all six Chases for the NASCAR Sprint Cup: Jimmie Johnson
# Three drivers have made five Chases: Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth. Kenseth has made all five previous Chases, but missed this year’s after finishing the regular season 14th in points.
# In the 50 Chase races, Jimmie Johnson has won a series-high 14 races. He’s followed by Carl Edwards (six), Greg Biffle (six), Tony Stewart (four) and Jeff Gordon (three).
# Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to average a top-10 finish in Chase races (8.7).
# In the 50 Chase races, Greg Biffle has an average finish of 14.4. But in the 20 Chase races where he was in contention for the championship, Biffle has an average finish of 9.6.
# Three drivers have notched more than 20 top-five finishes during Chase races: Jimmie Johnson (26), Jeff Gordon (22) and Carl Edwards (20).
# Nine drivers have more than 20 top-10 finishes during Chase races: Jimmie Johnson (36), Jeff Gordon (34), Carl Edwards (29), Tony Stewart (26), Kevin Harvick (25), Kurt Busch (25), Matt Kenseth (23), Greg Biffle (22) and Jeff Burton (22).
# Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, two drivers have a Driver Rating of at least 100.0: Jimmie Johnson (108.8) and Carl Edwards (100.0).
# Ryan Newman’s average starting position in Chase races is 10.9, which ranks second to Jimmie Johnson’s 9.5. But in the 20 Chase races Newman has been in contention for a championship, he has an average starting position of 5.1.
Note: The first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season determine which 12 drivers qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, contested over the final 10 races of the season.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data
Race #: 27 of 36 (9-20-09)
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 115.8
Jeff Gordon 109.4
Jimmie Johnson 105.3
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 102.6
Denny Hamlin 100.1
Kevin Harvick 96.9
Mark Martin 93.4
Jeff Burton 92.5
Martin Truex Jr. 91.3
Ryan Newman 90.3
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2009 races (9 total) at New Hampshire.
Qualifying/Race Data
2008 pole winner: None (inclement weather)
2008 race winner: Greg Biffle, 105.468 mph, 9-14-08)
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
Driver Handicaps: New Hampshire
By Racingone.com
This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Sunday's Sylvania 300. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 300-lap event.
Who's HOT at New Hampshire
• Denny Hamlin leads all full-time drivers with an 8.3 average finish.
• Tony Stewart has one win and five finishes of eighth or better in his last nine starts.
• Jeff Burton leads all drivers with four wins.
• Two-time winner Jimmie Johnson has finished in the top 10 in seven of his last eight starts.
• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in top fives (13), top 10s (16) and laps led (1,205).
Keep an Eye on at New Hampshire
• Martin Truex Jr. has four top 10s with the COT at New Hampshire.
• Greg Biffle is the defending race winner.
• Clint Bowyer and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have led more than 100 laps with the COT at New Hampshire.
• Mark Martin will be driving the same car that won at Phoenix and finished fourth last weekend at Richmond.
• Kyle Busch has one win and four top fives at New Hampshire.
• Kevin Harvick has one win and an average finish of 13.8 in 17 starts at New Hampshire.
• Sam Hornish Jr. and David Reutimann finished in the top 10 at New Hampshire in June.
• Joey Logano won the rain-shortened race at New Hampshire in June.
RacingOne Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Jeff Gordon
Pete Pistone: Jimmie Johnson
Rachael West: Kurt Busch
Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings
(All stats/notes are in regards to New Hampshire unless noted)
1. Mark Martin: Finished 14th in first track start with Hendrick Motorsports in June; Posted 13 top 10s in previous 24 starts with Roush Racing; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 538) that won at Phoenix and finished fourth last weekend at Richmond.
2. Tony Stewart: Two-time winner; Finished fifth in first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing; Has 13 top 10s and a 12.2 average finish in 21 starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 535) that led 40 laps in June.
3. Jimmie Johnson: Two-time winner; Has finished ninth or better in last five starts; Led 93 laps and finished ninth in June; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 540) that he drove at NHMS earlier this season.
4. Denny Hamlin: Leads all drivers with two or more starts with an 8.3 average finish; Won the 2007 July race after leading 46 laps; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 246) in the Sylvania 300.
5. Kasey Kahne: Finished 10th in June; Finish was fifth top 10 in 11 starts; Has not led a lap in the last eight races.
6. Jeff Gordon: Three-time race and pole winner; Led 64 laps and finished second in June; Finish was fourth finish of third of better in last six races; Will return in the same car (chassis 542) that raced at NHMS this year and also finished eighth at Richmond in May.
7. Kurt Busch: Has posted an average finish of 3.3 in last three starts; Captured his third win in the 2008 June race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 576) that finished third in June.
8. Brian Vickers: Finished 35th in last two starts; Best finish (16th) with Team Red Bull came in the 2008 June race; Scored one pole and a top-five finish in first six track starts with Hendrick Motorsports.
9. Carl Edwards: Led 61 laps and finished third in this event last year; Finish was second top five in 10 starts; Will race the same car (chassis No. 647) that finished 19th in June.
10. Ryan Newman: Finished 29th in first track start with Stewart-Haas in June; Captured two wins and nine top 10s in previous 14 track starts with Penske Racing.
11. Juan Pablo Montoya: Will make 100th career Sprint Cup start; Best finish (12th) in five starts came in June; Has yet to lead a lap; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 907) in the Sylvania 300.
12. Greg Biffle: Defending race winner; Victory was one of five top 10s in 14 starts; Will race the same car (chassis No. 610) that finished 18th in June.
13. Kyle Busch: Finished seventh in June: Finish was first top 10 in three starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Won the 2005 June race with Hendrick Motorsports; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 251) in the Sylvania 300.
14. Matt Kenseth: Has a 26.7 average finish in last three starts; Last of 11 top 10s came in this event in 2007; Best finish is a second, coming in the 2004 September race.
15. Clint Bowyer: Won this event in 2007 after leading 222 laps; Win is only top 10 in seven starts; Finished 20th in June; Will race the same car (chassis No. 265) that finished sixth at Atlanta in March.
16. David Reutimann: Finished fourth in June for first top 10 in five starts.
17. Marcos Ambrose: Finished 23rd in first Sprint Cup track start in June.
18. Jeff Burton: Four-time winner; Led every lap in this event in 2000; All wins came with Roush Racing; Has posted a 12.4 average finish in 10 starts with Richard Childress Racing; Will race the same car (chassis No. 255) that finished 18th at Richmond last weekend.
19. Joey Logano: Won first career Sprint Cup race in June; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 250) that finished 27th at Pocono in August.
20. Casey Mears: Finished 11th in first track start with Richard Childress Racing in June; Two top 10s came with Hendrick Motorsports; Led 53 laps in the 2008 June race; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 248) that ran in the top 15 for most of the last weekend at Richmond before a penalty resulted in a 30th-place finish.
21. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Has posted an average finish of 14.0 in three starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Led 79 laps and finished fifth in this event last year; Seven previous top 10s came with Dale Earnhardt, Inc; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 541) that finished 13th at New Hampshire in June.
22. Kevin Harvick: Won this event in 2006; Nine top 10s in 17 starts; Will race the same car (chassis No. 285) that finished ninth at Richmond last weekend.
23. Jamie McMurray: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in seven starts with Roush Fenway Racing; Three top 10s came with Ganassi Racing in 2003 and 2004; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 637) that finished seventh in May.
24. AJ Allmendinger: Worst track on the circuit based on 36.5 average finish; 32nd-place finish in June is best in four starts.
25. Martin Truex Jr: Finished 37th in June after a crash took him out of contention; Finish ended a streak of four consecutive top 10s; Will drive chassis No. 31 for the first time in 2009.
26. Sam Hornish Jr: Scored first top 10 in three starts in June with an eighth-place finish.
27. Elliott Sadler: Has two top 10s in six starts with Gillett Evernham/Richard Petty Motorsports; Three other top 10s in 21 overall starts came with Robert Yates Racing.
28. Reed Sorenson: Second-best track on the circuit based on 18.0 average finish; Finished 17th in first track start with Richard Petty Motorsports in June. Lone top 10 in seven starts came in the 2008 June race with Ganassi Racing.
29. David Ragan: Has a 28.0 average finish in five starts; Will race the same car (chassis No. 534) that finished 38th in June.
30. Bobby Labonte: Will race the No. 71 Chevrolet for TRG Motorsports; Finished 21st in June with Hall of Fame Racing; Overall, has 10 top 10s in 29 starts.
Top 5 Nascar Drivers to win New Hampshire
By Rocky Atkinson
The Sprint Cup boys move to New Hampshire this Sunday for the 27th race of the season. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a 1.058 mile Oval 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!!
This is the first race in the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship. The Top 12 drivers will be trying for the title. Mark Martin is the leader now as he won 4 races during the season. He's followed by Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson in 2nd and 3rd place and they are 10 points behind him. Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne round out the top 5 in 4th and 5th place respectively and they sit 20 points back. Jeff Gordon is in 6th, Kurt Busch in 7th and Brian Vickers sits in the 8th spot all 30 points behind the leader. The rest sit 40 points behind Martin with Carl Edwards in 9th, Ryan Newman in 10th, Juan Montoya in 11th and Greg Biffle sitting in the 12th position.
For starters, I think Jeff Gordon has the best shot of winning this race. Gordon has 3 wins, 13 Top 5 finishes and 16 Top 10 finishes in his 29 starts here in New Hampshire. Gordon has an average finish of 11.3 here in New Hampshire. Past two years, Jeff Gordon's average finish at track type - FLAT SHORT TRACK is 11.1. In 13 races, he has 0 wins and 8 top 10 finishes.
Next in line I would go with Tony Stewart. Stewart has two wins,11 Top 5 finishes and 13 Top 10 finishes in 21 starts here in New Hampshire. Stewart has an average finish of 12.2 here in New Hampshire. Past 2 years, Tony Stewart's average finish at track type - FLAT SHORT TRACK is 9.5. In 13 races, he has 0 wins and 8 top 10 finishes. Tony Stewart's average finish over the past 10 races is 10.2. In 10 races, he has 2 wins and 6 top 10 finishes.
Then, back in my 3rd spot, I have to go with a sleeper in Joey Logano. Logano has one win, 1 Top 5 finish and 1 Top 10 finish in his 2 starts in New Hampshire. Logano has an average finish of 16.5 here in New Hampshire. Logano won the last race at this track earlier this season.
Looking at my pick for the 4th spot we turn to Kurt Busch. Kurt Busch has three wins, 6 Top 5 finishes and 8 Top 10 finishes in his 17 starts in New Hampshire. Kurt Busch has an average finish of 14.8 in New Hampshire.
Rounding out my Top 5 and sitting in the 5th position is Ryan Newman. Newman has two wins, five Top 5 finishes and 9 Top 10 finishes in his 15 starts in New Hampshire. Newman has an average finish of 14.2 in New Hampshire. Ryan Newman's average finish over the past 3 races is 8.3. In 3 races, he has 0 wins and 3 top 10 finishes.
The odds for these drivers to win in New Hampshire currently.
#24 Jeff Gordon 6 to 1
#14 Tony Stewart 15 to 2
#20 Joey Logano 15 to 1
#2 Kurt Busch 11 to 1
#39 Ryan Newman 25 to 1
Montoya kicks off his Chase bid with N.H. pole
Loudon, NH (Sports Network) - Juan Pablo Montoya set a new track qualifying record at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday to take the pole for the Sylvania 300 -- the first race in the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" championship.
Montoya, one of the 12 drivers competing in this year's Chase, lapped the 1.058-mile oval at 133.431 m.p.h. (28.545 seconds) in his No.42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet for his second career Sprint Cup Series pole. He topped Ryan Newman's track qualifying record, set in September 2003. Montoya also led the way in today's Cup practice at New Hampshire.
"I think it's nice to be able to run this good," Montoya said. "A little lady luck on our side and we'll be fine.
Montoya's first pole came in April at Talladega. He will start the Chase in 11th place.
Tony Stewart, the second-seed driver in the Chase, will start on the outside pole after qualifying 0.18 seconds behind Montoya. Stewart held the points lead for the last 14 races, but now finds himself 10 markers behind Mark Martin.
"I'm happy with the way we qualified," Stewart said. "When we qualify good here, we normally race good here."
Kurt Busch matched Stewart's qualifying time, but will start third by virtue of his current points ranking of seventh.
"[The car] felt solid right off the truck," said Busch, who won the first Chase race at New Hampshire in 2004. "We're real good on the adjustments we made. We used some of it from last week at Richmond and some from the first race here this year."
Denny Hamlin qualified fourth, and Carl Edwards took the fifth spot. The top- five drivers in qualifying are in the Chase.
David Stremme, Martin Truex Jr., Bobby Labonte, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon, a Chase driver, completed the top-10.
Mark Martin, the top-seed driver in the Chase, will start 14th.
The remaining drivers in the Chase and their starting positions include: Kasey Kahne (11th), Jimmie Johnson (16th), Ryan Newman (18th), Greg Biffle (22nd) and Brian Vickers (26th). Biffle is the defending race winner.
Derrike Cope and Dexter Bean failed to qualify.
Sunday's 300-lap race is scheduled to start just after 2:00 p.m. (et).
Sylvania 300 Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard
Despite not leading the NASCAR standings during the regular season Mark Martin, thanks to four regular season wins, moved up 10 spots to first place with 5,040 points as the 10-race playoff known as the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins this Sunday at 1 p.m. at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Sylvania 300.
Way back in February before the season started I recommended a future sports investment on Jimmie Johnson winning the Sprint Cup for the fourth consecutive year. Before the season began you would have bought this option at 7/2 on the money line. Funny enough those odds have not dropped significantly as BetOnline is offering 5/2 on Johnson to win the Chase.
BetOnline has odds for the rest of the field to win the Chase (in order of next favorite) as well. Mark Martin and Tony Stewart are set at 3/1 while four-time Sprint Cup Champion Jeff Gordon is 4/1, Denny Hamlin is 8/1, Carl Edwards is 10/1, Kurt Busch is 25/1, Kasey Kahne is 25/1, Greg Biffle is 25/1, Ryan Newman is 30/1, Juan Pablo Montoya is 30/1, and Brian Vickers 30/1. While it’s almost a forgone conclusion that JJ will win the Chase this year (remember seven of 10 Chase races play to Johnson’s strengths) if you are looking for a live middle-odds pick take Denny Hamlin at 8/1. What is that they say about the No. 11 sponsor? I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hamlin deliver the Cup either, but not overnight.
Who will win the 2009 Sylvania 300?
Of the 12 races that make up the Chase, NHMS has got to be my least favorite. Not because of the track or the location either; it’s in my own backyard and for $39 it’s a great deal of entertainment. While I’m on the subject let me just give a shout-out to the ladies of NHMS as well! No, what I dislike about Loudon, NH is that no matter what the weather is like you can almost lay book on the fact that there will be numerous rain delays as well as, if recent history is any indication, rain-shortened races, which for the serious NASCAR fan this is as odious as spending Sunday morning watching “Meet the Press” with their grandmother. It’s a glorious, sunny day leading into the weekend but that doesn’t mean it is a harbinger for Sunday’s weather.
This makes the first race in the Chase difficult to handicap. Murphy, the Optimist, said all skill is in vain when an Angel pisses down the barrel of your rifle and the same is true when that Angel pisses all over your racetrack -- no matter how short or poorly banked it might be.
That said, you can pretty much throw out all the past performances, loop data, crew chiefs and teams when the Angel starts to piss in Loudon. Kurt Busch, the only Busch to make the Chase this year, has done well at New Hampshire. Kurt finished the season fifth in points after Richmond where he finished second after running a great race, but dropped to seventh in the Chase when the points were reset for the 10-race playoff. New Hampshire is a great place to start the Chase since it is so wide-open.
Kurt is a three-time winner at NHMS, sweeping both races in 2004. Remember, last June Kurt limped into pit row in first place when NASCAR officials called the race, giving Busch the back-door win. Then in June of this year the “Blue Deuce” finished third at NHMS. Busch is currently in a three-race streak of finishing in the top 10 at New Hampshire, but after Sunday I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a new two-race streak of finishing in the top-five at NHMS.
Pick! Kurt Busch, No. 2, (11/1)
Lucky Dog Long Odds Special
If the Chase is all about peaking at the right time then Kasey Kahne is worth a look at for your sports investment portfolio. Kahne returns to the Chase field after missing out the last two years. He will start his quest for his first Sprint Cup as the fifth seed. He finished 12th at Richmond, after running a defensive race, and moved up one spot in the rankings and now he sits 20 points behind Martin. Kahne finished the regular season with two wins, five Top-5s and 10 Top-10s. However, in 11 starts at NHMS Kahne has never finished better than fourth place and that accounts for his one Top-5 finish. Kahne hasn’t done great at Loudon. In five of his last six races he has finished outside of the Top 10. In the spring race Kahne finished 10th and last September he finished 11th. But then he looked really good at Atlanta where he qualified second and ended up winning the race. That was only two weeks ago and I think he still has some of that momentum to recommend the No. 9 car my Lucky Dog Long Odds play.
Pick! Kasey Kahne, No.9, (20/1)
Odds for Top 3 Finish
Picking up on a point I made earlier in the column, I absolutely love the way Hamlin has been driving going into the Chase. In fact in his last six races he has the best average finish of all Chase drivers at 5.5. But, I need to temper my love against the jinx of picking Hamlin to win. I guess my main problem with Hamlin is that I don’t really see him as a risk taker (like Edwards, for instance) and that can hurt a driver during the Chase when drivers need to take risks rather than just drive for points. Hamlin comes into New Hampshire off of a win at Richmond last week for his second win of the season. He finished the season in fourth place with nine Top-5s and 14 Top-10 finishes along with his two wins. Hamlin starts his quest for the Sprint Cup in fourth place, tied with Kahne, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he improves on this position after this Sunday.
Pick! Denny Hamlin, No. 11, (9/5)
Docssports.com
Practice Notes - New Hampshire
By Micah Roberts
On Friday Juan Pablo Montoya won his second pole position of the season and also the second of his career. Saturday, Montoya picked up right where he left off during the final practice sessions in preparation for Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Montoya not only led Friday’s early practice geared towards qualifying - then took the pole, but he carried those blazing speeds into Saturday and was fastest in both sessions. In each practice, Montoya was the only driver to pass he 130 mph barrier on a lap. During happy hour he laid down the quickest lap of the day at 130.376 mph.
Montoya brought a brand new chassis this week and with it, became the only driver this season to sweep all three practice sessions prior to any given race, a rarity considering race conditions on separate days and having two different set-ups in race and qualifying trim.
Montoya will look to improve upon his career average of 20th at New Hampshire in the first race of the Chase on Sunday. His 12th place finish In the June race was already a vast improvement over what he did in his first two seasons on the track, and now with the beast of a car he has this week, he should be able to improve upon his best even further.
Kurt Busch is a three time winner in New Hampshire and was very impressive in Saturday’s practices. He was seventh fastest in the early session while running the most laps and then came out in happy hour and was second fastest behind Montoya while running the third most laps. Busch brought the same chassis that a great run in the June race finishing third.
It should come as little surprise that points leader Mark Martin had a great pair of practices because he brought the same chassis that won at Phoenix earlier this year which was also run last week at Richmond finishing fourth.
The correlation between Phoenix, New Hampshire, and Richmond has always been strong over the years with several drivers winning multiple races during a year on those tracks using the same chassis for each. Despite the three tracks being vastly different in configuration, the length and banking make them similar in crew chiefs minds.
Martin’s teammate, Jimmie Johnson, has also been the beneficiary of having dominant rides on all three tracks over his career. He brought the same chassis from June’s race that led the most laps before the rain came. During practice, Johnson showed that his car is just as good now as it was then with the fifth fastest lap in each session while running the most laps of the day.
Martin Truex Jr. brought a brand new car, just like his teammate Juan Pablo Montoya and the results were very similar in practice. He was second fastest in the early session and third fastest in happy hour. Loudon has traditionally been one of Truex’s best tracks. His poor finish in June ended a streak of four consecutive top-10 finishes on the track. He’s a great dark horse this week to spoil the Chase party.
Other drivers that had great runs Saturday who aren’t in the Chase were Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Harvick had the ninth fastest lap in happy hour using the same car that was very racey last week in Richmond. The best sign for a good run from Harvick was that he had the third best average times in the final session.
Earnhardt Jr was sixth fastest during happy hour using the same chassis that ran 13th in June’s race. The positive note for Junior is that his car was been able to run completive speeds with the leaders, something hasn’t happened very much in practice for him all season.
Final Practice session (Happy Hour)
1) Juan Pablo Montoya 130.376 mph - AVG 39 laps @ 128.337
2) Kurt Busch 129.843 mph - AVG 61 laps @ 128.035
3) Martin Truex Jr 129.843 mph - AVG 45 laps @ 128.270
4) Mark Martin 129.820 mph - AVG 56 laps @ 128.004
5) Jimmie Johnson 129.758 mph - AVG 67 laps @ 127.955
Second Practice session:
1) Juan Pablo Monyoya 130.131 mph - AVG 33 laps @ 128.208
2) Martin Truex Jr 129.922 mph - AVG 31 laps @ 127.590
3) Mark Martin 129.688 mph - AVG 43 laps @ 128.053
4) David Stremme 129.639 mph - AVG 32 laps @ 126.453
5) Jimmie Johnson 129.595 mph - AVG 46 laps @ 128.037
TOP 10 Rated Drivers for New Hampshire based on Saturday’s practice sessions, current state of team, last weeks Richmond race, with a mix of Phoenix and June’s Loudon race.
1) Jimmie Johnson
2) Juan Pablo Montoya
3) Kurt Busch
4) Mark Martin
5) Denny Hamlin
6) Tony Stewart
7) Martin Truex Jr
8) Jeff Gordon
9) Kevin Harvick
10) Dale Earnhardt Jr