Race No. 5: A&W Cruisin’ The Dub 300 at Motoplex Speedway
The fifth race of the 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season marks the first race out west for the series as part of a three-race West coast swing that includes a stop in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The first stop of the three is the half-mile tri-oval in Vernon, British Columbia, known as Motoplex Speedway.
Coming to Motoplex with the momentum is D.J. Kennington, who has won the previous two oval events at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and Delaware Speedway. The two wins earned him the top spot on the Hunter Index, which was launched in 2010 to highlight the standout performances in the NASCAR touring and regional series. A panel of NASCAR experts and media debate driver’s accomplishments of a single month to see who they feel should be at the top.
“Claiming the first two oval races on the Canadian Tire Series to compliment some nice early season runs at road courses makes Kennington a real threat to run off with his second series title in three years,” Tim Quievryn of TheThirdTurn.com says in NASCAR’s press release.
Kennington, who heads to Motoplex leading by 13 points over Andrew Ranger, has finished in the runner-up position in each of the last two races at Motoplex. He has also finished inside the top five in each of his five starts. Though for 2010 series champion, he has a current streak of six straight top-five finishes and seven consecutive top 10s.
The one to beat on the half-mile is Scott Steckly as he has won the last two events in B.C. The two-time series champion has not finished worse than second in his five B.C. starts and has five top-five finishes in his last six series starts dating back to last season. He currently sits fourth in points after finishing 14th at CTMP and second at Delaware.
Other past winners on the half-mile in B.C. are J.R. Fitzpatrick, Andrew Ranger and Don Thomson Jr.
Fitzpatrick won the inaugural race in 2007 at Motoplex Speedway, before logging top 10s each year that followed; he finished eighth last season. He currently sits third in the standings after finishing third at CTMP and 14th at Delaware. Fitzpatrick will have 2008 Motoplex Speedway winner Dom Thomson Jr. atop his pit box as his crew chief.
Ranger will be making his first Motoplex start after winning the race in 2009. In the two previous starts before the win, he had one top-10 finish. Though Ranger is one to watch without a doubt as he has finished inside the top 1- in 26 of his last 27 series starts, dating back to 2008. The two-time series champion currently sits second in points.
Another driver looking for a good run at Motoplex Speedway is Jason White as this is his home track and the title sponsor of the race sponsors his No. 21 Dodge each week. White currently sits ninth in points, 12 points out of fifth.
“Our performance this season has been improving at every event,” White says. “The whole gang at DJK Racing has given me a great car every weekend and we’re competing hard each time out.”
The best finish that the 2008 Rookie of the Year winner has on his hometrack is a seventh place finish while finishing 11th last year. White will be joined on track by his brother Jim White, who will be driving the No. 24 A&W Dodge.
“It’s going to be so exciting to race against Jim,” Jason White says. “He’s a heck of a racer and I’m looking forward to battling with him head to head.”
It will mark the sixth carer start for Jim White after having a memorable top 10 finish last year at Motoplex.
“I started thinking about it a few months ago,” Jim White says. “I talked with my former Crew Chief Tyler Case who now works for Scott Steckly and it was Tyler who really made this happen and has prepped the car for this weekend.”
While the previous drivers mentioned have loads of experience, 20-year-old Ryley Siebert will be making his second series start after making his debut last season at Auto Clear Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, Sask. The Williams Lake, B.C. native calls Motoplex Speedway his home track and is a regular Late Model competitor.
“I’m certainly comfortable there and know the track very well,” he says. “But there is some pressure that comes with it. I’ll have a lot of friends and family at the race and they are going to expect me to protect my home turf.”
The second-generation driver is hoping to have a solid run, hoping to run all 300 laps, well finishing ahead of his father, Trevor Seibert.
“When I was younger, my dad was my hero,” Ryley Seibert says. “Now that I’m 20 and share the race track with him, I just want to beat him. He beat me not too long ago in his Late Model, so I need to get a little payback.”
For Kevin Harvick, Family is First
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[/media-credit]There was no doubt that Kevin Harvick was anxious last weekend at Daytona with his wife DeLana ready to bring the child known as ‘Baby Otis’ into the world and his race car ready to run under the lights.
Harvick was indeed ready to miss a race if needed in order to be there for the birth of his son. But all worked out for the best and dad was indeed able to get his wife to the hospital on time.
“I was actually home and prepared not to come back if that situation at home,” Harvick said. “Everyone knew where I stood on that.”
“Richard (Childress) has been a big supporter in that and it’s always been family first.”
But all worked out well and the Harvick’s welcomed Keelan Paul Harvick on Sunday, July 8th at 6.8 lbs. and 19.5 inches.
“Waiting on Keelan was the longest nine months of my entire life,” Harvick admitted. “But time literally stood still when I held him for the first time.”
“DeLana and I are just amazed by how special and rewarding this is.”
For both Keelan’s father and mother, the past week has been most eventful. And, of course, Harvick had to pay a bit of a price for getting wife DeLana to the hospital just two hours before the baby was born.
“Dad waited a little long to get her to the hospital,” Harvick said of wife DeLana. “I was obviously not her favorite person as they told her they wouldn’t give her an epidural.”
“She did good,” Harvick continued. “She had it all natural, no drugs or nothing.”
“We had a healthy baby boy and that was the most important things,” Harvick said. “Everybody is good and at home, doing normal things.”
In spite of the rush in getting to the hospital and in spite of being one of NASCAR’s most proficient drivers, Harvick admitted he did not speed while taking his wife in to deliver.
“First off, I did drive her to the hospital,” Harvick said. “The only part for me is that it wasn’t very fast because she was obviously in a lot of pain.”
“We didn’t make any real fast corners,” Harvick continued. “We would go straight and fast.”
“So, I didn’t get yelled at on the drive over and that was my goal.”
Harvick acknowledged what every new parent knows, that of the joys of sleep deprivation with a new little one in the house.
“Yeah, the sleeping pattern is different for sure,” Harvick said. “But we’re fortunate to have a lot of help, obviously with her mom being right there, we’ve been able to incorporate her into everything that is going on.”
“It’s definitely been a change but nothing as bad as everybody made it sound like for sure,” Harvick continued. “It’s been great.”
In typical Harvick style, with both mom and dad being very active in the world of social media, baby Harvick has his own Twitter account already.
“Well Keelan has his own everything because I didn’t want some crazy ass fan getting hold of this Twitter name or his website,” Harvick said. “So he has everything that you could imagine from top to bottom just as more of a personal security piece of mind than anything.”
Harvick did affirm, however, that there was no race vehicle available to baby Keelan, at least at present.
“We’re hoping for no go karts,” Harvick said. “We’re hoping for golf clubs.”
“We’re hoping that we go in a different direction there,” Harvick continued. “But whatever he wants to do.”
With the birth behind him, Harvick is now preparing for what he loves to do this weekend, being back at the track behind the wheel of the No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet. And he is relieved and ready to take on the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“You know, it’s nice to come to the race track now to be honest with you,” Harvick said. “Over the last few weeks, the anxiety of just everything that was going to happen with having a baby and knowing that everything is settled at home and everybody is healthy.”
“That was the part I was worried about most,” Harvick continued. “Definitely the most relaxed that I’ve been able to be in weeks coming to the track.”
“Obviously this is a place that Shane (Wilson, crew chief) and his guys have had a lot of success at,” Harvick said of the ‘Magic Mile’. “We’ve been fortunate to run well here as well in the past, so we are just looking forward to getting on the race track.”
While Harvick’s eye will be on a checkered flag, he no doubt will be thinking often of his little one at home.
“He’s just starting to get that little smile where he opens his eyes and looks at you,” Harvick said. “It’s pretty neat.”
“That was the best moment I’ve ever got to experience in my life.”
Eddie D’Hondt, Jeff Gordon’s Spotter, Sees a Team on the Verge
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[/media-credit]While Eddie D’Hondt has done just about everything in his career, from racing modifieds in the Northeast to spotting for four-time champion Jeff Gordon, he is absolutely sure of one thing.
D’Hondt is firmly convinced that the No. 24 team is on the verge of taking the checkered flag and, once that occurs, that there will be other wins to follow.
“We’ve had some awful good races and we’re so close and on the verge of busting out,” D’Hondt said. “Working with Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and getting to know Jeff (Gordon) more and more has been very rewarding.”
“Once we finally have our day, it will all come together.”
D’Hondt brings years of racing experience to the spotter’s stand for team 24. He has worked for drivers the likes of Tony Stewart, Kenny Wallace and Bill Elliott, as well as owning his own Nationwide team with Tommy Baldwin and working for Yates Racing.
“Since I left Yates, I’ve been pretty much spotting for teams,” D’Hondt said. “I’ve worked for Kyle Busch the last year and a half and now Jeff Gordon.”
“So, that’s my journey.”
Because of his diversified background, on and off the track, D’Hondt feels that he brings multiple characteristics to the spotter’s stand. But he credits his time behind the wheel as the key to effective spotting from the sky.
“I think having been a driver helps me understand a little bit of the driver’s aspect of it and understanding the cars,” D’Hondt said. “I stay on top of that as best I can.”
“A lot of spotters were drivers at one point so it helps.”
D’Hondt also acknowledges that his spotting style varies, depending both on the type of track and on the type of driver.
“It may vary for sure,” D’Hondt said. “At a speedway race, the driver and spotter talk a lot more.”
“Here at New Hampshire, it’s more the crew chief than me talking,” D’Hondt continued. “I also spot for Justin Allgaier in the Nationwide Series and Miguel Paludo in the Truck Series, so whatever feedback, like tire wear or other trends, I’ll bring it to their attention.”
In his career, D’Hondt has seen many changes in the role of the spotter. And that evolution has kept him constantly busy on the stand, with breaks in the action being few and far between.
“The evolution of the spotter has changed over the last few years,” D’Hondt said. “It used to be when a caution came out, you could take a drink or relax a little bit.”
“Now, there’s a lot more action,” D’Hondt continued. “We’re looking for cars coming around so we don’t hit them or looking for problems in the pit stalls. Pit road is tight and cars are coming at the last second.”
Because of all this action, D’Hondt advises preparation for each and every race is key. And once the race starts, focus is all important, especially with juggling multiple radios as well as seeing the activities on track.
“Two hours before a race, I’ll go up and start getting into my mental mode,” D’Hondt said. “Once the race starts, you could blow a bomb up next to me and I would never notice.”
“I have five radios on, so I’m listening to a tremendous amount of things,” D’Hondt continued. “I listen to the race broadcast, NASCAR, myself, and I have a digital radio when the crew chief talks to me.”
“So, it’s pretty dizzying,” D’Hondt said. “But that’s all just part of me being able to give information when it’s applicable or warranted.”
Of course, because spotters are human too, there are other preparations that have to occur before they came atop the stand.
“There’s a lot of goofy stuff we have to do to prepare for a race, like make sure we got to the bathroom before it starts,” D’Hondt said. “Like at the Charlotte 600, you’ve better have gone because there’s no time once you’re up there.”
“I generally won’t drink anything two hours before a race,” D’Hondt continued “Once the race starts, I’ll take a drink every once in awhile.”
“I also chew gum to keep my mouth going,” D’Hondt said. “The only time we’ll eat anything is in between practices because that’s a decent enough break.”
One of the more recent challenges that spotters like D’Hondt have had to face is the ever changing paint schemes on their drivers’ cars. This played special havoc for D’Hondt last weekend at Daytona when driver Jeff Gordon was in the black Pepsi Max race car.
“We had a black car at a dark race track last Saturday and when the wrecks started happening and there’s smoke, it’s really hard,” D’Hondt said. “You just have to feel your way through it.”
“It’s almost a sixth sense.”
“I come early and walk around the garages to make sure I know what the sponsors are and whose car number is whose because a lot of times, Jeff will ask,” D’Hondt continued. “So that’s part of my job.”
While many consider the role of spotter as glamorous and exciting, D’Hondt affirms the most serious aspect of the job.
“It’s got its glamorous side to it,” D’Hondt said. “But at times, it can be pretty intense.”
“It’s our job to keep the drivers safe first and foremost.”
While safety is supreme, spotters also play important roles as information givers, as well as cheerleaders and encouragers. And of course, that balance depends greatly on the driver, his tenure in the sport and his own expertise behind the wheel.
“Sometimes I feel like cheerleading might be a good thing, but there are other times when you just have to let them concentrate and do their jobs,” D’Hondt said. “So, there’s a little bit of a fine line there.”
“I think it depends on the driver,” D’Hondt said. “With Jeff, as a four-time champion, I don’t have to tell him much.”
“With a second year driver in the Truck Series, he still has a lot to learn,” D’Hondt continued. “I can say, in the right moment, a lot to help him.”
Of all the drivers he has worked with, D’Hondt expresses highest admiration for his current driver and four-time champion.
“Jeff has been there, done that and he knows,” D’Hondt said. “So, I talk a whole lot less when it comes to Jeff.”
“I’ve worked with a lot of drivers with tenure in our sport, but Jeff Gordon to me is the consummate professional,” D’Hondt continued. “He amazes me how he never gets rattled, never takes his anger out on his guys and is just very professional.”
“I like that and I like to carry myself the same way.”
With D’Hondt atop the spotters’ stand and Jeff Gordon behind the wheel, this spotter knows it is just a matter of time until he, his team and driver finally reach Victory Lane. And with one win will no doubt come others as well.
“We’ve had a pretty rough year, not because we haven’t had fast cars or cars capable of winning,” D’Hondt said. “I feel like once we win our first race, it won’t be our last.”
“I feel like now, we’re in a pretty good rhythm,” D’Hondt continued. “And having won in the past, I know I will never lose sight of what winning will mean.”
Busch squeaks past Kahne and Hamlin for NHMS pole
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[/media-credit]By just 0.003 and 0.004 seconds respectively, Kyle Busch, in the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, nudged both Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin out of the way to score the pole for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
This was Busch’s first pole of the 2012 season to date and his first pole in 15 races at the ‘Magic Mile.’
“There hasn’t been a lot of times where I’ve qualified on the pole for 30 or 40 races,” Busch said. “It’s been awhile.”
“Excellent lap,” Busch continued. “I just tried to hit the same marks I did in practice. We picked up a little bit here and a little bit there and that led to the fastest lap.”
While several other competitors had too close encounters with the wall, including Greg Biffle, Busch denied touching the wall during his time trial run as some had suspected.
“I didn’t feel it,” Busch said. “If anything, it was close. I just knew I got in the throttle early to make speed, but the car slipped at the last second and slid out to the cushion point.”
“But there’s no mark on the car.”
Busch was the last out to make his time trial run, however, he absolutely refused to watch any of his competitors take their qualifying laps before him.
“I don’t pay attention to what anyone else is doing,” Busch said. “That screws me up more than it helps me.”
“I didn’t watch anything,” Busch continued. “I just had to put those thoughts out of my mind and make the most of the lap.”
“We haven’t found the magic way to get around the Magic Mile,” Busch said. “So, I think today we did.”
Kasey Kahne, in the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, qualified second, with a time of 28.551 seconds and a speed of 133.403 mph. This was Kahne’s 15th top-15 start of the season and his sixth in 17 races at New Hampshire.
“It felt really good,” Kahne said. “I was right on the edge the whole lap of being free but I was able to make it work.”
“It was a solid lap and really close as far as the times.”
As Kahne said, qualifying was close and right behind him was Denny Hamlin, who qualified his No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota in the third position. Hamlin’s time was 28.552 second, with a speed of 133.399 mph.
This was Hamlin’s fifth top-10 start at the ‘Magic Mile’ and his 10th in 19 races for the 2012 season.
“A lot like Kasey’s, we were really on the edge most of the time,” Hamlin said. “That was pretty much all I had speed-wise.”
“Sure maybe I could have squeezed four thousandths out of it somehow so it’s awful tight up front.”
Martin Truex, Jr., in the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, and Clint Bowyer in the No. 15 5-hour Energy Toyota, rounded out the top-five in qualifying.
Other drivers had polar opposite complaints about their qualifying runs.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., in the No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet, complained bitterly that his car was too tight, while new father Kevin Harvick felt his 29 Rheem Chevrolet was too loose.
Dale Junior qualified in the ninth position, while Harvick scored P12 in time trials.
“Our car was a little bit too tight,” Dale Earnhardt, Jr. said. “We erred on the side of being conservative as far as making sure the rear had enough grip.”
“Traditionally, this track gets really slick in qualifying,” Junior continued. “That probably helped us actually put together a decent lap and have a good starting spot.”
“But we could have been a little better if we weren’t quite as tight as we were.”
“We were just a little bit too loose up off the corner,” Harvick said in contrast. “But all in all, it was faster than we ran in practice so that is always a good thing here.”
One of the biggest surprises in the qualifying session was Jeff Burton, who traditionally runs well at New Hampshire. In fact, at one ‘Magic Mile’ race, Burton totally dominated, leading every lap and taking the checkered flag.
“Today has been a struggle,” Burton, who qualified 25th, said. “We were way off in practice and swung for the fences in qualifying trim.”
“We just started off with some problems,” Burton continued. “We had a mechanical issue we found too when practice ended so we fought that for a while and didn’t know we were fighting it.”
“I kind of feel like we might be headed in the right direction now.”
| Starting Lineup | |||||
| LENOX Industrial Tools 301, New Hampshire | |||||
| http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=19 | |||||
| =========================================== | |||||
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Make | Speed | Time |
| =========================================== | |||||
| 1 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 133.417 | 28.548 |
| 2 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Chevrolet | 133.403 | 28.551 |
| 3 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 133.399 | 28.552 |
| 4 | 56 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota | 133.338 | 28.565 |
| 5 | 15 | Clint Bowyer | Toyota | 133.319 | 28.569 |
| 6 | 39 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | 133.277 | 28.578 |
| 7 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 133.254 | 28.583 |
| 8 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 133.198 | 28.595 |
| 9 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | 133.045 | 28.628 |
| 10 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 132.938 | 28.651 |
| 11 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 132.873 | 28.665 |
| 12 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 132.868 | 28.666 |
| 13 | 27 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | 132.572 | 28.73 |
| 14 | 51 | Kurt Busch | Chevrolet | 132.549 | 28.735 |
| 15 | 55 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | 132.425 | 28.762 |
| 16 | 20 | Joey Logano | Toyota | 132.425 | 28.762 |
| 17 | 78 | Regan Smith | Chevrolet | 132.393 | 28.769 |
| 18 | 47 | Bobby Labonte | Toyota | 132.333 | 28.782 |
| 19 | 34 | David Ragan | Ford | 132.264 | 28.797 |
| 20 | 9 | Marcos Ambrose | Ford | 132.2 | 28.811 |
| 21 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | 132.186 | 28.814 |
| 22 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Dodge | 132.085 | 28.836 |
| 23 | 43 | Aric Almirola | Ford | 131.833 | 28.891 |
| 24 | 22 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Dodge | 131.556 | 28.952 |
| 25 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | 131.465 | 28.972 |
| 26 | 10 | David Reutimann | Chevrolet | 131.266 | 29.016 |
| 27 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 131.234 | 29.023 |
| 28 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | 131.234 | 29.023 |
| 29 | 83 | Landon Cassill | Toyota | 131.184 | 29.034 |
| 30 | 93 | Travis Kvapil | Toyota | 130.833 | 29.112 |
| 31 | 42 | Juan Montoya | Chevrolet | 130.662 | 29.15 |
| 32 | 26 | Josh Wise* | Ford | 130.14 | 29.267 |
| 33 | 13 | Casey Mears | Ford | 129.834 | 29.336 |
| 34 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | Toyota | 129.807 | 29.342 |
| 35 | 36 | Dave Blaney | Chevrolet | 129.679 | 29.371 |
| 36 | 98 | Michael McDowell | Ford | 129.525 | 29.406 |
| 37 | 32 | Ken Schrader | Ford | 129.318 | 29.453 |
| 38 | 249 | J.J. Yeley | Toyota | 129.274 | 29.463 |
| 39 | 38 | David Gilliland | Ford | 129.156 | 29.49 |
| 40 | 30 | David Stremme | Toyota | 129.094 | 29.504 |
| 41 | 23 | Scott Riggs | Chevrolet | 128.863 | 29.557 |
| 42 | 179 | Kelly Bires | Ford | 128.515 | 29.637 |
| 43 | 33 | Stephen Leicht* | Chevrolet | 128.182 | 29.714 |
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: THE LOUDON LOWDOWN
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[/media-credit]The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will make their presence known in the eastern seaboard with the first of two visits to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Sunday’s running of the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. This will be race number 19 on the series’ 2012 schedule and it’s one step closer to the September 8th cut off when the official line up for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship will be named.
Oh by the way, it’s a case of winner-winner lobster dinner at New Hampshire. The race winner gets a giant lobster big enough to feed his entire pit crew. That’s just one more reason why this race track is called “The Magic Mile.”
THE STORY BREAKDOWN
The speculation regarding which driver is going to make that coveted Chase line up will be one of the major story lines from the New Hampshire weekend. This is especially true of the two wild card berths that are still very much a point of contention. The wild card criteria states that the number 11 and 12 positions will be awarded to the drivers with the most wins who are in points positions 11 through 20. Right now drivers Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, with one win each, are sitting in the wild card transfer positions. However, their hold on these coveted transfers are somewhat tenuous because drivers Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne, also previous race winners, are right behind them.
You also can’t overlook the possibility that there’s still time, prior to the Chase cut off, for yet one or two more teams to become wild card contenders. Carl Edwards, still seeking his first win of the year, immediately comes to mind. It’s generally believed that it’s going to take at least two, possibly even three, wins to nail down a wild card berth. Right now, there seems to be multiple scenarios that could be put in play here and this aspect of the Chase line up is going to become a source of major fan excitement.
The annual silly season is now in high gear and it, too, will be a major focal point during the weekend. The lynch pin to this year’s gossip fest is Matt Kenseth. We already know he’s leaving Roush Fenway Racing at the end of this season and we truly believe that he’s going to Joe Gibbs Racing although the driver has been very careful about showing his cards until it’s officially time to do so. There are two rumored possibilities here; Kenseth will drive a fourth, full sponsored, team for Gibbs or he’s going to take over the #20 Home Depot/Dollar General ride which would force Joey Logano to look elsewhere. That’s why Logano making the Chase has become so important.
Stewart Haas Racing’s Ryan Newman is yet another high profile free agent. This is especially true in light of the very recent announcement that said the U.S. Army will not be returning next year as the team’s primary sponsor. While SHR has made it clear that they seriously want to keep Newman, replacing a sponsorship that large may be a deterrent to that cause.
Despite an occasional outburst this year, don’t overlook the silly season prospects of Kurt Busch especially in light of the fact that he took team owner James Finch’s unsponsored Nationwide Series team to victory lane at Daytona last weekend.
Needless to say the big story of the NASCAR weekend will be the sad news regarding driver A J Allmendinger and the fact that he remains on temporary suspension due to last weekend’s failed substance abuse test. a second, sample B, urine test is supposed to be taken and there might be some test results by this weekend. If the second test also turns up positive for prohibited substances, then Allmendinger will be placed on indefinite suspension and will not be allowed to participate in NASCAR sanctioned events until he completes the mandatory recovery program.
There is already speculation regarding who is going to drive his #22 Penske Racing ride if that happens. Penske Nationwide Series driver Sam Hornish Jr will be in the ride for the second Cup race in a row. He reportedly sent Roger Penske a text last Sunday saying he would be interested in returning to the Cup level if Allmendinger was not available. The names Trevor Payne and Joey Logano have already made the rumor mill regarding the #22 ride which will switch from Dodge to Ford next year.
THE LAS VEGAS BREAKDOWN
To determine who will proudly standing in the New Hampshire victory lane holding an extremely large lobster, we again turn to the number crunching professionals at the Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, (WSE).
Once again, the WSE has “five time” leading their rankings this week. Jimmie Johnson is rated at 5 to 1 odds. He’s fourth in the points with two wins and appears to be a shoe in for a Chase berth. He also has good numbers at New Hampshire which includes three wins, seven top five finishes and 13 top ten finishes. He also owns a very good average finish ratio, (AFR), of 10.1 at New Hampshire.
At 6 to 1 odds you will find the duo of Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. Stewart, currently fifth in the points, is a rock solid bet for New Hampshire because he has three wins, 14 top fives, 16 top tens and a healthy 11.5 AFR. His three season wins virtually locks him into the Chase and that will free him up to aggressively pursue even more wins. Also don’t forget the legend that says when the summer weather is here, “Smoke” gets hot.”
Hamlin, seventh in the points with two wins, also appears to be locked into the Chase line up and is also free to aggressively pursue additional trips to victory lane. In 12 New Hampshire starts, he has a win, five top fives, eight top tens and a series high 9.0 AFR at the Magic Mile.
All by himself, at 7 to 1, is Jeff Gordon who is definitely on the outside looking in regarding a berth in the Chase. He’s 17th in the points and will now have to rely on a wild card berth to make the Chase. However, to make that happen, he needs to score at least two wins in quick fashion. New Hampshire could be a great launching pad for the four time champ. He has three wins there along with 15 top fives and 19 top tens. He also has a healthy 10.8 AFR. Look for Gordon to display an all in approach to his race plans for here on out.
At 9 to 1 is fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr who is second in the points with a win this season. That likely places him in a worry free position regarding making the Chase. Unfortunately, for the fan club known as “The Junior Nation”, Earnhardt doesn’t have very strong stats at New Hampshire. He’s still seeking his first win at the Magic Mile but has accumulated six top fives and ten top tens. However, the AFR, at 16.7, is a little on the high side.
Kyle Busch enters the WSE’s New Hampshire rankings at 10 to 1 and will be a driver to watch. He’s currently in control of the first wild card berth for the Chase. He’s 12th in the standings with a previous win. He’s also a previous New Hampshire winner with four top fives, six top tens and a decent 15.9 AFR. He will be a car to watch on Sunday.
The WSE has the trio of Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick ranked at 12 to 1. Kahne, 16th in the points with a win this season, is knocking on the door for a wild card berth but the magic mile numbers says he may have to wait for one more race to make that move. Kahne has one top five, six top tens and a rather high 17.8 AFR at this track.
Keselowski is ninth in the points but has three wins and that will get him into the Chase. It almost makes him free to aggressively pursue even more wins. He has one top five, two top tens and a 17.4 AFR at New Hampshire but that really doesn’t mean a lot. There’s been a lot of tracks this season where his personal stats were not that strong. All this driver needs is a well prepped Miller Lite Dodge and he’ll do the rest.
Harvick is, surprisingly, still seeking his first win of the season. However, he has quietly maintained a level of consistency that has placed him sixth in the points. He’s a previous winner at New Hampshire with five top fives and 11 top tens. He also has a steady 14.1 AFR. Sunday could turn out to become his first win of the year.
At 15 to 1 you will find the trio of Martin Truex Jr, his Michael Waltrip Racing team mate Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards. Truex is eighth in the points but still seeking his first win of the season to help shore up his presence as a Chase contender. He has three top five finishes at New Hampshire along with five top tens and a 15.1 AFR.
Bowyer has a win this season and is tenth in the points. He’ll be looking to improve those stats to insure a Chase berth. He has two wins at New Hampshire along with a pair of top fives, four top tens and a 17.0 AFR. This might actually make him a rather interesting long shot bet.
Edwards is another driver with a surprising absence from victory lane this year. He’s 11th in the points and 31 away from that all important tenth position. A win really soon would help this cause. He also seeking his first win at New Hampshire but does have a pair of top fives, three top tens and a 13.9 AFR.
Ryan Newman is ranked at 17 to 1 by the WSE. Regarding his Chase hopes, he has a win this season and, at 15th in the points, is still a wild card contender. He’s also a very good longshot consideration because of his strong New Hampshire numbers that includes three wins, six top fives, 13 top tens and a healthy 13.0 AFR.
At the WSE’s lower tier for New Hampshire you will find Roush Fenway team mates Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle ranked at 20 to 1. Kenseth is the current points leader, with a win at Daytona, and appears to be on his way to another Chase run. He has been a model of consistency this year. He’s also done a remarkable job of not letting his future racing plans interfere with his focus. However, he’s at 20 to 1 due to New Hampshire stats where he’s never won at. He has five top fives, 12 top tens and a 14.0 AFR.
Biffle, third in the points with a win, also appears to be Chase bound. He has some good New Hampshire numbers including a previous win, five top fives, seven top tens and a 16.6 AFR.
At 25 to 1 is Joey Logano who, based on a win this year, currently holds down the second wild card Chase berth at least for the moment. He’s 14th in the standings but too far away from tenth to make the Chase the traditional way. He’s going to need at least a second win to secure the wild card status. He actually has some decent numbers at New Hampshire that includes a win, a pair of top fives, a trio of top tens and a 16.6 AFR.
Jeff Burton closes this week’s WSE rankings at 30 to 1. He has some very good New Hampshire numbers that includes four wins, 8 top fives, 13 top tens and a healthy 13.6 AFR. Critics will immediately claim that these numbers were compiled quite a long time ago and that’s true. But it needs to be noted that this team is coming off of the momentum of an extremely strong run at Daytona last weekend and that could lead to something special this weekend.
If you do not see your favorite driver listed here, it means that the WSE has automatically ranked them at 10 to 1 odds on their “all others” list.
Now for the disclaimer. NASCAR wants us to remind you that these numbers are posted for information and entertainment purposes. They neither encourage nor condone the placing of wagers on their events. However, if you’re going to do it anyway then you may as well take care of business with the WSE who are the best in their business.
If you don’t mind a suggestion, I’d be taking a hard look at both drivers from Stewart Haas Racing. Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman has a combined six wins at New Hampshire and very impressive AFR’s. They swept the New Hampshire races last year with Newman winning the July race while Stewart took the event in September. Newman started both 2011 races from the pole position. He has a series high six poles at the magic mile and, last year, set the track qualifying record: 135.232 MPH.
THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The Lenox Industrial Tools 301 is 301 laps/318.485 miles around the New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s 1.058 mile oval.
The race has 44 entries vying for the 43 starting positions. Nine of those entries are on the go or go home list. These teams are not guaranteed a start in the race because they are currently outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’s points. They will have to rely on qualifying speed to make Sunday’s race.
Known as the “magic mile,” the New Hampshire Motor Speedway is very close to a flat track. It only has 12 degrees of banking in the corners and two degrees in the straightaways. Both the front and back stretch measures 1,500 feet. The speedway presently has seating for 95,491 fans.
The speedway was officially opened in 1960, but the first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup event wasn’t held there until July of 1993. That first race was won by Rusty Wallace. Since that time there has been 34 Sprint Cup races that has sent 20 different winners to victory lane. Hendrick Motorsports leads the team wins with eight.
Track position is always important especially when the venue is a one mile oval. Five past New Hampshire races have been won from the pole, seven have been won from the front row while eight have been won from starting positions outside of the top 20.
Don’t be too surprised if fuel mileage and conservation becomes a huge factor in the outcome of Sunday’s race. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.
There is a slight possibility that weather could also become a factor during the New Hampshire weekend. The Saturday forecast for Loudon-New Hampshire calls for partly sunny skies with daytime temperatures near 90 degrees. There is a 20% chance of showers on Saturday evening. Sunday race day weather calls for cloudy conditions during the morning hours and partly sunny conditions later in the day with temperatures in the upper 80’s. There is a 30% chance of showers and thunder storms later in the day. In the event of rain, the speedway has a fleet of five jet dryers that can dry the track in approximately two hours.
Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 will be broadcast live by the TNT Network beginning at 12 pm eastern time. The race re air will be on Wednesday, July 18th, on SPEED beginning at 12 pm eastern.
