10 Lessons Learned at the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 in Loudon

The heat was on for the Cup drivers who had only eight races remaining to guarantee a shot at the Chase. At Loudon, the odds were diminishing for some, but with a close battle at the end, victory was sweet for one driver.

Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is much like racing the short, flat Martinsville track, but it is twice the size with long straightaways.

Winning races is becoming critical for some, finishing well just isn't enough for those drivers.

The race at Loudon was a dress rehearsal for drivers who plan to make their return to the track as drivers fighting for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

For some, things turned out well at Loudon, but others struggled in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. Along the journey to the checkered flag, lessons were learned. Let's examine a few of them.

Winner in More Ways Than One

Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Farmers Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, won his second race of the season.

Kahne moved up four positions to 12th in the standings, and with two wins, he is pretty secure in at least capturing a wild-card slot for the Chase.

It was a big win for Kahne and a real confidence booster for the team.

Jeff Gordon's Season

Jeff Gordon started the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 from the eighth position, but to his dismay, he was also 17th in the point standings, 191 markers out of the lead.

Gordon is desperate to win races. It is the only way he has a chance to make the Chase with his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Playing it safe was not an option, and risk was the order of the day if it could get him a win. Gordon had three wins, 15 top-five finishes and an average finish of 10.8 heading into the race.

The Hendrick cars ran strong, but in the end Gordon remained winless. He started eighth and finished sixth, which leaves him 17th in the standings, 183 markers behind the leader.

New Baby Syndrome

For whatever reason, it often is the case that a driver finds Victory Lane just after the birth of their baby, especially a first child.

Kevin Harvick and his wife, DeLana Harvick, welcomed their new son last week. The race at Loudon was the first Cup event for the driver of the Budweiser No. 29 Chevrolet since the big event.

Harvick failed to win, but the happy new father finished eighth and remains sixth in the standings. He does look pretty solid to be in the Chase.

Traffic Issues

Navigating the flat, one-mile Loudon track requires a car that can rotate through the turns and blast down the straightaways.

It also requires the driver to find a line that allows them to pass, but often lap traffic can spoil that line even though they should yield to the faster car.

Cars on the lead lap put the slower cars down quickly during this race known for long green-flag runs. Traffic can indeed be problematic with passing on this track that races much like Martinsville.

In the end, the winner, Kasey Kahne, was able to maintain a precarious lead over Denny Hamlin because lap cars stayed out of his way.

Best Driver Didn't Win

Denny Hamlin started third at Loudon in his No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota and finished second after leading 151 laps.

He proved he was perhaps the best driver with the strongest car after a miscommunication with his crew chief, Darian Grubb, during a pit stop when everyone in the lead pack took two tires.

Grubb misunderstood what his driver wanted and gave him four tires. He was relegated to a 14th place start with not a lot of laps left and rain on the way.

Hamlin drove like a man possessed to get within 200 feet of the leader, Kasey Kahne. Hamlin drove the car for all it was worth, but it gave out a bit at the end and he finished second, 2.738 seconds back.

Unofficially, he moved up two slots to fifth in the point standings.

Will Edwards Make the Chase?

Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Ford, struggled with getting the car set up properly at Loudon. They tossed their ideas and went with the setup that teammate Greg Biffle had for qualifying.

Though the team devoted a lot of energy to qualifying, Edwards started 21st and finished 18th. He is 11th in the standings.

This driver, who was runner-up for the series title in 2011, has yet to win a race in 2012. If he doesn't win a race or two and finish in the top five during the next seven races, he just may be out of the Chase.

Driving for Allmendinger

Sam Hornish Jr. is driving the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge for Penske Racing while A.J. Allmendinger is under temporary suspension for a failed drug test.

This might be considered the first real run in the No. 22 because he was able to practice and qualify with the car.

Hornish started 24th and finished 22nd at Loudon.

This driver has made it clear to his boss that he wants to drive the No. 22 car should Allmendinger be out of the picture with a pending second positive drug test. His audition wasn't stellar, but it is a start.

Dress Rehearsal at Loudon

The Lenox Industrial Tools 301 was a dress rehearsal for the return of the Cup drivers to Loudon during the Chase.

It is also a test for the flat-track program these teams have with the prestigious Brickyard 400 race at Indianapolis next on the schedule after the series takes a week off.

Wild Card Battle Is Taking Shape

There are seven races left, and the battle for the coveted wild-card slots in the Chase is taking shape.

Currently, it is Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, who is looking for a second win. He is 13th in the standings, 162 points out of the lead.

Kasey Kahne now has his second win and ranks 12th in the standings, 160 points out of the lead.

The two drivers at this point who hope to have a shot at the wild-card positions are Joey Logano and Ryan Newman. They each have one win.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hangs Tough

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has now done what no other driver in the modern era has done. He has completed every lap of every race this season, a total of 5,488 laps.

He is second in the point standings, 16 markers behind the leader, Matt Kenseth.

Earnhardt has one win, eight top-five finishes and 14 top-10 finishes this season. He is hanging tough with his consistent performance, but he is anxious to get his next win.

Is it possible he could be a contender for the championship with performance like this?