NASCAR at New Hampshire 2014: Latest NASCAR Team News, Drivers to Watch and More
One spot is secured ahead of the Contender Round, but 11 others are up for grabs. Heading to New Hampshire, every driver outside of Brad Keselowski will be fighting for a berth into the next round.
A dominant performance for Keselowski was highlighted by a late move on a restart that propelled him to the front. Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson were battling ahead of him, but the Penske driver split through both to wind up in Victory Lane.
Jeff Gluck of USA Today provided his response to the brilliant move:
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Of the drivers on the cusp of missing out in the early going, Carl Edwards might be the most shocking. In his final season with Roush Fenway Racing, Edwards dropped down to 12th and is on the cusp of falling out of the Contender Round picture.
Several storylines lie ahead at New Hampshire, including drivers like Larson who are looking to crash the Chase with a win. In anticipation of the second Chase race, here's a look at the latest team news, top drivers and schedule for the Sylvania 300.
Race Information
Where: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire
When: Sunday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Performance Racing Network
Latest News
Keselowski's win Sunday afternoon didn't come without controversy. It was obvious that he had the fastest car on the track late in the race, but one member of Hendrick Motorsports believed Keselowski's team cheated.
Mike Hoag, the road manager for Dale Earnhardt Jr., tweeted about Keselowski's win following the race. Hoag has since deleted the tweet, but Jenna Fryer of The Associated Press passed it along:
Nothing has come of the flared skirt situation from NASCAR, and Keselowski still has the victory and a berth to the next round. Meanwhile, the Penske driver sent a shot across the bow after Hoag's comments:
Sprint Cup fans were already watching both Hendrick and Penske after masterful seasons, so this simply adds more to the rivalry. Thanks to the updated Chase format, there will be plenty of reason for the two teams to battle on the track as the contenders for a championship dwindle.
Just behind Keselowski was one of the best early battles of the Chase. Surprisingly, it was between a non-Chase driver and one of the top contenders for the title, with the veteran narrowly winning out.
Jeff Gordon and Larson captivated the audience but also came away with a mutual respect. Outside of accidentally calling him "Kevin" Larson, Gordon had high remarks for the rookie after the race, via NASCAR on ESPN:
"Gordon: "I was having a pretty good time watching (Larson) and Harvick. I'm really proud of Kyle Larson; wanted to see him win that race."
— NASCAR on ESPN (@ESPNNASCAR) September 14, 2014"
Larson has slowly been earning the respect of nearly every driver and fan, so it should come as no surprise that Gordon thinks highly of him. After all, Gordon was once the young driver taking it all in before his four championships—but he's clearly not ready to pass the torch just yet.
Drivers to Watch
Joey Logano
In terms of championship contenders, Joey Logano and Keselowski look like two of the strongest. Keselowski has already won a title, but Logano has been nearly as consistent this season on a weekly basis.
Leading up to the Chicago event, Logano spoke about his chances at winning a title, per Jerry Bonkowski of NBC Sports:
"This year, we’ve learned a lot from our mistakes, not only from what we did (in last year’s Chase) but what was done at all these other tracks and how we had to get better at them. That chemistry between Todd and myself, building that notebook, we understand each other a lot better now.
My team’s awesome. I’ve never been with a group of guys like this before. They’ve done great and I feel great about it. I feel very confident we can do it this year.
We’re ready for it, man. We’re ready.
"
This season, only his Penske teammate has more top-five finishes and wins. Of those great results, Logano looked on track to capture another one at New Hampshire before being involved in an accident and dropping to 40th.
Logano led three laps at New Hampshire and has been a contender at nearly every track. The rivalry between Hendrick and Penske will continue, but Logano can continue to give his side the upper hand Sunday.
Maybe the fourth time will be the charm for Kyle Busch.
In the last two seasons, Busch has compiled three consecutive second-place finishes at New Hampshire. He has one career win at the track but might be due for a second Sunday afternoon with a Contender Round spot on the line.
Busch shared his thoughts following his run at Chicagoland on Twitter:
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver moved up to ninth in the Chase Grid after the first race but still has a lot to work to do if he hopes to win a championship. Leading 62 laps in the first race at New Hampshire this season, Busch came up just short again.
Having a championship on the line, expect the JGR driver to do everything he can to collect a checkered flag.
Jeff Gordon
A battle with Larson left Gordon second at Chicago, but he heads to yet another track where he has a great history.
Gordon has a staggering 16 top fives and three victories at New Hampshire with an average finish of 11.0. Needless to say, this is a course Gordon has blistered over his career and will be looking to do so again Sunday.
This season has been a revelation for the driver, including leading the points standings for much of the year. Part of a four-car contingent from Hendrick, Gordon might be the most likely to eventually clinch his fifth championship.
Currently sitting behind Keselowski on the Chase Grid, Gordon trails by just seven points. Both drivers are expected to be in the final four when the postseason winds down, but a win would secure a spot for Gordon with two races remaining before the next round.
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