NASCAR at New Hampshire 2016: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, TV Schedule, More
NASCAR is the Brad Keselowski show going into Sunday's New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Keselowski has now won two races in a row after last week's triumph in Kentucky. He's helping to clog the Chase picture, as is Dale Earnhardt Jr. being unable to race this weekend thanks to concussion-like symptoms, according to ESPN.com's Bob Pockrass.
The Chase scene is one of the oddest in recent memory, with guys like Earnhardt on the outside looking in and a rejuvenated Tony Stewart having punched his bid three races ago.
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Sunday gives the hopefuls another shot. But it also gives the dominant names such as Keselowski a chance to dictate the grid while keeping momentum. Here's everything to know about the event.
Viewing Details
Where: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
When: Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET
Watch: NBCSN
Live Stream: NBC Sports
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Sprint Cup Standings
| 1 | Brad Keselowski | 595 |
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 521 |
| 3 | Carl Edwards | 566 |
| 4 | Jimmie Johnson | 484 |
| 5 | Kevin Harvick | 599 |
| 6 | Kurt Busch | 583 |
| 7 | Joey Logano | 533 |
| 8 | Martin Truex Jr. | 514 |
| 9 | Matt Kenseth | 477 |
| 10 | Denny Hamlin | 472 |
| 11 | Tony Stewart | 248 |
| 12 | Chase Elliott | 492 |
| 13 | Ryan Newman | 463 |
| 14 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 461 |
| 15 | Austin Dillon | 460 |
| 16 | Jamie McMurray | 439 |
NASCAR at New Hampshire Lineup
| 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 2 | 18 | Kyle Busch |
| 3 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr |
| 4 | 41 | Kurt Busch |
| 5 | 11 | Denny Hamlin |
| 6 | 22 | Joey Logano |
| 7 | 24 | Chase Elliott |
| 8 | 4 | Kevin Harvick |
| 9 | 2 | Brad Keselowski |
| 10 | 47 | AJ Allmendinger |
| 11 | 5 | Kasey Kahne |
| 12 | 14 | Tony Stewart |
| 13 | 19 | Carl Edwards |
| 14 | 21 | Ryan Blaney |
| 15 | 3 | Austin Dillon |
| 16 | 83 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 17 | 42 | Kyle Larson |
| 18 | 20 | Matt Kenseth |
| 19 | 1 | Jamie McMurray |
| 20 | 88 | Alex Bowman |
| 21 | 13 | Casey Mears |
| 22 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr |
| 23 | 23 | David Ragan |
| 24 | 27 | Paul Menard |
| 25 | 31 | Ryan Newman |
| 26 | 43 | Aric Almirola |
| 27 | 95 | Michael McDowell |
| 28 | 16 | Greg Biffle |
| 29 | 10 | Danica Patrick |
| 30 | 38 | Landon Cassill |
| 31 | 6 | Trevor Bayne |
| 32 | 15 | Clint Bowyer |
| 33 | 44 | Brian Scott |
| 34 | 7 | Regan Smith |
| 35 | 34 | Chris Buescher |
| 36 | 55 | Reed Sorenson |
| 37 | 46 | Michael Annett |
| 38 | 32 | Eddie MacDonald |
| 39 | 30 | Josh Wise |
| 40 | 98 | Ryan Ellis |
Drivers to Watch
Brad Keselowski
It's been Keselowski, not Jimmie Johnson or other major names, dominating this stretch of the season.
While he's behind Kevin Harvick in points, Keselowski is doing his best to keep the rest of the heavy winners at bay, now boasting four on the year. Kyle Busch is the closest in that column with three, which is fitting going into New Hampshire.
Last year, Busch stole victory from Keselowski, taking a late lead and the checkered flag even though Keselowski led for 100 laps.
If there's a time for Keselowski to secure a little revenge it'd be now, though, especially after last week he found a way to secure a win at a repaved track. He talked about such a challenge with the media after the race, according to USA Today's Jeff Gluck.
"Gosh, that's great! Usually these repaves are my Achilles' heel," Keselowski said. "This is our best stretch, we gotta keep it going to the fall. I feel terrible for the fans, I couldn't do a burnout, the car didn't have no gas."
On the season, Keselowski has plenty of gas, and he's now on the hunt to make a bit of history with three victories in a row. It looks like his Chase right now, and few could post a better counterargument.
Jimmie Johnson
Johnson has been missing in action as of late, an odd development for the No. 48 Chevrolet at this time of year.
In fact, Johnson hasn't finished inside the top 10 of an event since the end of May, a streak so strange one could find it easy to forget he has two wins on the season. Most recently, he posted finishes of 35th and 32nd despite starting among the top 10 in both events.
It's hard to say what his winning pole in New Hampshire means, then, as NASCAR highlighted:
Johnson has won this race twice (2003, 2010), so rediscovering his form at a familiar locale wouldn't come as the biggest surprise.
NASCAR needs it though, with other big names such as Earnhardt flailing a bit. More than anything, Johnson needs to finish the season on a strong note, a reassurance he has the technique and teamwork down pat before pursuing a title.
Kyle Busch
Busch got his big win one year ago off the late pass, the second of three wins in a row in what turned out to be four checkered flags in five outings, the epic injury comeback fans remember so fondly.
NASCAR looked back on the shocker:
"It was really special last year," Busch said according to Fox Sports' Joe Menzer. "Being able to take home another trophy from there would be pretty cool. ... We would certainly like to do it again this weekend."
Things are a bit less dramatic and more drab this time of year, though, as Busch hasn't won since the beginning of May. He hasn't completely fallen off the wagon, though, placing 12th or better over his last three outings.
Still, Sunday should see Busch at least hang around the top 10 and keep his form alive. A win wouldn't hurt things, but a steady stream of quality racing at the top besides Keselowski is great on its own.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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