NASCAR at New Hampshire: Preview, Prediction of the New England 300
The Chase for the Sprint Cup is underway and Kevin Harvick leads all drivers, 1-0, in interview refusals.
Martin Truex Jr., however, leads all Chasers, 1-0, in what really matters: wins. After muscling his way to the front of the TMNT 400, Truex cemented his place in the Round of 12*, while the 15 other drivers must wrangle their way to the next round any way they can.
That brings us to the New England 300 at Loudon, New Hampshire for the first of two one-mile tracks in this Round of 16**.
Six, count ’em, six, drivers led laps at Loudon in the spring, a race won by Matt Kenseth, and it was a race dominated by Toyota, the engines of which led 299 of the 301 laps.
So that’s where we stand as we hit Race 2 of the 10-race Chase.
Read on for this week’s preview from New Hampshire.
*: RIP Contender Round
**: RIP Challenger Round
By the Numbers: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
1 of 7
New England 300
Place: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire
Date: Sunday, September 25, 2:15 p.m. ET
TV Coverage: NBC Sports, 1:30 p.m. ET
Distance: 300 laps
Defending Champion: Matt Kenseth
Chase Standings and Round of 12 Bubble
2 of 7
1. Martin Truex Jr., +23
2. Brad Keselowski, +22
3. Kyle Busch, +19
4. Denny Hamlin, +18
5. Joey Logano, +16
6. Chase Elliott, +12
7. Matt Kenseth, +11
8. Jimmie Johnson, +10
9. Carl Edwards, +5
10. Kurt Busch, +4
11. Jamie McMurray, +3
12. Tony Stewart, +1
13. Austin Dillon, -1
14. Kevin Harvick, -1
15. Kyle Larson, -2
16. Chris Buescher, -12
Bold indicates guarantee into next round.
Forecast Calls for 100 Percent Chance of Toyota Reign?
3 of 7
A closer look at the New Hampshire 301 from earlier this year reveals a terrifying statistic: Toyota engines led 299 of the 301 laps.
Ford and Chevy split the other two.
Truex led 123 of those laps and Kyle Busch did 10 better. Kenseth, the race winner, led 38 laps. Denny Hamlin, slacked off for Joe Gibbs by leading only five.
What this means is that the Toyota cars, specifically the ones aligned with or apart of Joe Gibbs Racing, should dominate this race yet again.
With Truex Jr. riding high off his win and the other JGR cars champing at the bit to clinch a spot in the next round, expect another Toyota to move on to the Round of 12.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Kevin Harvick Needs to Find the 'Happy'
4 of 7
You know what happens when NFL players fail to talk to the media after a game? They get fined.
There’s a strong likelihood Harvick got a firm talking to by somebody in NASCAR’s brass about blowing off NBCSN’s Kelli Stavast after the TMNT 400 and to Harvick I say, “Grow up.”
Harvick had an unlucky day on the track. His pit crew has let him down all year. But when you’re a professional athlete of that pedigree, you need to stick around for the 20 seconds it takes to explain what happened.
Jimmie Johnson, a driver who from P1 lost the lead because he sped on pit road, gave a long, despondent post-race interview. Tony Stewart, always loquacious, who also had an uninspiring day for Stewart-Haas Racing, gave thoughtful answers following the race.
Yet Harvick refused. Given his history and temper, suffice it to say he didn’t need an emergency bathroom break. NBCSN and fans aren’t eager to hear from, say, Landon Cassill, at this point in the season (unless he wins, but, you know, g’luck with that). Harvick, a Chaser, a former champion and a 2016 contender needs to face the microphone for the sport and for the fans.
MRN.com’s Pete Pistone wrote, “Unfortunately, Harvick didn’t speak with the media afterward, something I’d like all drivers to do even when things don’t go their way. I’d look for the No. 4 car to be on a mission next week in New Hampshire.”
Harvick finished fourth at Loudon back in July and will no doubt bring the heat. He’s one point back of the bubble with drivers he can easily pass ahead of him.
Harvick has top five written all over that No. 4 Chevy this week.
And you better believe we’ll hear from him this week.
Jimmie Johnson’s Woes Continue?
5 of 7
For a time it looked like Jimmie Johnson found speed in Joliet, Illinois.
Not since Fontana has the No. 48 team looked threatening. Of course, this squad always goes through a summer funk, but it was always funk with promise. Until Chicagoland, Johnson was all funk, all the time.
Then he, along with teammates Elliott, Alex Bowman and Kasey Kahne drove exceptionally well in the first race of the Chase.
Then…well…
NASCAR bagged Johnson for a speeding penalty, which killed his chances at the win or a top-five finish. Next, NASCAR busted the No. 48 car after it failed laser inspection.
We should know by Wednesday if Johnson will incur a penalty. If he does, Johnson stands to lose 10 points, and that would slide him from eighth on the Chase Grid to a three-way tie for 12th with Austin Dillon, according to ESPN.com’s Bob Pockrass.
Johnson finished 12th at Loudon in the spring and was the lone Chevy to lead a lap, not much to hang his hat on, but it’s something.
Dark-Horse Pick: Tony Stewart
6 of 7
Tony Stewart sits on the bubble, and for most of the TMNT 400 he looked like he didn’t belong in the Chase.
"We gained on it for sure," Stewart said, per Joe Menzer’s FoxSports.com story. "But you gain on it and still aren't going to be good enough to move to the next round if we don't get better than this."
No, he won’t, but if his performance in July at Loudon is any indication, the No. 14 car is in for a big effort. He finished second behind Kenseth, which helped validate his win a few weeks earlier at Sonoma.
Stewart is right on the cusp of this round. If a few others have bad days, he may be able to sneak into the next round. But he’ll need to show winning moves soon to prove he can be a true contender come the Round of Eight in five weeks.
Baby steps. First comes Loudon and if Stewart brings the same car, he has a chance to run down the Toyotas.
And the Winner Is...Martin Truex Jr.
7 of 7
Truex Jr. is hot right now. He won the Southern 500 and the TMNT 400 in the past few weeks.
More impressive is he how he won those races. He didn’t have the best car on the track, just the best when it mattered.
All season long, Truex Jr. led lap after lap, (especially at 1.5-mile tracks) but would ultimately face some gaffe on the track or get involved in an inopportune wreck. Call it bad luck.
Now? Truex Jr. has proven he can grind out a race and slowly rise to the top. Also that Toyota engine is unstoppable. Truex Jr. led 123 laps before finishing 16th at Loudon in July, and he’ll probably lead that many laps and more this Sunday.
Then again, he might not need to or want to. Truex Jr. is rock-solid in the Granite State.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
