New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup dates aren’t simply Races No. 17 and 27, on the 36-event schedule.
Sunday’s LENOX Industrial Tools 301 opens the Race to the Chase — the 10-race stretch that precedes the Chase. And on Sunday, Sept. 19, the track hosts the year’s first Chase race, as it has since the format’s 2004 inception.
“Anytime that you go to a Chase race track early in the year that’s a very important race,” said Kurt Busch, a three-time winner at New Hampshire. “The second race of the year – (at Auto Club) Speedway – you go to that race track knowing that this will be part of the Chase when we come back in the playoffs. Phoenix, Texas, those tracks (we race at) in April — you’re already thinking Chase just because those tracks are in the Chase.
“Loudon is a big race track for us in our minds because that’s the first race in the playoffs and you have to be ready to go and come out of the box strong. “
Adding intrigue to Sunday’s event is the fact that 10 different drivers have won the last 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at New Hampshire.
Lest anyone eye the 1.058-mile oval and perceive its flatness and minimal banking as a cakewalk, they shall be deceived.
No one has tamed New Hampshire since Kurt Busch swept both 2004 races en route to his NASCAR Sprint Cup title. The previous year, reigning and four-time series champion Jimmie Johnson swept both 2003 New Hampshire races; interestingly, his last and only wins there.
Jeff Burton (No. 31 LENOX Industrial Tools Chevrolet), leads all drivers with four New Hampshire wins.
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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: News & Notes - New Hampshire Motor Speedway
CAR DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR 0 David Reutimann Toyota Aaron's Dream Machine 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet Earnhardt Ganassi Racing 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite / Vortex 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet Carquest / GoDaddy.com 6 David Ragan Ford UPS 7 Robby Gordon Toyota Robby Gordon Motorsports 9 Kasey Kahne Ford Budweiser 9 Mike Bliss Chevrolet Phoenix Construction / GracewayPharmaceuticals 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Freight 12 Brad Keselowski Dodge Penske Racing 13 Max Papis Toyota GEICO 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Old Spice / Office Depot 16 Greg Biffle Ford American Red Cross / 3M 17 Matt Kenseth Ford Crown Royal Black 18 Kyle Busch Toyota Interstate Batteries 19 Elliott Sadler Ford Stanley 20 Joey Logano Toyota The Home Depot 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 26 David Stremme Ford Air National Guard 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Lenox Industrial Tools 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Cheerios / Hamburger Helper 34 Kevin Conway* Ford Extenze 36 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet Tommy Baldwin Racing 37 David Gilliland Ford Taco Bell 38 Travis Kvapil Ford Long John Silver's 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet Haas Automation 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet Target 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford Berlin City Auto Group 46 J.J. Yeley Dodge Whitney Motorsports 47 Marcos Ambrose Toyota Lance Snacks / Tom's Snacks 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 55 Michael McDowell Toyota Prism Motorsports 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota NAPA Auto Parts 66 Dave Blaney Toyota Prism Motorsports 71 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet TRG Motorsports 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge AAA / Go Penske 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet Furniture Row Companies 82 Scott Speed Toyota Red Bull 83 Reed Sorenson Toyota Red Bull 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota FrontRowJoe.com 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet National Guard / Amp Energy 98 Paul Menard Ford Energizer / Menards 99 Carl Edwards Ford Aflac 164 Todd Bodine Toyota Little Joe's Autos
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