RacingNation.com
Home / Cup Corner / CUP CORNER

CUP CORNER

Loudon, New Hampshire

This Sunday, NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers make their second of two annual visits to ?The Magic Mile? in Loudon, New Hampshire for the Sylvania 300. Drivers will make 300 laps around this relatively flat, 1.058-mile track. This track opened in 1990, ran its first Cup series race in 1993, and added a second Cup race in 1997 when North Wilkesboro Speedway was dropped from the schedule. In 2002, the speedway?s corners were modified to progressive banking, going from 4 degrees at the bottom to 12 degrees at the top. Then in 2003, an incident with Dale Jarrett stuck on the main straightaway while the rest of the field raced around him back to the caution flag proved to be the final straw in NASCAR?s decision to implement the ?lucky dog? rule.

As I see it, the following drivers have the best chance of pulling out a top finish this Sunday. I have compiled my ranking by analyzing drivers? success at this track and similar tracks such as Phoenix and Richmond, then throwing ol? momentum into the mix by factoring in the last month of racing.

TOP TWENTY
1) 11 Denny Hamlin
2) 20 Tony Stewart
3) 48 Jimmie Johnson
4) 2 Kurt Busch
5) 24 Jeff Gordon
6) 17 Matt Kenseth
7) 5 Kyle Busch
8) 29 Kevin Harvick
9) 12 Ryan Newman
10) 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11) 99 Carl Edwards
12) 31 Jeff Burton
13) 1 Martin Truex Jr.
14) 01 Mark Martin
15) 9 Kasey Kahne
16) 83 Brian Vickers
17) 16 Greg Biffle
18) 43 Bobby Labonte
19) 6 David Ragan
20) 07 Clint Bowyer

SELECTED LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE HIGHLIGHTS

Keys To Victory
? For the Chase drivers, have a solid performance and come out of this race still in the hunt.
? Plan your pit strategy well. Track position is too crucial to forfeit in the closing laps.
? A good qualifying position is important, as 75% of Loudon winners started in the top 15.
? Ability to maneuver through the corners means more speed and less worries. Too loose and wide means scraping walls.

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet)
? One win, two top fives, three top 10s
? Average finish of 3.7
? Average Running Position of 8.8, second-best
? Driver Rating of 109.5, second-best
? Fifth-fastest Green Flag Speed
? 88.5% of his laps in the top 15 (804 total), second-highest percentage of any driver
? 115 Quality Passes for an average of 38 per race, best average per race of any driver

Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet)
? Two wins, nine top fives, 10 top 10s
? Average finish of 13.4
? Series-best Driver Rating of 116.9
? Average Running Position of 10.8, sixth-best
? Series-high 173 Fastest Laps Run
? Fastest Green Flag Speed
? 1,200 Laps in the Top 15, third-most
? Series-high 160 Quality Passes

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe?s Chevrolet)
? Two wins, three top fives, six top 10s
? Average finish of 11.1
? Average Running Position of 13.9, 12th-best
? Driver Rating of 93.0, 10th-best
? 32 Fastest Laps Run, 14th-best
? 1,133 Laps in the Top 15, seventh-best
? 148 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
? Three wins, 11 top fives, 14 top 10s; three poles
? Average finish of 12.0
? Series-best Average Running Position of 7.4
? Driver Rating of 106.4, third-best
? 122 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
? Third-fastest Green Flag Speed
? Series-high 1,321 Laps in the Top 15
? 151 Quality Passes, second-most

Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg?s/CARQUEST Chevrolet)
? One win, two top fives
? Average finish of 16.2
? Average Running Position of 13.6, 11th-best
? Driver Rating of 94.6, ninth-best
? 86 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
? 973 Laps in the Top 15, eighth-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
? One win, three top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
? Average finish of 12.3
? Average Running Position of 10.2, third-best
? Driver Rating of 104.4, fourth-best
? 91 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
? Sixth-fastest Green Flag Speed
? 1,138 Laps in the Top 15, sixth-most

Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge)
? Two wins, five top fives, eight top 10s
? Average finish of 11.3
? Driver Rating of 101.9, fifth-best
? Average Running Position of 13.5, 10th-best
? 85 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
? Seventh-fastest Green Flag Speed
? 1,151 Laps in the Top 15, fourth-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet)
? Four top fives, seven top 10s
? Average finish of 17.6
? Average Running Position of 12.7, eighth-best
? Driver Rating of 101.3, sixth-best
? 73 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
? 218 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
? Second-fastest Green Flag Speed
? 1,142 Laps in the Top 15, fifth-most
? 149 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), third-most

Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet)
? Four wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s
? Average finish of 13.0
? Driver Rating of 99.8, seventh-best
? Average Running Position of 10.7, fifth-best
? Eighth-fastest Green Flag Speed
? 1,208 Laps in the Top 15, second-most

Other New Hampshire International Speedway Highlights:
? Rusty Wallace won the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at New Hampshire.
? There have been 13 different Bud Pole winners, led by Ryan Newman (four).
? Sixteen different drivers have posted victories, led by Jeff Burton (four).
? Jack Roush and Rick Hendrick have each won three races at New Hampshire, leading all car owners.
? Thirteen of 25 races at New Hampshire have been won from the top-10 starting positions, including three from the pole.
? Jeff Burton led all 300 laps raced in the 2000 fall race, only the third time in the modern era that a driver has led all of the laps in a race.
? Ken Schrader is the only driver to sweep both poles (1997).
? There have been six different races winners in the last six races at New Hampshire. Five of those winners are Chase drivers.

Drivers that Tested Recently in Preparation for Loudon?s Magic Mile
? 2 Kurt Busch (at Memphis)
? 5 Kyle Busch (at Milwaukee)
? 11 Denny Hamlin (Milwaukee)
? 12 Sam Hornish for Ryan Newman (Milwaukee)
? 19 Boris Said for Elliot Sadler (Milwaukee)
? 29 Scott Wimmer for Kevin Harvick (Milwaukee)
? 31 Jeff Burton (Milwaukee)
? 44 Dale Jarrett (Memphis)
? 48 Jimmie Johnson (Milwaukee)
? 60 Jeff Green (Milwaukee)
? 70 Johnny Sauter (Milwaukee)
? 84 AJ Allmendinger (Milwaukee)

Share Button