The Sprint Cup series is headed to the “Magic Mile” for the first time in the 2016 NASCAR Season for the New Hampshire 301.
The New Hampshire Motor Speedway offers drivers a unique challenge as it is not quite a short track and not quite an intermediate track, but someplace in between. Drivers will race around the 1.058-mile track with the ability to reach some pretty high speeds on the 1.500 foot front and back stretches. That gives New Hampshire a bit of an intermediate track feel. However, with banking of only two to seven degrees through the turns the cars will need to have handling abilities similar to what they have on the short tracks to stay under control.
That kind of speed combined with the hard driving on an all but flat track could not only cause drivers to loose control and wreck, it can also be the catalyst for mechanical failures that combined with the heat generated from hard use of the breaks could lead to some really “hot” situations.
To advance on the track will take power, speed, handling from the cars along with skill and nerves from the drivers. A pass can be made on the front and back stretches if the car has the speed to get past others. A pass can also be made if the driver has the skill and nerves to out break another going into the turns by driving harder into them either under or on the outside. For this type of passing, the car will also have to have the power to accelerate out of the turns to complete the pass. However, a slight mistake or a car without good handling can loose control when making a pass in the basically flat turns.
Which active NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers are the best at finding the magic at New Hampshire in their careers? Let’s take a look.
Top 10 Driver Ratings at New Hampshire
Tony Stewart – 103.4
Denny Hamlin – 103.2
Jimmie Johnson – 101.1
Brad Keselowski – 99.5
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 97.4
Kevin Harvick – 96.2
Kyle Busch – 95.6
Clint Bowyer – 91.3
Ryan Newman – 91.3
Kasey Kahne – 91.0
(Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races {22 total} among active drivers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.)
Four of the active NASCAR drivers have scored three wins each on the “Magic Mile.” Those four drivers are Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart.
Kyle Busch won this race last year to joined the list of other active drivers that have a pair of Sprint Cup wins each at New Hampshire that includes Joey Logano, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin and the winner of the second race at the track last year during The Chase, Matt Kenseth.
The five active drivers that have won a single Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire during their careers are Brad Keselowski, Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick.
Counting this weekend’s race there are only eight races left before the Chase Grid is set. Currently, there are 11 drivers who have one or more wins in the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season with four of those drivers being locked in The Chase provided they attempt to qualify for the remaining races in the regular season. Those four drivers are locked because they have already accumulated enough points to be included on the Chase Grid by the end of the regular season.
Those 11 drivers with wins are Brad Keselowski (4 wins, locked), Kyle Busch (3 wins), Carl Edwards (2 wins, locked), Jimmie Johnson (2 wins), Kevin Harvick (1 win, locked), Kurt Busch (1 win, locked), Joey Logano (1 win), Martin Truex Jr. (1 win), Matt Kenseth (1 win), Denny Hamlin (1 win) and Tony Stewart (1 win).
A win by a driver not mentioned just above would likely move them onto the Chase Grid with a chance to win the championship when NASCAR’s playoffs begin.
Another win by a driver not locked on the grid yet could be all they need to ensure their chance at the championship.
Drivers who are already locked will want the win to move them further ahead of the competition at the start of The Chase.
The competition will continue to ramp up as every win and point becomes even more important as the regular season races wind down in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
That could provide the fans with a very exciting 301 laps (318.46 miles) of racing this Sunday, July 17th starting at 12:30 PM central time (1:30 PM eastern time) in the New Hampshire 301 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
By: Buck Stevens
