Matt Kenseth made a late race charge to head back to NASCAR Victory Lane in the New Hampshire 301 Sunday afternoon (7/17).

The NASCAR Sprint Cup series raced around the track called the “Magic Mile” with really very little major issues for the drivers. There were only seven caution periods at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with one being a competition caution and two others that were for debris on the track.

There was quite a bit of side-by-side racing back in the pack. However, the lead of the race was only exchanged 13 times between six different drivers. Kyle Busch led more laps than anybody with 133 of the 301 laps out front. Martin Truex Jr. was close behind Kyle in laps led with 123 total laps led.

However, it was Matt Kenseth that found his way to the front when it mattered most. Thirty-one of Matt’s 38 laps led were the final 31 laps of the race including the last lap to take the checkered flag. The win gives the #20 Toyota back-to-back wins at New Hampshire as Matt won the second race at the track last season.

However, NASCAR.com reports that Matt’s car failed post-race inspection and will face further inspection at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina this week. We will have to wait and see what develops from this situation.

Tony Stewart came across the finish line in second place with Joey Logano next in third. Kevin Harvick managed a fourth place finish and Greg Biffle rounded out the top five. See the complete race results for the New Hampshire 301 here.

As far as the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings the top five remains the same following the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; Kevin Harvick (1st), Brad Keselowski (2nd), Kurt Busch (3rd), Carl Edwards (4th) and Joey Logano (5th).

The big story in the point standings is that Dale Earnhardt Jr. has fallen to just 24 points above the Chase Grid cut-off line after having to sit out this week’s race due to concussion-like symptoms.  We are still waiting to see if he will be back in the #88 Chevrolet this week or if Jeff Gordon will sub for him. See the complete NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings here.

Brad Keselowski remains at the top of the Chase Grid as the only driver with four 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup wins followed by Kyle Busch with three wins. Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson are joined right now by Matt Kenseth as drivers with two wins pending the outcome of the post-race inspection failure of Matt’s car this week. See the NASCAR Chase Grid here.

Watch a race re-cap video of the New Hampshire 301 above and see photos from the race below.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week for the race most fans still simply call the Brickyard 400 Sunday, July 24th.

By: Buck Stevens