Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Race Preview

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Loudon -- 06/28/2009

Author: Becca Gladden

Published: Wednesday Jun 24 2009 1:45am

This week, NASCAR is touting what it calls the “Race for the Chase” – a summertime stretch of ten races from now to the start of NASCAR’s so-called postseason, the ten-race “Chase for the Championship.”

Curiously, both the “Race for the Chase” and the “Chase for the Championship” start at the same track – Loudon, New Hampshire, where this Sunday’s `Lenox Industrial Tools 301` is being held.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a flat 1.058-mile oval track with variable banking of just 2 to 7 degrees in the turns. The race itself is 301 laps (318 miles) – it used to be 300 laps, but last year an extra lap was added because race sponsor Lenox Industrial Tools wanted fans to think of them as the company that ‘goes the extra mile.’

In describing the racing at Loudon, driver Jamie McMurray said, “Loudon is a fairly flat track and those are the kinds of tracks that are difficult to pass on, but if you go there with a great car, you can make anything happen. We’re actually bringing the same car we ran at Phoenix earlier this season since these are pretty similar tracks.”

McMurray’s crew chief Donnie Wingo echoed his driver’s sentiments: `Track position means a lot at a flat track like Loudon, since passing can be rather difficult there. The car we’re bringing this weekend was last raced at Phoenix and we finished just outside the top 10. Richmond and Phoenix are tracks that we go back to and review notes when it comes to setting up a car for Loudon. Those tracks have very similar traits to Loudon and it allows us to take a look back at what we liked at both of those tracks and apply it to this weekend. `

So, perhaps it’s worth looking at the top 5 from Phoenix in April, which consisted of winner Mark Martin, then Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, and Greg Biffle. If performance at Phoenix carries over to Loudon, one of them could be the race winner this weekend.

NASCAR has been racing at Loudon since 1993. For the first four years the track only had one race, but in 1997 a second race was added. Since last year, the race dates have taken place in June and September. Currently there are three active drivers who’ve competed in all 28 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte; Joe Nemechek has also completed all 28 races, but is not full-time this year.

Last year, after a string of four straight Chevy wins, it was Kurt Busch in a Dodge and Greg Biffle in a Ford who found Victory Lane. Busch’s win came in a race that was shortened by rain to 300 laps.

Overall, Jeff Burton has the most Loudon wins with four, though all four of his wins came in the year 2000 or prior. Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch have three wins a piece, while Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson have each won here twice.

A number of drivers have scored a single New Hampshire win, including Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Joe Nemechek, Robby Gordon, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, and Clint Boywer.

Denny Hamlin, winner of this race in 2007, leads all drivers in the average finish category with a low 7.2 in six starts. Hamlin’s worst finish here is 15th and he had a top 10 in both races last year.

Following Hamlin in the average finish stat are Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon. A group of five drivers are closely matched in average finish just behind Gordon, including Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards.

Over the course of the last five races at Loudon (both dates), Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with points accumulated, followed by Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr., and Kevin Harvick.

Current odds for select drivers for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

Jimmie Johnson +600

Denny Hamlin +700

Jeff Gordon +800

Tony Stewart +800

Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch (all at) +1100

Mark Martin +1300

Please check back before the race for our practice and qualifying update.

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