2017 NASCAR Week 19: NHMS

Overton's 301

New Hampshire Motor Speedway 

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For?

Once again, the battle for the regular season points champion

• This one might continue to be a headline every week, as it should. I don't think it gets enough attention by the NASCAR media and should be pointed out as a "rivalry" even though neither side really has a ton of bad blood for each other (past the small Dover incident). I mean, this is one of the better points battles we have had in awhile and the regular season points winner gets an extra 15 points to carry through the playoffs (second gets 10, so the winner will get 5 extra). Heading into Loudon Truex cut the difference on Larson to 1 point. The way it stands Larson needs to keep the top spot since Truex is racking up tons of playoff points already with stage and race wins. Keep an eye on the top spot for the rest of the season, it should play a big factor in who makes it to Homestead the easiest.

Joey Logano v Matt Kenseth

• Yeah, yeah, yeah, the rivalry has pretty much passed and cooled down. But, both drivers head into NHMS needing a win to solidify a spot in the playoffs at the track where the pile drive into the wall was heard around the world. Kenseth is currently 16th and if the regular season ended today "in" the playoffs, however a win by JoLo would actually knock him out. Joey is technically outside the playoff picture right now because his encumbered win doesn't count to lock him into them. What's even more interesting is that Loudon is a pretty good track for both drivers so I am sure they're ready to do whatever it takes to get to VL.

Laying down a "traction compound" at NHMS

• The bottom lane has been a freight train at NHMS for years now, which has really frustrated some because it's all the luck of getting a bottom restart (luck if you're not number one coming out that is). In response, NASCAR and NHMS are once again going to try a compound to try and open up another lane to race and pass with. The word is that they will place it on the middle groove in the hopes it helps open up the track. As it was with Bristol and CMS, this compound and how it effect the race will be a main focal point of the weekend.

**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good

• Matt Kenseth- Two wins and a second place finish in his last three NHMS starts, not bad huh? Kenseth needs a good run this weekend to give him a better playoff outlook so NHMS is a welcomed sight.
• Kevin Harvick- Guess who Kenseth was second to in that lone race he didn't win in the last three? Yup, Harvick. Happy also has four top fives in his last five races at Loudon.
• Joey Logano- Another driver who badly needs a good race is JoLo. Joey has four top fives and a win in his last five starts here.

The Middle

• Jimmie Johnson- JJ has won three times here, but none since 2010. He has been pretty solid for top ten's, but just hasn't run as strong as he did prior to 2010.

The Bad

• Paul Menard- 20 career starts. Zero top tens. To make it worse, Paul only has three top 15's and seven top 20's in that same time.
• Clint Bowyer- Five straight races here without a top 10, four of them outside the top 20. 
• Kurt Busch- In the last 13 races here Kurt has three top tens and only five top 15's.

Track Info

• Surface- Asphalt and Granite
• Length- 1.058 miles
• Banking
• Turns- variable, about 12% grade
• Straight- 1 degree