2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 28: NHMS

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

ISM Connect 300

By Richard Tix

Guess who is back? Yeah, I know I have been slacking lately on NBTW, but this week we're back on track. My busy Fall is winding down so the content hopefully will get up and running again. In the NASCAR world, this weekend marked the second race of the first round. This is the final Power Rankings that will have 16 drivers. After NASCAR cuts to 12 drivers, so will Behind the Wall so don't get to comfortable with the bubble drivers here, they could be gone next weekend!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 28 (Week 26)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Even after some bad luck, this team fought back and finished 5th just one week after winning. Book him to Homestead now.
2. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- The win at NHMS locks him into round two, not that he needed it.
3. Kyle Larson (LW-3)- Larson was the only one who had something for the Toyotas at NHMS, that something was worth one whole led lap..
4. Denny Hamlin (LW-4)- DH was a bit off at NHMS this weekend, but he has been rolling as of late so its safe to assume he keeps it going.
5. Brad Keselowski (LW-7)- BK is locked into next round with a solid regular season of bonus points and a 6th and 4th place finish in the playoffs.
6. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- Finishing the year strong looks to be helping Kenseth on his start this year.
7. Jimmie Johnson (LW-8)- JJ has at least looked better so far in the playoffs, other drivers you're on notice.
8. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- This is a rough fall after a nice start to the playoffs last week. "Thanks Austin!"
9. Ryan Blaney (LW-12)- So far Blaney has shaken his inconsistency of the regular season, can it last another race? Another round?
10. Chase Elliott (LW-9)- Chase overcame his practice crash and put up what was almost a top ten on Sunday. 
11. Jamie McMurray (LW-13)- JMac has a finish of 10th and 16th so far. Another top 15 and he should advance.
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (LW-15)- Stenhouse and Dillion hold the 12th spot as of right now, but the cut line will get heated this weekend at Dover.
13. Ryan Newman (LW-11)- Newman fought back from a bad day on one of his better tracks for a quality finish, which leaves him with a chance to advance.
14. Austin Dillon (LW-16)- AD pretty much booted Harvick on Sunday, so its easy to say he isn't making friends right now.
15. Kurt Busch (LW-10)- Kurt can't find any luck. I mean, he had a small shot at the championship anyways, but bowing out this early is rough.
16. Kasey Kahne (LW-14)- It's not looking good for KK. Kasey is behind 21 points from the cut line (12th) and has two poor races in two playoff weeks.

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

2016 NASCAR Pit Road Week 19: Loudon

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

New Hampshire 301

Photo: Daniel Shirey Getty Images

By Richard Tix

Big news hit going into the weekend that Dale Earnhardt Jr would be skipping New Hampshire Motor Speedway because of concussion symptoms. It was the best move as a driver and human for Dale and it was good to see a driver and doctor take action (it was Dales decision coming from Doctor advice).

This day in age we now know the seriousness of head injuries in sports. However, it hasn't been deeply looked into in the NASCAR world and sometimes even seems completely overlooked in an age where NASCAR tries to pride itself on driver safety.

With so many hard wreck's it wouldn't surprise me on the season that at least a handful of drivers drive a race or two with a concussion or at least concussion symptoms. So, it was nice to see Dale very aware of how serious this really can be.

Junior will eventually get a waiver for his injury (and if he doesn't NASCAR is absolutely crazy since they gave them for far more), but the points hole may start to turn up the pressure. 

Here at Behind the Wall we hope Junior gets better soon and the symptoms don't trail him in the remaining years of his career. It's really a tough situation but it let Alex Bowman get a shot again at NHMS and it might give NASCAR fans another chance to watch Jeff Gordon this week at Indy.

Get well Junior, now onto this week's power rankings.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 19 (Week 18)

1. Kevin Harvick (LW-3)- Maybe as a BK fan I am just hard on him, but I am giving Harvick the nudge this week all on his season long consistency. If you take out the Coke Zero wreck (39th), he would only have one finish outside the top 15 all year (17th at Martinsville). On Sunday he grabbed his sixth top 10 in the last 10 races. Finish: 4th
2. Brad Keselowski (LW-1)- NHMS is one of BK's better track's so missing out on a top 10 is a move that moves him off of first for the moment. But, he does have 3 wins, six top 5's, and eight top 10's in the last 10 races (including 10 top 15's). Finish: 15th
3. Kyle Busch (LW-6)- Rowdy might be back and ready to get on a roll to head into the Chase again. He has three top 10's in the last four races and had one of the best cars on Sunday. Finish: 8th
4. Joey Logano (LW-5)- Following up his early wreck last week at Kentucky, JoLo got back on his top 10 run with his sixth in the last seven. Finish: 3rd
5. Kurt Busch (LW-2)- A bit of a fall from grace lately. Kurt was one of the most consistent drivers this season at one time but lately that has fallen apart a bit. However, both Daytona and NHMS involved wreck's which can't be overlooked. Finish: 22nd
6. Matt Kenseth (LW-8)- Win number two for Kenseth in 2016. Thats nor back to back NHMS wins and three in the last six stops here. He did fail post race tech and if he hadn't he may have jumped another spot or two. All in all it's worth it at this point since it may just be 15 points and a CC fine. Finish: 1st
7. Tony Stewart (LW-10)- What a run. The spot in the rankings started as novilty in his final season, but it is now 100% legit as he keeps cruising. He was the highest finishing non caught cheating care on Sunday. It was his third top 5 of the season and he now has a win, three top 5's, and four top 10's in his last five races. Finish: 2nd
8. Carl Edwards (LW-4)- Two finishes of 20th or worse in his last three. Getting caught in the wrong place at the wrong time hasn't helped. Finish: 20th
9. Greg Biffle (LW-11)- The Biff is on a roll right now, but he will need to continue that roll right into victory lane if he wants to make the Chase. Right now the three straight top 10's are a breath of fresh air. Finish: 5th
10. Martin Truex Jr (LW-7)- Since his win at Charlotte he has just two top 10's and three top 15's in six races. Finish: 16th
11. Ryan Newman (LW-NR)- It was a slow start to 2016 for Newman, but things are starting to turn around and not many people are noticing it. He has three top 10's in the last four races and in the last nine races he has seven top 15's in nine races (16th and 18th the other two). Finish: 7th
12. Jamie McMurray (LW-NR)- It's rough timing for the Dale Earnhardt Jr news because Jamie McMurray has started his roll. He only has five top 10's this season but he has two of them in back to back weeks. Finish: 6th

Dropped Out: Chase Elliott (LW-9) and Kyle Larson (LW-12)

Just Missed: Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon, and Jimmie Johnson

2016 NHMS NASCAR Schedule: New Hampshire 301

New Hampshire 301

By Richard Tix

**All Times are Eastern Time Zone (ET)**

Friday July 15, 2016

• 11:30 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice- NBCSN
• 1-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice- NBCSN
• 3-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series second practice- NBCSN
• 4:45 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN

Saturday July 16, 2016

• 10-10:55 a.m: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series second practice- CNBC
• 11:15 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN
• 12:30-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- NBCSN
• 4 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series AutoLotto 200 (200 laps)- NBCSN

Sunday July 17, 2016

• 1:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series New Hampshire 301 (301 laps)- NBCSN

2015 Pit Road Week 28: Loudon

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Sylvania 300

By Richard Tix

Another Chase race and another Joe Gibbs Racing win. This team has been on fire lately and it is clear that everyone else needs to catch up if they want a shot at the Championship. So, we will head into next weekend with everyone else trailing and needing some big finishes. 

Many drivers are safe baring big issues at Dover, but others need huge finishes in order to advance including last years Champ, Kevin Harvick. So, can guys like Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Clint Bowyer get it going this weekend? Or will they be left outside the top 12 and finish 2015 on a sour note? 

Until we get to see the outcome this weekend, lets take a look at the latest Power Rankings after NHMS.

Remember, the Power Rankings during the Chase are expanded to 16 spots and only Chase driver eligible drivers can be on it. That means when it is cut to 12 drivers we will cut down to the top 12 in the rankings. Each round after that (so say 8 drivers) the final four spots can go to anyone, but the top 8 spots will continue to go to current Chase drivers.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 28

1. Matt Kenseth- Sundays race winner was going to the next round regardless, but the W makes any overthinking this weekend go away. Kenseth now has two wins in his last three and four in his last eight, that is 50% for you math majors.
2. Denny Hamlin- JGR is something else right now and Denny is happy to be a part of it. After struggling though injuries (still is) and JGR having a down year, every JGR car can be considered a contender (yes, see below for Kyle).
3. Joey Logano- JoLo is one of the only guys almost at the JGR level. Team Penske has strong cars, but just can't put together a winning car vs JGR consistently. But, it is more than anyone else can say. Joey has seven straight top 10's including two wins.
4. Carl Edwards- Two top 5's to start the Chase and Carl is still behind three drivers and two teammates, tough crowd.. If JGR continues to run this way its possible to see at least three in the final.
5. Brad Keselowski- Sundays 12th place finish was BK's non top 10 in 11 races (had 10 straight going). That is 20 combined top 10's for Team Penske in the last 11 races (22 top 10's total for the math majors). 
6. Ryan Newman- He is doing it again....Newman has now started this 2015 Chase out with two top 10's. This is the kind of consistency that got him to the final last year.
7. Jimmie Johnson- A quality start to the Chase for JJ (11th and 6th), but it's hard to get excited when you see how great JGR is running. Still, finishes like this will buy them time to catch up in the next round and figure it all out.
8. Jeff Gordon- Gordon doesn't have a ton of breathing room, but another run like Sunday and he will advance and have another go at it. HMS really needs to catch up a bit to give the 48, 24, and 88 a better shot.
9. Martin Truex Jr- After a 13th and an 8th to start the Chase Martin is still hanging around. It has been a good go, but they may need more to advance to the final 8.
10. Kurt Busch- Tough finish on Sunday but his strong 3rd place finish at Chicagoland gave him some breathing room. They just need to post a solid finish and focus on next round.
11. Kyle Busch- Not what Kyle needed on Sunday, but we have seen what he can do in 2015 with his back against the wall. He has some of the fastest cars (JGR), so you can not count him out of this yet.
12. Jamie McMurray- Consistency has been McMurray's thing all year and it might just be enough to move along in round one. Another top 15 and he should squeak by.
13. Kevin Harvick- This is where this Chase becomes tough on some fans, but I will tell you he would be in a hole even if it was the old Chase. Oh, and don't bring up a just points system because NASCAR isn't going back that way. He still is very good, so he may give NASCAR the dramatics they want with a win this weekend.
14. Paul Menard- He isn't running poorly, but it hasn't been good either. Paul really needs a top 10 to give himself a chance at just getting in.
15. Dale Earnhardt Jr- Sunday was not good for Jr and he is now in a pressure spot. Currently he is in for next round, but he will have to avoid any mistakes to advance, which is a tough spot to be in.
16. Clint Bowyer- It was a good run to get into the Chase, but all that momentum is gone and it looks like he is a long shot to advance. Bowyer practically needs a win to move on (though it is mathematically possible to not win and advance).

2015 Week 28 Preview: Loudon

Sylvania 300

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

By Richard Tix

This week we are skipping right to the main focus, the preview. It's Chase race number two and the winner (if in the Chase) will move on to the next round.

The Good

• Brad Keselowski- NHMS has been a good stop for Team Penske lately. BK probably wishes this race was in a later round (as the first round is the easiest to advance from). BK has 7 top 10's in his last 8 races (including three straight that also includes a win).
• Kyle Busch- This years winner the fist time at NHMS, Kyle Busch has five straight top 10's including a win and four top 5's (1 win and 3 2nd place finishes).
• Matt Kenseth- In his last six NHMS starts Kenseth has five top 10's. He has a win during that same span. As of late he has run very well here and should again this weekend.

The Middle

• Ryan Newman- Newman has the best active average start at NHMS with 9.3, but he tends to fade a bit on race day. His average finish of 13.7 is good, but lately top 10's have been a tough come by. He only has 3 in his last 8 starts. He shouldn't have a terrible finish, but he might not be in the top 10 either.

The Bad

• Danica Partick- Five starts at NHMS and only one top 20. Danica hasn't been terrible here, but she has been finishing around 25th, which leave a lot to be desired. A good day would be getting her back into the top 20 and maybe a top 15.
• Kasey Kahne- Kahne has five straight finishes without a top 10. In those five races he only has two top 15's and three top 20's. Rough for a guy driving a HMS car.
• Paul Menard- 17 races and ZERO top 10's, "even a blind squirrel finds a nut once," comes to mind. Heck, Menard only has two top 15's in that same time. Let's just say Menard is already focusing on next week.

About the Track NHMS

Track Stats

• Rusty Wallace won the first race at Loudon in 1993. He started 33rd
• Most cautions was the second race at Loudon, 1994, 17 for 78 laps. Ricky Rudd won the race
• In 1999 Jeff Burton won after starting 38th (farthest back a winner has started)
• A Cup race at Loudon has been won from the Pole position five times (Newman-2011, Clint Bowyer-2007, Kevin Harvick-2006, Newman-2002, and Jeff Gordon-1998)
• Ryan Newman has won the Pole at Loudon an astounding 7 times in his 26 starts
• 5 current full time drivers have 3 total wins at Loudon (Gordon, Newman, Johnson, Stewart, and Ku Busch)
• A Chevy has not won a race at Loudon in 6 straight starts
• The race winner has started in the top 10 the last four straight races
• Jeff Burton has the most career wins at Loudon (4)
• Jeff Gordon has the most career top 5's (16) and top 10's (23).

Track Info

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

New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Race	Date	Cars	Winner(s)	St	Make / Model
1993-16	7/11/1993	40	Rusty Wallace	33	Pontiac
1994-16	7/10/1994	42	Ricky Rudd	3	Ford
1995-16	7/9/1995	41	Jeff Gordon	21	Chevrolet
1996-16	7/14/1996	40	Ernie Irvan	6	Ford
1997-17	7/13/1997	42	Jeff Burton	15	Ford
1997-25	9/14/1997	43	Jeff Gordon	13	Chevrolet
1998-17	7/12/1998	43	Jeff Burton	5	Ford
1998-23	8/30/1998	43	Jeff Gordon	1	Chevrolet
1999-18	7/11/1999	43	Jeff Burton	38	Ford
1999-26	9/19/1999	43	Joe Nemechek	11	Chevrolet
2000-18	7/9/2000	43	Tony Stewart	6	Pontiac
2000-26	9/17/2000	43	Jeff Burton	2	Ford
2001-19	7/22/2001	43	Dale Jarrett	9	Ford
2001-36	11/23/2001	42	Robby Gordon	31	Chevrolet
2002-19	7/21/2002	43	Ward Burton	31	Dodge
2002-27	9/15/2002	43	Ryan Newman	1	Ford
2003-19	7/20/2003	43	Jimmie Johnson	6	Chevrolet
2003-27	9/14/2003	43	Jimmie Johnson	8	Chevrolet
2004-19	7/25/2004	43	Kurt Busch	32	Ford
2004-27	9/19/2004	43	Kurt Busch	7	Ford
2005-19	7/17/2005	43	Tony Stewart	13	Chevrolet
2005-27	9/18/2005	43	Ryan Newman	13	Dodge
2006-19	7/16/2006	43	Kyle Busch	4	Chevrolet
2006-27	9/17/2006	43	Kevin Harvick	1	Chevrolet
2007-17	7/1/2007	43	Denny Hamlin	11	Chevrolet
2007-27	9/16/2007	43	Clint Bowyer	1	Chevrolet
2008-17	6/29/2008	43	Kurt Busch	26	Dodge
2008-27	9/14/2008	43	Greg Biffle	9	Ford
2009-17	6/28/2009	43	Joey Logano	24	Toyota
2009-27	9/20/2009	43	Mark Martin	14	Chevrolet
2010-17	6/27/2010	43	Jimmie Johnson	10	Chevrolet
2010-27	9/19/2010	43	Clint Bowyer	2	Chevrolet
2011-19	7/17/2011	43	Ryan Newman	1	Chevrolet
2011-28	9/25/2011	43	Tony Stewart	20	Chevrolet
2012-19	7/15/2012	43	Kasey Kahne	2	Chevrolet
2012-28	9/23/2012	43	Denny Hamlin	32	Toyota
2013-19	7/14/2013	43	Brian Vickers	13	Toyota
2013-28	9/22/2013	43	Matt Kenseth	9	Toyota
2014-19	7/13/2014	43	Brad Keselowski	7	Ford
2014-28	9/21/2014	43	Joey Logano	7	Ford
2015-19	7/19/2015	43	Kyle Busch	4	Toyota

2015 5-Hour Energy 301 Photo Recap