Good at Phoenix, M'ville ... should shine at NHMS

This week we shift back east from the road course at Sonoma, as the Cup Series will tackle another of the circuit's short tracks. The flat, one-mile oval at Loudon, N.H., will host the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 on Sunday.

This will be the first of two races this season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Since this oval has similar characteristics to the other flat tracks on the tour, we can look at facilities like Phoenix and Martinsville for indications on drivers to select this weekend.

Among those who have success at Loudon is an array of drivers that we tend to think of at the many short tracks that the Cup Series visits. The following is our weekly power ranking for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

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1. Jimmie Johnson
The two-time New Hampshire winner is still looking for his third win this season and Loudon could provide a great opportunity for the defending Cup champion. Johnson has had his share of success on the shorter tracks in recent seasons, and he's finished in the top 10 in seven of his last eight races at NHMS. We're used to seeing the No. 48 team up front at this New England oval, and the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 will be no exception.

2. Denny Hamlin
When it comes to small ovals, particularly flat tracks, we think of Hamlin's name right away. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota has one victory at NHMS and has finished in the top 10 in five of his six career starts at the oval. Hamlin's sixth-place effort at Phoenix and second-place effort at Martinsville earlier this season are a big endorsement of his potential at Loudon this weekend.

3. Tony Stewart
The championship standings leader already has stacked up four second-place finishes this season to go along with his one victory. Stewart is running up front each week, no matter what the venue. Loudon has been kind to Smoke through the years as he is a two-time winner at the one-mile oval. He has led more than 150 laps in his last three visits to New Hampshire, and is currently riding a four-race top-10 streak entering this event.

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4. Mark Martin
As Martin showed us earlier this season at Phoenix, his No. 5 team is more than capable of winning on these smaller ovals. He hasn't raced at NHMS since 2006 thanks to his part-time schedule the last couple years, but don't let that fool you this weekend. Martin has cracked the top 10 in more than half his career starts at Loudon and he's capable of chalking up his first career win Sunday.

5. Martin Truex Jr.
Different horses for different courses is an adage that best describes Truex this week. While he's had a less-than-stellar season in 2009, Truex has made a steady fantasy racing play on his favorite tracks. New Hampshire ranks among his best on the circuit. In six career visits to the short oval, Truex has collected four top-10s. In fact, he's swept the top 10 in each of the last two seasons at Loudon. The beat should roll on for the No. 1 team in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301.

6. Jeff Gordon
Gordon built his Cup racing reputation by winning and dominating on the circuit's many short tracks. Loudon is no exception. Gordon won all thee of his New Hampshire victories much earlier in his career, but he remains a dangerous top 10 threat at the track. This time around the No. 24 team won't make it look easy, but they will work hard and fight for yet another top-10 finish.

7. Jeff Burton
Burton is the active wins leader at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with four victories to his credit. While he's not a major threat to win this weekend, he's a solid bet at a top-10 finish. The driver of the No. 31 Chevrolet really loves this track and it shows in his career numbers. Burton has managed to crack the top 10 in five of his last seven starts at the one-mile oval. Despite the fact he's currently mired in a slump, Loudon gives the veteran driver a good chance to break out.

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8. Carl Edwards
The No. 99 team has been steadily improving in recent weeks and Edwards should put up a good run at the flat oval in Loudon. His career numbers aren't that great at NHMS, but the last time the series visited Edwards led 61 laps and finished third last September. That run should be fresh on the Roush Fenway Racing veteran's mind and his current hot streak should be a safe indicator of what to expect Sunday.

9. Kurt Busch
The three-time Loudon winner is surprisingly low on our rankings this week, but for good reason. There is a lot of parity at this track and Busch becomes just a face in the crowd despite his past success here. He won this event last season thanks in large part to rain cutting the race short. Busch won't likely get that same luxury this weekend, but his sixth-place showing at Loudon last September is more indicative of what to expect.

10. Ryan Newman
Rocket Man is a four-time pole winner and two-time race winner at New Hampshire. That's a whole lot of hardware for the trophy case. Newman has managed to crack the top 10 in more than 64 percent of his starts at the one-mile oval. The No. 39 team has fallen into a bit of a slump the past couple weeks, but a visit to Loudon should be just what the doctor ordered to get this team back on track.