Complete news and notes on all 43 cars in the 5-hour ENERGY 301
RELATED: Full race results | Series standings | Chase Grid
Breaking down how the full 43-car field fared at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
1. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. “Ain’t no give up in this (No.) 18 team,” Busch radioed his crew after winning his third Cup race of the season. He put himself in position to win after making a green-flag pit stop then racing his way back onto the lead lap. | MORE: Busch conquers Loudon
2. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Keselowski led a race-high 100 laps, but was flustered by the caution flags: “I’m not really happy with these yellows when I’m leading like that. Not cool.” | RELATED: Kes admits to being grouchy
3. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick led 59 laps, but had a bit of a pit miscue on the final stop that made regaining track position difficult.
4. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. The outside polesitter was consistent all day en route to his fourth top-five at his home track.
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Despite a power issue, Earnhardt recorded his 10th top-five of the season and improves to rank third in the points. | WATCH: Dale Jr. says he ‘had to drive real hard all day long’
6. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth overcame an early pit road speeding penalty to record his 16th top 10 at Loudon.
7. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards earned his first pole position at Loudon and benefited from having the best pit stall at the 1.058-mile track.
8. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Dillon posted his best career result at Loudon after working with his team on the No. 3 Chevy’s handling. | RELATED: Dillon’s top 10 will boost team
9. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon and company rebounded from a collision during practice and a potential battery issue to improve his already track-best top-10 record to 23. | RELATED: Gordon, Bowyer make contact in garage
10. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Busch’s car showed to be better on short runs, but he held on to post his best Loudon finish since July 2011.
11. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman brushed the wall on Lap 12, but continued to climb through the field after starting 26th.
12. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing. Truex was caught a lap down because he pitted just prior to the Lap 251 caution flag.
13. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger’s team had oxygen ready as their under-the-weather driver managed his fifth top-15 at Loudon. | MORE: Allmendinger treated for heat-related issues
14. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin dropped back after lining up fifth on Sunday as his team worked to recover forward bite. | MORE: Hamlin, Dillon have differing views of Saturday’s run-in
15. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Almirola sustained damage to the right-front fender after getting loose and hitting the wall prior to the Lap 251 caution flag. | RELATED: Almirola’s back in provisional Chase Grid
16. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears employed pit strategy to earn his best Loudon finish since September 2009.
17. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17, Roush Fenway Racing. Stenhouse climbed from his 32nd starting spot to run ninth with 50 laps to go before a tire issue jeopardized his position.
18. David Ragan, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Ragan picked up three spots to restart 14th with 50 laps to go after a solid four-tire stop by his team.
19. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne spent the first half of the race running in the top 10 before a tight-handling condition emerged.
20. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart earned the free pass after the third caution flag waved, but the three-time Loudon winner struggled to stay on the lead lap.
21. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Gilliland marched through the field after starting 37th.
22. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. A pit road speeding penalty on Lap 179 mired Johnson in traffic.
23. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. Blaney was running seventh on Lap 125 when he reported bad tire chatter and opted to make an unscheduled pit stop for a loose wheel. He was then clocked too fast entering pit road. | MORE: Get pit road and so much more with RaceView Premium
24. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Patrick worked through an initially tight-handling condition in her fifth New Hampshire start.
25. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard limped off the track on Lap 199 after cutting a tire, but wound up bringing out the caution when he spun at the pit road entrance.
26. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. McMurray was running 13th with 30 laps to go when he radioed to his team that he thought his engine was blowing up. | MORE: Hear in-car audio with Scanner
27. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. The No. 16 team made gains on the handling, notably finding grip, and took the wave-around with 46 laps to go to get Biffle back on the lead lap. | RELATED: Biffle says it’s ‘hard to stay enthusiastic’
28. Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Whitt matched his best performance at the 1.058-mile track
29. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Forward progress was a challenge for Hornish, who brushed the wall early on Sunday and then later reported an engine issue on Lap 55.
30. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports. Cassill ran as high as fourth on Sunday, but his strong run was stalled when he got caught by the caution on pit road
31. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Larson had to fight his way back after getting nabbed for speeding on pit road on Lap 105.
32. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. The No. 6 team tried to use pit strategy to rally from a deep starting spot in Bayne’s first New Hampshire outing.
33. Brett Moffitt, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. The fastest qualifying rookie improved upon his starting spot in his Loudon debut.
34. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Bowyer got loose in the corner and hit the wall with 93 laps to go. He successfully kept his car from spinning, but required a pit stop for repairs. | RELATED: Bowyer, Gordon make contact in garage
35. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. DiBenedetto worked through a tight-handling condition in his Loudon debut. | MORE: DiBenedetto treated for heat-related issues
36. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Handling was a persistent issue for Annett, whose team made a big adjustment with 100 laps to go. | MORE: Annett treated for heat-related issues
37. Eddie MacDonald, No. 32 Ford, Go FAS Racing. The New Englander and regular driver in the K&N Pro Series East made his second start at his home track.
38. Timmy Hill, No. 98 Ford, Premium Motorsports. Hill encountered some overheating during the early stages of Sunday’s 301-lap event.
39. Derek White, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport. The 2010 Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series made his Cup debut when he lined up 42nd Sunday.
40. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Allgaier struggled after hitting the wall on Lap 10. He retired for the day after losing power steering in the final 100 laps.
41. Jeb Burton, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing. The rookie reported to the garage so his team could address a broken gear during the second half of the race.
42. Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Bowman’s team changed his flat right-front tire at Lap 97, but Bowman didn’t make it off pit road as the already flammable area combusted. | WATCH: Bowman’s tire fire
43. J.J. Yeley, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. Yeley struggled with a vibration during the first half of Sunday’s race and finally retreated to the garage with a broken hub seal.