Martin Truex Jr. brought brisk speed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend, and it was this speed that helped net the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing driver his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series win at the New England track.
However, speed wasn’t the only factor that led to the 43-year-old finding Victory Lane for the third time this season. A well-rounded performance on pit road — which varied between four- and two-tire stops — additionally aided in Truex holding off a resurgent field.
RELATED: Late spin prevents Bell from strong rebound at New Hampshire
Unfortunately for Ryan Blaney and Christopher Bell — two drivers also in contention for the win — the same pit-road success couldn’t be reached. After running second behind Truex Jr. through the race’s closing portions, Blaney was sent to the rear after running over an air hose during a pit stop, eventually finishing 22nd. Bell, meanwhile, opted for four fresh tires with 30 laps to go, while those ahead of him decided to go with a two-tire strategy. A spin in Turn 3 with 14 laps to go led to significant damage, and the No. 20 Toyota finished 29th.
Fast forward to this week’s contest at Pocono Raceway, and the field will look to capitalize as the postseason nears. And limiting pit-road errors will once again be important.
See below to analyze pit-road statistics through New Hampshire and before Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).
TEN FASTEST FOUR-TIRE PIT STOPS IN 2023
| Rank | Track | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sonoma | Kyle Busch | 9.185 seconds |
| 2 | Nashville | Kyle Larson | 9.281 seconds |
| 3 | Sonoma | Austin Cindric | 9.301 seconds |
| 4 | Richmond | Corey LaJoie | 9.309 seconds |
| 5 | Nashville | Daniel Suárez | 9.333 seconds |
| 6 | Charlotte | William Byron | 9.383 seconds |
| 7 | Charlotte | Ty Gibbs | 9.443 seconds |
| 8 | Nashville | William Byron | 9.443 seconds |
| 9 | Charlotte | William Byron | 9.504 seconds |
| 10 | Kansas | Bubba Wallace | 9.509 seconds |