Editor’s Note: Keep tabs on this page for lineup advice following qualifying, including changes you should consider.
Another week, another short, flat track where Team Penske should be the organization to beat once again, this time at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Christopher Bell could be the company’s biggest threat, however, as he’s owned the 1.058-mile oval throughout his NASCAR career, no matter the series. The best drivers and teams tend to dominate the “Magic Mile,” with 13 of the last 17 winners also claiming a Cup Series title.
Returning to Fastlane this year is my weekly NASCAR 36 for 36 pick,
where you can play along. It’s a season-long points battle introduced in 2024 where strategy is the primary emphasis. With 36 chartered cars and 36 races on the 2026 schedule, players can choose each car once for the duration of the season.
RELATED: NASCAR Fantasy Live hub | Play 36 for 36
MUST START
Driver: Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 20 Toyota
Selections remaining: 1
Comment: Since bursting onto the NASCAR scene, Bell has made New Hampshire his personal playground. He is undefeated in four O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts, earning a pair of additional victories in Cup competition, both coming in the last four events. The Oklahoma native also has finishes of first and second in Craftsman Truck Series competition in the Granite State.
Driver: Joey Logano, Team Penske, No. 22 Ford
Selections remaining: 3
Comment: The three-time Cup champion is white-hot over the last five races, tallying north of 40% of his season points total in that timeframe (264 of 659). The native New Englander is a two-time winner at his home venue, leading a race-high 147 laps last year before taking the checkered flag in fourth.
Driver: Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, No. 12 Ford
Selections remaining: 0
Comment: Blaney will be idle from my lineup this weekend after using my final start with him at Richmond Raceway. But if you have a start left with the No. 12 bunch, use it now. He led 116 laps to win at New Hampshire last year, and he has three flat-track triumphs in the last calendar year.
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Sean Gardner | Getty Images[/caption]
DRIVERS TO AVOID
Driver: William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 4
Comment: Byron finished on the podium at New Hampshire in 2025, his lone top 10 in eight starts at the 1.058-mile venue. New Hampshire has been a struggle point for Hendrick Motorsports, which has won 118 times at 28 different venues since last hoisting Loudon the Lobster in Victory Lane (Kasey Kahne, 2012).
Driver: Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, No. 23 Toyota
Selections remaining: 6
Comment: Wallace has yet to find consistent results at New Hampshire, though he placed third in 2022. He has one additional top 10 in eight total starts, with the other six tries being finishes of 22nd or worse.
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Meg Oliphant | Getty Images[/caption]
SLEEPERS OF THE WEEK
Driver: Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing, No. 21 Ford
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: Berry is racing for his future, and it’s paid off with three straight top 10s, tying the longest stretch of his career. The No. 21 team finished runner-up to Blaney last year and was hunting the leader down at the checkered flag. In two New Hampshire starts, Berry has finished second and third, respectively.
Driver: Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing, No. 6 Ford
Selections remaining: 6
Comment: Sitting a season-worst 78 points below the Chase cutline, time is running out for Keselowski to make any sort of Chase push. However, he has a pair of wins here, with 16 top-10 finishes in 25 starts. Five of those have come in the last seven visits.
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Jacob Kupferman | Getty Images[/caption]
FEATURED MATCHUPS
Joey Logano vs. Ryan Blaney
Pick: Logano
Comment: This is a tossup between Penske brethren but give me Logano. As he said on the Richmond frontstretch, “Don’t let the boys get hot.” Blaney has been a tad less consistent, comparatively, at New Hampshire, with five top 10s in 13 starts.
Chase Briscoe vs. Josh Berry
Pick: Briscoe
Comment: While Berry is riding high entering New Hampshire, Briscoe is sizzling, too. He considers Richmond and New Hampshire to be among his worst tracks on the schedule, but coincidentally, they have been among the strongest for the No. 19 crew over the years with Martin Truex Jr. It wouldn’t be shocking if this was a battle late inside the top five.
Christopher Bell vs. Denny Hamlin
Pick: Bell
Comment: Bell should be the popular pick this weekend. Hamlin, who I’ve also run out of starts with, is no slouch at New Hampshire, as he leads active drivers in wins (three), laps led (798), top 10s (19), and has an average finish of 9.9. The No. 11 team has 11 consecutive top-five finishes at non-drafting track ovals in 2026. This could be a battle for the win if the JGR duo can outshine Penske.
Shane van Gisbergen vs. Ryan Preece
Pick: Van Gisbergen
Comment: While Preece will get some love this week due to his New England roots, don’t overlook van Gisbergen. The box score shows a 32nd-place finish last year, but he qualified 10th and earned points in Stage 1. He was involved in a pair of incidents later in the race, dropping him in the running order. It’s been apparent of late how well SVG has improved at short tracks.
MY LINEUP
Starting five: Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs.
Garage: Kyle Larson.
36 FOR 36
Pick: Ryan Preece, RFK Racing, No. 60 Ford
Comment: It’s make-or-break time for Preece and the No. 60 team. He sits 50 points below the Chase cutline with two regular-season races remaining. While Preece is praised for his short-track prowess, he recently said Martinsville Speedway is the only track where he feels he can contend for a win every year, no matter the circumstances. RFK will need to put its eggs in Preece’s basket this weekend as it looks to earn multiple Chase berths.