Complete analysis: Chicagoland

Posted on September 15, 2014 by RJ Kraft

Driver-by-driver news and notes from the opening race of the Chase

MORE: Full race results | Updated series standings | Chicagoland photos | Gallery of winners
RELATED: Track your picks in the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge and Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota
Editor’s Note: Drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will appear in italics.

1. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. The 2012 champion started 25th and had the lead by Lap 46. Keselowski had to come back to pit road for a loose wheel on Lap 186 that took him from second at the time to restarting in 16th. Crew chief Paul Wolfe told him, "I don’t want to take a chance." It was a good thing they didn’t. Keselowski worked his way back up through the field and went between Larson and Harvick to take the lead for good on Lap 252. The win automatically punches Keselowski’s ticket into the Contender Round of 12 drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Watch how Keselowski got the lead

 2. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. For the second straight week, Gordon finished as the runner-up to Keselowski. He led 26 laps on the afternoon and really never left the top 10. Gordon was the fastest car during green flags (176.271 mph) and fastest on restarts (176.701 mph). The four-time champion said afterwards "the whole team was extremely solid and that’s a great way to get started." See Gordon’s race highlights

3. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. The rookie nearly played spoiler in the opening race of the Chase. He led 20 laps, the most he has led in a race in his Sprint Cup career. He had plenty of speed, with 17.2 percent of the fastest laps run (tied for the most), the third-fastest car on restarts at 175.847 mph and he did it all in a backup car after wrecking his main car in Saturday’s practice session. After the race, the rookie lamented how close his was to earning his first Sprint Cup victory, telling ESPN, "Man, I was so close." See Larson’s race highlights

4. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. Logano had his worst starting position since the July Daytona race, starting 28th, but he made up plenty of ground. He recorded 103 green flag passes (the fourth-highest total in the race) and was the best "closer" of the race. He picked up nine spots in the final 27 laps of the race for his fifth top-five finish in eight races, in which he has had an average finish of 5.3. Watch Logano’s post-race interview

5. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick had to pit again after a Lap 68 stop for a wheel going down. He originally pitted in fifth and restarted in 21st. By Lap 151, he had the lead and held it for 79 laps, the most of anyone in the race. He had speed, but had a tough time holding off a hard charging Larson and then Keselowski. He had 16.7 percent of the fastest laps run in the race and earned his sixth top-10 finish in eight races. See Harvick’s race highlights

FULL CHASE COVERAGE

• Chase hub page
• Chase Grid games
• #MyChaseNation

6. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin expressed some early fears that he was having engine trouble, but that turned out to not be the case. In Darian Grubb’s return to the pit box, Hamlin continued to carry the good mojo from his strong run with interim crew chief Michael Wheeler. Hamlin had 109 green flag passes (tied for the most in the race) and spent the third-least amount of time on pit road. For in-race pit road data, subscribe to RaceView today

7. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. "Rowdy" led 46 circuits and never left the top 15 all race long. He showed some speed, laying down the fastest lap of the race on Lap 2 at 185.096 mph. For a team that had struggled in a big way entering the Chase, this top 10 finish — their first in seven races — was a huge step for the No. 18 team. See Kyle Busch’s race highlights

8. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Talk about an up-and-down day. "The Outlaw" spun entering pit road on Lap 46 and had to serve a pass-thru penalty for a commitment line violation, putting him in 30th place on Lap 60. How did he make up the ground? He tied for most green flag passes in the race with 109 and he closed strong, picking up seven spots in the final 27 laps of the race, despite some minor contact with his brother with 30 laps to go. See Kurt Busch’s race highlights

9. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. McMurray continued his late season surge by leading 32 laps on the day and spending all but one lap in the top 15. He spent the least amount of time on pit road and earned his third top-10 finish in four races. For in-race pit road data, subscribe to RaceView today

10. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth recovered well after spinning out on his way onto pit road on Lap 148. Part of that recovery can be attributed to his pit crew, with Kenseth’s team earning the fastest average time on pit road (from pulling in to leaving) at 35.267 seconds.

11. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Dale Jr. struggled in final practice but made some early gains in the race and spent significant time in the top five. Earnhardt had 50 quality passes on the afternoon, which was the fifth-most for the race. But just missing out on a top-10 finish left Junior a little disappointed, as he said over the radio, "I should have done a better job." See Dale Jr.’s race highlights

12. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. As he began his pursuit for title No. 7, Johnson spent much of the afternoon in the top 10 but dropped out late. He was the second-fastest car early in a run at 177.930 mph, according to loop data. However, he was just the 11th-fastest car late in a run. Perhaps that explains part of the dropoff. It was Johnson’s first finish outside of the top 10 since Watkins Glen.

13. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Talk about being opportunistic. Kahne spent only 15.4 percent of the race running in the top 15, but those laps happened to fall in the latter part of the race. The result places him 11th in the standings.

14. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing. Truex earned his best finish since Watkins Glen, a stretch of five races. He did that in part by being one of the better "closers" in the race. According to loop data, Truex moved four spots in the final 27 laps of the race.

15. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman had two separate issues with tires during the races. The second of which — a tire rub issue on Lap 155 — led to Newman sternly saying over the radio, "find out why that tire started rubbing and make sure it doesn’t happen again, please!" He was two laps down at one point and rallied for a top-15 finish. He is just outside the transfer spot to the Contender Round but can improve over the next two races to advance. For more in-car audio, subscribe to RaceView today

16. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. In his best result since Watkins Glen, Dillon registered the fourth-most quality passes of the afternoon with 51. He also spent 59.9 percent of the laps in the top 15 — not bad for a rookie who looks to get better in the latter half of the season.

17. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. The second-year Sprint Cup driver was credited with the most quality passes in the MyAFibStory.com 400 with 63. He had a little run-in with his girlfriend on the track, but managed to earn his sixth top-20 result in the past seven races. He had just seven top-20 finishes in the 20 races before that. 

18. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. It was a quiet day for "Smoke," who has put together back-to-back top-20 finishes. He ran well at Loudon in the summer and that one-mile track could be where Stewart gets his first win of 2014. He has three victories there in his Sprint Cup career.

19. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Danica has now scored three straight top-20 finishes for the first time in her Sprint Cup Series career. However, there was a little dust up late when Stenhouse Jr., her boyfriend, made contact with her, bringing out a caution. See the contact between Danica and Ricky

20. Carl Edwards, No. 99 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Edwards showed plenty of speed in practices and looked to be one of the cars to contend with here. After starting third, he was out of the top 10 by Lap 60 and spent only 39.7 percent of the laps in the top 15. Edwards holds the final transfer spot in the standings, but his hold on that spot is anything but secure with two more races in the Challenger Round.

21. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. With his first top 10 starting spot since the August Michigan race, this was not the result Menard was hoping for. It was also the sixth straight race at Chicagoland where Menard finished in a worse position than where he started.

22. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger’s first career Chase race did not go badly, but it could have gone better. The result leaves him in 14th place in the standings and in need of better results at Loudon and Dover, which are not exactly two of his strongest tracks.

23. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. It was a tough day for "The Biff," who never mounted a charge out of a mid-20s position. Over the radio, the Chase driver sounded frustrated, telling his crew on Lap 257 "that this thing goes from hauling (expletive) to junk." Biffle will need two solid finishes at Loudon and Dover to advance to the Contender Round of the Chase. For more colorful in-car audio, subscribe to RaceView

24. Brian Vickers, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. Vickers has fared well at Chicagoland in the past with three top-finishes in his first five starts at the track, but this year’s race continued a trend in the opposite direction. In the past two races at the venue, he has finished 38th and 24th, well below his average finish of 14.9 at the 1.5-mile track.   

25. Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Ambrose is leaving NASCAR after this season, but the Tasmania native is hoping to go out strong. This was his best finish since the August race at Michigan and he completed 67 green flag passes on the day.

26. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing. Mears scored his sixth top-30 finish in seven races, while also earning his best Chicagoland finish since 2009.

27. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. After making some gains in the late summer, Allgaier has dropped off a bit of late. He has finished no better than 26th in his last three races, after finishing inside the top 20 in three of the previous four races.

28. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Racing. This was Cassill’s first top-30 finish in three races and his best finish in a Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland.

29. Reed Sorenson, No. 36 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. For the ninth straight week, Sorenson finished in a better spot than where he started. In the past four weeks, Sorenson has bounced between finishing 24th, then 29th, then 24th and 29th. So should we expect a 24th-place finish at Loudon?

30. Cole Whitt, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing. It seemed like the rookie was heading for a really bad day with reports of engine trouble but Whitt was able to stay on the track to carry the flag for BK Racing for his fourth straight 30th-place finish.

31. David Ragan, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Ragan has had a knack over the past two months for finishing in a better spot than where he started. That continued this weekend as he started 39th, earning the ninth straight race of finishing in a better spot than where he started.

32. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Ford, Leavine Family Racing. The part-time driver finished exactly where he started but it was his best result in five starts at Chicagoland.

33. Josh Wise, No. 98 Chevrolet, Phil Parsons Racing. The past three races have seen Wise average a finish of 32.7. This finish at Chicagoland was the best of his career at the 1.5-mile track.

34. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. After six straight weeks of top-30 finishes, the veteran regressed with his result at Chicagoland.

35. Alex Bowman, No. 23 Toyota, BK Racing. For the 12th straight race, the rookie was running at the finish, although he was six laps down. He did, however, have 71 green flag passes on the afternoon.

36. Joe Nemechek, No. 66 Toyota, Jay Robinson Racing. Nemechek improved his position from start to finish for the second straight week. This result was his best since a 35th-place showing at Michigan nearly a month ago.

37. Joey Gase, No. 32 Ford, FAS Lane Racing. The Nationwide Series regular was making his Sprint Cup debut. The 37th-place showing was right around where this car has been all year.

38. Travis Kvapil, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport. Kvapil finished 11 laps down for his worst finish at Chicagoland finish since 2008.

39. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. After the disappointment of not making the Chase following a strong run at Richmond, Bowyer found the wall a few times on the way to his second finish of 38th-or-worse in the past three races. Over the radio after the second time of hitting the wall, Bowyer’s frustration was evident, "damn it, hit the (expletive) wall again." Another smack of the wall led to some significant right side damage and a trip to the garage. For more in-car audio, subscribe to RaceView

40. Michael Annett, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. The rookie is trending the wrong way in recent weeks, as this was his fourth finish of 37th-of-worse in the past five races.

41. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. A promising run for the Chase underdog was cut short by engine woes. He spent much of the day in the top 10 and led two laps before the disappointing end on Lap 231, at which he radioed in, "we blew up guys, push it back. Wasn’t a tire, push it back." He has no margin for error now in the final two Challenger Round races. See how Almirola’s day ended

42. Ryan Truex, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. An oil leak and a broken wheel bearing are never a good combination and the rookie paid the price for both. Truex finished in 42nd place for the second straight week, and it was his eighth DNF of the season.

43. Mike Bliss, No. 37 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Making his fifth start of the season, Bliss finished 254 laps down due to a vibration for his third last-place finish this season.

MORE:

READ: Latest
Chase news

PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on September 15, 2014 by

Opening race of the Chase at Chicagoland showed what we can expect

It was a case of mistaken identity.

If you thought the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup preview took place on Thursday at The Murphy in downtown Chicago, you’re not alone.

After all, there were banners on the walls, TV and radio crews, national, regional and local reporters—and, of course, the 16 Chase drivers clad in their colorful fire suits.

As they always do on such occasions, drivers answered questions optimistically. Those entering the Chase with obvious strength explained why their excellent performances would continue.

Those who qualified for the Chase by the thinnest of margins explained why their fortunes were about to improve.

But make no mistake. That annual ritual wasn’t the real Chase preview.

The real Chase preview took place on Sunday, in the first race of NASCAR’s playoff.

FULL CHASE COVERAGE

• Chase hub page
• Chase Grid games
• #MyChaseNation

The MyAFibStory.com 400 was a crystal ball that provided a clear vision of Nov. 16, 2014, the date of the final Chase race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The drivers likely to be competing for the title under NASCAR’s new Chase format were the same drivers running up front and leading laps on Sunday.

Admittedly, on Thursday afternoon, Kyle Busch singled out the No. 2 of Brad Keselowski, the No. 4 of Kevin Harvick and the No. 24 of Jeff Gordon as the strongest cars entering the Chase. But it wasn’t until Sunday that the reality hit home with the force of a wrecking ball.

It wasn’t until Sunday that what happened at Chicagoland Speedway either affirmed or silenced Thursday’s happy talk.

What Sunday’s race told us was that, barring calamity, Keselowski, Gordon and Harvick (the first, second and fifth-place finishers, respectively, at Chicagoland) will be three of the four drivers who survive elimination and qualify for the final race.

What Sunday’s race told us was that six-time champion Jimmie Johnson is likely to be in a dogfight for the final spot at Homestead with the likes of Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.

At Chicagoland, Johnson continued to run where he has been running—in the top 10 for most of the race, but without the speed to challenge the frontrunners for the victory. Johnson finished 12th and didn’t lead a lap.

The performance of the No. 48 team two weeks from now at Dover, Johnson’s personal playground, will be telling.

What Sunday’s race told us was that the Joe Gibbs Racing cars are on the upswing, but they still can’t answer "Yes" to the question "Are we there yet?"

Hamlin ran sixth. Kyle Busch started on the pole (based on practice speed because of a rainout of time trials), led 46 laps and finished seventh. Kenseth survived a spin on pit road to run 10th.

That’s the third time this season all three JGR drivers have finished in the top 10 in the same race. The first time didn’t come until the 19th race of the year, at New Hampshire, which hosts the second event of the Chase next Sunday.

What Sunday’s race told us is that the handling issues of the Roush Fenway Racing cars have not abated and that Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle may be hard-pressed to advance beyond the first elimination round.

Biffle narrowly made the Chase at Richmond with an ill-handling car. If possible, the No. 16 Ford he drove at Chicagoland was worse, as his 23rd-place finish attests. Edwards started third but soon drifted back through the field, finishing 20th.

If the RFR teams hope to be players in the Chase, they have much work to do and very little time to do it.

What Sunday’s race told us is that, after a mid-season lull, non-Chase driver Kyle Larson is ready to win a Sprint Cup race, and his breakthrough victory will probably come at one of the intermediate tracks in the Chase. That has the potential to complicate the equation for Chase drivers trying to advance to the next round by winning.

What Sunday’s race told us was that, if you have to pick a favorite to win it all this year, his name is Keselowski. His race-winning move, splitting the cars of Harvick and Larson off Turn 2, was vintage Kyle Busch.

The resilience of Keselowski and his entire No. 2 Team Penske outfit was vintage Jimmie Johnson. Twice Keselowski drove from the back to the front, the second time after front tire changer Hunter Masling had the maturity and courage to admit he hadn’t gotten his lug nuts tight.

Keselowski returned to pit road on Lap 183 of 267 to correct the problem, restarted behind a blockade of lapped cars and still found the right balance between patience and aggression that enabled him to drive back to the lead in time to win the race.

If Keselowski’s victory at Richmond a week earlier made a statement, Sunday’s win at Chicagoland provided the exclamation point.

And it told us that, after the reality check of missing the Chase last year, Keselowski is ready to win another title—and has the hunger to match.

MORE:

READ: Latest
Chase news

PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Staff Report

22-year-old has made just four NASCAR national series starts

MORE: Sylvania 300 entry list
RELATED: Track your picks in the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge and Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota

Corey LaJoie is scheduled to make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

FULL CHASE COVERAGE

• Chase hub page
• Chase Grid games
• #MyChaseNation

LaJoie, a 22-year-old development driver for Richard Petty Motorsports, plans to drive for Randy Humphrey Racing in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN), the second battle in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup postseason. Dave Blaney (four races), Joe Nemechek and Nelson Piquet Jr. (one race each) have taken turns driving the Humphrey No. 77 Ford this season.

LaJoie has made four NASCAR national series starts — two each in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. The product of the NASCAR Next program was also a five-time winner and runner-up in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings in 2012.

LaJoie’s father, Randy, is a two-time champion of what is now the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

MORE:

READ: Latest
Chase news

PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Staff Report

See the full lineup of NASCAR programming for the week

All times ET

Monday, September 15
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network

Tuesday, September 16
10:00 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Chicagoland (re-air), FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m, The 10 Greatest Truck Series Moments (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2

FULL CHASE COVERAGE

• Chase hub page
• Chase Grid games
• #MyChaseNation

Wednesday, September 17
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Thursday, September 18
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Friday, September 19
11 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Special (re-air), FOX Sports 1
Noon, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
3 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Final Practice, FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
6 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Final Practice, FOX Sports 1
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
4 a.m. (Sat.), The 10 NASCAR;s Millennium Moments (re-air), FOX Sports 1
4:30 a.m. (Sat.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (re-air), FOX Sports 1

Saturday, September 20
9 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
10 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice, FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m., NCWTS SetUp, FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m., TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Race at Austin, FOX Sports 2
1 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at New Hampshire, FOX Sports 1
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Kentucky, ESPNEWS
12:30 a.m. (Sun.), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at New Hampshire (re-air), FOX Sports 2

Sunday, September 21
Noon, NASCAR RaceDay, FOX Sports 1
1 p.m., NSCS Countdown, ESPN
2 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at New Hampshire, ESPN
7 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1
12:30 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at New Hampshire (re-air), ESPN 2
3 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at New Hampshire (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5:30 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR Victory Lane (re-air), FOX Sports 1
(The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Race at Austin will re-air on Sunday on FOX. Check your local listings for the time in your area.)

MORE:

READ: Latest
Chase news

PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceVie

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Staff Report

Four-time champion has three career wins at 1-mile track

Jeff Gordon has led the most laps of any driver to compete in the Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In 39 races, the four-time series champion has led 1,371 laps, while winning three races at the 1-mile track. Despite the high laps led count, Gordon has not won at the Loudon, New Hampshire track since 1998.

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Nascar

Chip Ganassi Racing teammates both placed in top 10

JOLIET, Ill. — Neither Kyle Larson nor Jamie McMurray qualified for this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

That might have been difficult to believe based on the teammates’ efforts in Sunday’s MyAFibStory.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

It took McMurray, who started the 267-lap race just outside the top 10, only 40 laps around the 1.5-mile speedway to put his Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevrolet out front. He led three times for a 32-lap total, and finished ninth in the first of 10 races in this year’s Chase.

FULL CHASE COVERAGE

• Chase hub page
• Chase Grid games
• #MyChaseNation

Larson, competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors, was even more impressive in his red and white No. 42 Chevrolet. Despite starting at the rear of the field after wrecking his primary car in practice, the 22-year-old led 20 laps, and engaged in a furious battle for the win in the waning laps of the race.

His third-place finish was his sixth top-five and 12th top-10 finish of the season.

"The cars are there; the teams are doing the job. We just need to close it now," team owner Chip Ganassi said afterward.

Larson’s efforts drew praise from four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, who made it a point to speak with the youngster on pit road after edging him for runner-up honors.

"I think this kid is the real deal," the Hendrick Motorsports driver said. "He’s going to be a star in this series for a long time."

Riding the high line around the track for much of the day, Larson engaged in a heated battle for the lead with Kevin Harvick following several late-race restarts. After eventual race-winner Brad Keselowski took control, it became a dogfight between Larson, Gordon and Harvick for position.

"It was fun racing him," Larson said of a race-ending six-lap run with Gordon for second. "I definitely wanted to beat him. I was trying all I could, just tried a little bit too hard.

"I was running probably an inch or two off the wall all day and finally got into it."

Ganassi called Larson’s efforts "another step."

"He had some good racing up front there and against good guys," he said. "You have to keep in mind that he’s a rookie. I thought he did a good job.

"It’s a tall order to do this. We use the phrase, ‘he’s racing against real men now.’ He show’s he’s ready for it.

"The No. 1 car was fabulous. We showed we came here with good cars."

McMurray, who had his own brush with the wall earlier in the race, noted the danger in running the high line.

"My car was really good on the top, but it was easy to step over the edge up there," he said. "I thought my teammate was going to pull out a win at the end.

"We have had really good cars the last several weeks, and I think we are getting better every week."

MORE:

READ: Latest
Chase news

PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Staff Report

The Truck Series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Entry	#	Driver	Owner	Crew chief	Manufacturer	Sponsor
1	00	Cole Custer	Gene Haas	Joe Shear	14 Chevrolet	Haas Automation
2	0	Caleb Roark	Kenneth Grimes	Michael Stewart	12 RAM	Driven2Honor.org
3	02	Tyler Young	Randy Young	Bryan Berry	14 Chevrolet	Randco/Young’s Building Systems
4	05	John Wes Townley	Tony Townley	Mike Beam	14 Toyota	Zaxby’s
5	6	Norm Benning	Norm Benning	Kevin Dargie	14 Chevrolet	TBA
6	07	B J McLeod	Ken Smith	Rusty Ebersole	14 Chevrolet	TBA
7	08	Ray Black Jr	Bobby Dotter	Jason Miller	14 Chevrolet	ScubaLife
8	8	John Hunter Nemechek	Sidney Mauldin	Jerry Babb	14 Toyota	Smoke-N-Sear/SWM
9	9	Brennan Newberry	Joe Denette	Ryan McKinney	14 Chevrolet	Qore-24
10	10	Jennifer Jo Cobb	Jennifer Jo Cobb	Steve Kuykendall	13 Chevrolet	Oohrah! Hydration Drink
11	13	Jeb Burton	Duke Thorson	Jeriod Prince	14 Toyota	Estes-Carolina Nut Company
12	17	Timothy Peters	Tom Deloach	Marcus Richmond II	14 Toyota	Red Horse Racing
13	19	Tyler Reddick	Brad Keselowski	Doug Randolph	14 Ford	DrawTite
14	20	Gray Gaulding	Bob Newberry	Christopher Rice	14 Chevrolet	Silverado
15	21	Joey Coulter	Maurice Gallagher Jr	Jeff Stankiewicz	14 Chevrolet	Allegiant Travel
16	29	Ryan Blaney	Brad Keselowski	Chad Kendrick	14 Ford	Cooper Standard
17	31	Ben Kennedy	Steve Turner	Doug George	14 Chevrolet	Heater.com
18	32	Cameron Hayley	Harry Scott Jr	Mike Hillman Jr	14 Chevrolet	Cabinets by Hayley
19	35	Mason Mingus	Kevin Cywinski	Dennis Connor	14 Toyota	Call 811
20	136	Justin Jennings	Beverly Mittler	Michael Mittler	14 Chevrolet	Mitler Bros Machine & Tool/Ski Soda
21	50	T J Bell	Mark Beaver	Ken Evans	13 Chevrolet	Dedicated to Electrical Linemen
22	51	Erik Jones	Kyle Busch	Eric Phillips	14 Toyota	ToyotaCare/Project Pink
23	54	Darrell Wallace Jr	Kyle Busch	Jerry Baxter	14 Toyota	ToyotaCare
24	63	Jr Heffner	Michael Mittler	Michael Mittler	14 Chevrolet	TBA
25	74	TBA	Mike Harmon	Gary Ritter	14 Chevrolet	TBA
26	77	German Quiroga	Tom Deloach	Butch Hylton	14 Toyota	NET10 Wireless
27	186	Brandon Brown	Jerry Brown	Adam Brenner	13 Chevrolet	Dominion Recycling
28	88	Matt Crafton	Rhonda Thorson	Carl Joiner	14 Toyota	Slim Jim/Menards
29	98	Johnny Sauter	Mike Curb	Jeff Hensley	14 Toyota	Nextant/Curb Records
30	99	Bryan Silas	Chris Baluch	Cal Boprey	14 Chevrolet	TBA

MORE:

READ: Latest
Chase news

PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Staff Report

A stats-based look ahead to the second race of the Chase

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 15, 2014) –Below is a look at the 16 Challengers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire going into the SYLVANIA 300 on Sept. 21. ESPN’s coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET and the race is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.

*2014 Chase Grid*
Pos.	Drivers	Season Wins	Chase Points
1	Brad Keselowski	5	2,059
2	Jeff Gordon	3	2,052
3	Joey Logano	3	2,049
4	Kevin Harvick	2	2,047
5	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	3	2,042
6	Denny Hamlin	1	2,041
7	Kyle Busch	1	2,041
8	Jimmie Johnson	3	2,041
9	Kurt Busch	1	2,039
10	Matt Kenseth	0	2,034
11	Kasey Kahne	1	2,034
12	Carl Edwards	2	2,030
13	Ryan Newman	0	2,029
14	AJ Allmendinger	1	2,025
15	Greg Biffle	0	2,021
16	Aric Almirola	1	2,007
	Green = In position to move to the next round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
	Orange = In position to possibly be eliminated from the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Challenger Round
	Red = Eliminated from the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup

FULL CHASE COVERAGE

• Chase hub page
• Chase Grid games
• #MyChaseNation

NEW HAMPSHIRE-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

1 – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 103.8

2014 Rundown

· Five wins, 12 top fives, 14 top 10s; four poles

· Average finish of 13.0

· Led 21 races for 1,340 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· One win, four top fives, six top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 11.4 in 10 races

· Average Running Position of 13.6, 12th-best

· Driver Rating of 93.8, ninth-best

2 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.9

2014 Rundown

· Three wins, 10 top fives, 18 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 9.7

· Led 19 races for 571 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· Three wins, 16 top fives, 22 top 10s; four poles

· Average finish of 11.0 in 39 races

· Series-best Average Running Position of 7.7

· Driver Rating of 107.7, second-best

· Series-high 437 Fastest Laps Run

· 944 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most

· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 125.153 mph

· Series-high 4,989 Laps in the Top 15 (87.9%)

· Series-high 638 Quality Passes

3 – Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 105.9

2014 Rundown

· Three wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 12.9

· Led 18 races for 721 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· One win, two top fives, four top 10s

· Average finish of 19.3 in 12 races

· Average Running Position of 21.1, 22nd-best

· Driver Rating of 72.8, 21st-best

4 – Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Budweiser Designate A Driver Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.5

2014 Rundown

· Two wins, nine top fives, 14 top 10s; six poles

· Average finish of 14.4

· Led 19 races for 1,265 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· One win, five top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 14.3 in 27 races

· Average Running Position of 12.8, eighth-best

· Driver Rating of 91.0, 13th-best

· 178 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most

· 970 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.716 mph, ninth-fastest

· 3,700 Laps in the Top 15 (65.2%), ninth-most

5 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.3

2014 Rundown

· Three wins, 11 top fives, 16 top 10s

· Average finish of 10.9

· Led 12 races for 220 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· Seven top fives, 13 top 10s

· Average finish of 15.5 in 30 races

· Average Running Position of 11.6, sixth-best

· Driver Rating of 97.3, sixth-best

· 1,061 Green Flag Passes, third-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.987 mph, fifth-fastest

· 4,255 Laps in the Top 15 (75.0%), fourth-most

· 596 Quality Passes, third-most

6 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.2

2014 Rundown

· One win, six top fives, 12 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 14.8

· Led 11 races for 163 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· Two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s

· Average finish of 8.9 in 17 races

· Average Running Position of 10.5, third-best

· Driver Rating of 103.6, third-best

· 302 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.973 mph, sixth-fastest

· 3,843 Laps in the Top 15 (75.7%), sixth-most

· 569 Quality Passes, fourth-most

7 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.8

2014 Rundown

· One win, six top fives, 10 top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 17.7

· Led 13 races for 411 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· One win, seven top fives, nine top 10s; two poles

· Average finish of 14.4 in 19 races

· Average Running Position of 13.5, 11th-best

· Driver Rating of 94.7, eighth-best

· 232 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.693 mph, 10th-fastest

· 3,768 Laps in the Top 15 (66.4%), seventh-most

· 504 Quality Passes, eighth-most

8 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 100.0

2014 Rundown

· Three wins, eight top fives, 16 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 14.1

· Led 15 races for 1,035 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· Three wins, nine top fives, 17 top 10s

· Average finish of 10.5 in 25 races

· Average Running Position of 11.3, fifth-best

· Driver Rating of 102.1, fourth-best

· 431 Fastest Laps Run, second-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 125.077 mph, second-fastest

· 4,459 Laps in the Top 15 (78.6%), second-most

· 602 Quality Passes, second-most

9 – Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 87.7

2014 Rundown

· One win, six top fives, eight top 10s

· Average finish of 18.7

· Led 11 races for 181 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· Three wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s

· Average finish of 15.4 in 27 races

· Average Running Position of 13.9, 14th-best

· Driver Rating of 89.5, 14th-best

· 187 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most

· 1,002 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.664 mph, 12th-fastest

· 3,448 Laps in the Top 15 (60.8%), 12th-most

· 531 Quality Passes, sixth-most

10 – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 89.4

2014 Rundown

· One win, three top fives, 10 top 10s

· Average finish of 16.1

· Led 10 races for 204 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· One win, three top fives, eight top 10s

· Average finish of 16.7 in 21 races

· Average Running Position of 13.9, 15th-best

· Driver Rating of 92.6, 10th-best

· 340 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most

· 1,000 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most

· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.828 mph, eighth-fastest

· 3,709 Laps in the Top 15 (65.4%), eighth-most

· 528 Quality Passes, seventh-most

11 – Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.1

2014 Rundown

· 10 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole

· Average finish of 13.9

· Led 16 races for 465 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· One win, seven top fives, 15 top 10s

· Average finish of 13.0 in 29 races

· Average Running Position of 15.5, 18th-best

· Driver Rating of 85.5, 18th-best

· Series-high 1,140 Green Flag Passes

· 471 Quality Passes, 12th-most

12 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.4

2014 Rundown

· Two wins, six top fives, 11 top 10s

· Average finish of 14.9

· Led 9 races for 133 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· Two top fives, five top 10s

· Average finish of 13.8 in 20 races

· Average Running Position of 14.5, 16th-best

· Driver Rating of 86.1, 17th-best

· 972 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most

13 – Ryan Newman (No. 31 Quicken Loans Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 84.9

2014 Rundown

· Two top fives, 10 top 10s

· Average finish of 14.1

· Led 4 races for 24 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· Three wins, seven top fives, 16 top 10s; seven poles

· Average finish of 13.6 in 25 races

· Average Running Position of 13.1, ninth-best

· Driver Rating of 92.3, 11th-best

· 4,131 Laps in the Top 15 (72.8%), fifth-most

· 490 Quality Passes, ninth-most

14 – AJ Allmendinger (No. 47 Bush’s Beans Chevrolet)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 70.4

2014 Rundown

· One win, two top fives, four top 10s

· Average finish of 20.9

· Led 5 races for 68 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· One top 10

· Average finish of 24.2 in 11 races

· Average Running Position of 23.6, 28th-best

· Driver Rating of 63.8, 28th-best

15 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ortho Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 80.5

2014 Rundown

· Three top fives, 10 top 10s

· Average finish of 15.6

· Led 6 races for 109 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· One win, six top fives, nine top 10s

· Average finish of 15.7 in 24 races

· Average Running Position of 14.9, 17th-best

· Driver Rating of 86.6, 16th-best

· 1,109 Green Flag Passes, second-most

· 480 Quality Passes, 10th-most

16 – Aric Almirola (No. 43 Smithfield Ford)

· Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 73.6

2014 Rundown

· One win, two top fives, six top 10s

· Average finish of 20.9

· Led 5 races for 23 laps

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Outlook:

· One top five, one top 10

· Average finish of 21.3 in eight races

· Average Running Position of 24.3, 32nd-best

· Driver Rating of 61.9, 31st-best

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data

Season Race #: 28 of 36 (09-21-14)

Track Size: 1.058-mile

Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 2 to 7 degrees

Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 2 to 7 degrees

Banking/Frontstretch: 1 degree

Banking/Backstretch: 1 degree

Frontstretch Length: 1,500 feet

Backstretch Length: 1,500 feet

Race Length: 300 laps / 317.4 miles

Top 10 Driver Rating at New Hampshire

Tony Stewart……………………….. 110.0

Jeff Gordon………………………… 107.7

Denny Hamlin………………………. 103.6

Jimmie Johnson…………………… 102.1

Kyle Larson………………………….. 99.1

Dale Earnhardt Jr…………………… 97.3

Clint Bowyer…………………………. 95.9

Kyle Busch…………………………… 94.7

Brad Keselowski……………………. 93.8

Kasey Kahne………………………… 92.6

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (19 total) among active drivers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data

2013 Coors Light Pole winner:

Ryan Newman, Chevrolet

136.497 mph, 27.904 secs. 09-20-13

2013 race winner:

Matt Kenseth, Toyota

107.573 mph, (02:57:02), 09-22-13

Track qualifying record:

Kyle Busch, Toyota

138.130 mph, 27.574 secs. 07-13-14

Track race record:

Jeff Burton, Ford

117.134 mph, (02:42:35), 07-13-97

New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

History

· Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was Aug. 13, 1989.

· The 1.058-mile oval is located on approximately 1,200 acres; the multi-use complex is the largest sports facility in New England.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was on July 11, 1993 – won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace.

· Speedway Motorsports, Inc. agreed to purchase New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob and Gary Bahre on January 11, 2008 and then renamed the track New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Notebook

· There have been 39 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; one per year from 1993 through 1996 and two per year since.

· 158 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; 123 in more than one.

· Two drivers have competed in all 39 races at New Hampshire: Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon.

· Mark Martin won the inaugural Coors Light pole at New Hampshire in 1993 with a speed of 126.871 mph.

· 18 drivers have Coors Light poles at New Hampshire, led by Ryan Newman with seven.

· Five drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at New Hampshire: Ken Schrader (1997 sweep); Jeff Gordon (1998-1999); Rusty Wallace (1999-2000); Ryan Newman (twice – 2003-2004 and 2011 sweep); Juan Pablo Montoya (2009-2010).

· Youngest New Hampshire Coors Light pole winner: Brian Vickers (07/17/2005 – 21 years, 8 months, 23 days).

· Oldest New Hampshire Coors Light pole winner: Bill Elliott (07/21/2002 – 46 years, 9 months, 13 days).

· 24 different drivers have won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, led by Jeff Burton with four.

· Two drivers have posted consecutive wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2003 sweep) and Kurt Busch (2004 sweep).

· Youngest New Hampshire winner: Joey Logano (06/28/2009 – 19 years, 1 month, 4 days).

· Oldest New Hampshire winner: Mark Martin (09/20/2009 – 50 years, 8 months, 11 days).

· Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at New Hampshire in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with nine; followed by Roush Fenway Racing with seven.

· Five different manufacturers have won at New Hampshire; led by Chevrolet with 18 victories; followed by Ford with 12 and Toyota with four.

· Jeff Burton is the only driver to win the July race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway three consecutive years in a row (1997, ’98 and ’99)

· Five of the 39 (12.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Ryan Newman in 2011.

· The Coors Light pole is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (five) than any other starting position at New Hampshire.

· Eight of the 39 (20.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire have been won from the front row: eight from the pole and seven from second-place.

· 21 of the 39 (53.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at New Hampshire have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· Nine of the 39 (23.0%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at New Hampshire was 38th, by Jeff Burton in 1999.

· Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are tied for the series lead in runner-up finishes at New Hampshire with five each.

· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at New Hampshire with 16; followed by Tony Stewart with 14.

· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-10 finishes at New Hampshire with 22; followed by Tony Stewart with 18.

· Ryan Newman leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at New Hampshire with an 8.680.

· Denny Hamlin leads NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at New Hampshire with an 8.941.

· All 15 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winners at New Hampshire Motor Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Ryan Newman and Joey Logano won at New Hampshire in their second appearance.

· Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at New Hampshire without visiting Victory Lane at 30.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was the July 1, 2007 race won by Denny Hamlin over Jeff Gordon with a MOV of 0.068 second.

· 17 of the 31 NSCS races scored by electronic scoring at New Hampshire Motor Speedway have had a Margin of Victory less than a second.

· Three of the 39 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races have resulted with a green-white-checkered finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): 2006 (300/308), 2013 (301/302) and 2014 (301/302).

· Four of the 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was June 28, 2009 – the race was called on Lap 273, 28 circuits shy of the 301 scheduled laps.

· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway four times: 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2009.

· Two active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have made their first career start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Joe Nemechek (7/11/93), and Joey Logano (9/14/08).

· Brad Keselowski (9/19/10) is the only active driver to post his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

· Four active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Joe Nemechek (9/19/99), Ryan Newman (9/15/02), Clint Bowyer (9/16/07) and Joey Logano (6/28/09).

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at New Hampshire with 1,371 laps led in 39 starts.

· Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Date
Danica Patrick	29	22	7/13/2014
Danica Patrick	21	27	9/22/2013
Danica Patrick	32	37	7/14/2013

NASCAR in New Hampshire

· There have been 39 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in New Hampshire, all at NHMS.

Track Name	City	NSCS	NNS	NCWTS
New Hampshire Motor Speedway	Loudon	39	28	16

· 15 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as New Hampshire; Jamie Aube is the only one of the 15 to record a victory in NASCAR national series competition. Aube won July 12, 1987 at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, ME; it was his only start that season.

MORE:

READ: Latest
Chase news

PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Staff Report

See which drivers will run at the Sprint Cup Series’ second stop at Loudon

Entry	#	Driver	Owner	Crew chief	Manufacturer	Sponsor
1	1	Jamie McMurray	Felix Sabates	Keith Rodden	14 Chevrolet	Belkin/WEMO
2	2	Brad Keselowski	Roger Penske	Paul Wolfe	14 Ford	Miller Lite
3	3	Austin Dillon	Richard Childress	Gil Martin	14 Chevrolet	Cheerios
4	4	Kevin Harvick	Tony Stewart	Rodney Childers	14 Chevrolet	Budweiser Designate a Driver
5	5	Kasey Kahne	Linda Hendrick	Kenny Francis	14 Chevrolet	Time Warner Cable
6	7	Michael Annett	Tommy Baldwin	Kevin Manion	14 Chevrolet	Feed the Children Chevrolet
7	9	Marcos Ambrose	Richard Petty	Drew Blickensderfer	14 Ford	STANLEY
8	10	Danica Patrick	Tony Stewart	Tony Gibson	14 Chevrolet	GoDaddy
9	11	Denny Hamlin	J D Gibbs	Darian Grubb	14 Toyota	FedEx Ground
10	13	Casey Mears	Bob Germain	Bootie Barker III	14 Chevrolet	No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS
11	14	Tony Stewart	Margaret Haas	Chad Johnston	14 Chevrolet	Code 3 Associates / Mobil 1
12	15	Clint Bowyer	Rob Kauffman	Brian Pattie	14 Toyota	5-Hour Energy
13	16	Greg Biffle	Jack Roush	Matt Puccia	14 Ford	Ortho
14	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	John Henry	Michael Kelley	14 Ford	EcoPower Oil
15	18	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs	Dave Rogers	14 Toyota	M&M’s
16	20	Matt Kenseth	Joe Gibbs	Jason Ratcliff	14 Toyota	Dollar General
17	22	Joey Logano	Walter Czarnecki	Todd Gordon	14 Ford	Shell Pennzoil
18	23	Alex Bowman	Ron Devine	Dave Winston	14 Toyota	Dr. Pepper Toyota
19	24	Jeff Gordon	Rick Hendrick	Alan Gustafson	14 Chevrolet	Drive To End Hunger
20	26	Cole Whitt	Anthony Marlowe	Randy Cox	14 Toyota	Rinnai
21	27	Paul Menard	Richard Childress	Slugger Labbe	14 Chevrolet	Sylvania / Menards
22	31	Ryan Newman	Richard Childress	Luke Lambert	14 Chevrolet	Quicken Loans
23	32	Timmy Hill	Frank Stoddard Jr	Ben Leslie	14 Ford	US Chrome
24	33	David Stremme	Joe Falk	Mike Hillman Jr	14 Chevrolet	Little Joe’s Autos
25	34	David Ragan	Bob Jenkins	Jay Guy	14 Ford	TACO BELL
26	36	Reed Sorenson	Allan Heinke	Todd Parrott	14 Chevrolet	American Muscle Driving Experience Chevrolet
27	38	David Gilliland	Brad Jenkins	Frank Kerr	14 Ford	CLEAN HARBORS
28	40	Landon Cassill(i)	Michael Hillman	Mark Hillman	14 Chevrolet	Snap Fitness
29	41	Kurt Busch	Gene Haas	Daniel Knost	14 Chevrolet	Haas Automation
30	42	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi	Chris Heroy	14 Chevrolet	Target
31	43	Aric Almirola	Richard Petty	Trent Owens	14 Ford	Smithfield
32	47	A J Allmendinger	Tad Geschickter	Brian Burns	14 Chevrolet	Bush’s Beans
33	48	Jimmie Johnson	Jeff Gordon	Chad Knaus	14 Chevrolet	Lowe’s
34	51	Justin Allgaier	Harry Scott Jr	Steve Addington	14 Chevrolet	PlanBSales.com
35	55	Brian Vickers	Michael Waltrip	Billy Scott	14 Toyota	Aaron’s Dream Machine
36	66	Joe Nemechek(i)	Jay Robinson	Scott Eggleston	14 Toyota	Land Castle Title
37	77	Corey Lajoie(i)	Randy Humphrey	Steve Lane	14 Ford	Fochler Veterans Law
38	78	Martin Truex Jr	Barney Visser	Todd Berrier	14 Chevrolet	Furniture Row
39	83	Ryan Truex	Ron Devine	Joe Williams	14 Toyota	Burger King Toyota
40	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr	Rick Hendrick	Steve Letarte	14 Chevrolet	Diet Mountain Dew
41	93	Travis Kvapil	Wayne Press	Doug Richert	14 Toyota	Iowa City Capital Partners Toyota
42	98	Josh Wise	Mike Curb	Gene Nead	14 Chevrolet	Phil Parsons Racing
43	99	Carl Edwards	Jack Roush	James Fennig	14 Ford	Aflac

MORE:

READ: Latest
Chase news

PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks

WATCH: Latest
NASCAR video

FOLLOW LIVE: Get
RaceView

Posted on September 14, 2014 by

Win puts 2012 champion into Contender Round

MORE: Full race results | Updated series standings
RELATED: Track your picks in the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge and Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota

JOLIET, Ill. — For Brad Keselowski, this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup started the same way it did in 2012 — with a victory at Chicagoland Speedway.

Clearly, Keselowski would love to see the Chase end the same way it did two years ago — with a series championship.

Needing an extra pit stop to tighten a loose wheel under caution on Lap 183 of 267 in Sunday’s MyAFibStory.com 400 at the 1.5-mile track, Keselowski restarted 16th on Lap 187, mired in traffic behind a gaggle of lapped cars.

FULL CHASE COVERAGE

• Chase hub page
• Chase Grid games
• #MyChaseNation

But with a determined charge through the field and a couple of opportune cautions in the final 35 laps, Keselowski regained lost track position and put himself in position to make a dramatic race-winning move after a restart on Lap 250.

With third-place finisher Kyle Larson battling Kevin Harvick for the lead on Lap 252, Keselowski powered between the two cars off Turn 2 and grabbed the lead.

"I just saw a hole, and I went for it," Keselowski said.

He held the top spot for a restart on Lap 262, after an accident involving the cars of Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and pulled away to win his fifth race of the year and the 15th of his career by 1.759 seconds over Jeff Gordon, who passed Larson for the second spot in the closing laps.

Joey Logano ran fourth and Harvick fifth, as Chase drivers took eight of the top 10 finishing positions.

With his second victory at Chicagoland, Keselowski ensured he would advance to the next round of the Chase under a new format that features a trio of three-race elimination rounds and a final race at Homestead to settle the championship between the last four eligible drivers.

With the starting order set according to speeds in opening Sprint Cup practice because of a qualifying rainout, Keselowski started 25th and worked his way to the front, only to fall back again when he brought the No. 2 Team Penske Ford to pit road to have the loose wheel tightened.

"I’m not really sure what to say," said Keselowski, who can race for the next two weeks without fear of falling out of the Chase. "I don’t really know what happened. I just know we got to the lead. There was traffic and I was just digging and in the zone. The recorder was turned off, so I don’t remember what happened.

"I had my head down doing all I could do. We had a great Miller Lite Ford Fusion that I knew from the start would be good, but, man, it was really awesome the last few runs. We really dialed it in and the 2 crew did an excellent job. What a day! Man, I am still pumped!"

Larson, driving a backup car after a brush with the outside wall in Saturday morning practice, appeared headed for the first victory of his Cup career, before Carl Edwards‘ cut tire brought out the fourth caution on Lap 231. That yellow, which interrupted a cycle of green-flag pit stops, leap-frogged Keselowski to the fourth spot for a restart on Lap 238.

Seven laps later, caution for Clint Bowyer’s contact with the Turn 1 wall set up Keselowski’s opportunity to make the winning move.

"Man, I was so close," a rueful Larson said of his lost opportunity. "I didn’t need that caution there. I was just cruising out front, and then we got that yellow, and I had to battle Harvick really hard then. That allowed Brad to get by both of us. It really ended our shot at a win there. We had one more shot there at the last restart, but just didn’t have enough for Brad.

"He was really good around the bottom. He was about the only car that I thought could get around the bottom all race long. I had a lot of fun gripping the wall. I ran inches off of it the whole race and finally got into it there battling Jeff. Man, for a back-up car, that was amazing… I just hate it that we came up short."

If Larson had speed, Chase drivers Edwards, AJ Allmendinger and Greg Biffle did not. None of the three drivers was quick enough to stay on the lead lap, and with respective finishes of 20th, 22nd and 23rd, all are in jeopardy of elimination after the third race of the Chase at Dover.

The real casualty of Sunday’s race, however, was Aric Almirola, who was running sixth just before the engine in his No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford failed as he was coming to pit road for a green-flag stop on Lap 231.

Almirola finished 41st and is in grave danger of missing the cut two races hence.

Up next for the Sprint Cup Series is the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next Sunday (2 p.m. ET on ESPN). It is the second of three races in the Challenger Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

MORE: