Driver Averages | Driver Ratings | Race Winners | Pole Winners
Here are some pertinent facts and information to help set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday’s FoxWoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Who’s Hot in New Hampshire
Brad Keselowski – The Team Penske driver is still looking for his first win of the 2018 season and it may well come in Loudon. Keselowski has three straight top-10 finishes and an average finish of 6.9 over the last 10 races there.
Kyle Busch – The five-time winner this year has a solid track record in New Hampshire. His most recent win came in 2015, which capped a streak that saw Busch finish either first or second in four of five races at “The Magic Mile.”
Martin Truex Jr. – The defending series champion goes into New Hampshire with great momentum after his dominating Kentucky victory last week. But his best Loudon finish is third. That came in this race a year ago and was followed by a fifth-place run in September.
Kyle Larson – Another winless driver in 2018, Larson put a pair of second-place finishes on the board in New Hampshire last season.
Denny Hamlin – It took until last July at New Hampshire for Hamlin to get his first win of the season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is still searching for Victory Lane this year and is usually a frontrunner in Loudon.
Who’s Not
Chris Buescher – The JTG Daugherty Racing driver has had a hard time at Loudon during his Cup career. His four starts have added up to a 26.3 average finish.
Kasey Kahne – New Hampshire hasn’t been a picnic for Kahne of late, at least during his Hendrick Motorsports days. The Leavine Family Racing driver is hoping to turn around a trend that’s resulted in just a ninth-place finish as his best performance over the last 10 races.
Aric Almirola – The Stewart-Haas Racing driver is hoping a change of address will help his New Hampshire performance. He brings a 19.9 average finish over the last 10 Loudon starts into the weekend.
Kurt Busch – Another SHR driver with limited Loudon success. Busch has struggled mightily in New Hampshire to the tune of a 198.8 average finish over the last 10 but does have a fifth-place effort on the board in this race a year ago.
Chase Elliott – The mounting frustration for Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports might continue this weekend for the No. 9 team, based on Elliott’s past performance. He’s made four Cup starts in New Hampshire with finishes of 34th, 13th, 11th and 11th on his record.
Who to Keep an Eye on at New Hampshire
Daniel Suarez – It’s a small sample size, but the second-year Joe Gibbs Racing driver had a pair of top-10 finishes at New Hampshire in 2017 – sixth and eighth.
Matt Kenseth – The Roush Fenway Racing driver enjoyed great success at Loudon during his days at Joe Gibbs Racing and Kenseth enters the weekend with six straight top-10s there including a pair of wins.
Kevin Harvick – You always need to watch Harvick these days, the way he’s running. But after problems in last year’s September race at Loudon, he’s poised to get back to the level of performance that resulted in a win and a pair of top fives in the three previous starts.
Clint Bowyer – Two lucky seventh-place runs last year in his first season with Stewart-Haas. He’s called the track one of his favorites and is running much better in 2018. Might be a sleeper pick.
Alex Bowman – He’s in the middle of a race for his playoff life near the cut line to make the post-season. Don’t let his 30.5 career average finish shade what he might be capable of now in Hendrick Motorsports equipment.
MRN.com Staff Picks
Pete Pistone – Brad Keselowski
Tyler Burnett – Kyle Busch
Jeff Wackerlin – Martin Truex Jr.
