By Neha Dwivedi, Staff Writer
New Hampshire Motor Speedway stands as the 30th race of the season and the fourth of the playoffs, set for Sunday, Sept. 21 at 2:00 PM ET. After Bristol Motor Speedway’s chaos and tire-wear roulette, Loudon’s 1.058-mile oval offers a different kind of challenge, one that often rewards drivers who thrive on intermediates.
Denny Hamlin, who finished P31 after his Gateway triumph, fits that bill. By the numbers, Hamlin is the man most would put their money on. He will enter with an average finish of 9.9 at the track, three wins and 11 top-fives in 31 starts.
Yet Brad Keselowski, coming off a runner-up effort where he nearly snatched victory from Christopher Bell at Bristol, will be another threat. His season hasn’t unfolded as expected but at New Hampshire, his previous runs speak volumes: a 10.5 average finish, two wins and 10 top-fives in 24 starts. Those stats suggest he could give any contender a run for their money.
Beyond these heavy hitters, Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick both will bring 11.2 average finishes at Loudon, while Bell will carry a 12.2 mark. Among them, Bell knows the way to victory lane at NHMS. Last year, he outpaced his current teammate Chase Briscoe, leading 149 laps to claim the win. Having already pulled off back-to-back victories earlier this season, another repeat wouldn’t raise any eyebrows.
Ryan Blaney will also be a driver to keep an eye on. He’s strung together playoff consistency with P4 finishes at both Gateway and Bristol. Though winless at New Hampshire, the Team Penske driver owns two top-fives and carries confidence into the weekend.
Asked during his media availability by Kickin’ the Tires editor, Jerry Jordan, which of the next three races, New Hampshire, Kansas or Charlotte, might offer his best chance to break through, Blaney quickly replied, “New Hampshire. That would be ideal. I feel like we’ve run good enough there to where we can contend for one. I would say New Hampshire and then we’ll go from there. We’ll see what we can do this weekend but that would be obviously a nice one to win.”
But Toyota drivers have set the tone in the NASCAR playoffs so far, sweeping the first three races.
Bell, Ross Chastain and Joey Logano took part in the July 22-23 tire test and delivered vital feedback to Goodyear ahead of New England’s return to the Cup Series Playoffs; information that will shape their team preparations for Loudon. That inside track could give them a leg up on the competition.
Also, at New Hampshire, Cup Series teams will run the same Goodyear Racing Eagle tire setup previously used at Bowman Gray Stadium, Martinsville Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway and Richmond Raceway. That could tilt the scales slightly toward the Toyota camp, with Hamlin having captured Martinsville earlier this season and Bell standing tall at North Wilkesboro.
