This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series makes their only trip of the season to New England.  Coverage of the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway can be seen on NBCSN starting at 2 p.m. with NASCAR America Sunday, followed by Countdown to Green at 2:30 p.m. The green flag is scheduled to drop around 3:10 p.m. Sunday afternoon.  The race can also be heard on PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Records and facts

In last year's Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, Denny Hamlin was in good position to take the victory after leading 113 laps.  Kyle Larson then had his right rear tire go down entering Turn 1 and crashed on Lap 265 to bring out the final caution.

Hamlin and most of the drivers on the lead lap came in for two tires.  Kevin Harvick chose to stay out and take the lead.  Despite being one of only three drivers that stayed out under the yellow, Harvick was able to hold on to take the win.

Hamlin ended up second, while Erik Jones avoided a commitment line penalty and finished third.  Ryan Blaney was fourth, while Matt DiBenedetto was fifth.

Kevin Harvick has the most wins among active drivers at NHMS with four, including the last two races on the flat oval.  Both of the Busch brothers, along with Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman, have three Loudon victories.
 

All-time, Harvick and Jeff Burton are tied for the most victories at Loudon with four.  In addition to the six active drivers with three wins, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart also have three victories.

Track Facts
Track / Race Length: 1.058-mile oval, 301 laps (318.458 miles)
Banking: 2-7 degrees
Straightaways: 1,500 ft., banked 2 degrees
Grandstand Seating: 95,491
Pit Road Speed: 40 mph
Pace Car Speed: 50 mph
Opened: 1990, first Cup race in 1993

Website: http://www.nhms.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nhmotorspeedway
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NHMotorSpeedway

Say What?!

"It kind of takes you back to Saturday-night, short-track racing. It’s a mile track but it races like a short track. You go there and see the Modified division there and it makes you feel like when you were a kid and racing Late Models. It’s a fun track to race at and I’ve had some success there and I’ve run well there in the past." - Aric Almirola

"New Hampshire is one of my best race tracks that we go to on the schedule for whatever reason. I don’t know why that is. I think I have to give a lot of thanks to Kyle Busch Motorsports because whenever I drove for them in the Truck Series, we actually used one of our rookie tests up there at Loudon in the 2016 season. That kind of kicked off my experience there. I’ve also run a Late Model race there back in 2015 so I had a lot of seat time before I started going there in the NASCAR Series and it’s just been a great race track for me with the second-place and the win and two truck races I’ve run there and then two wins in the Xfinity Series." - Christopher Bell

"Oh, I’m definitely excited. New Hampshire is home, right? It’s a place that I would consider that I’ve had more laps than probably most that are in the field. And it’s a short track. So, I enjoy going there once a year and I’ve been racing at New Hampshire since 2007 with the Modifieds twice a year. So, it’s a place that I’m very comfortable with." - Ryan Preece

Phil Allaway is the Frontstretch newsletter manager. He can be reached at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.  Photo is courtesy of Nigel Kinrade Photography.