We are now half-way through the season and there are only eight more races left to run before the start of the Chase. Aric Almirola most likely ensured himself a spot in the Chase with his win at Daytona last weekend. Now there are only five spots left for drivers without a win and that number could get even smaller if we can get a few more first time winners this year in the next eight races.
CAMPING WORLD RV SALES 301
This week the series heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the running of the Camping World RV Sales 301. NHMS is slightly longer than a mile and this is one of the shortest races of the season. This short flat track will be a huge difference for the drivers as compared to racing at Daytona last weekend. The closer we get to the Chase, the more desperate some drivers are becoming and we could see a lot of fireworks over the next couple of months.
Tony Stewart: I am giving the nod to Tony this week after a disappointing weekend at Daytona for this team. Tony has won three races at this track during his career and has finished in the top five in almost half of all the races he has run here. Tony is going to let it all hang out to get a win and get his team into the Chase and he isn’t going to wait for the last few races to do that. He makes the Chase this week.
Denny Hamlin: Denny has won a couple of races at this track and has also finished in the top five in just under half of the races he has run at this track. Denny would like to get another win before the Chase starts and build some momentum for his team as they get ready to compete for a championship. Denny is good on all of the short, flat tracks and this weekend should be no different.
Kurt Busch: Kurt has won three races at Loudon and this team has looked very good over the past month. I think they will be very good once again this weekend and will probably trade a lot of information with Tony Stewart to get both of those cars set up for a shot at visiting victory lane this weekend. Kurt is a good pick for someone who wants to make a move in their leagues this week.
Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie has three wins at this track and has also finished in the top ten in seventeen of his twenty-four starts here. This team would like nothing better than to eliminate drivers they think would be a threat to them winning another championship and they will take chances to get another win and take that spot away from someone who really needs it.
Jeff Gordon: Jeff is another driver with multiple wins at this track and has looked very good on all of the short tracks this season. They would love to get another win and start building more confidence that they not only can compete every week, but win races which is what it is going to take to win the championship this season.
Matt Kenseth: Matt won the race here last September and although he is sitting in a good spot points wise, he would really like to get a win or two before the Chase starts to guarantee the spot and get some bonus points. He has finished in the top ten in half of the races he has run here. I think the only way he gets knocked out of the Chase is if he takes too many wild chances and starts finishing races in the garage instead of on the track.
Kevin Harvick: Kevin won his only race here back in 2006, but he has also finished in the top ten in half of the races he has run here. The way this team has looked all year you can’t bet against them at anytime. I think Kevin will be very fast right off the hauler this week and will probably qualify in the top five. That gets you a great spot on pit road and that can make all the difference between winning and losing here.
Ryan Newman: Ryan has three wins here during his career and has finished in the top ten in almost two-thirds of the races he has run here. This team has been average for the last couple of months, but this could be the place they break out of that funk and could easily get their first win of the season this week and get that coveted spot in the Chase. Even though he is the second driver in points without a win and will probably make the Chase anyway, a few poor weeks could drop him out of that spot.
Brad Keselowski: Brad has yet to win a race at this track, but he has only run here nine times. In those nine races he has come away with five top ten finishes and this is the type of track that he really loves to compete on. With the speeds they have put up in qualifying this season and the importance of pit selections at New Hampshire, this team could find themselves starting up front once again with the best pit stall too.
Kyle Busch: Kyle finished second in both of the races run at Loudon last season and wants to improve on those spots this weekend. He has eight top ten finishes in eighteen starts here and won a race here back in 2006. This team is still looking for more consistency as we near the Chase.
YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Yahoo Driver Group A
- Kurt Busch
- Kyle Busch
Yahoo Driver Group B
- Tony Stewart
- Denny Hamlin
- Brad Keselowski
- Ryan Newman
Yahoo Driver Group C
- Jeff Burton
- Austin Dillon
MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
- Tony Stewart
- Denny Hamlin
- Kurt Busch
- Kyle Busch
- Brad Keselowski
Dark Horse: Ryan Newman
Stay Away From: Jamie McMurray
