2016 New Hampshire Motor Speedway, New Hampshire 301

Congratulations to Brad Keselowski who picked up his series leading fourth win on Saturday at Kentucky. This was Brad’s third win in six tries at this track. We have reached the halfway point of the season now. eighteen races in and eighteen races to go with eight more before the start of the Chase. We have eleven different winners who are all inside the top thirty in points which leaves five more positions to fill over the next eight races.

NEW HAMPSHIRE 301

This week the series heads to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway which will be the same venue for the second race of the Chase. This track is just slightly longer than one-mile and is an oval shape without much banking in the corners or on the straightaways. I think the drivers who already have a win or more on the season are going to use this race as a test for the Chase when they return here. That means be prepared for teams taking chances on pit strategy, fuel mileage, and number of tires changed. They want to know what they can do to win this race in September.

Brad Keselowski: Brad is on a roll right now and he is very good at New Hampshire. He has one win and has finished in the top seven in seven of his last nine starts there. This team seems to have everything going their way right now and they shouldn’t have to do a lot of “testing” this week because they always seem to run well here. However, they are known to take chances to try and win a race no matter where they might finish because of the chances they are taking.

Kyle Busch: Kyle won this race last season and has finished in the top two spots in four of his last six starts here. This team had a stretch where they were struggling a bit but, I think they are past that now and they will give Brad everything they have and will be in contention at the end of this race. This is another team that has nothing to lose by taking chances to win the race because right now second place really means nothing to them.

Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie has three career wins at this track and has finished in the top seven here in six of his last eight starts. This team has struggled a bit lately with the handling of their car and are doing everything they can to win races by taking chances. I think they need to get back to the basics and Jimmie needs to be a little more patient in the early stages of the race. As we know, Chad Knaus usually has this car handling its best late in a race.

Joey Logano: After a disappointing finish last weekend at Kentucky where Joey wrecked early, this team will be looking to get back on the track and try to win another race. They won the fall race here two years ago and have finished in the top five in their last three starts here. This team needs to become more consistent as the Chase nears if they want to have a chance at winning a championship.

Denny Hamlin: Denny has won twice at this track and finished runner-up four other times in the twenty races he has run here. This is another team that needs to become more consistent and stop making mistakes on pit road if they want to be a serious contender for the championship. I think Denny will run well here this week and the team will learn a few things for when they come back during the Chase.

Kurt Busch: Kurt has won three times at this track which ties him for the wins lead at this track among active drivers. Once again, this team hasn’t run consistently well this season and this is something they have to get corrected over the next eight races so they have more confidence entering the Chase. I think they will run well this weekend and come away with another top ten finish.

Ryan Newman: Ryan is another one of those drivers who has three wins at this track during his career. His last win came in 2011 and he hasn’t run well here on a consistent basis since then. However, after coming away with a third place finish at Kentucky last weekend, this team seems to be getting better and better every week and this is the type of track that Ryan really excels on. I look for this team to come away with another great finish this week.

Kyle Larson: Kyle has only run four races at this track and already has two top five finishes. I think this team has a chance to win the race this weekend if they can eliminate mistakes in the pits that move Kyle to the middle of the pack. Every spot you lose in the pits is hard to make up at this track. Qualifying is also important here so you get to pick a good pit which could win you this race.

Matt Kenseth: Matt won this race last fall during the Chase and has won two of his last five races at Loudon. This team is one of the calmest in the series where Matt doesn’t get too upset early in races unless they really do something awful on pit road. He knows how to be patient and what to communicate to his crew-chief so his crew can make the adjustments he needs to get the job done.

Tony Stewart: Tony has three wins here also and has really been running well since his return from a back injury. He is in the top thirty in points which qualifies him for the Chase and baring any unforeseen circumstances he will remain in the top thirty and have a shot at winning another championship in his final season on the circuit. He has finished in the top five in fourteen of his thirty-two starts at this track during his career which tells me he has a shot at winning here again.

YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Yahoo Driver Group A

• Brad Keselowski
• Kyle Busch

Yahoo Driver Group B

• Ryan Newman
• Kyle Larson
• Tony Stewart
• Greg Biffle

Yahoo Driver Group C

• Chase Elliott
• Ryan Blaney

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

1. Brad Keselowski
2. Kyle Busch
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Ryan Newman
5. Tony Stewart

Dark Horse: Kyle Larson

Stay Away From: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Big 18: Brad Keselowski