From Second to the Bottom

Clint Bowyer, left, and crew chief Shane Wilson hug after Bowyer's
victory at New Hampshire on Sunday. (Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Just a couple of days ago we were calling Clint Bowyer the comeback kid, but today he’s the guy everyone wants answers from. Conspiracy theorists are calling this NASCAR’s way of helping Jimmie Johnson to a fifth consecutive championship while members of the media are left wondering what’s really going on. Regardless of what happened and how it’s being perceived one thing is for sure. Clint Bowyer just went from second to 12th in the points in a matter of minutes.

It was revealed on Wednesday that Bowyer’s car, which he won with this past weekend at New Hampshire, failed post-race inspection. If you remember last week, Bowyer and his team were warned about their car from Richmond being very close to the edge of what is allowed. While no penalties were given out after the close call, the team wasn’t as lucky this week.

Below is the release issued by NASCAR regarding the fines, suspensions and points deductions for the #33 RCR team.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 22, 2010) – NASCAR has issued penalties, suspensions and fines to two teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of rules infractions discovered this week during post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center following last Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. 

The No. 33 team was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-3 (car body location specifications in reference to the certified chassis did not meet NASCAR-approved specifications) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.

As a result, crew chief Shane Wilson has been fined $150,000, suspended from the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Car chief Chad Haney has also been suspended from the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Driver Clint Bowyer and owner Richard Childress have been penalized with the loss of 150 championship driver and owner points, respectively.

The No. 46 team was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1, 12-4-J, and 20-5.8.4.C (engine exhaust valves did not meet the minimum weight requirement) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.

Crew chief Jeremy Lafaver has been fined $50,000, suspended from the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup events, suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Driver Michael McDowell and owner Dusty Whitney have been penalized with the loss of 50 championship driver and owner points, respectively.


Readers, what do you think about the penalties? Skirts and Scuffs would like to know. Please leave your comments below.

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Roush Rewind: Sylvania 300

With what is referred to as the regular season races complete, the Chase for the 2010Cup championship has begun. The top twelve drivers came into what would be the second stop at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and the first race of the Chase. Each of the top twelve drivers were looking to either win or get a great finish to keep their championship hopes alive. For a few of the Chase drivers, the Sylvania 300 would prove to be a bigger challenge than they expected. For Clint Bowyer, it would be the opportunity for him to break his winless streak by taking the checkered flag on Sunday after leading an impressive 177 laps.

After three of the four Roush Fenway Racing driver secured their spots in the Chase, the organization came to New Hampshire hoping to get off to a strong start in the Chase. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is almost considered a home track by Roush Fenway Racing due to their association with Fenway Sports Group in Boston. Roush Fenway has two wins at New Hampshire during the Chase—Kurt Busch in 2004 and Greg Biffle in 2008—but has seven Cup wins overall at the track. Unfortunately, the Roush Fenway drivers were not really big factors in Sunday’s race. Handling issues and a late-race incident, Matt Kenseth had to settle for a 23rd place finish. Despite qualifying well, David Ragan had to fight hard to finish 22nd. A four tire stop cost Biffle valuable positions in the last part of the race, but he was able to finish 17th while Carl Edwards led the RFR drivers with an 11th place finish.

After securing his spot in the Chase at Atlanta, Matt Kenseth and his crew were hoping to build on their recent momentum. Unfortunately, the team would struggle all weekend prior to the race. Things only went from bad to worse for Kenseth on Sunday. He struggled in practice, and was no better in qualifying. Kenseth took the green flag from the 33rd position in the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford. For the first few laps of the race, he focused on working his way through the field. The first caution of the day came out on lap 25 when the No. 82 of Scott Speed spun on the front stretch. Kenseth used that caution as an opportunity to inform crew chief Jimmy Fennig that the No. 17 Ford was tight in the center of the turns. Fennig called for a two-tire stop and the Crown Royal crew made air pressure and track bar adjustments. Kenseth was 21st for the restart. The caution came out again on lap 40 for the No. 98 of Paul Menard and the No. 47 Marcos Ambrose making contact and spinning out. Once again, Kenseth headed down pit road for another two-tire stop. He restarted 21st again and remained in that position until green-flag stops began around lap 95. On lap 98, Kenseth made his green-flag stop for four tires, fuel, and even more adjustments to fix the tightness of the car. Handling issues continued to plague the No. 17 Ford. The Crown Royal crew made adjustments nearly all race. Finally, it seemed their efforts were paying off when Kenseth finally cracked the top 15. On lap 233, bad luck struck the team. After contact with the No. 12 of Brad Keselowski, Kenseth spun out and hit the wall in turn one, resulting in considerable damage to both the rear and left side of the No. 17. The team repaired the damage the best they could. Kenseth was able to remain on the lead lap, but finished 23rd. He came into the weekend sitting 11th in the standings, 60 points behind leader Denny Hamlin. When all was said and done on Sunday, he dropped to 12th and is 136 points behind Hamlin.

David Ragan was 6th fastest in the first practice session on Friday, and it looked like he would have a fast car for Sunday’s race. He went out 16th in qualifying, and ran a lap good enough to earn the 11th starting position. Once the green flag dropped on Sunday, it did not take long for Ragan to tell crew chief Donnie Wingo that the No. 6 UPS Ford was too tight. He pitted under the caution on lap 25 for two tires and fuel. Most of the field also had the same pit strategy so Ragan did not gain any positions. When the caution came out again on lap 40, Ragan stayed out in an attempt to gain track position. It would be a move that Ragan would quickly wish he hadn’t made. Once the green flag waved again, Ragan quickly realized that he should have pitted for adjustments. Fighting his tight-handling racecar, he began to drop back through the field during the following long green-flag run. Around lap 89, Ragan was lapped by the leader, and from that point on he fought to get that lap back. The caution came out five more times after Ragan went a lap down, but he was never in the Lucky Dog position nor was he in a position where he could take the wave around. The No. 20 of Joey Logano spun after contact with the No. 2 Kurt Busch, bringing out the eighth and final caution of the day with about 60 laps remaining. That allowed Ragan to get his lap by virtue of being in the Lucky Dog position. He pitted under that caution for four tires and fuel. The UPS crew also cleaned the grille of the car off. Ragan restarted 26th and was able to pick up four positions to finish 22nd. He gained one position in the points to 24th.

Greg Biffle qualified 14th in the No. 16 3M Ford, and once the green flag waved on Sunday, was able to maintain that position until the first caution came out on lap 25. Crew chief Greg Erwin called Biffle down pit road for two tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment. Biffle’s pit crew, the Pit Bulls, were able to help their driver gain three positions in the pits to restart 11th. Following the next caution and the resulting restart on lap 40, Biffle reported that his car was just too loose and the tires were chattering under the following green-flag run. He was 15th when green-flag stops began around lap 95. He made his stop on lap 98 for four tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment. Once the stops cycled through, Biffle was in the 18th position. He had gained two positions up to 16th when a multi-car incident unfolded ahead of him on lap 223. Biffle made it through unscathed, picking up five positions. Under that caution, Biffle and Erwin discussed pit strategy. They could either make a fuel-only stop or pit for two tires and fuel too. It was decided that Biffle would make a two-tire stop. Some drivers made fuel-only stops, and a few stayed out. This resulted in Biffle restarting 18th on lap 229. He had worked his way up to 13th when the final caution came out on lap 241. Again, pit strategy was debated. Eventually, Biffle decided to pit for four tires and fuel. He restarted 21st and was able to pick up four positions, taking the checkered flag in the 17th position. Biffle dropped two positions to 9th in the standings, 108 points behind leader Hamlin.

Carl Edwards finished the first practice session in 2nd and was hoping that would carry over to Sunday’s race. He qualified 10th in the No. 99 Aflac Ford and was inside the top 5 within the first 20 laps. In the early part of the race, the handling on Edwards’s car was virtually neutral. Edwards had climbed as high as 2nd by lap 63. When green flag stops began near lap 95, Edwards stayed out to lead laps 98 and 99 to gain valuable bonus point before pitting for four tires, fuel, and air pressure adjustments. Once the stops cycled through, he was still in the 2nd position. A caution for debris came out just before the halfway point of the 300-lap race. Edwards pitted for four tires and fuel, and crew chief Bob Osborne called for more air pressure adjustments to help with the slight tightness of the No. 99 Ford. Edwards lost two positions in the pits and restarted 4th on lap 151. A few laps later, Edwards claimed the 3rd position and remained there until making contact the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin on lap 214. Edwards was on the inside, but was unable to keep his car from sliding up into Hamlin. There was no damage to Edwards’s car. Hamlin was able to keep his car from hitting the wall, and the other drivers were all able to avoid hitting him. Edwards fell back to the 8th position. Edwards made his final pit stop under the caution that came out on lap 223. The two-tire stop had him restarting 15th. Edwards fought to work his way back up through the field. He was 13th with 50 to go, and it looked like he would finish in that position until Jeff Burton ran out of fuel. Race leader Tony Stewart ran out of fuel coming to the white flag. Edwards picked up two positions due to those two drivers running out of fuel. He finished 11th, and gained one position in the standings. Edwards is 9th, 95 points behind Hamlin.

Since it was the first race of the Chase, it came as no surprise that all of the top twelve drivers gave their all on Sunday. Some were caught up in crashes, others just simply couldn’t get to the front to challenge for the lead, but for one, he showed he was the class of the field, at least for that day. Clint Bowyer claimed the victory in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in dominant fashion. Congratulations to Clint Bowyer and the No. 33 team on the win!

For Roush Fenway Racing, the race could be considered a disappointment. All four teams will have to regroup and go to Dover this coming weekend ready to show they might be down but not out. So far, only Greg Biffle has scored a Cup win for the organization. Can the Roush Fenway drivers rebound before the season ends?

The Chase continues…

Next up: AAA 400 at Dover International Raceway on Sunday Sept. 26, 2010.
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Note: I apologize for the varying days in which the Roush Rewind has been posted lately. My class schedule is getting the best of me right now. I’ve just been so busy. I’m hoping to be more consistent in posting the Rewind, which should be posted on Tuesdays from this point on. And to you readers, I just want to say a big THANK YOU for sticking with me and this column throughout the season!

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Chase Coverage: New Hampshire Wrap-Up Report

New Hampshire Motor Speedway gets a new start/finish line. (Courtesy of Josh Jones)

Twelve drivers are fighting it out to be the next "to be with" the Sprint Cup Series trophy and on Sunday they headed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the first race of the 2010 Chase.


Hard racing, Chase drivers spinning, and an unexpected winner were just a few of the things that made the Sylvania 300 exciting. Today the ladies of Skirts and Scuffs bring you the post race report. We hope you enjoy our coverage and come back Friday morning to read our advance for Dover.

After a spin late in the race Hamlin fought back to finish second

1. DENNY HAMLIN –  5230 POINTS (leader) – 2nd PLACE FINISH – HOLLY MACHUGA
Your reigning points leader is Denny Hamlin.

The Chesterfield, Va., native finished second this week after Tony Stewart ran out of fuel with two laps to go. He started 22nd and raced his way into the top 10.

Along the way, however, Denny was met by Jimmie Johnson, whom he traded some contact with. He finally hit the top 10 on lap 108. He fought his way through the field until he was spun by Carl Edwards on lap 213, bringing out the fifth caution of the day. Carl took full responsibility respectfully. That spin pushed Denny all the way back to 22nd, his starting position. But, because of that caution, Denny had a better fuel and tire window than anyone else. A good strategy by the #11 FedEx team. At lap 262, he passed Kevin Harvick for sixth. On lap 275, he passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. for fifth. On lap 282, Denny was told that he was fine on fuel and to race the car other than worry about fuel, the opposite of what other crew chiefs were telling their drivers. With six laps to go, Denny was the fastest car on the track. At lap 298, the #14 of Tony Stewart ran out of fuel, which gave Clint Bowyer the win and second place to Hamlin and his FedEx team.

"I've learned a lot over the years. I'm gonna take all those things and put them to use," said Denny in an interview aired during the race.

The knee is obviously not in Denny's way anymore. The FedEx team is more competitive than ever in The Chase right now. Those #11 boys know what needs to get done and how. Keep an eye on Denny Hamlin. He's not falling back without a fight.

With a win, Bowyer moves up to second in points.

2. CLINT BOWYER –  5195 POINTS (-35) – 1st PLACE FINISH – AMY MCHARGUE
Starting the race in second place after a strong qualifying run on Friday, Clint Bowyer wasted no time in getting to the front of the field. Bowyer took over the lead on lap 29. Giving up the lead to pit for tires and fuel on lap 98, Bowyer regained the lead on lap 102. By the time a yellow flag flew on lap 147, Bowyer had more than a seven-second lead over second place.

Giving the lead up on lap 212 to Tony Stewart, Bowyer slipped only back as far as third place with concerns that the engine was missing from time to time. By lap 181 it was clear that Bowyer's Cheerios team was concerned about running out of fuel – the #33 car had last pitted on lap 208. Attempting to chase down the leader with just a few laps to go, leader Stewart ran out of fuel on lap 298 and Bowyer once again took the lead. Bowyer lead the majority of laps at Loudon on Sunday, and most importantly lead the last lap to take the checkered flag and head to Victory Lane.

Clint had said all week that this felt like 2007 to him – the year he last won the first Chase race at New Hampshire. When told in post-race interviews that his Sylvania 300 win took him up to second place in the Chase to the Championship, Clint said, “What did you say? Second in points? Let's go get 'em.” Clint gained 195 points in the Sunday race, closing the gap between he and Chase leader Denny Hamlin to just 35 points. Momentum and confidence is just what this team needs to continue to perform strongly in the Chase to the Sprint Cup Championship.

Harvick maintained his place in the points with top five finish.

3. KEVIN HARVICK – 5185 POINTS (-45) – 5th PLACE FINISH – AMBER ARNOLD
Kevin Harvick went into Loudon maintaining the 48 is the team to beat. While the 48 was never really a factor in Sunday’s race, Harvick and the 29 team seemed to be marred by mistakes on pit road.

The 29 team rolled off in the 27^th position, with his lowest position being 38th after a slow stop on pit road. Harvick was fast on the track, putting up a 3^rd fastest lap. After some late race cautions Harvick was able to bring the 29 car home 5^th, keeping the regular season champion seeded in the 3^rd position in points just 45 behind the championship leader, Denny Hamlin.

After the race Harvick tweeted, “A lot of fight in our team overcame a lot of things today 9 more weeks…gotta love it!” If Loudon is any indication on how the rest of this Chase is going to go, we are definitely in for a wild and interesting ride. While Harvick and the 29 team didn’t gain any ground in the championship, they didn’t lose anything either and are definitely still in contention to take home the title in 2010.

Busch signs RC car during media event

4. KYLE BUSCH – 5168 POINTS (-62) – 9th PLACE FINISH – LINDI BESS
It’s been said that in order to win a championship, you first have to lose one. In 2008 the title was Kyle Busch’s to lose and that’s exactly what he did. 2009 saw Busch fail to make the “playoffs” by just eight points, but in 2010 Rowdy is back and ready to show everyone he has the talent to be the next champ. When asked his  thoughts about this season and the Chase, Busch said, “I’m looking forward to it. We have a good opportunity to come out here and run strong. I don’t think we are going to shock the world, but hopefully we will steal one out of the bag.”

Busch qualified the M&M’s Camry in ninth position for Sunday’s race and felt good about the car after the final practice session on Saturday. However, that feeling of well-being didn’t last long once the race began. Busch, who finished 11th in his last start at NHMS, experienced problems with his car throughout the race. Complaining about being tight in the corners and chattering the tires, Busch’s team, led by Dave Rogers, worked tirelessly on each pit stop to improve the handling, but Busch was never able to crack the top five. Despite the problems, the team remained positive and worked toward getting the best finish possible. Busch’s day nearly ended in disaster on lap 212, when he was tagged by a spinning Jimmie Johnson (who was trying to avoid getting caught up in the accident between Hamlin and Edwards.) Busch suffered minor damage to the #18 but was able to continue the race and finish in ninth position.

With the top-10 finish, Busch retained his position in the points and now sits 62 behind teammate Denny Hamlin. Busch is looking forward to heading to Dover, one of his favorite tracks, next week.

Gordon speaks with the media in New York

5. JEFF GORDON – 5155 POINTS (-75) – 6th PLACE FINISH – GENEVIEVE CADORETTE
Jeff Gordon finished in sixth place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This moves him up to the fifth seed, putting him 75 points behind leader Denny Hamlin and ahead in Chase points of teammate Jimmie Johnson for the first time since October 2007.

Gordon finished second in Saturday’s practice runs; it was a positive sign and helped his effort to get better. He knows he has to work really hard at the final nine races. It’s been nine years since his championship; on Friday he told reporters that he doesn’t look at the past because the Chase was changed and is very different now, which is why he’ll consider a future win his first championship. He said to reporters, “Well, it's not a fifth championship. I know that's what the stats and the records would show, but it's really a first championship because with the points change, to me the history is different. I don't compare these championships even if I wanted, to what I won before. It's equally or more prestigious today. That's the part that makes you want to go out there and get it. This is the sport we're in. This is what we live for. And there's nothing sweeter, nothing more difficult than to win the championship.”

Gordon says that a poor finish could end his chances at winning a championship; he told the press that they can’t afford a 24th-place finish. While the #14 ran out of fuel right before the final lap, Gordon credited crew chief Steve Letarte saying, “He didn’t want to risk the fuel, it just wasn’t worth it.”

Busch was penalized Saturday for having extra tires

6. KURT BUSCH – 5144 POINTS (-86) – 13th PLACE FINISH – KATY LINDAMOOD
There is no doubt that Kurt Busch is one Chase driver who is glad to see Loudon in his rearview mirror. Entering Sunday’s Sylvania 300 fifth in points, Busch’s weekend was one problem after another. It all began on Friday when Busch’s team inadvertently ended up with an extra set of tires for the practice and qualifying sessions. According to NASCAR’s rules, teams were allowed a total of six sets of tires. According to the team, the mistake was not on their side of things but rather on the side of NASCAR, which allows teams to trade tires. Busch and his team were forced to serve a 15=minute penalty during Saturday’s practice session. Following the penalty Busch said, “It wasn’t anything we were trying to do. Bottom line is that there was a miscommunication among the officials, we paid our 15-minute penalty. It’s like calling balls and strikes, you just do with what the umpire says and we’ve moved on from there.” The penalty did not hurt the team in terms of qualifying. Busch put the #2 Miller Lite Dodge in contention with a 12th-place start.

Sunday’s race could have gone better for Busch and his team, but given the number of on-track indents he was involved in, a 13th-place finish was better than what some expected. The first 50 laps of the race were relatively uneventful for the team.  An early caution put the team further back than other Chase drivers when they chose to take on four tires rather than the two most others took, but that did not stop them. Kurt slowly worked his way through the field and narrowly avoided being collected in an accident that brought out the second caution on lap 41. Following the caution Busch took two tires and returned to the track. All day Kurt felt as if the handling wasn’t where it needed to be and in some cases he drove the car too hard into the turns. On lap 224 Busch was battling Jeff Burton for position when his car got sideways and went into a spin in turn 2. This caution also caused damage to several other Chase drivers including Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch. Again on lap 242 Busch was involved in a caution. This time Kurt did not spin out but his getting sideways through the turn did take out Joey Logano.

After the race Busch said, “I wanted more. I wanted a good finish today and when you do that, when you stretch yourself thin, you get in trouble. That's what happened today. We'll pick up the pieces, head on to Dover and look for a better performance there on that fast one-mile track.” While Busch may have had to settle for a less than perfect day, don’t count him out just yet. With nine races to go until the champ is crowned, it’s anyone’s race to win or lose.

Daughter Genevieve joined Jimmie on pit road

7. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 5138 POINTS (-92) – 25th PLACE FINISH – REBECCA KIVAK
After a poor qualifying effort, Jimmie Johnson was eager to rebound with a good finish at the Chase opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. But the No. 48’s strong run for the majority of the Sylvania 300 ended in disaster. Several late-race incidents left the four-time Sprint Cup champion unable to contend and further out in the points standings.

Johnson qualified 25th, his worst starting spot ever in 18 starts at Loudon. But in Sunday’s race, the driver of the No. 48 worked quickly to make up ground. After contact with Denny Hamlin in the opening laps, Johnson broke into the top 10 within 30 laps and the top five by lap 80. For the next 140 laps or so, he was running between the third and ninth positions. On lap 223, Johnson tried to avoid a spinning Kurt Busch in turn 2 and got into the left rear of Kyle Busch, causing both drivers to spin. Johnson pitted afterward and got four tires; as a result, he restarted in 24th, the last car on the lead lap. Within 20 laps, Johnson was involved in another incident when he and Elliot Sadler made contact after Kurt Busch and Joey Logano got together.

On lap 254, Johnson reported a vibration in the front right tire and on the next lap came in to pit. Johnson took four tires to correct the possible loose wheel, but the unscheduled stop put him a lap down and he fell to the 28th position. With time running out, Johnson was unable to recover and finished the race in 25th.

“We were kind of in the eye of the storm on the restarts,” Johnson said after Sunday’s race. “We did what we could. We had a decent car today and ran in the top five and top 10 but just didn’t end up finishing there. We’ll go home and get back to work and go after it again next week.”

The poor finish caused Johnson to tumble from second place and 10 points out in the Chase standings to seventh place and 92 points behind leader Hamlin. However, don’t count out Johnson from the title hunt just yet. In 2006 Johnson finished the Chase opener at New Hampshire in the 39th spot, dropping to ninth and 139 points out, a deficit he would eventually overcome to win his first Cup championship.

Edwards gained one position in the points with 11th place finish

8. CARL EDWARDS – 5135 POINTS (-95) – 11th PLACE FINISH – AMANDA EBERSOLE
Carl Edwards went into the race at Loudon in ninth place among the Chase drivers and leaving he gained one spot, moving into eighth place.

Practice throughout the weekend was up and down. The first practice on Friday was the best effort for the 99 team when they posted the second fastest lap time. Second practice was later that same day and the Aflac Ford fusion was posted in the 23^rd spot. With a qualifying draw of 17^th, Carl went out and ran a lap that ended up with him starting in 10th place.

The race started great for Edwards, moving up from 10th and into fourth by lap 26 and that was in part to a great pit stop by the Aflac team. By lap 64 Carl had moved up to second place and was trying to battle with Clint Bowyer for the lead, but Bowyer at that point had a four-second lead. The 99 team and crew chief Bob Osborne made good calls on pit road and were looking great. Late into the race Carl got loose and slid into Denny Hamlin; a caution came out and Edwards got marred back in traffic. Carl did acknowledge that the incident was his fault for getting loose and into Hamlin. Edwards finished the race in 11^th and Hamlin managed to finish in 2^nd.

An ill-handling car kept Biffle out of contention

9. GREG BIFFLE – 5122 POINTS (-108) – 17th PLACE FINISH – STACIE BALL
New Hampshire Motor Speedway, better known as the Magic Mile, definitely worked some tricks over on the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion. Greg Biffle started in the 14th place on the grid, ending three spots behind at 17th. What was going on with the car that brought such bad luck for Biffle?

During the first caution on the 25th lap, Greg Erwin, crew chief of the 3M Ford, decided to pit for two tires, fuel and adjustments. improving the their position on the restart to 11th on the grid. The adjustments did not fix the loose car and the chattering of the tires, with which Biffle struggled as they worked on it over the 110 laps.  On lap 229, Biffle started in 18th and during the next run gained five spots on the track, running 13th when the final caution came out on lap 241. Crew chief and driver debated pitting, which was probably a good choice to do and as the field came to the entrance of pit road, the 16 entered the pits for four tires along with fuel. Biffle restarted 21st on lap 246 and was able to pick up four spots in the last 54 laps of the 300-lap race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“I don’t know where we would have ended up if we would have stayed out there at the end,” said Biffle. “We struggled a little with the car today but the 3M Ford was pretty good on that next-to-last run. I just think that last set of tires wasn’t as good as the set before it.  know we dropped a little in the points but some of the other guys finished behind us so we’ll just learn from this one and get ready for Dover.” Greg Biffle in response to how the race went for him in the 3M Ford Fusion. 

Biffle and the 3M team are now ninth in the point standings, 108 points behind leader Denny Hamlin but only 33 points out of fifth. The team will return to the track on Sunday, Sept. 26, at Dover International Speedway.

Burton speaks with the media

10. JEFF BURTON – 5118 POINTS (-112) – 15th PLACE FINISH – GENNA SHORT
The Chase is officially under way.

Jeff Burton started 13^th for Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He had a solid car and had broken into the top 10 by lap 90, then the top five near the halfway point, where he stayed for the rest of the race. Around lap 223, Burton tangled with Kurt Busch and ended up spinning him out. Busch’s spin collected Jimmie Johnson but Jeff escaped with no damage.

The 31 one car continued to remain strong for the rest of the race, although it never led a lap. A gamble on fuel at the end cost the team a top-five finish. However, Burton did not completely run out of fuel and managed to grab a 15^th place finish. In spite of a late race tiff and poor pit call, Burton still sits 10^th in the points. He has, however, lost 52 points to the leader, Denny Hamlin.

Stewart signs for fans in the infield

11. TONY STEWART – 5106 POINTS (-124) – 24th PLACE FINISH – UNIQUE HIRAM
There was a little less than two laps to go and Smoke was leading the field down to the white flag coming around Turn 4 … until he ran out of gas, costing him the win for the first Sprint Cup Chase race.

The Sylvania 300 in Loudon, New Hampshire, proved to be an eventful day for Tony Stewart and the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet team. His starting position at the beginning of the race was third and beginning on lap 2 Smoke led a total of 24 laps. Ironically, at the conclusion of this race that is the position number that Stewart ended up in due to his gas shortage.

“I’m not happy, that’s for sure, but we went down swinging,” Stewart said after the race. “It’s hard to lose one that way, but at the same time it was fun racing Clint like that. He was definitely the fastest car, and congratulations to those guys. It’s a tough way to start the Chase, but I’m proud of my guys. Darian kept swinging at it all day and finally on the last set of tires we got it halfway decent.”

Due to the events and outcome of this race, Stewart has dropped to 11^thin the Chase standings and sits 124 points behind the current point’s leader Denny Hamlin. Although this race team took a huge hit in points, they are headed to a track where their driver has been successful in achieving two wins and a few consecutive top finishes.


Race Highlights:
1^st Pit Stop (shuffled back to 18^th) - Lap 32 (14^th on the track) - Lap 47 (9^th on the track) - Lap 83 (8^th on the track) - Lap 104 (7^th on the track) - Lap 131 (5^th on the track) - Lap 229 (1^st on the track)

Kenseth speaks with crew chief Fennig during practice

12. MATT KENSETH – 5094 POINTS (-136) – 23rd PLACE FINISH – WHITNEY RICHARDS
After securing his spot in the Chase at Atlanta two weeks ago, Matt Kenseth and his team seemed to be turning their roller coaster season around. Kenseth was hoping to build on his recent momentum to make a run for what could be his second Cup championship as the Cup Series headed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Sylvania 300. However, the team struggled all weekend in practice and in qualifying. Unfortunately for Kenseth, the race would prove to be no better for him. Handling issues and a late race incident left him accepting a 23^rd-place finish.

There were three practice sessions over the weekend at New Hampshire, each of which Kenseth struggled in. He was 28^th in the first practice session, 13^th in the second practice session, and 30^th in the final practice session, which was on Saturday. Qualifying on Friday was a big disappointment for Kenseth, who earned the 33^rd starting position in the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford. In the opening run of the race, Kenseth informed crew chief Jimmy Fennig that the No. 17 Ford was too tight in the center of the turns and lacked the grip he needed to challenge for position. Handling issues would plague Kenseth for nearly all of the 300-lap race.

Throughout the race, Kenseth’s pit crew continued to make adjustments to help the handling. Nearly every pit stop saw the Crown Royal crew making changes to the air pressure, track bar or wedge. Long green-flag runs did not give the crew a lot of time to make changes, but Kenseth’s pit crew was in top form on Sunday.

Eventually, the changes began to work, and Kenseth had quietly worked his way up to 15^th when bad luck struck on lap 233. After making contact with the No. 12 of Brad Keselowski in turn 1, Kenseth spun and the back of his car hit the wall. Kenseth headed for pit road so his crew could repair the damage, but they could do nothing more with the car. Kenseth took the checkered flag in the 23^rd position.

Kenseth’s 23^rd place finish caused him to drop to 12^th in the standings, 136 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

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Blog: A NHMS Memoir

Growing up with New Hampshire Motor Speedway in her backyard, new Skirts and Scuffs contributor Genevieve Cadorette wasn't a fan of racing. Today she shares with us how she went from someone who barely knew about the sport to someone who follows it religiously. What follows is her journey to the fan she is today.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the only track I've ever visited for a NASCAR race. I grew up 20 minutes away but never actually attended an event until recently. I went to a race there at the age of 14, nearly 20 years ago but I can't tell you much about it other than to say it was lots of fun. I wish I could tell you more, but I do have a lot of other stories though.

I wasn’t much of a race follower in high school. I didn’t pay much attention to any kind of pop culture during those years. One summer, I worked at a hotel in Concord, NH as part of the cleaning crew. Race weekend came along and management warned us that we had to be on our best behaviors around the drivers and teams. I didn’t mind cleaning their rooms, though had I known who’s room I was cleaning it may have made the experience more fun. But being professional, we turned a blind eye on who slept were.

Later that year, I switched hotels to start my first waitress job. Race weekend came along and my manager approached me and said, “I just sat a party of three for you but we have to talk. He’s a really rich and famous driver so I need you to be a professional about it.”

I had no idea who he and the other two were so it was easy to do my job. All I can remember is the older men had mustaches’ and the younger guy was a cocky looking kid with a baseball hat and light brown hair. He didn’t make much of an impression on me. This past summer, I picked my brain over and over again to try to remember who they were and nothing pops into mind. I wish I could say that it was Dale Earnhardt, Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt Junior, but I don’t believe it was; it happened in 1995.

My sister was the NASCAR obsessed fan. She was smart because her junior year in high school she decided to head to NHMS and apply for a job in parking and traffic control. She got close to the cars in the infield and one night she met a modified driver who she later married.

In 2001 my sister invited me to her (now) husband’s race. I got to hang out in the pits and visit cars in the garages. I only knew about Jeff Gordon and the Earnhardt’s. Admittedly I had a small crush on Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the time, but that was before I started paying attention to the actual racing. I had hoped to meet him and looked everywhere for him but I never crossed his path.  Instead I saw Jeff Gordon. He was surrounded by a lot of fans. “Go meet him!” My sister encouraged me. I shook my head. I wasn’t comfortable. He was signing autographs and I didn’t have a pen or paper ready. Besides, I was nervous, maybe a little star struck.

Fast forward to February 2002. My sister invited me to Florida, her husband was racing (in Modified). I was all excited, I would finally get a chance to watch a Daytona 500 live and in person and I dared to dream that this would be the time I get to meet Dale Earnhardt Jr. That dream was quickly crushed when I found out the Modified series raced at a different track in a different town. I felt stupid but at least now I look back laughing at my silly ignorance about the sport. How could I enjoy watching racing but not knowing a thing about it?

Although my brother-in-law no longer races, he still builds engines for the series. His friends are also still racing. In 2007 I was invited by one of those friends along with my cousin to watch a Modified race at NHMS from the driver’s pit box. I was excited to go and this time I was going to pay attention. I was taking a college photography class and I took out one of the cameras, I had a lot of practicing to do and I told myself I’d give shooting the race a chance. I took a lot of pictures, but the sun ruined most of my shots which broke my heart. To make a long story short, I later found out I was missing a piece to the camera, the piece my class wasn’t authorized to rent out because we weren’t at that advanced point of training. You can check out the best shots I did get on my other blogger page here.

Since then I've taken an interest in racing as a writer. I paid a little more attention each season and this past year I became obsessed and promised myself I’d become a pro. It’s the first and only sport I can watch without really having a rival, and it’s the first and only sport I’m actually interested in the sport, rather than just a team.

Last spring I started to write a movie script about a journalist who lives in Boston and isn’t familiar with NASCAR; never the less, her boss assigns her to cover the race in New Hampshire. She goes along and the story unfolds from there. During the spring, I called NHMS a million times trying to convince them to give me a media pass so I could experience being a part of the media during a race. I’d love to be a part of their team. Of course I never got my credentials and wasn’t allowed in as anyone other than a fan in the grand stands. That didn't stop me though. I visited the track all four days, just to see how close I could get.

I even visited the local seafood restaurant and when I left, I bumped into Richard Petty; it was unexpected and exciting. I wrote about it here on another blog. The next night, my parents went out for a few drinks at that local restaurant, we arrived right after Kurt Busch left. I was bummed.

That weekend, I also got to meet Miss Sprint Cup Monica Plumbo at the Sprint Experience. I also met Amanda Wright, Bob Pockrass, Jeff Gluck, Ramsey Poston, and Landon Cassill along with several others at the Tweet Up.

I'm glad I went to the race that day; it was the perfect last day in NH (I moved to NC the next day). I didn’t have my camera but I took pictures with my cell phone, though I managed to lose a large portion of them. One of my favorites is the one you see as my profile picture. At least I can say that I met "The King Richard Petty."

So that’s my story about NHMS. I’m not there this weekend. now that I do live near Charlotte in North Carolina. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to afford to go to a race again, but since I live here I’m planning on going to an All Star Race sometime soon.
__________


opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and may not reflect those of this site or its other contributors.

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Kyle Busch on Pole for TheRaceDayRaffleSeries.com 175

Kyle Busch, the driver of the No. 18 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports, won the pole for the Camping World Truck Series Race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The driver and owner had a 29.292 lap (130.029 mph). Right behind him is the other driver/owner in the other front row position, Kevin Harvick in the No. 2 JEGS.com Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc., with a lap of 29.328 (129.869 mph), only -0.036 seconds behind Busch.

Who do you think will be in Victory Lane after the 19th race of the 25-race season? To catch all the racing action, you can watch the race on SPEED with the SetUp at 2:30 p.m. EST. 

1. Kyle Busch
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Ron Hornaday
4. Austin Dillon
5. James Buescher
6. Aric Almirola
7. Johnny Sauter
8. Timothy Peters
9. Todd Bodine
10. Justin Lofton
11. Matt Crafton
12. David Starr
13. Ricky Carmichael
14. Stacy Compton
15. Mario Gosselin
16. Mike Skinner
17. Bobby Hamilton Jr.
18. Donny Lia
19. Jason White
20. Dennis Setzer
21. Ryan Sieg
22. Eddie McDonald
23. John King
24. Peyton Sellers
25. Mike Harmon
26. Mike Garvey
27. Brent Raymer
28. Tim Bainey Jr.
29. Carl Long
30. J C Stout
31. Jennifer Jo Cobb
32. Butch Miller
33. Norm Benning
34. Chris Laferty
35. Donnie Neuenberger
36. Brian Weber

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Keselowski Takes Pole for Sylvania 300

Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 12 Penske/AAA Dodge, won the pole for Sunday's Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This is the first pole position for the Rochester Hills, Mich., native with a 28.515-second lap (133.572 mph).

Being a non-Chaser, will he be one of the drivers to keep the Chasers on their toes, or will someone else who is not in the race for the Cup? Behind Keselowski with a lap of 28.538 (133.464 mph) is Clint Bowyer, the driver of the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

With this being the first race in the Chase for the Cup of 2010, what kind of surprises will we get from the racers, the track and the different teams?

The Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire will be broadcast Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN. Green flag is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. ET.

The following is the starting lineup for the Sylvania 300:

1. Brad Keselowski
2. Clint Bowyer
3. Tony Stewart
4. Jamie McMurray
5. Juan Pablo Montoya
6. A.J. Allmendinger
7. David Reutimann
8. Paul Menard
9. Kyle Busch
10. Carl Edwards
11. David Ragan
12. Kurt Busch
13. Jeff Burton
14. Greg Biffle
15. Sam Hornish, Jr.
16. Martin Truex, Jr.
17. Jeff Gordon
18. Casey Mears
19. Elliott Sadler
20. Regan Smith
21. Kasey Kahne
22. Denny Hamlin
23. Marcos Ambrose
24. Ryan Newman
25. Jimmie Johnson
26. Mark Martin
27. Kevin Harvick
28. Scott Speed
29. Robby Gordon
30. Dave Blaney
31. Joey Logano
32. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
33. Matt Kenseth
34. Landon Cassill
35. Joe Nemechek
36. Mike Bliss
37. Reed Sorensen
38. Michael McDowell
39. David Gilliland
40. Travis Kvapil
41. Tony Raines
42. Andy Lally
43. Bobby Labonte

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TV Schedule Sept. 17-19

The June NSCS race at New Hampshire goes green.
(Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)

The Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series head to New England, where the Chase kicks off at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The 1-mile oval has opened the 10-race playoffs since its inception in 2004. But starting next year, the track will be pushed back to the second race in the Chase as Chicagoland Speedway will host the opener.

The Sprint Cup Series points were reset after Richmond, and many of the Chasers are favorites for the win at the SYLVANIA 300 at Loudon. Five of the 12 drivers have yet to claim a victory this season. Odds are a Chase driver will add to the "w" column at Sunday's race, but it's always possible a driver outside the top 12 could be the one standing in Victory Lane. Reigning champion Jimmie Johnson won the spring race. Defending fall race winner is Mark Martin.

Skirts and Scuffs begins its Chase coverage this weekend, with 12 of our contributors providing pre-race analysis for the New Hampshire race.


Meanwhile, the Truck Series gets back on track for the TheRaceDayRaffleSeries.com 175 after a week off. Kyle Busch will be looking to defend his win from last year. After having issues at Kentucky, will Busch and points leader Todd Bodine cross paths again? Tune in Saturday.

The following is a schedule of track events and television coverage from New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (All times are Eastern Standard Time):

Friday, Sept. 17:
11:30 a.m. NSCS Practice, ESPN2
1 p.m. NCWTS Final Practice, SPEED
2:30 p.m. NASCAR Live, SPEED
3 p.m. NSCS Qualifying, ESPN2
5 p.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2 (reruns at 2 a.m.)
7 p.m. Trackside at New Hampshire, SPEED (reruns at 11 p.m.). Guests: Greg Biffle and Todd Bodine.

Saturday, Sept. 18:
9 a.m. NSCS Practice, SPEED
10 a.m. NCWTS Qualifying, SPEED
11:30 a.m. NSCS Final Practice, SPEED
12:30 p.m. NASCAR Live, SPEED
1 p.m. NASCAR Whelen Modified Race, SPEED
2:30 p.m. NCWTS SetUp, SPEED (reruns at 2 a.m.)
3 p.m. NCWTS: TheRaceDayRaffleSeries.com 175, SPEED. Green flag: 3:19 PM (reruns at 2:30 a.m.)
11 p.m. NASCAR Performance, SPEED
11:30 p.m. NASCAR Smarts, SPEED

Sunday, Sept. 19:
2 a.m. Changing Lanes (episode #2), BET
3 a.m. Changing Lanes (episode #3), BET
7:30 a.m. NASCAR Performance, SPEED
8 a.m. NASCAR Smarts, SPEED
8:30 a.m. NASCAR in A Hurry, SPEED
9 a.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2
10 a.m. NASCAR RaceDay, SPEED
12 noon NSCS Countdown, ESPN2
1 p.m. NSCS: SYLVANIA 300, ESPN. Green flag: 1:15 PM (reruns at 3:30 a.m.)
8 p.m. NASCAR Victory Lane, SPEED (reruns at 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. Monday)
10 p.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2

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Chase for the Cup Coverage: New Hampshire Motor Speedway – Race 1 (Pre-race) – Sylvania 300

Welcome to Skirts and Scuffs coverage of the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Over the course of the next 10 weeks, you will see pre-race and post-race analysis from 12 of our outstanding contributors. Each of these contributors has been tasked to cover one driver throughout the entirety of the Chase. On Fridays prior to the race, we will share our pre-race analysis of each driver, and on Tuesday following the event (Monday if it’s a Saturday race) we will share with you how that driver did over the course of the weekend. It’s our hope to bring you some of the most comprehensive coverage of the Chase you can find online.

Week 1 of the 2010 Chase takes us to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (also referred to as Loudon) for the Sylvania 300. Since the inception of the Chase in 2004, Loudon has played host to the Chase opener; however, in 2011 the opener will move to Chicagoland Speedway.


The 1.058-mile track was completed in 1990 and has hosted 31 Sprint Cup Series events since joining the schedule in 1993. Drivers Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon are the only two Chase contenders to have competed in all 31 events. In addition, the 12 chase contenders have combined for a total of 218 starts, 20 victories and 4,781 laps led at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Only one driver (Kurt Busch) has won the Chase opener and gone on to take home the series title (2004).

GENTLEMEN, START THE CHASE!

_________

1. DENNY HAMLIN – 5060 POINTS – HOLLY MACHUGA

First in points, winner of last weekend's race, is Denny Hamlin. When asked about how the win felt, he responded, "It's good. I definitely feel like we spent the last two weeks trying to gauge where we are going to be and we brought what we had in the shop and said we are going to try to start our Chase early and that way, when we got to Loudon..." Denny looks to sweep the Chase and win his first championship.

Earlier in the season, Hamlin had surgery on his ACL after a basketball accident. The race following his surgery, he brought in a win for the FedEx team and shocked everyone. His wins up to this point took place at Martinsville, Texas, Darlington, Pocono, Michigan and, now, Richmond. Because Denny led 251 of the 400 laps and won, he shot from 10th in points to first.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been a good track to Hamlin in the past. He has nine starts, six top-tens, three top-fives and a win. His average start is 10.1 and his average finish is 8.2. Things are definitely looking up for the #11 FedEx team as they begin their first of 10 races and their Chase for the Cup. Hopefully, Denny will be the one to knock Jimmie Johnson from his four-year Cup streak.

2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 5050 POINTS – REBECCA KIVAK

As the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup kicks off, Jimmie Johnson is looking to make history and claim his fifth consecutive championship in the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet for the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. Seeded in second place after the points were reset, Johnson claimed five wins in the regular season (California, Las Vegas, Bristol, Infineon and New Hampshire) as well as 10 top 5s, 14 top 10s and one pole. But it hasn’t been an easy year for the 48. The team had a rough time adjusting when the COT’s trademark wing was scrapped and replaced with the spoiler. In addition, a stretch of poor performances over the summer, some uncharacteristic bad luck and a rare four DNFs have left many wondering if this will be the year the four-time champ is finally unseated. 

However, no other driver has mastered the Chase like Johnson. Since the inception of the 10-race playoffs in 2004, Johnson has won at least one race every year and collected four wins in three of those seasons. He boasts 32 wins at the 10 tracks that make up the Chase, and he is the only driver in the playoffs whose average finish is in the single digits (8.4). Johnson is also coming off back-to-back third-place finishes at Atlanta and Richmond, which has the Cup champion feeling confident despite the bumps in the road this season. “I think with two good runs going into the Chase, my guys are ready, I'm ready, we have got our mojo back and we are looking forward to it,” Johnson said after last week’s Richmond race.

Johnson returns this weekend to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the site of his most recent win after a thrilling battle to the finish with Kurt Busch. In 17 starts at the "Magic Mile," Johnson has three wins, six top 5s, 12 top 10s and has lead 297 laps, with an average finish of 9.0. His driver rating of 107.9 is second-best at Loudon.

3. KEVIN HARVICK – 5030 POINTS – AMBER ARNOLD

Kevin Harvick ended the 2010 regular season as the Cup Series points leader. Going into Loudon, momentum is one thing the 29 team definitely has on their side. Harvick goes into the Chase with three wins in the regular season, earning him the third seed after the points reset for the Chase. RCR, a team that has been shut out of the championship since Dale Earnhardt last won in 1994, looks to be one team in contention to take the championship this year with all three cars making the Chase and seems to have its best shot with the 29, the highest-ranked RCR team. Going into the Chase, Martinsville is the only track where Harvick seemed to struggle this year, coming home 35^th.

Harvick, who will pilot the Bud Light car next year (Shell/Pennzoil is moving to Penske and Kurt Busch), finished fifth earlier this year at Loudon. In 19 races he has one win, four top 5s and 10 top 10s at the New Hampshire track. He is credited with leading 318 laps in all 19 races. Harvick has an average driver rating of 93.0 at Loudon and should definitely not be overlooked as a threat to take the checkered flag on Sunday.

4. KYLE BUSCH – 5030 POINTS – LINDI BESS

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, will be making his fourth attempt at bringing home a Sprint Cup championship. Should the #18 Toyota team accomplish this, it’ll be another first for Busch with the foreign car manufacturer. In 2008, Busch made history as the first Cup driver to win in a foreign car. It was his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing, and JGR’s first year with Toyota. Busch visited victory lane eight times, putting him in contention for the 2008 championship, but he finished in the top 10.

A disappointing finish for Busch in 2009, despite four wins, brought about a major change for 2010. A new chapter for the #18 team began as Dave Rodgers replaced *Steve Addington as Busch’s crew chief. Since then, JGR has definitely brought the M&M Toyota Camry back as a worthy opponent in the series.

Busch begins the Chase in the fourth position with 5030 points, one spot ahead of brother Kurt, and two behind four-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson. With wins at Richmond, Dover and Bristol, the #18 car remained in the top 12 in the points standings the majority of the regular season races. So far, the 2010 season has netted him two poles, eight top 5s, 14 top 10s, one DNF and $4,706,420 in the first 26 races. He also snagged the record for having swept NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, NNS and the CWTS races at Bristol in August.

With only one win in **2006 and an average finish of 15.2, Loudon will definitely set the tone for the M&M’s Toyota Camry early on in this competition. Busch’s last visit to New Hampshire Motor Speedway gave him an 11th-place finish, with 46 laps led. This M&M’s team behind the #18 are more than capable of capturing the Sprint Cup Championship. They’ve come from behind on more than one occasion this year, proving that they are definitely a team to beat.

*Ironically, Steve Addington moved to crew chief the #2, Kurt Busch
**Driving #5 Kelloggs for Hendrick Motorsports

5. KURT BUSCH – 5020 POINTS – KATY LINDAMOOD

He may not be a fan favorite and he may not have the most wins in 2010, but Kurt Busch is still a man on a mission. Entering the 2010 Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Championship, Busch has two wins to his name this season in addition to the cool million he won in the All-Star event in May. Seeded in fifth after the points were reset, Busch is looking to add a second series title to his resume. The second half of the season has been up and down for Busch. Poor finishes at Sonoma, Pocono and Michigan were followed by top 10s at Loudon, Watkins Glen and Bristol.

Busch begins his final 10 races behind the wheel of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge this weekend at Loudon, a track that has been good to him in the past. (Side note: Busch will move to the #22 sponsored by Shell/Pennzoil in 2011 while teammate Brad Keselowski will pilot the #2 Miller Lite Dodge.) Earlier this season he finished third behind Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart. This weekend will mark Busch’s 20th start at the New Hampshire track. In his previous 19 starts, Busch has claimed victory three times and has an average finish of 13.7. His most recent victory at Loudon occurred in 2008. In 2004, when Busch won the first ever Nextel/Sprint Cup, he swept Loudon.

6. TONY STEWART – 5010 POINTS – UNIQUE HIRAM

Two-time champion, driver/owner and one of the most outspoken talents in the Cup Series, Tony Stewart has been working hard to overcome the rollercoaster ride that has plagued his team this season. It was unbelievable that the Stewart-Haas racing team would go winless for most of the regular 2010 season considering how well they had run the previous 2009 season. Hard work, determination and perseverance were showcased on Sept. 5 when the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet team and their driver won the Emory Healthcare 500 in Atlanta. Granted, this would be their only regular season win; however, it solidified this team’s presence in the upcoming Chase.

Now seeded in the sixth position for the Chase, Stewart will be headed to a racetrack where he has won two times: July 2000 (thatlook.com 300) and July 2005 (New England 300). Upon entering the July 2005 race, Stewart was seeded third in the point standings behind Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle respectively; he went on to lead 232 laps to win the race, which put him only 85 points behind the points leader. (Note: He was able to capture his second series championship this season) Additionally, his other Loudon track statistics include the following: one pole position (September 2005), 12 top 5s, 14 top 10s and approximately 1,030 led laps.

7. GREG BIFFLE – 5010 POINTS – STACIE BALL

Being the second-oldest driver at the age of 40, Greg Biffle, the driver of the No. 16 3M Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, is seeded in the Chase for the Sprint Cup in the seventh position. Biffle clinched his spot in the Chase with consistently good finishes throughout the season, with one win at Pocono Raceway at the end of July, five top-5s and 14 top-10s.

Going into Loudon, Biffle, who started 34th and finished 16th last time in New Hampshire, is looking forward to the Chase races. "It would obviously be great for us to come back and start the Chase with two wins like we did in 2008 but a solid top-5 run would work too. We’ve had a couple of bad races but I still feel really confident about our chances in the Chase. We’ve been running well since Chicago and I think that should carry over into the Chase." Biffle has one win at Loudon, which came in 2008 at the beginning of the Chase, along with four top-5s and six top-10s. Could this be the year for things to turn around for Biffle and the 3M Fusion?

8. JEFF GORDON – 5000 POINTS – GENEVIEVE CADORETTE

Jeff Gordon will be entering the 2010 Chase season in New Hampshire 60 points behind Chase leader Denny Hamlin. The four-time Cup champion finished the regular season second in points without a single win.

Gordon holds a solid record as a top 5 leader at NHMS with three career wins, three career poles, 14 top 5s and 17 top-10 finishes in 31 starts and has lead a total of 1,205 laps. In his last race at NHMS, he started 16^th and finished fourth. For Sunday's race at New Hampshire, the #24 team decided to use a new chassis that has not been raced yet, Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-616. The paint scheme is gray and black with National Guard, Find Us on Facebook painted right smack on the hood of the car. A fourth victory is possible for Gordon.

9. CARL EDWARDS – 5000 POINTS  – AMANDA EBERSOLE

Carl Edwards is winless in 2010, but despite that fact, he sits ninth in points. In the two months leading up to the Chase, Edwards has finished no worse than 12th. Edwards claimed the pole at Watkins Glen and had runner-up finishes at Chicagoland Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway just two weeks ago. The 99 team is not to be counted out as a contender for the Sprint Cup championship.

As we head into the first Chase race at Loudon, this is a track where Edwards has not had much success in the past. In a total of 12 races, Edwards has only lead 65 laps and has no wins. His most recent top-five finish at Atlanta came in 2008’s Chase opener, in which teammate Greg Biffle won and Edwards finished third behind Jimmie Johnson. Although winless at Loudon, Carl has an average finish of 14th, so look for him to improve on that stat since this Roush Fenway Ford seems to be hitting the marks as of late.

10. JEFF BURTON – 5000 POINTS – GENNA SHORT

Jeff Burton is what most people would call a sentimental fan favorite, although many seem to have counted him out of the Chase. This is the fourth time the veteran has been in the playoffs, the other years being 2006-08. Although he has been in NASCAR for a while, making his first Cup start in 1993 at the very track the Cup Series will be visiting this week, Burton’s stats at Loudon are nothing short of impressive.

He is the all-time winningest driver at the 1-mile oval track. From 1997-99, he won all of the July races on his way to winning the September 2000 race. He is also the only driver to come from as far back as 38^th to win. In spite of having just one top 10 in his last five starts, a fourth-place finish in September 2008, his average finish at the track is 13.5.

Coming off a 13^th-place finish at Richmond, he heads into Loudon seeking to improve his already respectable résumé at the track while chasing his first Sprint Cup Series title.

11. MATT KENSETH – 5000 POINTS – WHITNEY RICHARDS

For the first time in nearly 10 years, Matt Kenseth began a new season without the familiar black and yellow colors of his long-time sponsor DeWALT. Crown Royal became the primary sponsor of the No. 17 Ford driven by Kenseth after Jamie McMurray was let go from Roush Fenway Racing when the organization had to downsize from five teams to four. Sponsor changes weren't the only adjustment for Kenseth in 2010. He started off the season with Drew Blickensderfer as his crew chief, but Blickensderfer was replaced by Todd Parrott the week after the Daytona 500. Parrott was eventually replaced by Jimmy Fennig, who had been the crew chief for Kenseth's teammate David Ragan. Seven years ago, he earned the nickname "Mr. Consistency" after racking up 25 top-10 finishes, 11 top-5 finishes and one win to earn the 2003 Winston Cup championship.

This year Kenseth is showing that consistency can still pay off in the long run when it comes to vying for the championship, despite the fact he has yet to win in 2010. He has five top-5 finishes and 10 top-10 finishes this season. His best finish came in the spring at Atlanta, where he finished second to Kurt Busch.

With an average starting position of 19.4 and an average finishing position of 13.7 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kenseth has earned five top-5 finishes and 11 top-10 finishes at the track, but has yet to get a win there. His best finish at NHMS is second, which was in 2004. This weekend will mark his 21st start at the track. The team is bringing chassis RK-704 to New Hampshire this weekend. It is a new car, and the team is eager to see how it will run. Many people consider Kenseth a long shot when it comes to winning this year's championship, but don't count the 2003 champion out just yet. He and his team will give their all to bring home that trophy at the end of the season. Kenseth is currently 11th in the standings, 60 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

12 - CLINT BOWYER – 5000 POINTS – AMY MCHARGUE

With no wins to his credit this season and 12th in points, Clint Bowyer starts the Chase to the Sprint Cup at the back of the field. Starting with 5000 points, he is tied with four other drivers and will be looking for a strong finish at Loudon to improve his place in the Chase standings. At the post-race Richmond media press conference, Bowyer said, “I feel like this is the best shot we’ve ever had since I've been there to win a championship. You know from here, it’s 10 races and it’s all in.” Bowyer seems ready to go and is optimistic toward his chances of running strong in the Chase.

In 2007 Bowyer started from the pole and won this race; with three top-10 finishes and one win in Bowyer’s nine starts at the New Hampshire track, the #33 Richard Childress Racing Team should feel some confidence going into the weekend. This year's June race at Loudon found Bowyer with a seventh-place finish at the end of the day. If he is able to repeat or better that performance, he will surely move up from his 12th-place starting spot in Cup Series points. Forty-two percent of Bowyer’s starts on intermediate tracks have earned him top-10 finishes; there is a good chance he will finish ahead of several other Chase drivers Sunday on the 1-mile track in New Hampshire.

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5 Things to Do and See in Loudon, New Hampshire

Home of New Hampshire Motor Speedway

A lot of NASCAR fans tend to get caught up in raceday excitement and forget that there are other things to do around the tracks. Sometimes, race fans don't always want to just hang around the track. I have not been to or visited all of these places but many of these have been suggested by fans or natives of the towns and states or even by folks in the NASCAR industry themselves! Others have come from websites or the chambers of commerce. So sit back and take an armchair road trip with me across the circuit...

 

The McAuliffe-Shepherd Discovery Center

From Loudon to Concord, it is about a fifteen minute drive. If you’re in the area, try visiting the McAuliffe-Shepherd Discovery Center. There’s plenty of fun for all ages, especially if you love learning about space and science.

If you’re visiting in the afternoon, be sure to check out the observatory. With it’s 14 inch telescope, you’re sure to see things beyond your imagination! The dome observatory even houses a 100mm solar telescope for viewing the sun- without harming your eyes. While you’re there, check out some of the center’s planetarium shows. Everyone is sure to find something to excite their interest.

The center is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Visit their website for more information and directions.

 

The Richard Petty Driving Experience

Imagine driving around New Hampshire Motor Speedway in a stock car modeled after a real NASCAR race car. Picture yourself in the driver’s seat, seeing the track from the driver’s point of view. You can do it, for a price. The Richard Petty Driving experience offers three different driving experiences at 23 different race tracks! You can live the dream of

If driving isn’t for you, then be sure to ask about their ride-alongs which are available at many of the different tracks. Just remember this is definitely not a race weekend activity! For more information on driving experiences or ride-alongs, visit their website.

 

Historical Journeys

Are you a history buff? Just want to learn a little more about the history of the country? You may want to consider taking a trip through America’s history in New Hampshire. There’s a wealth of historical places to visit in New Hampshire. Trace the Footsteps of Lincoln around the state or take the Franco-American Heritage tour through Manchester.

There are plenty of historical museums scattered throughout the state. Some of them are complete with actors in early American costume and others simply lead you on a journey through our nation’s past. A great place to start would be VisitNH.gov. Their website contains some great tips and pre-planned itineraries if you don’t have much time to plan.

 

White Mountain National Forest

If you’re more the outdoors or camping type, you will definitely want to visit the White Mountains of New Hampshire. There are plenty of attractions, games, and even amusement parks for everyone! They’re located close enough to each other that you can visit a few in a day or spread it out, if you aren’t in a hurry, over a few days.

The actual forest itself is located about a two and a half hour drive from Loudon. While you’re there, you can also visit Mount Washington, the highest point in the state, standing at 6,288 feet above sea level. There’s something for everyone- hiking and walking trails, shopping, parks, golf, and even some performing arts. Visit their website for more information on planning your trip.

 

Bizarre: Roadside Attractions

Every state and many towns have them. You’ve seen them. You probably wondered “what the #*%^@?” while driving past them. yeah, I’m talking about roadside attractions.

If you didn’t know, Concord just so happens to be home to a real rocket. Ok, so a replica. But you have always wanted to see a 92 foot rocket replica right? Ok, so maybe not. Maybe the world’s longest candy counter is more your thing?

You may have to really look to find it, but somewhere along US Highway 4 is a Trojan Horse, no pun intended. However, if you’ve been following these long enough, then you know that these are usually off the beaten path. If you’re up for a little treasure hunting, then roadside attractions might be for you. Check out RoadsideAmerica.com for a list of all reported roadside attractions throughout New Hampshire.

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