New Hampshire 300 Betting News and Notes

Driver Tale of the Tape at New Hampshire

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota)

· Two wins, four top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.1
· Average Running Position of 12.0, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 97.2, fifth-best
· 230 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.466 mph, sixth-fastest
· 3,027 Laps in the Top 15 (72.6%), ninth-most
· 406 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), 11th-most

Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
· Four wins, eight top fives, 13 top 10s
· Average finish of 13.8
· Average Running Position of 12.9, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 91.6, 10th-best
· 139 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
· 839 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· 3,044 Laps in the Top 15 (63.8%), eighth-most

Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row/Sealy Chevrolet)
· Three wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 14.8
· Average Running Position of 13.7, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 89.6, 11th-best
· 145 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· 835 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
· 2,993 Laps in the Top 15 (62.8%), 10th-most
· 479 Quality Passes, fifth-most

Kyle Busch (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota)

· One win, four top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 16.7
· Driver Rating of 89.6, 12th-best
· 166 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 412 Quality Passes, 10th-most

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet)

· Seven top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 16.1
· Average Running Position of 11.9, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 96.9, sixth-best
· 219 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· 883 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.589 mph, third-fastest
· 3,505 Laps in the Top 15 (73.5%), fifth-most
· 511 Quality Passes, fourth-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet)

· Three wins, 16 top fives, 21 top 10s; four poles
· Average finish of 10.5
· Series-best Average Running Position of 7.2
· Driver Rating of 109.9, second-best
· Series-high 410 Fastest Laps Run
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 124.796 mph
· Series-high 4,333 Laps in the Top 15 (90.9%)
· Series-high 562 Quality Passes

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota)
· Two wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s
· Average finish of 7.9
· Average Running Position of 10.2, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 104.8, fourth-best
· 282 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.583 mph, fourth-fastest
· 3,127 Laps in the Top 15 (75.0%), seventh-most
· 477 Quality Passes, sixth-most

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet)

· One win, five top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.7
· Average Running Position of 12.7, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 92.8, eighth-best
· 154 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.320 mph, eighth-fastest
· 3,172 Laps in the Top 15 (66.5%), sixth-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)

· Three wins, eight top fives, 15 top 10s
· Average finish of 9.5
· Average Running Position of 9.7, third-best
· Driver Rating of 105.8, third-best
· 405 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· 805 Green Flag Passes, ninth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.573 mph, fifth-fastest
· 3,936 Laps in the Top 15 (82.6%), second-most
· 536 Quality Passes, second-most

Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet)

· One win, three top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 16.2
· Driver Rating of 91.8, ninth-best
· 288 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 840 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.392 mph, seventh-fastest
· 2,890 Laps in the Top 15 (60.6%), 11th-most
· 426 Quality Passes, seventh-most

Ryan Newman (No. 39 WIX Filters Chevrolet)

· Three wins, six top fives, 15 top 10s; six poles
· Average finish of 12.7
· Average Running Position of 12.6, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 94.9, seventh-best
· 154 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.294 mph, ninth-fastest
· 3,652 Laps in the Top 15 (76.6%), fourth-most
· 421 Quality Passes, ninth-most

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet)

· Three wins, 14 top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.4
· Average Running Position of 9.2, second-best
· Series-best Driver Rating of 111.7
· 393 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· 831 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 124.694 mph, second-fastest
· 3,882 Laps in the Top 15 (81.4%), third-most
· 520 Quality Passes, third-most

New Hampshire 300
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

The 19th race of the NASCAR Sprint up season takes us to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and as is always the case when races take place there, we have to take a look at what happened in previous races on the year at Phoenix and Richmond. Although all three tracks are configured different in size and shape, the one common denominator between them all is that they’re all relatively flat.

The best reason to group the three tracks together is that the crew chiefs for teams doing well at one of the tracks usually bring the same chassis to each. If it’s a good enough correlation for them, it should be good enough for bettors to follow their lead at the bet windows.

Carl Edwards won the Mar. 3 race at Phoenix and Kevin Harvick took the checkers at Richmond on Apr. 27. Edwards has never won on New Hampshire’s one-mile paper-clip layout, but Harvick did in 2006, a year he also won at Richmond and Phoenix. Both should be considered solid candidates to win this week. Edwards finished sixth at Richmond while Harvick was 13th at Phoenix.

Jimmie Johnson won his fourth race of the season Saturday at Daytona to tie Matt Kenseth for the most this season, and is a three-time winner at New Hampshire. He swept the two races during 2003 season and also won in 2010. He was runner-up to Denny Hamlin last fall, as well as finishing second to Edwards at Phoenix in March. Right now, despite Edwards and Harvick winning at Phoenix and Richmond this season, Johnson is the driver to beat on any track.

Hamlin’s New Hampshire win last fall was his second and he fits the mold of being a driver very adept at all three tracks. He also won at Phoenix last season and has two career wins at Richmond. He was third at Phoenix this season behind Edwards and Johnson. He’s had a tough go of it lately -- finishing 23rd or worse in his past four races, but this is a track that should get him back on his game. His 7.9 average finish in 14 New Hampshire starts is the best among all active drivers.

Tony Stewart is a three-time winner at New Hampshire, the last coming during the Chase on his way to a Championship during the 2011 season. His 111.7 NASCAR loop system driver rating over the past 16 New Hampshire races is the best among all drivers.

At the same time, Stewart's teammate Ryan Newman has to be considered as well. Newman won his third race at New Hampshire in 2011 finishing one spot above Stewart. He finished 10th in both races last season.

Clint Bowyer is a two-time winner here, which fits in perfectly with his past success at Phoenix and Richmond. He finished in third and fourth-place last season and was runner-up at Richmond in May and sixth at Phoenix in March.

The best longshot on the board looks to be Harvick’s teammate Jeff Burton at 75/1. He’s a four-time winner at New Hampshire, the last coming in 2000 while driving for Jack Roush. But based on his performance this season on similar tracks, and Harvick winning at Richmond, he’s live this week. He was 10th at Phoenix and fifth at Richmond.

Top-5 Finish prediction:

1) #99 Carl Edwards (25/1)
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
3) #11 Denny Hamlin (5/1)
4) #15 Clint Bowyer (10/1)
5) #29 Kevin Harvick (12/1)

Driver Handicaps: New Hampshire
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com

To help you make your fantasy racing picks, MotorRacingNetwork.com's Jeff Wackerlin brings you his weekly detailed analysis to help steer you toward Sunday's Camping World RV Sales 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Who's HOT at New Hampshire

• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in average finish over the last 10 races (7.6) and five races (6.0).
• Defending race winner Kasey Kahne has posted a 3.0 average finish in his two track starts with Hendrick Motorsports.
• Two-time winner Denny Hamlin leads all drivers with a 7.9 average finish.
• Ryan Newman has posted six top 10s, including a win in this event in 2011, in the last seven races.
• Two-time winner Clint Bowyer has finished in the top five in his last two starts.
• Jimmie Johnson has finished ninth or better, including a win in this event in 2010, in 10 of his last 12 starts.
• Tony Stewart has recorded one won and a leading average finish of 5.5 in the last four races.
• Brad Keselowski has finished in the top 10 in his last three starts.

Who to Keep an Eye On at New Hampshire

• Jeff Burton (four-time New Hampshire winner), Matt Kenseth (making first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing) and Joey Logano (won rain-shortened race in 2009) were among the drivers that participated in the Goodyear Tire test at New Hampshire.
• Roush Fenway Racing (Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.), Penske Racing (Keselowski and Logano) and Stewart-Haas Racing (Stewart, Newman and Danica Patrick) tested at New Hampshire last month.
• Kevin Harvick, who won the 2006 fall New Hampshire race, will be back in the same car he scored the win with at Richmond International Raceway.
• Kurt Busch, who will make his first New Hampshire start with Furniture Row Racing, is a three-time winner at New Hampshire with his last victory coming with Penske Racing in this event in 2008. Busch is also coming off his third consecutive finish of sixth or better this season.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished fourth in this event last year - his fourth top 10 with Hendrick Motorsports at New Hampshire.
• Juan Pablo Montoya has two poles at New Hampshire and his teammate, Jamie McMurray, brings momentum of two consecutives top 10s into the weekend.
• Brian Vickers, who will be back behind the wheel of the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota this weekend, finished ninth last fall at New Hampshire.

Note: Sprint Cup teams will run the same combination of left- and right-side Goodyear Tires that were used in the two races last season at New Hampshire. The tire setup is based off a test in May with drivers Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano.

MotorRacingNetwork.com Writer Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Clint Bowyer
Pete Pistone: Clint Bowyer
Dustin Long: Jeff Gordon
John Singler: Carl Edwards

Top 20 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings

(All stats/notes are in regards to New Hampshire unless noted)

Jimmie Johnson: Coming off 15th top 10 with a second-place finish last fall; Last of three wins came in this event in 2010; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 806) in the Camping World RV Sales 301.

Clint Bowyer: Posted top fives (3.5 average finish) in both races last season - first two track starts with Michael Waltrip Racing; Last of two wins came in the 2010 fall race; Participated in the New Hampshire Goodyear Tire test in May; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 761) that he finished second with at Martinsville Speedway and used in that tire test.

Carl Edwards: Only top 10 (eighth) in the last eight races came in the 2011 fall race; Runner-up finish in this event in 2006 is best in 17 starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 857) that he tested at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last month.

Kevin Harvick: Last of 12 top 10s in 24 starts came in this event last year, eighth place; Winner of the 2006 fall race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 420) that he scored the win with at Richmond International Raceway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr: 13.8 average finish in 10 starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Finished fourth in this event last year for fourth top 10 with HMS; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 721) that he last finished 10th with at Richmond International Raceway.

Matt Kenseth: 14.0 average finish in 26 starts; Last of 12 top 10s came in the 2011 fall race, sixth place; Participated in the New Hampshire Goodyear Tire test in May; Making first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Kyle Busch: Has combined to lead 120 laps in last two starts but has posted an average finish of 22.0 in that span; 18.2 average finish in 10 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Only top 10 in this event with JGR came in 2009, seventh place; Won this event in 2006 with Hendrick Motorsports.

Greg Biffle: Has finished in the top 10 in two of his last three starts; Won the 2008 fall race; 16.3 average finish in 21 starts; Tested at New Hampshire last month; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 856) that he used in the test.

Kurt Busch: Last of three wins came in this event in 2008 with Penske Racing; Win was first of a streak of five consecutive top 10s; Making first track start with Furniture Row Racing; Has finished sixth or better in the last three races of the season.

Tony Stewart: 8.4 average finish in eight starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; 2011 fall race win is one of five top 10s with SHR; Won two times in previous 20 starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Tested at New Hampshire last month; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 792) that he finished 18th with at Richmond International Raceway.

Martin Truex Jr.: 15.7 average finish in six starts with Michael Waltrip Racing; Only top 10 (eighth) with MWR came in this event in 2011; Posted four top 10s in previous eight starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Kasey Kahne: Defending race winner; Finished fifth last fall; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 769) that he scored the win with at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Brad Keselowski: Has finished sixth or better in his last three starts; Tested at New Hampshire last month; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 845) that he finished 22nd with in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

Jeff Gordon: Leads all drivers with a 7.6 average finish in the last 10 races; Has finished sixth or better in the last three races; Last of three wins came in 1998; Participated in the New Hampshire Goodyear Tire test in May.

Joey Logano: Won this event in 2009 after the race was shortened to 273 laps by rain; Coming off fourth top 10 in nine starts; Participated in the New Hampshire Goodyear Tire test in May; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 855) that he finished second with in the All-Star Race; Marking first track start with Penske Racing.

Ryan Newman: Winner of this event in 2011; 12.0 average finish in eight starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Scored two wins in previous 14 starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 783) that he last tested at New Hampshire last month.

Jamie McMurray: Only top 10 in the last 16 races came in 2010 fall race, third place; 22.8 average finish in 20 starts.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Making first Sprint Cup track start; Tested at New Hampshire last month; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 858) that he used in the test.

Aric Almirola: Has yet to finish in the top 15 in five starts; 24.2 average finish.

Paul Menard: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in 12 starts; 25.5 average finish; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 419) that he last finished 13th with at Richmond International Raceway.

NASCAR heads to The Magic Mile Sunday
By: Brian Graham
StatFox.com

The NASCAR circuit moves north to New Hampshire for Sunday’s Camping World RV Sales 301 race at Loudon’s “The Magic Mile.” This is no cookie-cutter track, considered to be one of the toughest oval courses for drivers, as it is sometimes referred to as “Martinsville on steroids.” This 1.058-mile track completed in 1990 is mostly flat with 1° straights and turns varying from 7° to 9°. The frontstretch and backstretch are both exactly 1,500 feet, making it a true oval. This race has had a different champion in each of the past 10 starts, with last year's winners being Kasey Kahne in the summer and Denny Hamlin in the fall.

Drivers to Watch

Tony Stewart (12/1) - He was given 6-to-1 odds in last summer's New Hampshire race, so the odds are certainly much more favorable this time around. "Smoke" is once again heating up in the summer months, cranking out top-7 finishes in five of his past seven races, including a win at Dover and coming in second behind Jimmie Johnson last week in Daytona. Stewart is no stranger to success at Loudon either, with three wins as part of 14 career top-5's at this track. Since 2005, his average finish in New Hampshire is an impressive 9.1. Stewart would be our pick to win Sunday's race regardless of where he is on the board, so treat his double-digit odds as a nice bonus.

Jimmie Johnson (5/1) - We told you last week that Johnson represented the best chalk in the field before he won his fourth race of the season, and we echo that sentiment again for Sunday. Johnson now has an average finish of 8.9 this season thanks to eight top-5's and 12 top-10's. He also carries an average finish of 9.5 in his career at New Hampshire, placing among the top-10 drivers in 68% (15-of-22) of his races here. This includes three wins and five other top-5's, which have all occurred since 2007. Johnson has led at least one lap in eight of the past nine starts at Loudon, and there's no reason to think he's undeserving of his status as a favorite. Johnson is too hot to be completely ignored by multi-wager bettors.

Ryan Newman (30/1) - Like Stewart, Newman's odds have also doubled since last summer when he went off at 15-to-1 at this track. That makes for a pretty nice darkhorse payout for the driver with the most career poles at New Hampshire (six). And the pole-position driver has five wins at this track, with Newman the last to turn the trick in 2011, giving him three career wins at "The Magic Mile." Like Johnson, Newman has also placed in the top-10 at this track in 15-of-22 career starts (68%). He has also raced well lately with top-10 finishes in four of his past eight starts this season. Don't be afraid to place a decent-sized wager on Newman, who represents the best value on the board.

Carl Edwards (25/1) - He continues to stay near the top of the Sprint Cup standings, currently sitting in third behind Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer despite two straight finishes outside the top-20. But Edwards still led for 35 laps before fading at Kentucky two weeks ago, and his poor showing at Daytona last week was to be expected considering the two superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega) represent his two worst average finishes of his career. Edwards' three top-10's in 17 starts at Loudon are nothing to brag about, but he did place eighth at this track in 2011 and started fifth in the most recent New Hampshire race last fall. His generous odds make his worthy of a one-unit wager.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (100/1) - Although he has yet to finish in the top-10 this season, there's something to be said for Stenhouse completing the fourth-most laps on the NASCAR circuit this season (5,198) and third-most miles (7,114.51). He's done that by completing all 18 races with an average finish of 18.3, slightly better than his average start of 18.7. Stenhouse is building on his best race of the season too, coming in 11th at Daytona, which ties his previous best finish of 11th at Kansas. He's never raced at Loudon, which makes him a definite wild card, but for the few longshots on the board, Stenhouse shines above the rest for his ability to shock the field at "The Magic Mile" on Sunday.