Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Crayon 301

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, going into the Crayon 301 on July 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

New Hampshire Motor Speedway – Facts & Tidbits:

TRACK DETAILS & RECORDS
Season Race #: 20 of 36 (07-16-23)
Track Size: 1.058-mile
Banking/Turns: 2 to 7 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch & Backstretch: 1 degree (each)
Frontstretch & Backstretch Length: 1,500 feet (each)
Race Length: 301 laps / 318.46 miles
Stages 1 Length: 70 laps
Stages 2 Length: 115 laps
Final Stage Length: 116 laps

Track Qualifying Record:
Brad Keselowski, Ford, 140.598 mph, 27.090 secs. September 21, 2014

2022 Pole Winner:
Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 127.113 mph, 29.964 secs. July 16, 2023

Track Race Record:
Jeff Burton, Ford, 117.134 mph, (02:42:35), July 13, 1997

2021 Race Winner:
Christopher Bell, Toyota, 98.113 mph (03:14:45), July 17. 2022

HISTORY

• The property that is now New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally a 1.6-mile road course that opened in 1964 called Bryar Motorsports Park.
• Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was August 13, 1989 by then owners Bob and Gary Bahre.
• The 1.058-mile oval is located on approximately 1,200 acres; the multi-use complex is the largest sports facility in New England.
• The first NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was on July 11, 1993 and won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace driving a Team Penske Pontiac (105.947 mph, 02:59:45).
• Speedway Motorsports agreed to purchase New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob and Gary Bahre on January 11, 2008, and then renamed the track New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• There have been 51 NASCAR Cup Series races held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; one per year from 1993 through 1996 and two per year from 1997-2017. In 2018, the track reverted back to just one event per season.

STARTS

• A total of 205 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; 160 have competed in more than one.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at New Hampshire with 42; followed by Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch with 39 each.
• Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire with 39 starts; followed by Ryan Newman with 36 and Kyle Busch with 31.
• A total of 19 different drivers have made their first NASCAR Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; four of the drivers are active in the series this season – J. McLeod (2015), Ryan Preece (2015), Corey LaJoie (2014) and Joey Logano (2008).
• The most recent driver to make his NASCAR Cup Series career debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, was Andy Seuss, from Hampstead, New Hampshire, driving the No. 51 Ford for Rick Ware Racing. He finished 28th.
• Of the 19 drivers that made their NASCAR Cup Series career debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Mike McLaughlin put up the best finish bringing home a 22nd-place finish in his 1994 debut.

Drivers That Made Their First Career NASCAR Cup Series Start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

• Chase Elliott leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with an 8.000 in nine starts; followed by Kyle Busch with a 9.258 in 31 starts.

Top 10 in Average Starting Position at New Hampshire (All-Time & Active)

POLES

• In total 22 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won the pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 11 of the 22 pole winners have won multiple Cup Series poles at the 1.058-mile track.
• Ryan Newman leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with seven poles – 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011 sweep, 2013.
• Four of the 22 NASCAR Cup Series pole winners at New Hampshire Motor Speedway are active this weekend.

• NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 1993 with a speed of 126.871 mph, driving a RFK Racing Ford.
• Youngest New Hampshire series pole winner: Brian Vickers (July 17, 2005 – 21 years, 8 months, 23 days).
• Oldest New Hampshire series pole winner: Bill Elliott (July 21, 2002 – 46 years, 9 months, 13 days).
• Two drivers (all-time) have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Brad Keselowski (September 19, 2010) and Patrick Carpentier (June 27, 2008).
• In total 11 drivers have put up multiple poles in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire; the most recent was Martin Truex Jr. (2017, 2022).
• Six of the 11 drivers with multiple NASCAR Cup Series poles at New Hampshire have won consecutive poles at the 1.058-mile track: Ken Schrader (1997 sweep), Jeff Gordon (1998-99), Rusty Wallace (1999-00), Ryan Newman (2002-2004; 2011 sweep), Juan Pablo Montoya (2009-10), Carl Edwards (2015 sweep).
• A total of 13 different organizations have won a NASCAR Cup Series pole at New Hampshire, led by Team Penske with 10 poles among three drivers – Brad Keselowski (2010, 2013, 2014, 2019), Rusty Wallace (1999, 2000) and Ryan Newman (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006).

• Five different manufactures have won a pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire; led by Chevrolet (18) and followed by Ford (10), Toyota (nine), Dodge (six), and Pontiac (one).

WINS

• A total of 26 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; 13 of the 26 have won multiple times at the 1.058-mile track
• Jeff Burton (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) and Kevin Harvick (2006, 2016, 2018, 2019) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with four victories each.
• Eight of the 26 NASCAR Cup Series New Hampshire Motor Speedway winners are active this weekend.

• Four drivers have posted consecutive wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2003 sweep), Kurt Busch (2004 sweep), Matt Kenseth (2015 fall, 2016 spring) and Kevin Harvick (2018, 2019).
• Jeff Burton is the only driver to win the July race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway three consecutive years (1997, ’98 and ’99)
• Youngest series New Hampshire winner: Joey Logano (June 28, 2009 – 19 years, 1 month, 4 days).
• Oldest series New Hampshire winner: Mark Martin (September 20, 2009 – 50 years, 8 months, 11 days).
• Five NASCAR Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

• Six of the 51 (11.7%) NASCAR Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway have been won from the pole or first starting position; the most recent was Kyle Busch in 2017.

• A total of 25 different positions on the starting grid have resulted in wins in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, producing more winners (six) than any other starting position at 1.058-mile track.

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at New Hampshire

• At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, a NASCAR Cup Series driver has started outside the top-20 and went on to win the event 10 different times. New Hampshire is tied with Charlotte Motor Speedway for the third-most winners starting outside the top-20 in the NASCAR Cup Series all-time with 10 each; behind only Daytona International Speedway (14) and Richmond Raceway (12). Last season’s winner, Christopher Bell started from the fifth-position.
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at New Hampshire is 38th, by Jeff Burton in 1999.
• The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at New Hampshire is 32nd, by Denny Hamlin (Sept., 2012).
• Martin Truex Jr. leads the NASCAR Cup Series among active drivers with the most starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway without visiting Victory Lane at 29 starts; followed by Michael McDowell (20) and AJ Allmendinger (20).
• A total of 11 different organizations have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• Joe Gibbs Racing lead the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with 12 victories among six drivers – Tony Stewart (2000, 2005), Denny Hamlin (2007, 2012, 2017), Joey Logano (2009), Matt Kenseth (2013, 2015, 2016), Kyle Busch (2015, 2017), Christopher Bell (2022).

Winning Organizations in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire

• Five different manufacturers have won at New Hampshire in the NASCAR Cup Series; led by Chevrolet with 19 victories; followed by Ford (17), Toyota (10), Dodge (three) and Pontiac (two).

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes:

• A total of 25 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished runner-up at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin lead the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes at New Hampshire with six each.

Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Top-Five Finishes:

• A total of 60 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished inside the top-five at New Hampshire.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at New Hampshire with 16.
• Kevin Harvick leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top fives at New Hampshire with 14.

Top Five In Top-Five Finishes at New Hampshire (All-Time & Active)

Top-10 Finishes:

• A total of 90 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished inside the top-10 at New Hampshire.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-10 finishes at New Hampshire with 24.
• Kevin Harvick leads all active drivers in top-10 finishes at New Hampshire with 23 top 10s.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at New Hampshire (All-Time & Active)

Average Finishes:

• Denny Hamlin leads NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at New Hampshire with a 9.483 in 29 starts.

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at New Hampshire

LAP LEADERS

• A total of 86 different drivers have led laps in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire.
• Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at New Hampshire with 1,373 laps led in 42 starts.
• Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in laps led at New Hampshire with 1,134 laps led in 32 starts.

Top 10 All-Time in Laps Led at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

• The most laps led by a NASCAR Cup Series race winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was 300 laps of the scheduled 300 (100%) lap race by Jeff Burton on September 17, 2000. He started the race from the second position.
• The most laps led by a NASCAR Cup Series driver that did not win the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was 257 of the scheduled 300 (85.6%) by Jeff Gordon on November 23, 2001. He started the race from the pole but finished 15th.
• The fewest laps led by a NASCAR Cup Series winner at New Hampshire was just two laps of the scheduled 300 (85.6%) and it has happened twice – Jeff Burton on July 11, 1999 and Tony Stewart on September 25, 2011.

FEMALE COMPETITORS

• Danica Patrick is the only female driver that has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

TRACK / EVENT SPECIFIC STATS

• Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was the July 1, 2007 race won by Denny Hamlin over Jeff Gordon with a margin of victory of 0.068-second.

Top Five Closest Margin of Victory Finishes at NHMS in the NCS:

• Four of the 51 NASCAR Cup Series races have resulted in a NASCAR Overtime finish at New Hampshire:

• Five of the 51 NASCAR Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions; below are the events:

• Qualifying has been cancelled in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway seven times:
  • For Weather: 2001 (Fall), 2003 (Summer), 2004 (Fall), 2008 (Fall) and 2009 (Summer).
  • Pandemic Restrictions: 2020 and 2021.

NASCAR IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

• A total of 106 NASCAR national series races have been held in the state of New Hampshire, all at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

NEW HAMPSHIRE DRIVERS IN NASCAR

• A total of 15 drivers have made at least one start in a NASCAR national series event with their home state recorded as New Hampshire.
• Jamie Aube is the only one of the 15 New Hampshire drivers to record a victory in NASCAR national series competition. Aube won in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on July 12, 1987 at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, ME; it was his only start that season.

NASCAR IN NEW ENGLAND

• Among the six states that make up New England (Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire), the NASCAR Cup Series has competed in four of them for a total of 118 races.

NASCAR WINNERS FROM NEW ENGLAND

• Among the six states that make up New England (Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire), five states have produced drivers that have won in a NASCAR national series event.
• The only state from New England that has not produced at least one NASCAR national series winner is Rhode Island.

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