History

When the NASCAR Cup Series visited the New Hampshire International Speedway in July, 1993, it was the first time the series competed in the state. Additionally, it was the first time the series had run on a track that was completely new to the drivers in nearly 30 years.

The NASCAR Busch Series first appearance was in 1990. Needless to say, many Cup Series drivers were interested in trying out the course before the track was officially added to the schedule.

In addition to the Busch Series, New Hampshire also hosted the Featherlite Modified Series, NASCAR Touring Division and the Busch North Series, NASCAR Touring Division, as well as American Motorcycle Association events.

Built on the site of a former motorcycle road circuit, New Hampshire is a low-banked oval with tight-radius turns which proved to be very challenging. The walls needed a lot of repainting after the initial practice session from both series.

That first race at New Hampshire was completed in 100-degree temperatures, unusual for the region. Mark Martin was the first polewinner with a lap of 126.871 mph, but Rusty Wallace won the inaugural event starting in the 33rd position leaving Martin the runner-up. Davey Allison finished third in what tragically ended up being his final Cup race. Allison was fatally injured in a helicopter crash the next week at Talladega Super Speedway.

In 1997, New Hampshire gained a second date removing North Wilkesboro Speedway from the circuit.

Stats

Cup Qualifying Record
Ryan Newman, Dodge, 133.357 mph; September 12, 2003

Cup Race Record
Jeff Burton, Ford, 117.134 mph; July 13, 1997

Track Length: 1.058-miles (300 laps = 317.4 miles)
Race Length: 317.4 Miles Miles
Grandstand Seating Capacity: 91,000
First Race: July 11, 1993 - Slick 50 300
Banking in Corners: 12 degrees
Banking on Straights: 2 degrees
Frontstrech: 1,500 feet
Backstretch: 1,500 feet

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New Hampshire International Speedway
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Posted Thursday, September 7, 2006

Year Winner Make
2006 Kyle Busch Chevrolet
2005 Ryan Newman Dodge
2005 Tony Stewart Chevrolet
2004 Kurt Busch Ford
2004 Kurt Busch Ford
2003 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet
2003 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet
2002 Ryan Newman Ford
2002 Ward Burton Dodge
2001 Robbie Gordon Chevrolet
2001 Dale Jarrett Ford
2000 Jeff Burton Ford
2000 Tony Stewart Pontiac
1999 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet
1999 Jeff Burton Ford
1998 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet
1998 Jeff Burton Ford
1997 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet
1997 Jeff Burton Ford
1996 Ernie Irvan Ford
1995 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet
1994 Ricky Rudd Ford
1993 Rusty Wallace Pontiac

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A Win At NHIS Could Mean Momentum For The Alltel Team Heading Into Off-Season And 2007 Season
Penske Racing South, Press Release


NNCS Notes:

· Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, will make his 10th NASCAR Cup Series start at New Hampshire International Speedway on Sunday and his 179th in the NASCAR Cup Series.

· NHIS is one of five tracks where Newman has earned four or more Bud Pole awards in his Cup series career. In July, Newman earned his fourth pole at the 1.058-mile track. He has just two starts outside the top 10 – a 13th in September 2005 and a 16th in July 2003 – and seven top-10 starts, including five from the top five. Newman’s average starting position at the track is 6.0.

· NHIS is also one of only three tracks where Newman has earned multiple wins in the Cup series. Newman has won three Cup races at Dover International Speedway and two at Michigan International Speedway. At NHIS, Newman has two wins, including last September’s Sylvania 300. Newman has only two finishes outside the top-10 in nine starts with both being 33rd or lower. Five of those finishes have been in the top-five. His average finish at the New England track is 11.33.

· Newman has led at least one lap in each of his nine races at NHIS for a total of 515 laps. Twice Newman has led the most laps, including his first win at the track in September 2002 when he led 143 laps. Newman has had only one DNF at the track – an engine problem in September 2004 – and has completed 2,548 laps of a possible 2,615, giving Newman a 97 percent completion rate at the New England oval.

· Matt Borland, crew chief of the No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, and the team will take chassis PRS-55 to this weekend’s Sylvania 300. This is the same car Newman drove in the July race at NHIS and to victory in September 2005. The car has been rebuilt a couple of times since then, however. In November 2005, the team took the same chassis to Phoenix where Newman was involved in a wreck during practice. The car was taken back to Phoenix in April 2006 and was involved in a wreck during the race.

· The backup car for NHIS is chassis PRS-91. This car was run at the last two spring Richmond races. In May 2005, Newman finished third after qualifying second and in May of this year, Newman finished eighth after starting 14th.

Newman on New Hampshire International Speedway:

“New Hampshire is a good track for this team. We’ve had success there in the past and we won this same race last year. I like going to Loudon and I think the team enjoys going there as well. It’s definitely a place where we go into the race knowing that we can win.”
“With all the struggles this team has had this year, we could really use a win and everyone believes that this track definitely gives us a good shot at doing that this year. A win here would give this team some momentum going into the off season and preparing for the 2007 season.”

Quick Stats:

New Hampshire International Speedway: 9
Races Led/Laps Led: 9/515
Best Starting Position: 1 (three times)
Best Finishing Position: 1 (twice)
September 2005 Start: 13
September 2005 Finish: 1

This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.

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Team reports: Chase time arrives for title hopefuls in N.H.
Posted 9/13/2006 9:32 PM ET
NASCAR team reports as the Nextel Cup series embarks on its postseason Chase, starting with its second visit to New Hampshire International Speedway:
Matt Kenseth

No. 17 Ford, Roush Racing

This week: The hottest driver entering the Chase is Kenseth, who started to get hot at midsummer and then, using consistency, finished the 26-race lead-in to the Chase as the point leader. He has eight top-10 finishes and a 10.923 finishing average at New Hampshire but has led in just three of his 13 races there. He finished third in this race one year ago and 14th there in July. "Everyone seems to be putting a lot of pressure on this weekend, and I don't necessarily see it," he said. "I mean, yes, you want to start the Chase with a good finish, but if you don't, you still have nine more to make up for it."

Last week: Kenseth's eighth-place finish at Richmond assured him of being the point leader entering the Chase.

Etc.: Among the 10 "Chase tracks," New Hampshire is Kenseth's best in average start, 16.9, and average finish, 10.9. It also was the site of Kenseth's best Chase finish, a second place in 2004.

Jimmie Johnson

No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: This marks the third straight year that Johnson has competed in the Chase, making him just one of three drivers to do so, and he will finish in the top 10 for the fifth straight season. Johnson joins Hendrick teammates Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon in the Chase, giving car owner Rick Hendrick the most eligible drivers of any car owner. Johnson has scored 18 top-10 finishes in 26 races this season, two more than point leader Matt Kenseth, who has 16. Johnson has scored a series-best 22 top-15s in the first 26 races and has two wins and five top-10 finishes in nine races at New Hampshire.

Last week: Johnson limped into the Chase with a 23rd-place finish at Richmond.

Etc.: Johnson's team will take chassis No. 48278 to New Hampshire as the primary car this weekend. It finished 10th there in July. Johnson has posted top-15 finishes in all nine of his starts at NHIS. That's more than any other driver.

Kevin Harvick

No. 29 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: This marks Harvick's first year in the Chase and the first time Richard Childress has had a driver in the Chase since the system's inception in 2004. Harvick, one of five "first-timers" to compete in the Chase, has ranked among the top 10 in the last 20 races, since Texas in April. Harvick has scored 14 top-10 finishes in 2006 and is 10-for-10 in top-15 finishes in his last 10 races. He has six top-10s in 11 races at New Hampshire and finished 10th in this race one year ago and fifth there in July. He has led in six of his 11 races at New Hampshire and has a 13.727 average finish there.

Last week: Harvick scored a sweep of both the Busch and Nextel Cup series races at Richmond. He has a huge lead in the Busch Series point race.

Etc.: Harvick has been running at the finish in the last 38 races, the longest current streak.

Kyle Busch

No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: Busch has 15 top-10 finishes in 26 races in 2006, has 11 top-15s in the last 12 races and has been running at the finish in the last 14 races. Busch has two top-five finishes, including one win, in his three races at New Hampshire. He finished 27th in this race one year ago and first there in July. He has led in just one his three races there, leading 107 laps on the way to his July victory. His average finish there is 10.66.

Last week: Busch finished second at Richmond to move up to fourth for the start of the Chase. "It's definitely exciting to be not only in the Chase, but to have the kind of run that we did tonight," Busch said.

Etc.: One year ago, Busch ranked 19th, 361 points out of the lead. This time, he's 15 points behind first-place Matt Kenseth as he embarks on his first year in the Chase.

Denny Hamlin

No. 11 Chevrolet, Joe Gibbs Racing

This week: Hamlin has nine straight top-15 finishes and 13 top-10s in 2006, more than any other rookie. Hamlin, who was sixth at New Hampshire in July in his only Nextel Cup start there, has been the highest finishing rookie in 13 of the 26 races this season. He ended a streak of finishing on the lead lap in the last 16 races by placing one lap down at Richmond.

Last week: Hamlin won the pole and finished 15th at Richmond. "To win the pole here was a big deal," he said. "That was really big. It's amazing that we're in this place right now. Now we've got a clean slate, and hopefully we can go for this championship."

Etc.: Hamlin is the first rookie to make the Chase since the format's inception in 2004. Carl Edwards competed in the Chase in 2005 but was not considered a rookie because he competed in 13 races in 2004.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

No. 8 Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.

This week: Earnhardt finished the "regular season" with one win (Richmond), eight top-fives, 12 top-10s and 18 top-15 finishes. He has led in 12 races for 209 laps this year and has finished sixth or better in four of the last six races. Out of the 10 "Chase" tracks, Earnhardt has won races at six (a combined total of 11 victories). In the first-ever Chase in 2004, the team won two of the 10 Chase races, at Talladega and Phoenix. He has three top-fives, six top-10s and has led in five of his 14 races at New Hampshire. He'll be driving the same car he used at Richmond, with a new right-rear quarterpanel, left-front fender and bumper cover, and he said the brake problem he had at Richmond has been solved.

Last week: Earnhardt's 17th-place finish at Richmond landed him a spot in the Chase. He missed the 10-race playoff last year.

Etc: Earnhardt has an 18.857 finishing average at New Hampshire, worst among the Chase drivers.

Mark Martin

No. 6 Ford, Roush Racing

This week: Martin, who has been running at the finish in the last 33 races, has 13 top-10 finishes in 23 races at New Hampshire and has led in seven of them. He finished seventh in this race one year ago and fourth there in July, and his average finish there is 10.956. "Loudon can be a tough track," Martin said. "It's really hard to pass there, and if your car isn't handling well it can make for a really bad day. We've struggled there in the past, but we had a really good run there in the spring and we ran pretty good there last year."

Last week: Martin's fifth-place finish at Richmond locked him into the Chase for the third straight year.

Etc.: The team will run RK-221, which finished fifth last week at Richmond and fourth at Loudon in July. It posted a dominating performance early this year at Phoenix and is the car Martin used to win the All-Star Challenge in 2005.

Jeff Burton

No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: Burton has four victories (the most of any driver) and has led in nine of his 23 races at New Hampshire. His last New Hampshire victory came in September 2000. He finished ninth in this race one year ago and seventh there in July, extending a streak of five straight top-15 finishes at the track. Burton has a 13.478 average finish at New Hampshire.

Last week: Burton was able to make the Chase for the first time in his career with a ninth-place finish at Richmond. "Well, I'm relieved, for sure," he said. "Today was a long day. The last two weeks have been pretty long. Glad to have this behind us. Now it's time to, you know, get focused and go again."

Etc: Burton, who has 21 top-15 and 15 top-10 finishes in 26 races this season, ranked 21st in the point standings after 26 races last year.

Jeff Gordon

No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: After last year's absence from the Chase, Gordon hopes to celebrate the end of the 2006 season with a fifth championship. He has three wins, three poles, nine top-fives and 12 top-10s in 23 career starts at New Hampshire but has not finished better than 14th in his last three races there. "This has been a good track for us in the past, but we didn't run well here in July," said Gordon. "It's all about getting started on a high note, so we'll try a completely different setup package this weekend in an effort to turn it around."

Last week: Gordon was 31st at Richmond. "Right now, I'm happy that Richmond isn't included in the Chase," said Gordon. "I do like the tracks that are in the Chase, and I like how this team is performing."

Etc.: The only other Chase participant this year who has won a championship is Matt Kenseth, but both drivers won under the old, season-long points structure.

Kasey Kahne

No. 9 Dodge, Ray Evernham Motorsports

This week: Kahne, who will be making his first appearance in the Chase, has five victories in 2006, more than any other driver, and has 16 top-15 finishes and 14 top-10s. Kahne has four top-10 finishes in five races at New Hampshire but finished 38th in this race one year ago, his only DNF (did not finish) at Loudon. He finished eighth there in July. He has led in two of his five races at New Hampshire and has a 12.8 average finish there.

Last week: Kahne's third-place finish at Richmond allowed him to gain that vital extra position in the standings that made him the 10th and final entrant in the Chase, by just 16 points over 11th-place Tony Stewart. "I'm very surprised that Tony Stewart didn't make it in," Kahne said.

Etc.: This marks the third straight year that Evernham Motorsports has had a driver in the Chase since the format's inception in 2004 (Jeremy Mayfield was 10th in 2004 and ninth in 2005).

Tony Stewart

No. 20 Chevrolet, Joe Gibbs Racing

This week: Stewart, who has two wins and eight top-five finishes at New Hampshire, said he doesn't consider himself as a spoiler in this year's Chase. "We're going to go out and worry about ourselves," said Stewart. "We're going to do our best to race hard as we can and race hard around the guys that are in the Chase, but at the same time, try to win races."

Greg Biffle

No. 16 Ford, Roush Racing

This week: Biffle has posted three straight top-five finishes at New Hampshire, the longest current streak. He'll be driving the same he drove to third place there in July. "I feel confident with this car," he said.

Last week: Biffle finished sixth at Richmond for his 12th top-10 finish of the season. "We wanted a top-five, but my car fell off quicker than I wanted it to in the long runs," said Biffle. "I just did the best I could. I was really fast on the short runs but just lost a spot coming to the line with Mark (Martin). But it was a good run for us."

Etc.: Biffle began the year as one of the drivers expected to contend for the 2006 Nextel Cup championship. But after failing to make the Chase, he noted, "It's a pretty humbling sport. There are some big guys that didn't make it (this year)."

Carl Edwards

No. 99 Ford, Roush Racing

This week: Edwards finished second in the July event at New Hampshire. "We didn't make the Chase, which was disappointing, but we still have a chance to race for wins and for 11th place during the next 10 races," said Edwards.

Last week: The evening began with a bang when Edwards and Jimmie Johnson tangled on lap 80, both cars bouncing off the wall. The damage to Edwards' car was severe enough that he spent the rest of the race just trying to finish.

Etc.: Edwards won't be the Chase, but he will be commenting on this year's version — he will join veteran Steve Byrnes on the weekly Thursday night program The Chase Is On on the Speed Channel. Edwards admits, "There won't be a single one of these shows that won't be painful to me. But maybe this show will be good therapy. I might even learn something (for 2007)."

Kurt Busch

No. 2 Dodge, Penske Racing South

This week: Busch's record at New Hampshire includes two wins, four top-five finishes and five top-10s in 11 races. He swept the two events in 2004 on the way to the Nextel Cup championship. Busch also won a Craftsman Truck Series race at NHIS in 2000.

Last week: Busch admitted that "it was really embarrassing there for a while" at Richmond as he finished 27th. "I guess the only good thing to say is that when we finally hit rock bottom during the race, it couldn't get worse and we actually got the car to respond to changes we were making," Busch said.

Etc.: Busch admits he made a "pretty big spectacle of myself" at New Hampshire in 2005 by getting involved in a wreck with Scott Riggs. After getting out of his mangled car, Busch briskly made his way to Riggs' pit and discussed the situation with crew chief Rodney Childers. Busch said "that would never happen today, I guarantee that."

Casey Mears

No. 42 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

This week: Mears has not had much luck at New Hampshire. In seven starts at the 1.058-mile speedway, his best finish is 16th, and that came in his first Cup event at the track. In his last five races at NHIS, Mears has finished 21st or worse. "We got our best finish ever at Richmond (Saturday night), and we believe we can do the same at Loudon," said Mears.

Last week: Mears finished 11th at Richmond, his best career finish at the Virginia facility. "That was by far the best race I've run at Richmond," said Mears. "Donnie (Wingo, crew chief) made a heck of a call to keep me on the lead lap with about 150 laps remaining in the race."

Etc.: Mears said he has to "thank all the guys that work on our short-track program; these are the best cars we've ever had." This weekend, he will be racing the same car that he drove to an 11th-place finish Saturday night at Richmond.

Clint Bowyer

No. 07 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

This week: Bowyer said he is "looking forward to the last 10 races (of the year). I think we're on a roll. We've ran really well all year, but we haven't been able to get the finishes we deserve on a regular basis like we needed to. But we were running up front when that stuff (bad luck) happened, so that builds confidence."

Last week: Bowyer was the highest-finishing rookie for the sixth time in 2006 as he ended up 12th at Richmond to move to 16th in the standings.

Etc.: Bowyer has been named to drive the No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado in the New Hampshire 200 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He also will drive the truck on Nov. 3 at Texas Motor Speedway. "I ran the truck race at Martinsville and had a blast running with those guys," said Bowyer. "I can't wait to do it again."

Ryan Newman

No. 12 Dodge, Penske Racing South

This week: Newman has won two races at New Hampshire, including his first Cup win on Sept. 15, 2002. He is the defending race champion of the Sylvania 300. "New Hampshire is a good track for this team," said Newman. "We've had success there in the past, and we won this same race last year. With all the struggles this team has had this year we could really use a win, and everyone believes this track definitely gives us a good shot at doing that this year."

Last week: Newman battled an ill-handling race car for most of the evening at Richmond but was able to salvage a 20th-place finish on a night when the car "was just not right."

Etc.: Newman has won four of the last eight pole positions at New Hampshire. His four pole positions at the track are the most of any driver. Qualifying was rained out in two of those eight races. He won the pole in July.

Scott Riggs

No. 10 Dodge, Evernham Motorsports

This week: Riggs finished 10th in the July event at New Hampshire, his first top-10 finish in five starts at the one-mile track. Riggs is confident that a second consecutive top-10 run is a realistic goal this weekend. "Our short-track program has really improved," said Riggs.

Last week: After rallying for a 10th-place finish at Richmond, Riggs was all smiles. "This was an awesome night for Evernham Motorsports," said Riggs. "Kasey (Kahne) made the Chase and we came home with another top-10. Our Dodge struggled early on and at one point we fell out of the top 30. But these guys on the Valvoline Evernham racing team fought back, gave me great pit stops and made the right adjustments."

Etc.: Riggs has moved up to 18th in the point standings and is only 92 points out of the top 15. A top-15 finish after missing the Daytona 500 would be a major achievement for Riggs and his team.

Jamie McMurray

No. 26 Ford, Roush Racing

This week: In seven starts at New Hampshire, McMurray has scored three top-10 finishes, including a fifth in the fall of 2004.

Last week: After finishing a disappointing 25th at Richmond, McMurray admitted he was surprised by how much the team struggled during the evening. "In practice on Friday, the car was great. I really felt like we would have a solid night, but that didn't happen," said McMurray. "The car reacted much differently in traffic tonight than it did during practice. It was tight all night; I felt like I was sliding right through the corners."

Etc.: "Brakes are very, very important at New Hampshire, as we found out the last time we visited the track," said crew chief Bob Osborne. "We started losing our brakes after only 35 laps the last time. This time, I think we have a better handle on the brakes and how to make them last the entire race."

Brian Vickers

No. 25 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

This week: Vickers is still looking for his first top-10 finish at New Hampshire. In five starts there, his best finish is 11th. But Vickers has led in the last three races at the track, and he is convinced a top-10 run is a real possibility this weekend.

Last week: Vickers finished 24th at Richmond. "We were too loose early on, and once we fixed that we worked the rest of the night to help the car turn better in the center (of the corners)," said Vickers. "We tried a bunch of different adjustments, but none of them seemed to work that well."

Etc.: Vickers is part owner of the Hollywood Fame, a new American Basketball Association franchise slated to tip off its season at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in November.

OTHERS

Elliott Sadler

No. 19 Dodge, Evernham Motorsports

This week: New Hampshire has not been one of Sadler's better tracks — he has only three top-10 finishes in his 15 starts there. His best finish is eighth on two occasions. Sadler said he is surprised by how well he has run since moving to Evernham Motorsports. "To come out of the box and run as well as we have so far, it's been absolutely amazing," said Sadler.

Last week: It was an up-and-down night for Sadler, but he rallied during the final 100 laps to finish 16th.

Reed Sorenson

No. 41 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

This week: Sorenson is eagerly looking forward to this weekend. "We were a legitimate contender for the win in the last New Hampshire race," said Sorenson, who had to pit for fuel with three laps left in July while running third. He led 31 laps in the event. "We're taking the same car, and I expect to be equally as good, if not better, than we were the first time at New Hampshire."

Last week: Sorenson finished 14th at Richmond.

Martin Truex Jr.

No. 1 Chevrolet, DEI

This week: In his first Cup start at New Hampshire, Truex finished 18th. He believes a top-10 run is a possibility this weekend. "It's just one of those tracks that I adapted to real easily," said Truex.

Last week: After qualifying seventh at Richmond, Truex had high hopes of contending for the win. Instead, he has a trouble-filled evening. On the first pit stop, Truex made contact with Travis Kvapil as he was leaving pit road. Then on lap 110, Truex had to make an unscheduled pit stop because of a flat right-front tire. Then he was penalized for speeding on pit road. As a result, Truex finished 40th.

Dale Jarrett

No. 88 Ford, Robert Yates Racing

This week: Jarrett has one win, seven top-fives and a series-high 14 top-10 finishes in 23 races at New Hampshire. He said his goals for the rest of the season are "what they've been all year, and that's to try to get this team back to where it's competing in a respectable fashion."

Last week: Jarrett finished 21st at Richmond. "The car was really pretty awesome there during that middle run (from laps 262 to 320)," said Jarrett. "We just were so behind as far as track position. It's encouraging, though, because we were pretty bad there for a stretch and we actually improved the car."

Bobby Labonte

No. 43 Dodge, Petty Enterprises

This week: Labonte has competed in all 23 Cup races run at New Hampshire. He has five top-five finishes, including a second in the fall race in 2000 and a third in the July event a year ago. Labonte has nine top-10 finishes at the one-mile track.

Last week: After finishing 22nd at Richmond, Labonte said, "We needed to be better at the end. We just couldn't find the right setup tonight that we needed. The guys worked hard and kept digging. But we just never got the car where we needed."

***

Notes provided by The Sports Xchange

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