Power Rankings – New Hampshire Motor Speedway – Sylvania 300
Sep 14, 2014; Joliet, IL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon (24) and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) during the MYAFIBSTORY.COM 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the next stop for the left turners, and Power Rankings – New Hampshire will get you up to speed for the Sylvania 300.
Last week was a perfect example of what the Chase is all about, as no one stepped up and controlled the race until three-quarters in where we saw Kevin Harvick take the reins.
It was a classic battle between a Chase driver Kevin Harvick and Bulls-Eye, a non-Chaser rookie who could smell his first win.
We all know the outcome as Brad Keselowski spoiled the Chevrolet party and split both to take the checkers. If there’s more racing like this during the Chase, we fans might forget about the dictator’s new Chase format.
I think the conversation Jeff Gordon had with Bulls-Eyes was about the side by side racing that eventually led to a Ford winning for the first time at Chicagoland. I can see Jeff’s point as everyone tries to satisfy their sponsors and so forth, but you can’t take the racer out of a racing driver. When the opportunity presents itself, like it did to Bulls-Eye, you’ve got to throw the gloves down and fight to the end, and I commend Larson for doing so.
The first race at New Hampshire saw Kyle Busch take the pole and led 62 laps before he finished second to race winner Keselowski. Wild Thing ranks eighth in driver ratings for New Hampshire with two poles, a win, seven top fives and nine top 10s. I know Kyle can get it done at New Hampshire, but I think he might have burned his bridges with his crew chief over the last month. If he qualifies well, he might be worth a shot, as his price is attractive.
Jeff Gordon is a must-have for Sunday, as he leads all Chase drivers in driver ratings for New Hampshire. He led 16 laps before having mechanical problems and finished 26, a finish not worthy of how well he was running early in the race. His three wins during his career at New Hampshire make you think twice if you have any doubts. He’s worth the money.
Jimmie Johnson had a hiccup last week and finished 12th at Chicagoland. This track has always treated Jimmie well, as he ranks third among all active drivers in average finishes at 10.5. His three wins, nine top fives and 17 top 10s makes him a must have for Sunday.
Brad Keselowski is another must-have, as he threw the gauntlet last week at Chicagoland with the first Chase win of this season. He won at New Hampshire back in July, leading a race high 138 laps before taking the checkers after starting seventh. He’s worth the price if you can squeeze him in.
Ryan Newman started 24th back in July and finished fifth. Newman is very good at this track, as he has won in various series at New Hampshire. His seven poles, three wins, seven top fives and 16 top 10s for his career at New Hampshire is a shoe-in for his price.
Denny Hamlin is a stud at New Hampshire with two wins, seven top fives and 11 top 10s and an average finish of 8.9 for his career. He could come in under the radar after posting a solid top 10 last week at Chicagoland. His price is very attractive.
Kyle Larson ranks first among all active drivers at New Hampshire with just one race, but he’s worthy if you’ve seen all the races this year. He led 14 laps and finished third in his New Hampshire debut. I would ride this horse until the wheels fall off.
Chevrolet leads all manufacturers in wins with 18, followed by Ford with 12, and Toyota has 4 wins.
Keep in mind this is only a 300 mile race; track position is everything if we have long green flag racing. At this time there is only a 10% chance of showers for Sunday.
Here are the power rankings for New Hampshire based on the last five years.
10 Kyle Busch- 3 top 5s and 4 top 10s, average finish 13.0.
9 Greg Biffle- 2 top 5s and 3 top 10s, average finish 12.7.
8 Jimmie Johnson- 1 win, 4 top 5s and 6 top 10s, average finish 12.2.
7 Brad Keselowski- 1 win, 4 top 5s and 5 top 10s, average finish 12.2.
6 Matt Kenseth- 1 win, 2 top 5s and 4 top 10s, average finish 11.9.
5 Clint Bowyer- 1 win, 3 top 5s and 5 top 10s, average finish 10.4.
4 Denny Hamlin- 1 win, 4 top 5s and 5 top 10s, average finish 10.2.
3 Dale Earnhardt Jr, 2 top 5s and 5 top 10s, average finish 10.1.
2 Tony Stewart- 1 win, 3 top 5s and 5 top 10s, average finish 10.1.
1 Jeff Gordon- 3 top 5s and 6 top 10s, average finish 9.4.
Start time for Sunday’s race is 2:00 PM eastern time, check your local listing. Check out all the NASCAR news by downloading the Fansided phone app to get you current. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Thanks for stopping in.