NEXTEL Sylvania 300
Final
for this game
Sylvania 300 Preview
Sep 16, 2007 - 10:38 AMSeptember 16, 2007
New Hampshire International Speedway
Loudon, New Hampshire
Race 27 of 37 on Nextel Cup circuit
(26th points race; 1st of 10 in "Chase for the Nextel Cup")
TV: ABC, 2 p.m. EDT
Laps: 300
Track length: 1.058 miles
Race length: 317.4 miles
Qualifying record: Ryan Newman, Dodge, 133.347 mph, September 2003
Race record: Jeff Burton, Ford, 117.134 mph, July 1997
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Clint Bowyer
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 07 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $2,882,344
Chase Points: 5,000 (12th)
Sits 12th as the Chase begins; finished 12th at Richmond and ran
20th at California, following a season-best third at Bristol
over last three races; has 12 top-10 finishes in 26 races this
season; also has a pair of top-five finishes, including a fourth
on the road course at Sonoma to go along with his solid showing
at Bristol; has finished 30th or worse just three times - 36th
at Las Vegas, 35th at Talladega and 37th at New Hampshire; has
made three starts at New Hampshire with an average finish of
29.3.
Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $4,698,409
Chase Points: 5,010 (7th)
Starts the Chase in seventh place; finished 18th at Richmond and
ran fourth at California; was 12th at Bristol and finished out
of the top-10 in four races prior to California; prior to that
tough stretch had registered four top-10 finishes over a
six-race span; ran seventh at New Hampshire and third at Sonoma
to end a streak of four consecutive finishes outside the top 10;
has seven top-five finishes and 13 top-10s and has only three
finishes of 34th or worse this season; captured his only victory
of the season at Texas; has four wins at New Hampshire and
finished seventh in this event last year.
Kyle Busch
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 5 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $3,466,918
Chase Points: 5,010 (11th)
Begins the Chase in 11th place; ran 20th at Richmond following a
third place showing at California and a ninth at Bristol; has
14 top-10 finishes in 26 races this season, including six
top-fives; lone win of the season came during the first Bristol
race - the inaugural Car of Tomorrow event; will leave Hendrick
Motorsports at the end of the season for Joe Gibbs Racing; has
made six starts at New Hampshire, posting a win along including
a pair of top-fives; was 38th at this race last season.
Kurt Busch
Team: Penske Racing
Car: No. 2 Dodge Avenger
2007 Earnings: $3,923,391
Chase Points: 5,020 (5th)
Did not qualify for Chase until late in the Richmond race, where
he finished ninth, but moved up six sports to fifth in the
Chase standings based on his two wins; turned season around over
last nine races by finishing out of the top 10 just twice with
11th place finishes at the Brickyard and Watkins Glen; won at
Pocono, then later at Michigan during the rain-delayed event;
has a pair of third-place finishes at Talladega and the second
Daytona race; the 2004 Nextel Cup Champion has six finishes of
25th or worse this season; has two career wins at New Hampshire,
but finished 21st here earlier this and 19th in this race last
season.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $3,357,762
Chase Points: 5,020 (4th)
Ran 42nd at Richmond, but will start the Chase in fourth place;
prior to troubles at Richmond had four consecutive top-10
finishes, including a win at Bristol and a runner-up finish at
California; also won at Michigan earlier this year; has seven
top-fives and 11 top-10s this year; has been consistent with
only a pair of finishes lower than 30, including a 42nd at
Talladega; has only one top-five at New Hampshire in six starts;
was 18th in this race last year.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $5,322,236
Chase Points: 5,040 (2nd)
Finished fourth at Richmond but was 22nd at California, 19th at
Bristol and 27th at Michigan over previous three races; prior to
Michigan had finished in the top 10 in 10 straight races; was
the first driver to clinch a spot in the "Chase for the
Championship" but is seeded second to teammate Jimmie Johnson
based on wins; spun with less than two laps remaining at Watkins
Glen while leading, costing him a potential fifth win this
season - still managed to finish ninth; was docked 100 points
for failing post-qualifying inspections at Sonoma, where he ran
seventh; has four checkered flags this season and 79 career,
just four shy of tying Cale Yarborough for fifth place all-time;
reached a landmark milestone at Talladega, recording his 77th
career victory to pass the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth
all-time; leads the series in poles (8), top-five finishes (15)
and top 10s (21); has three wins and three poles at New
Hampshire; was second here in July and third last September.
Denny Hamlin
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 11 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $3,824,289
Chase Points: 5,010 (10th)
Finished sixth at Richmond and starts the Chase in 10th place;
followed up his first win of the season at New Hampshire by
finishing dead last at Daytona after wrecking early in the race
with teammate Tony Stewart; has avoided the sophomore slump by
posting 10 top-five and 15 top-finishes this season; finished
second at Darlington and Watkins Glen and has four third-place
finishes at Las Vegas, Martinsville, Phoenix and Richmond; also
finished last at Bristol; has finished in the top-10 in all
three career starts at New Hampshire.
Kevin Harvick
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 29 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $6,032,247
Chase Points: 5,010 (6th)
Was the final driver to clinch a berth in the Chase where he is
seeded sixth; finished seventh at Richmond, ending recent
struggles which included five straight finishes out of the
top-10; has finished 33rd or worse three times in 26 races this
season; was 36th at Watkins Glen on the heels of a 17th at
Pocono; won the season-opening Daytona 500 by nipping Mark
Martin at the finish line; has four top-fives and 11 top 10s
this season; finished second to Juan Pablo Montoya on the road
course at Sonoma; won this race last year and was eighth here in
July.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $5,322,236
Chase Points: 5,060 (1st)
Locked up the top seed for the Chase with consecutive wins at
Richmond and California, giving him a series-best six; was 21st
at Bristol, but posted back-to-back third place finishes at
Michigan and Watkins Glen; defending series champion has
suffered through an up-and-down season, finishing 39th at the
Brickyard after a fiery crash on the heels of a 37th at Chicago;
prior to those two poor showings, finished 10th at Daytona
after running fifth at New Hampshire; has also posted victories
this season at Las Vegas, Atlanta, Martinsville and the first
Richmond race; despite collecting 14 top-five finishes, has been
hurt by five finishes outside the top 35; bounced back from a
39th in this race last year to win the title.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $4,637,919
Chase Points: 5,010 (8th)
Starts the Chase in eighth place; did not close strong with a
14th at Richmond after a seventh at California - a week after
crashing and finishing 39th at Bristol; ran fourth at Michigan
in the rain delayed race; posted fourth straight top-10 finish
by placing 10th at the Brickyard; ran 34th and 42nd,
respectively, prior to the four straight top-10 results;
captured his only victory of the season in the campaign's second
race at California; has eight top-five finishes and 16 top-10s
this season; finished ninth here earlier this year and 10th in
this event last September.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $5,022,191
Chase Points: 5,030 (3rd)
Finished second at Richmond for his seventh top-10 finish over
the past eight races; starts the Chase third; recent surge
includes fourth at Bristol as well as running 10th at Michigan
on the heels of winning at Watkins Glen - his third win over the
past eight races; captured back-to-back victories at
Chicagoland and at the Brickyard while placing sixth at Pocono
during that stretch; finished 38th at Daytona prior to his win
at Chicago after an early-race crash with teammate Denny Hamlin;
in 17 starts at New Hampshire has two wins, nine top-fives, and
10 top-10s; finished second here in September last season.
Martin Truex Jr.
Team: Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Car: No. 1 Chevrolet Impala
2007 Earnings: $3,717,151
Chase Points: 5,010 (9th)
Finished 15th at Richmond, but only needed to start the race to
qualify for his first Chase where he is ranked ninth; has been
overshadowed by more famous teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., but has
outperformed him all season; won his first career Nextel Cup
race at Dover in June; has five top-fives and 10 top 10s,
including a third at Pocono and second at Michigan in
back-to-back weeks after the win at Dover; finished second in
both Michigan races this year; has only two finishes outside the
top 30 this season - 42nd at California and 37th at Bristol
during the early part of the season; was third here earlier this
year.
2006 Top 10
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1. Kevin Harvick (29), Chevrolet
2. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
3. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
4. Denny Hamlin (11), Chevrolet
5. Brian Vickers (25), Chevrolet
6. Elliott Sadler (19), Dodge
7. Jeff Burton (31), Chevrolet
8. J.J. Yeley (18), Chevrolet
9. Dave Blaney (22), Dodge
10. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
Past Champions
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2006 Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 102.195 mph
2005 Ryan Newman, Dodge, 95.891 mph
2004 Kurt Busch, Ford, 109.753 mph
2003 Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 106.580 mph
2002 Ryan Newman, Ford, 105.081 mph
2001 Robby Gordon, Chevrolet, 103.594 mph
2000 Jeff Burton, Ford, 102.003 mph
1999 Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 100.673 mph
1998 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 112.134 mph
1997 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 100.376 mph
1996 Ernie Irvan, Ford, 98.930 mph
1995 Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 107.009 mph
1994 Ricky Rudd, Ford, 87.619 mph
1993 Rusty Wallace, Pontiac, 105.947 mph
