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Sep 12, 2008 - 10:21 AMSeptember 14, 2008
New Hampshire International Speedway
Loudon, New Hampshire
Race 27 of 36 on Sprint Cup circuit
(1st of 10 in "Chase for the Championship")
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
----------------
Greg Biffle
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 16 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $3,542,814
Chase Points: 5,000 (9th)
Heads into the Chase ninth in the standings with 5,000 points,
having not won this season; through first 26 starts, has 8 top
fives and 11 top 10s; claimed two poles this season at
Darlington and Dover; also has a pair of DNFs on the year, at
Darlington and the second Daytona race; has been in the top-12
in the standings since the season-opening Daytona 500, where he
finished 10th, and has remained there for 25 straight weeks;
finished second in the 2005 series standings, earning six
victories; he is the only driver to win Nationwide and
Craftsman Truck series titles; did not qualify for the Chase
last season and wound up 14th in the standings; ran 13th in
this race last season and 21st in Loudon in June.
Clint Bowyer
Team: Richard Childress Racing
2008 Earnings: $3,343,045
Chase Points: 5,010 (7th)
Finished 12th at Richmond to lock up final Chase berth; pulled
off a shocking victory in this race from the pole last year en
route to finishing a surprising third in the standings on the
strength of five top-10 finishes over the Chase; has one win on
the year, coming at the first Richmond race in May; in 26 starts
this season has four top fives and 12 top 10s; has not earned a
pole, but also has no DNFs on the year; is running double duty
this season and currently tops the Nationwide Series standings
by over 200 points; finished 22nd here at New Hampshire in June.
Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $4,017,351
Chase Points: 5,010 (5th)
One of the circuit's most consistent drivers struggled entering
the Chase; ran in the top 15 through the first 17 races, but has
an average finish of 20th over past nine starts - including just
two top 10s which came at the Brickyard and Richmond; won first
Bristol race for lone victory of the season; has no poles this
season and a pair of DNFs; finished eighth in last season's
standings, one year after placing seventh; finished in the top
10 in half of the races last season, including nine top fives;
lone win of the 2007 season came in April at Texas; finished the
season strong with five top 10s over the final six races; best
overall finish was third in the 2000 standings; ran 18th in this
race last season and 12th here in June.
Kyle Busch
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 18 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $5,538,313
Chase Points: 5,080 (1st)
Is in the midst of a stellar first season with Joe Gibbs Racing,
winning eight races and posting 15 top fives and 17 top 10s;
huge lead through first 26 races has dropped to 30 points atop
the standings after re-seeding; has held on to the top spot for
17 consecutive weeks; win at Watkins Glen gave him a sweep of
the road courses following victory at Sonoma in June; prior to
win at the Glen had "slumped" with a 15th at the Brickyard and
36th at Pocono; also ran dead last at the first Pocono race; ran
17th at the first Bristol race after power steering failed and
transmission issues relegated him to 38th at Martinsville; has
wins at Atlanta, Talladega, Darlington, Dover and the second
Daytona race; runner-up finish at Richmond was marred by a
late-race incident with Dale Earnhardt Jr.; had the dominant car
and led the most laps at the Daytona 500; is building off a
solid run at Hendrick Motorsports in his move to JGR and Toyota;
finished fifth in the final 2007 standings after qualifying for
the Chase for the second consecutive season; ran fourth in this
race last season and 25th in June.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 88 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $3,642,545
Chase Points: 5,010 (4th)
The circuit's most popular driver is back in the Chase after not
qualifying last season; has been more consistent than
spectacular with eight top fives and 13 top 10s, posting just a
single DNF and claiming one pole; snapped a 76-race winless
stretch by winning first Michigan race on fumes; in 11 races
since has an average finish of 16 and just two top 10s; was
involved in a late-race incident with Kyle Busch at Richmond
while racing for the win and wound up 15th; was the top
finishing Hendrick car at the Daytona 500 with a ninth-place
showing; made the move from his father's Dale Earnhardt Inc.,
where he won 17 Cup events, to Hendrick Motorsports; got off to
a good start with his new team by winning the Bud Shootout;
suffered through a tough final season at DEI, finishing 16th in
the standings; had 12 top 10s last season, but also posted 11
finishes of 25th or worse; finished 16th in this race last
season and 24th in June.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 99 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $5,718,450
Chase Points: 5,050 (2nd)
Heads into the Chase second in the standings based on his six
wins; has 11 top fives and 19 top 10s; finished second to
Jimmie Johnson at the Brickyard - his fourth runner-up this
season; was also second to Kyle Busch at Darlington, Dover and
the second Daytona race; was docked 100 points and fell from
the top spot in the standings after being penalized after his
win at Las Vegas; victory at Texas was his 10th career Cup win;
had the dominant car again at Atlanta, but blew an engine and
finished 42nd; ran 19th in the Daytona 500; qualified for the
Chase last year and won at Dover after placing 12th at New
Hampshire, but failed post-race inspection and was docked 25
points; penalty dropped him from third to sixth in the
standings and he never recovered as he eventually wound up
ninth; won the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series championship and is in
contention to win the title against this year; finished 17th
here in June.
Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $4,245,505
Chase Points: 5,000 (10th)
Ran 10th at Pocono for his 10th top 10 of the season, but has
struggled since and enters the Chase seeded 10th; has yet to win
this season but has nine top-fives and 12 top 10s; has four DNFs
this season after posting just one last year; rebounded to
finish fifth at Atlanta after being involved in a scary
late-race crash at Las Vegas where he finished 35th; bounced
back with a third at California after opening 2008 season with a
disappointing 39th in the Daytona 500; only a dominant finish by
teammate Jimmie Johnson kept him from capturing a fifth
championship last season; finished with 10 top-10 finishes in
the final 11 races - the other finish in that span was an 11th
at Dover; totaled a remarkable 30 top-10 finishes and 21 top
fives in 36 races last year; had six checkered flags last season
and 81 career, just two shy of tying Cale Yarborough for fifth
place all-time; ran second in this race last year and 11th here
in June.
Denny Hamlin
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 11 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $4,196,879
Chase Points: 5,010 (6th)
Heads into the Chase sixth in the standings based on winning
once this season at Martinsville in March; through 26 starts,
has nine top fives and 14 top 10s along with one pole at the
first Richmond race; has only two DNFs on the year; has been in
the top-12 in the standings since win at Martinsville and has
remained there for 19 straight weeks; struggle to a 12th-place
finish in the Chase last season with only three top-10s; in 2006
became the first and thus far only rookie to make the Chase,
going on to finish third in the standings; posted seven top-10s
in the 10 races that make up the Chase; ran 15th on this race
last season and eighth in June.
Kevin Harvick
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 29 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $4,047,044
Chase Points: 5,000 (11th)
Has not won this season and is seeded 11th for the Chase; posted
six top fives and 12 top 10s this season, and has no poles and
no DNFs on the year; entered the top-12 in the standings after
Pocono in the beginning of August and has remained there for six
straight weeks; last year finished 10th in the Chase with four
top-10 finishes; in 2006 finished fourth in the Chase with six
top-10 finishes including wins at New Hampshire and Phoenix;
took an early lead in the 2006 Chase after winning at New
Hampshire from the pole, but a 32nd-place finish at Dover
knocked him out of the top spot; ran 17th here in this race
last year and 14th back in June.
Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Chevrolet Impala
2008 Earnings: $5,281,551
Chase Points: 5,040 (3rd)
Two-time reigning series champion heads into the Chase with
momentum after winning the past two races at California and
Richmond; also has wins at Phoenix and the Brickyard; in 26
starts has nine top fives and 14 top 10s to go along with four
poles and just a single DNF; battled teammate Jeff Gordon for
the top spot in the Chase early last season, then took off -
winning four straight races over the second half of the Chase;
finished last season with 10 wins, 20 top fives, 24 top 10s,
yet failed to finish four races; in 2006 he came back from ninth
early in the Chase to win the championship with six top 10s
which included a win at Martinsville and four second-place
finishes; finished fifth in the 2005 standings and second in
2004, eight points behind Kurt Busch; opened Chase with sixth in
this race last season and finished ninth here in June.
Matt Kenseth
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 17 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $4,076,429
Chase Points: 5,000 (12th)
Does not have a win this season and is seeded 12th for the
Chase; has six top fives and 15 top 10s with no wins, no poles
and no DNFs on the year; ran third at Daytona and first Michigan
race; finished 38th at Richmond and 41st at Talladega; ran 38th
at Phoenix following a ninth at Texas and 30th at Martinsville;
had consecutive top 10s at Bristol and Atlanta; was 20th at Las
Vegas due to a late-race incident with Jeff Gordon; last season
had a late-Chase surge with a win at the season-ending race at
Homestead, following a third at Phoenix and a second at Texas;
finished fourth in the final standings; had 13 top five finishes
and 22 top 10s last season; won the series championship in 2003
despite capturing only one checkered flag, prompting NASCAR to
change to its current Chase format; is running this season
without long-time crew chief Robbie Reiser who has been replaced
atop the box by Chip Bolin; ran seventh in this race last year
and 18th here in June.
Tony Stewart
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 20 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $4,826,897
Chase Points: 5,000 (8th)
Is currently on a 39-race winless streak and is the No. 8 seed
for the Chase; has nine top fives and 13 top 10s, along with no
poles and three DNFs on the year; finished fifth at Chicago in
first race since announcing he will leave JGR at the end of the
season to drive for his own Stewart-Haas Racing team next
season; finished second to teammate Kyle Busch at Atlanta, but
was vocal about the poor Goodyear tire quality; suffered a hard
crash at Las Vegas, injured his ankle and finished last; had
another disappointment in the Daytona 500, finishing third
despite having the lead with one lap to go; also clashed with
his team after finishing second to Jimmie Johnson at Richmond;
finished sixth in the Chase last season, one year after not
qualifying; won the 2005 championship for his second career
title; finished third in this race last year and 13th here in
June.
2007 Top 10
-----------
1. Clint Bowyer (07), Chevrolet
2. Jeff Gordon (24), Chevrolet
3. Tony Stewart (20), Chevrolet
4. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
5. Martin Truex Jr. (1), Chevrolet
6. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet
7. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
8. Casey Mears (25), Chevrolet
9. Ryan Newman (12), Dodge
10. J.J. Yeley (18), Chevrolet
Past Champions
--------------
2007 Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 110.475 mph
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
