Tuesday, September 18, 2012

New Hampshire Odds & Ends: 2012 Sylvania 300


At New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
History
·         Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was Aug. 13, 1989.
·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was on July 11, 1993.
·         Renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2008.
Notebook
·         There have been 35 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; one per year from 1993 through 1996 and two per year since.
·         Four drivers have competed in all 35 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Joe Nemechek.
·         Mark Martin won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole.
·         Rusty Wallace won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
·         There have been 18 different pole winners, led by Ryan Newman (six).
·         21 different drivers have won, led by Jeff Burton (four).
·         Jimmie Johnson (2003) and Kurt Busch (2004) are the only drivers that have posted season sweeps. Those are also the only back-to-back winners.
·         Hendrick Motorsports has won nine races, more than any other organization.
·         The deepest in the field that a New Hampshire race winner started was 38th, by Jeff Burton in 1999.
·         There have been five winners who started from the pole. The last race winner to win from the pole was Ryan Newman last season (7-17-11).
·         Jeff Burton led all 300 laps raced in the 2000 fall race.
·         Four drivers got their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at New Hampshire: Joe Nemechek (1999), Ryan Newman (2002), Clint Bowyer (2007) and Joey Logano (2009).
·         Two drivers got their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole at New Hampshire: Patrick Carpentier(2008) and Brad Keselowski (2010).
·         Denny Hamlin (8.4) and Jimmie Johnson (9.9) are the only two active drivers with an average finish at NHMS in the top 10.
·         Jeff Gordon has led the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series laps all-time at New Hampshire at 1,309.
·         Last season’s fall event (9/25/11) at NHMS tied the records for most all-time leaders (15), and fewest laps led by the winner (2) – Tony Stewart won the race.
·         Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series New Hampshire Motor Speedway winner: Joey Logano (06/28/2009 – 19 years, 1 month, 4 days).
·         Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series New Hampshire Motor Speedway winner: Mark Martin (09/20/2009 – 50 years, 8 months, 11 days).
NASCAR in New Hampshire
·         There have been 35 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in New Hampshire, all at NHMS.
·         14 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) are listed as New Hampshire natives.
·         There has been one race winner from New Hampshire in NASCAR’s three national series: Jamie Aube. Aube, from Manchester, won a NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Oxford Plains Speedway in 1987.
 
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data
Chase Race #: 2 of 10
Season Race #: 28 of 36 (09-23-12)
Track Size: 1.058-mile
Variable Banking/Turns: 2 & 7 degrees
Banking/Straights: 1 degree
Frontstretch Length: 1,500 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,500 feet
Race Length: 300 laps / 317.4 miles
 
Top 12 Driver Rating at NHMS
Stewart won last season and has the top driver rating at New Hampshire
Tony Stewart........................... 112.0
Jeff Gordon.............................. 109.3
Jimmie Johnson....................... 105.1
Denny Hamlin.......................... 101.4
Dale Earnhardt Jr...................... 97.8
Clint Bowyer............................. 96.0
Ryan Newman.......................... 94.8
Kevin Harvick............................ 92.4
Jeff Burton................................ 92.4
Kurt Busch............................... 91.7
Kasey Kahne........................... 90.3
Kyle Busch.............................. 89.3
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2012 races (15 total) at New Hampshire.
 
Qualifying/Race Data
2011 pole winner:
Ryan Newman, Chevrolet (135.002 mph, 28.213 sec., 09-23-11)
 
2011 race winner:
Tony Stewart, Chevrolet (116.679 mph, 2:43:13, 09-25-11)
 
Track qualifying record:
Ryan Newman, Chevrolet (135.232 mph, 28.165 sec., 07-15-11)
 
Track race record:
Jeff Burton, Ford (117.134 mph, 2:42:35, 07-13-97)

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