12 For 12: Harvick Could Make It A Dozen

12 For 12: Harvick Could Make It A Dozen

Over the past 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, dating back to June 2008, 11 different drivers have visited Victory Lane. Of those 11, seven of them are contenders in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup – Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne. Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Brian Vickers are the other four most recent visitors to Victory Lane.

One of the Chase drivers not among the 11 most recent winners in Loudon, N.H., is Kevin Harvick, who finished third in the opening Chase race last Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway. This Sunday during the SYLVANIA 300 he will try to add his name to that list as the 12th consecutive different winner.

Harvick has found success at the 1.058-mile oval previously. In 25 starts, he has been running at the finish in all 25 races, finishing on the lead lap in 19 of them. He has compiled five top fives and 13 top 10s. He crossed the finish line first after leading 196 of the 300 laps in the September 2006 event, the opening race of that year’s Chase. In 17 races, his average driver rating at the track is 92.1, tied for ninth best among all active drivers.

When the Chase field was reset prior to the Chicagoland race, Harvick was seeded fourth, nine points behind leader Matt Kenseth. Harvick earned six bonus points for taking home trophies after the spring Richmond race and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. He remains fourth in points, 15 markers outside of first.

 

Busch, Gordon Show Championship Resiliency

For past champions Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch, overcoming adversity and rebounding from bad luck have defined their 2013 season. Race No. 1 of the 10-race Chase was no different.

Busch faced a pit road speeding plenty during green-flag pit stops early in Sunday’s race, but rebounded for a fourth-place finish – his career best finish at Chicagoland Speedway. Four-time champion Gordon fell victim to bad luck – a cut tire that trapped him one lap down – but charged back through the field to finish sixth.

The strong start for the former champions could spell trouble for other Chase contenders. Their resilience at Chicagoland placed them sixth and seventh in points, respectively. And this weekend’s race will be at a track where both drivers have been strong at in the past; they each boast three wins apiece at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

When Busch won the championship in 2004 his only Chase win during the playoff stretch came in New Hampshire. Busch ran in the top five during the July New Hampshire race before his tangle with Ryan Newman relegated him to a 31st-place finish. Jeff Gordon is at the top of just about every statistical category at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, including average running position and driver rating. Gordon also picked up a top 10 in New Hampshire earlier this year, the first NHMS event using the Gen-6 race car.