REBOUND TIME: BOTTOM FOUR ATTEMPT TO STAY IN THE CHASE HUNT

Ryan Newman

September 19, 2014 – Luckily for Ryan Newman, AJ Allmendinger, Greg Biffle and Aric Almirola, the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup’s Challenger Round does not end after one race. The revamped playoff system keeps all drivers in the hunt until the very last lap at Dover.

Thank goodness. The four stumbled at New Hampshire and currently reside in spots 13-16 in the Chase standings. Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (2 p.m. on ESPN) presents vastly different outlooks for each driver as they try to make the cut after the third Chase race at Dover:

Ryan Newman – The most successful driver of the four at New Hampshire, Newman has to like his chances to advance to the Contender Round. He owns a track-record seven Coors Light Pole Awards and ranks tied for first among all entrants with three wins. His last checkered flag at Loudon came in 2011 and he posted a fifth-place finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ first visit there this season.

AJ Allmendinger – In 11 starts at New Hampshire, Allmendinger has one top-10 finish and an average running position of 23.6.

Greg Biffle – Biffle entered the Chase with a string of consistent performances, locking himself into the last spot with five top-10 finishes in his last six regular season races. In 24 starts at New Hampshire, Biffle owns one win (2008), six top fives and nine top 10s.

Aric Almirola – Perhaps the biggest underdog going into the Chase, Almirola was running sixth at Chicagoland until his engine blew with 36 laps to go. The setback caused him to finish 41st. Almirola finished fifth at Loudon in 2013. Otherwise, he hasn’t posted a showing better than 18th in seven other starts there.

 

CHASERS CAN HELP BREAK RECORD AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

After posting three wins, his highest total since he racked up six in 2004, Earnhardt will try to automatically advance to the Chase’s Contender Round with a New Hampshire checkered flag

September 19, 2014 – Thirteen different drivers have taken the checkered flag in the last 13 races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway – tied with Texas Motor Speedway for the all-time record streak without a repeat winner.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

And there’s a better than average chance the Magic Mile takes sole possession of the record after this Sunday’s Sylvania 300 (2 p.m. on ESPN) as Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are all missing from the 13-in-13 stretch.

Gordon owns three victories at New Hampshire, but has not won there since 1998. He has been knocking on the door for his fourth win of the season after posting runner-up finishes the last two races. The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports driver will attempt to improve on his last Loudon showing in July when he finished 26th, but did lead for 19 laps. Despite his Granite State drought, Gordon boasts the highest average running position in the series at the 1.058 oval (7.7) where he has competed in all 39 of its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events – tied with Jeff Burton for its all-time starts record.

Similar to Gordon, Harvick has one win at New Hampshire, but he notched it eight years ago (September 17, 2006). In his last two races at the track, he has finished 30th and 20th, respectively. Harvick can likely count on a solid starting position, at least. He boasts a series-best six Coors Light Pole Awards on the season and has started lower than sixth once his last eight races, ironically at New Hampshire. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver opened the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with a fifth-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway.

After posting three wins, his highest total since he racked up six in 2004, Earnhardt will try to automatically advance to the Chase’s Contender Round with a New Hampshire checkered flag. In 30 starts at Loudon, he has seven top fives and 13 tops 10s to his credit, but has never finished higher than third. Since Earnhardt’s emphatic win at Pocono, he has posted one top-10 finish in the last six races, a fifth-place showing at Michigan.

Source: NASCAR