NASCAR begins the second half of the 36-race 2017 season with Sunday’s Overton’s 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
But while 18 more races seem like a lot of time for teams that have struggled this season, that’s not truly accurate. Rather, we’re at a point in the season where teams have reached a sense of urgency: There are only eight races left to qualify for this year’s playoffs.
New Hampshire is also the last playoff track that teams will be able to gather data for the upcoming 10-race playoffs. Nine weeks later, New Hampshire will host the second race of the playoffs on Sept. 24.
Sunday’s race will be the 45th time the Cup series has raced at the one-mile short track. NHMS hosted one race per year from 1993 to 1996 and two races from 1997 through this season.
It will revert back to hosting just one race per season in 2018, as its annual second race date will move to Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Here is a look at some of the drivers who are hot and those who are not heading into Sunday’s Overton’s 301, to be televised on NBCSN.
WHO IS HOT:
Martin Truex Jr.
Won at Kentucky, sweeping both stages
Finished in the top-10 12 times this season, most of all drivers
Won 13 stages this season
Wins at Las Vegas, Kansas, and Kentucky
Has led a series high 1,115 laps in 2017, including over 100 in four of the last eight
Best New Hampshire finish is third in 2007
Only one finish outside the top 12 at New Hampshire since joining Furniture Row Racing (six races)
Led 264 of the 601 laps raced at New Hampshire in 2016 (44 percent) finished 16th and 7th
Kyle Larson
Finished 2nd at Kentucky, sixth runner up finish this season
Two wins this season, ACS and Michigan, leads the points by one
Finished top 2 eight times this season
Finished top 3 in his first two starts at New Hampshire in 2014, best finish since is 10th last September
Brad Keselowski
Finished 39th at Kentucky, accident; has had DNFs in four of last seven races this season due to accidents (five total in 2017)
Has not had back-to-back top 10 finishes since Talladega and Kansas
Nine top-fives in 2017, the most of all drivers
Won this race in 2014
Worst finish in the last 11 races at NH is 15th with eight top 10 finishes
Led at least one lap in the last 11 NH races
Kyle Busch
Finished 5th at Kentucky; top 10 finishes in seven of the last nine races this season
Been passed for the win five times this season
Led the most laps four times this season but is still winless
858 laps led in 2017, second most
Had three wins at this point in 2016
Two time winner at New Hampshire, this race in 2006 and 2015
Finished top 3 five of the last eight races at New Hampshire including a win
Kevin Harvick
Finished 9th at Kentucky, top 10 finishes in six of the last eight races
Won at Sonoma
Two New Hampshire wins, Fall race in 2006 and Fall race in 2016
Led only eight laps in NH win last year
Finished top five in both NH races last year
WHO IS NOT:
Joey Logano
Finished 8th at Kentucky, only his second finish better than 12th in the last nine races
Six top five finishes in the first nine races this season, only one in the last nine
Finished better than 12th only twice in the last nine races of 2017
Won at Richmond but was encumbered
Two time winner at New Hampshire including his first career win in 2009
Finished top five in four of the last five New Hampshire races
Kurt Busch
Finished 28th at Daytona, accident and 30th at Kentucky (engine), the last time he had back-to-back DNFs was April 2014
Just eight top 10 finishes this season, had 15 after 18 races in 2016
Has not had back-to-back top 10 finishes since Richmond and Talladega
Three New Hampshire wins but last was in 2008
Finished fifth at New Hampshire last Fall, only his second top 10 in the last 11 races
Austin Dillon
Finished 19th at Kentucky, best finish since his Charlotte win (six races) is 13th
Won on fuel mileage at Charlotte
Only two top 10 finishes this season, had eight at this point last year
One top 10 finish in six starts at New Hampshire, eighth in 2015
Won truck race at New Hampshire in 2015
Kasey Kahne
Finished 38th at Kentucky, accident
DNF accident in five of the last seven races this season
Only one top 10 finish in the last 16 races
Won this race in 2012 at New Hampshire, it was his second of five wins while driving for HMS
Two top 10 finishes in the last eight NH races
AJ Allmendinger
Finished 20th at Kentucky; only one finish better than 18th in the last 12 races
Only one top 10 finish at New Hampshire, 10th in 2010 driving the #43
