Drivers to Watch in New Hampshire
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is back in the NASCAR Playoffs for the first time since 2017. The track was bumped from two annual races to one in 2018, with each date taking place in the summer months. Now, 12 drivers enter with a shot at the title to open the Round of 12. Of those, multiple have won at this track before, while others are trying to win at New Hampshire for the first time. Here are three playoff drivers to keep an eye on for the Mobil 1 301, which will take the green flag at 2 p.m. EST and will be televised live on USA Network.
Christopher Bell
This one should come as no surprise. Christopher Bell has been the epitome of excellence at New Hampshire in the Next Gen car. He has won two of the last three races, with the other being a 29th-place finish after a late spin plagued his comeback. Nonetheless, Bell enters this race with some momentum, as he won the Bristol Night Race a week ago. Of active drivers, Bell has led the most laps in the past three New Hampshire races, with 192. Second of active racers is Chase Elliott with 54, followed closely by Tyler Reddick with 53. Bell has only won back-to-back races this season, as he won three back-to-back races early in the season. If he can avoid the chaos and stay out front, Bell should easily be in the mix to fight for not only his third New Hampshire win in the past four years, but a spot in the Round of 8 as well.
Denny Hamlin
Another Toyota and Bell's teammate, Denny Hamlin, won at a track similar to New Hampshire in the Round of 16, that being Gateway. Both are flat ovals and are comparable in shape and how they race. Of all active drivers that have multiple starts at New Hampshire, meaning two or more all-time, Hamlin has the best average finish at 9.9, and that's across 31 races. In those 31 races at New Hampshire, Hamlin has 19 top-10s, 11 top-fives, and three wins, with the most recent coming in 2017. In the Next Gen car, Hamlin finished in the top 10 twice, with his best finish being sixth, and has led 43 laps. With how good Hamlin and Toyota have been in the playoffs thus far, Hamlin will be a true contender to take home the trophy and reunite with his friend, the lobster. Yes, the New Hampshire winners get a giant lobster.
Chase Elliott
It was another day of "what ifs" for Elliott at the 2022 New Hampshire race, as it looked like the Hendrick Motorsports driver had a shot to win, but it just didn't pan out. He came home second that day, and every New Hampshire race since has resulted in a finishing position worse than the last. Elliott was 12th in 2023, and a late crash in 2024 resulted in him finishing 18th after starting on the pole position. As previously mentioned, Elliott has led the second-most laps of active drivers at New Hampshire in the Next Gen car. Elliott has never won at New Hampshire before, but with two near-wins slipping away in the past three years, Elliott may enter this year's race with a different mindset, especially with a spot in the Round of 8 on the line.
