CONCORD, N.C. – Hendrick Motorsports and the NASCAR Cup Series head north to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend for another race on "The Magic Mile." The competition held on the 1.058-mile oval will be the lone stop at the track for 2023.
New Hampshire is one of the more unique tracks the sport’s top division will visit. At just over one mile in length, the configuration is approximately the same size as Dover Motor Speedway. However, the differences lie in the turns. The corners utilize progressive banking between two and seven degrees. For reference, last week’s event at Atlanta Motor Speedway used 28 degrees of banking. With the long straightaways and sweeping, flat turns, New Hampshire is certainly a unique driving challenge for Cup Series competitors.
Hendrick Motorsports has claimed nine victories in "The Granite State" since the track first hosted Cup Series competition in 1993. Team vice chairman Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson each won three times at this track for the organization. Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch and Mark Martin each found victory lane once during their careers at New Hampshire with Rick Hendrick’s organization.
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While no current driver from the team's stable has reached victory lane at the track, Kyle Larson has certainly been close. His three runner-up finishes without a win at the venue are the most of any Cup Series competitor. In the last two races at New Hampshire, the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy has earned 19 stage points, putting him inside the top five for the category. The 30-year-old has a 12.5 average finish in 12 starts at this track.
William Byron’s quest for the regular-season championship will require solid runs at tracks like New Hampshire if he is to close the deal. The driver of the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has a series-best four wins, eight top-five finishes and 741 laps led as well as a 21-point lead over Martin Truex Jr. in the standings. The Loudon, New Hampshire, track has been a tough one for the 25-year-old driver. He has yet to finish inside the top 10 at the track, but he does have a 13.8 average finish in five starts. This event will also mark Byron's 200th career start in the Cup Series.
RELATED: No. 24 team shows championship mettle in Atlanta win
With seven races remaining until the playoffs, Chase Elliott currently sits 60 markers outside the playoffs. He needs to gain an average of nine points per race on the provisional cutline (as things currently stand). Since returning from injury at Martinsville Speedway in April, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has four top-five finishes and six top-10s. In last year's New Hampshire race, Elliott earned a runner-up finish and led 13 laps. He also has the second-most stage points, 28, in the last two races at "The Magic Mile."
While Atlanta did not go the way Alex Bowman had hoped for, the No. 48 Ally Racing team heads to New Hampshire looking to rebound and build momentum as the regular season winds down. The team’s point situation is somewhat similar to Elliott’s. Bowman sits 44 markers below the cutline. However, the team is no stranger to good results in 2023. Their six top-10 finishes are the second-most of any team that currently sits below the projected cutline. Bowman earned a top-10 finish at this track in 2021 and earlier this year, earned a top-10 at Phoenix Raceway - a track of similar length.
Of note, should there be wet weather, New Hampshire is one of the tracks where teams could use rain tires in the event of damp conditions.
Here's what you need to know ahead of this weekend’s action.
RELATED: See this weekend's paint schemes
WHAT TIME IS PRACTICE AND QUALIFYING?
The Cup Series will utilize group practice once again with the session beginning on Saturday, July 15, at 12:05 p.m. ET with coverage available on USA Network. Shortly after practice, group qualifying will start at 12:50 p.m. ET with coverage also available on USA Network.
Bowman is part of Group A, while Larson, Elliott and Byron are in Group B.
WHAT TIME IS THE RACE?
The 301-lap main event will take place on Monday, July 17, at noon ET with coverage available on USA Network.
CAN I LISTEN ON THE RADIO?
The Cup Series race will be broadcast on PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90). Peacock will have a post-race show immediately following the event.
CAN I STREAM ONLINE?
Yes. Download the NBC Sports App or Peacock for online coverage. Fans can also keep up with the action on Twitter by following @TeamHendrick.
FIVE FAST FACTS HEADING INTO NEW HAMPSHIRE
Data provided by Racing Insights
5: Top-15 results for Bowman at New Hampshire since joining Hendrick Motorsports. He has finished outside the top 15 once in his last six starts at the 1.058-mile track.
11.079: Average (in seconds) four-tire pit stop time from Larson in 2023. His pit crew ranks second of all teams.
12.6: Average finish for Elliott in the last five races at New Hampshire. He has two top-five results in this stretch, including a runner-up finish last year.
17: Byron’s win at Atlanta was the 17th points-paying victory for Hendrick Motorsports with the Next Gen Car. The team has seven more Next Gen victories than the next closest team.
200: With a win, Byron would become the fifth driver to win in their 200th start in the Cup Series.