The opening race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup lived up to everyone’s expectations and then some. Tight racing, a battle to the finish, and even some punches thrown afterwards, this all would set up something of a big sequel in race two at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
In qualifying on Friday, Carl Edwards (#19 Sport Clips Toyota) would pick up where he left off in July, claiming the pole for Joe Gibbs Racing. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick (#4 Ditech Chevy) would start second, needing a win to secure his spot in the next round of the Chase after a crash last week in Chicago.
As the race got underway, Harvick would drive hard, as the man in fifteenth in points should. Dominating the first half of the race, he was rarely challenged if at all by second place Brad Keselowski (#2 Miller Lite Ford). Meanwhile, other Chase racers like Matt Kenseth (#20 Dollar General Toyota) would be working their way forward throughout the battle.
Other drivers on the Chase grid would not have the same fortunes as Harvick, Keselowski, and Kenseth on the day. Kyle Busch (#18 Pedigree Toyota) would have a tire blow and send him hard into the wall, ending his day. Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson (#48 Lowe’s Chevy) would also suffer a blown tire, while Ryan Newman (#31 CAT Chevy) would get involved in a wreck past halfway but continue on.
Once inside of 100 laps to go, all the talk throughout the field was about fuel. Would some teams be able to stretch their mileage, and who would run out? Various strategies would play out with cautions for Danica Patrick (#10 GoDaddy Chevy) and Brett Moffitt (#34 Dockside Logistics Ford), putting Matt Kenseth into the lead.
The day would continue to get worse for Chase drivers, as Clint Bowyer (#15 5-Hour Energy Toyota) would make an unscheduled pit stop. Meanwhile, on a restart with 55 laps to go, Brad Keselowski would be black flagged for jumping the restart, ending his hopes of a win for the day.
With the final laps coming up quick, Kevin Harvick moved back to the front of the field, but needed to save fuel and hold off the hard charging Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin (#11 FedEx Toyota). Harvick would wrestle with a battle for the lead and having to conserve his fuel supply, and would come up just three laps short. Running out of fuel, he would hand the lead and the win to Matt Kenseth, claiming his spot in the next round of the Chase.
With Kenseth winning the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire, last week’s winner Denny Hamlin would come home second. Joey Logano (#22 Shell Pennzoil Ford) quietly had a solid day in third, and Greg Biffle (#16 Safety Kleen Ford) would notch his third top five of the season in fourth. Kevin Harvick, meanwhile, was relegated to a 21st place finish.
After a stunning finish at New Hampshire, drivers like Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch have to dig out of a big hole if they want to advance into the next round. Dover will divide the challengers from the contenders, as sixteen drivers will be cut to twelve at the end of the race. See the thrilling action unfold live next Sunday on NBCSN.
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