In the opening race of the Chase last
season, second-year Cup driver Clint Bowyer won the first race of his career in dominating fashion. Bowyer led 222 of 300 total laps to outrun a star-studded top 10 that included Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth.

Denny Hamlin, another young talent in his second year as a full-time Cup driver, won the July 4th weekend fireworks earlier in the season. Hamlin led only 46 laps, but he held off Gordon, Truex, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Johnson to earn his third career victory.

The flat New Hampshire oval is not necessarily a race that anyone circles on their calendar. As a result, winners have been spread out at Loudon. In fact, 17 different drivers have taken the checkers in New England over the 26 races run since 1993.

Jeff Burton leads the pack with four wins and 12 top-10 finishes, while Gordon is close behind with three victories and 15 top-5 results.

Johnson, Stewart, Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch have claimed two titles apiece at Loudon and have combined to win seven of the last 11 runs in the Granite State.

But expect the unexpected, considering laps were led by 16 different drivers in the CoT over the two races at New Hampshire in 2007. Another round of Hamlins and Bowyers could be in store.

FANTASY STALL

Looking at Checkers
Jeff Gordon showed the most consistency last year with two second-place runs.
Pretty Solid Pick
Clint Bowyer was untouchable last September.
Good Sleeper Pick
Kevin Harvick likes the flat tracks and is a past winner.
Runs on Seven Cylinders
The Yates guys

Insider Tip
Track position is key; it’s difficult to pass on this
one-lane flat track.

KEEP AN EYE ON...
Kevin Harvick The 29 team has four top-10 runs in the last five races in Loudon. Included in that was a win in September 2007.

Matt Kenseth Kenseth recorded seventh- and ninth-place finishes here last year. That in spite of his Roush Fenway CoT.

Casey Mears Not your typical flat-track masters, Mears and Co. figured something out between their first and second Loudon visits. He was a mundane 23rd in July but cranked it up for an eighth in September.

David Ragan 15th- and 19th-place runs in his first two trips were impressive for this true rookie last year.

Martin Truex Jr. He’s solid here. Third- and fifth-place runs in the CoT last year pretty much sum it all up for Truex.