Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Heluva Good! Summer 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
The NASCAR Camping World Series East will pass the halfway point of the 2009 season with the Heluva Good! Summer 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday, June 26 in Loudon, N.H.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data
Race: #6 of 11 (6/26/09) | ENTRY LIST
Track Layout: 1.058-mile oval
Banking: Variable between 2-7 degrees in the turns
Race Length: 125 laps/132.25 miles
Qualifying/Race Data
2008 pole winner: None – rain
2008 race winner: Eddie MacDonald, 81.011 mph, 6-26-08)
Track qualifying record: Brian Hoar (127.141 mph, 28.892 sec., 7-18-02)
NCWSE Win Leaders at NHMS
Brad Leighton, 8
Ted Christopher, 5
Kelly Moore, 5
Mike McLaughlin, 4
Three drivers with 3
NCWSE Pole Leaders at NHMS
Kelly Moore, 6
Dave Dion, 5
Andy Santerre, 4
Four drivers with 3
At New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
History
• Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was Aug. 13, 1989.
• The official opening was June 5, 1990 with the first race being a NASCAR Nationwide Series race on July 15, 1990.
• The first NASCAR Camping World Series East race was held on Sept. 2, 1990.
• The track was renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2008.
• Is the largest racing oval – and the largest sports facility overall – in New England.
Notebook
• There have been 50 NCWSE races all-time at NHMS, more than at any other track.
• There have been 21 different race winners, led by Brad Leighton’s eight.
• There have been 24 different pole winners, led by Kelly Moore’s six.
• Eddie MacDonald won both races at NHMS in 2009 and became the third driver in series history to sweep a season at the track along with Mike McLaughlin (1992) and Joey Logano (2007) … The series ran three or more races at NHMS from 1993-2000 with no drivers able to complete a season sweep.
• Leighton is the only driver to have won three consecutive races at NHMS (2001-02).
• There are four drivers on the Heluva Good! Summer 125 entry list that have won at NHMS before: Leighton (8), MacDonald (2), Mike Olsen (1) and Steve Park (1).
Up to Speed:
• Brian Ickler won the NASCAR Camping World Series East season-opener at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway on April 11 … Rookie Brett Moffitt became the youngest driver in NCWSE history to earn a Coors Light Pole Award at the event.
• Matt DiBenedetto was victorious on April 25 at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C., in just his second start … Rookie Alan Tardiff earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award at the event.
• Kyle Busch made his NCWS debut in the East/West combination race at Iowa Speedway on May 17 in Newton, Iowa … He set the series’ track qualifying record and went on to lead 168 of 200 laps to capture the race win.
• Moffitt became the youngest race winner in series history at South Boston (Va.) Speedway on May 30 … Ryan Truex also earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award.
• Truex earned his first career win last time out at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on June 6 … DiBenedetto earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award … Both accomplished those feats in their first road course events.
• With his fourth top-five effort in five starts this year, Moffitt took the points lead at Watkins Glen, and maintained his Sunoco Rookie of the Year points lead.
• The No. 18 Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing and J.D. Gibbs is atop the current owner standings … The team has registered two wins and top-10 finishes in each of the first five races.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Matt DiBenedetto (No. 18 Toyota)
• First-year driver for Joe Gibbs Racing that splits time in the car with Max Gresham.
• Finished 10th in his NCWSE debut at Greenville Pickens Speedway.
• Won in his second start at Tri-County Motor Speedway.
• Earned first career pole at Watkins Glen International and finished fifth in his first road course race.
• Is scheduled for 2-3 more starts in the car this year.
Ryan Gifford (No. 29 Chevrolet)
• A Richard Childress Racing development driver … Is a teammate to Austin and Ty Dillon at Team Dillon Racing on the dirt circuit.
• Finished 17th in his NCWSE debut at TCMS and crossed the line second at South Boston Speedway.
Jesus Hernandez (No. 12 Dodge)
• Splits time in the Troy Williams Motorsports entry with Antonio Perez.
• Has made three starts in 2009 with a best finish of fifth (among East competitors) at the Iowa combination race.
• Has 10 top fives and 14 top 10s in 28 career NCWSE starts.
Jarit Johnson (No. 74 Chevrolet)
• Sunoco Rookie program driver has three starts with a best finish of 14th (among East drivers) in the Iowa Speedway combination race.
• Made his first three starts under car owner Armando Fitz, but has since launched his own team – Jarit Johnson Motorsports – and is now a driver/owner running No. 74.
Matt Kobyluck (No. 40 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NCWSE champion … Has seven poles, 16 wins and 88 top 10s in 162 career NCWSE starts … Has won at 11 different tracks, but not at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• Won the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown for the second time in his career in January.
• Finished third in both starts at NHMS in 2008, marking his best career finishes at the track along with a third in 2002.
• Has one top five and four top 10s in five 2009 starts … Is third in points, 37 behind leader Brett Moffitt … Has completed 718 of 719 laps so far this year, the most among all drivers.
Jody Lavender (No. 88 Chevrolet)
• Has nine top 10s in 19 career NCWSE starts, including three in five 2009 outings.
• Registered best career finish of second at GPS.
• Finished 13th and 26th in the 2008 NHMS races.
Brad Leighton (No. 55 Chevrolet)
• The 1999 and 2000 NCWSE champion … Will make his 2009 NCWSE debut at NHMS.
• Is second on the series’ all-time wins list with 24 … Has 130 top 10s in 158 career starts.
• Is the NCWSE all-time wins leader at NHMS with eight … Last was Sept. 13, 2003.
• Finished ninth and 22nd in the 2008 NHMS races.
• Is running a limited American-Canadian Tour schedule in 2009 and won at Lee USA Speedway.
Patrick Long (No. 03 Chevrolet)
• Made series debut in the 2009 opener at GPS.
• In three starts he has registered finishes of sixth at GPS, fifth at TCMS and fourth at WGI.
• Drives a Porsche in the GT2 class of the American Le Mans Series full-time and has won three of his five starts (St. Petersburg, Long Beach, Tooele).
• Was part of the winning GT-class team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January.
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Chevrolet)
• Has five wins and 43 top 10s in 115 career NCWSE starts.
• Is currently fourth in points with four top 10s in five starts … Has completed all but two laps.
• Became the third driver in series history to sweep a season at NHMS when he won both races at the track in 2008 … Those were the first top-five NHMS finishes of his career.
Brett Moffitt (No. 44 Chevrolet)
• Took over the season points lead with a third-place effort at WGI … Has four top fives in five starts in his rookie season … Also leads in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points.
• Became youngest driver in NCWSE history – surpassing Joey Logano – to earn a Coors Light Pole Award when he accomplished the feat in the season opener at GPS.
• Also surpassed Logano by becoming the youngest race winner in series history at South Boston Speedway.
Mike Olsen (No. 61 Chevrolet)
• The 2001 and 2006 NCWSE champion … Will make his first start of the season at NHMS.
• Has six wins, 12 poles and 137 top 10s in 286 career starts.
• Won at NHMS in 2006 and finished seventh in both races at the track in 2008.
• Is the owner of the No. 16 Chevrolet regularly piloted by Jonathan Smith.
Steve Park (No. 35 Chevrolet)
• Has two wins and 18 top 10s in 31 career NCWSE starts … Won at NHMS in 1996.
• Is currently seventh in points with a best finish of sixth last time out at WGI.
• Has wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series and Whelen Modified Tour in addition to his pair in the Camping World Series East.
• Has four career NWMT wins at NHMS.
• Finished 28th and second at NHMS in 2008.
Kevin Swindell (No. 9 Chevrolet)
• Has two career NCWSE start, both in 2008 … Debuted at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park with a 13th place finish … Also finished 16th in the season finale at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
• Is the son of World of Outlaws legend Sammy Swindell.
Ryan Truex (No. 00 Toyota)
• Has six career NCWSE starts … Is a 2009 Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate competing for Michael Waltrip Racing.
• Earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award at SBS, and his third place race finish was his first career top-10 effort.
• Earned his first career race win last time out at WGI … Joined father, Martin Sr., and brother, Martin Jr., as NCWSE race winners … Martin Sr. and Jr. have both won at NHMS.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/ NASCAR PR