Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Heluva Good! Fall 125
Daytona Beach, FL — The NASCAR Camping World Series East is set for the second and final event of the year at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with the Heluva Good! Fall 125 this Friday, Sept. 18.
At New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
History
• Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway 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 51 NCWSE races all-time at NHMS, more than at any other track.
• There have been 22 different race winners, led by Brad Leighton’s eight.
• There have been 25 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.
• Matt DiBenedetto won the Heluva Good! Summer 125 in June, edging pole winner Ryan Truex.
• 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 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light 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 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light.
• Truex earned his first career win at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on June 6 … DiBenedetto earned his first career 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light … Both accomplished those feats in their first road course events.
• DiBenedetto emerged victorious at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., on June 26 from a last-lap battle with Truex for his second win in just four starts … Truex captured his second 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light on the year.
• Truex won at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on July 11 … With the win, he took the points lead for the first time this year … Steve Park earned his first NCWSE career Coors Light Pole Award at TIS.
• Park drove to Victory Lane at Adirondack International Speedway in Lowville, N.Y. … It was his first NCWSE win since 1996, and third overall … Eddie MacDonald earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award prior to the race.
• Truex recorded the road course sweep by winning last time out at Lime Rock Park … DiBenedetto earned the pole for the race.
• Truex will bring a 50-point lead in the driver standings on MacDonald to NHMS … The No. 18 Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing and J.D. Gibbs is atop the current owner standings.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data
Race: #10 of 11 overall, #2 of 2 at NHMS
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: Peyton Sellers (126.437 mph, 30.124 sec.)
2008 race winner: Eddie MacDonald (81.011 mph, 1:25.14)
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
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Curran (No. 31 Chevrolet)
• Will make his third NASCAR Camping World Series East start of the 2009 season … Finished 16th at Watkins Glen International and 21st at Thompson International Speedway.
• Debuted in the series with a sixth-place finish at Lime Rock Park in 2008.
• Finished 24th in the NASCAR Camping World Series West race at Infineon Raceway on June 20.
• Competes regularly in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge.
Ty Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet)
• First-year driver for Richard Childress Racing.
• NHMS will be his third start … Finished eighth at South Boston Speedway and seventh at Adirondack International Speedway.
• Son of former NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Mike Dillon, grandson of Richard Childress and younger brother of 2008 NCWSE Rookie of the Year Austin Dillon.
Max Gresham (No. 18 Toyota)
• First-year driver for Joe Gibbs Racing that splits time in the car with Matt DiBenedetto.
• NHMS will be his third start … Finished fifth at SBS and 16th at AIS.
• Ran the NCWSW race at Iowa Speedway and finished third.
• This will be his last scheduled start in 2009.
Jesus Hernandez (No. 12 Dodge)
• Splits time in the Troy Williams Motorsports entry with Antonio Perez.
• Has made seven starts in 2009 with a best finish of fourth at Adirondack International Speedway.
• Has 12 top fives and 18 top 10s in 32 career NCWSE starts.
• Finished eighth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June.
Jason Holehouse (No. 81 Toyota)
• Has two top-10 finishes in 10 career NCWSE starts … First eight starts came at the WGI and Lime Rock Park road courses … Made oval track debut with a 15th place finish at AIS.
• Recorded best career finish last time out at LRP with a third-place effort.
• Is the chief instructor of the Eastern Region for the Skip Barber Racing School.
Matt Kobyluck (No. 40 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NCWSE champion … Has seven poles, 16 wins and 90 top 10s in 166 career NCWSE starts … Has won at 11 different tracks, but still looking for first NHMS win.
• Has two top fives and six top 10s in nine 2009 starts and is fifth in points.
• Finished 11th at NHMS in June … Best finish there is third – three times.
Corey LaJoie (No. 36 Chevrolet)
• Made NCWSE debut at TIS in July and finished 19th.
• Notable career wins include an Aaron’s Pro Challenge Series triumph at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2007 and a UARA win at Rockingham Speedway this past April.
• Son of Randy LaJoie, two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion.
Jody Lavender (No. 88 Chevrolet)
• Has 11 top 10s in 21 career NCWSE starts, including five in nine 2009 outings.
• Has previously held the points lead this year … Is currently third, 87 points behind Ryan Truex.
• Registered best career finish of second in the season opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway.
• Finished fifth at NHMS in June.
Brad Leighton (No. 55 Chevrolet)
• The 1999 and 2000 NCWSE champion.
• Is second on the series’ all-time wins list with 24 … Has 130 top 10s in 159 career starts.
• Is the NCWSE all-time wins leader at NHMS with eight … Last was Sept. 13, 2003.
• Finished 18th at NHMS in June in his only other NCWSE race this year.
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Chevrolet)
• Has five wins and 47 top 10s in 119 career NCWSE starts.
• Is currently second in points, 50 behind leader Ryan Truex … Has registered a series-high eight top 10s in nine starts and has completed all but two laps.
• Won both NHMS races last year and finished sixth there in June.
• Won the prestigious TD Banknorth Oxford 250 – an open Late Model race – on July 19.
• Plans to run the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park in October.
David Mayhew (No. 19 Chevrolet)
• Will make his first career NCWSE start … Also plans to run at Dover International Speedway.
• Has two wins, 13 top fives an 20 top 10s in 32 career NCWSW starts … Is fourth in the 2009 standings with two wins at Iowa – the first as the highest-finishing West driver in the May combination race and the second in the September stand-alone event.
Brett Moffitt (No. 44 Chevrolet)
• Has seven top 10s in nine starts in his rookie season … Is seventh in overall points and second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.
• Became youngest driver in NCWSE history – surpassing Joey Logano – to earn a pole when he accomplished the feat in the season opener at GPS … Also surpassed Logano by becoming the youngest race winner in series history at SBS.
• Recently ran the NCWSW race at Iowa and finished fourth.
• Finished 27th at NHMS in June.
Steve Park (No. 35 Chevrolet)
• Has three wins and 21 top 10s in 35 career NCWSE starts.
• Earned first career NCWSE pole at TIS and was the AIS race winner.
• Is currently fifth in points, 78 back of leader Ryan Truex.
• Has wins and poles in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series and Whelen Modified Tour in addition to the NCWSE.
• Finished 10th at NHMS in June … Won there in June, 1996.
Joey Polewarczyk (No. 61 Chevrolet)
• Will make 2009 debut after running two races in the Dave Davis Motorsports No. 03 in 2008.
• Made series debut at TIS last year and finished 16th … Also finished sixth in the fall NHMS race.
• Is currently fifth in points in the American-Canadian Tour with a win at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Derek Ramstrom (No. 53 Chevrolet)
• Finished 18th in his NCWSE debut at TIS and came home 12th in his second start at LRP.
• Leads Super Late Model points in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action at TIS on the strength of four wins.
• Is seventh in PASS North Super Late Model points … Won at TIS in July.
Josh Richards (No. 03 Chevrolet)
• Finished fourth in his NCWSE debut at GPS in the season-opener.
• Is second in World of Outlaws Late Model points with seven wins and 31 top 10s.
• Has ARCA starts this year at Kentucky Speedway and DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.
D.J. Shaw (No. 60 Chevrolet)
• Made NCWSE debut in June at NHMS and finished 24th.
• Has competed in NWAAS action at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and has a 2009 win.
• Won the American-Canadian Tour race at Wiscassett Raceway in June.
• Is the son of 1994 NCWSE Champion Dale Shaw.
Kevin Swindell (No. 9 Chevrolet)
• Has three career NCWSE starts … Finished 13th at Mansfield Motorsports Park and 16th at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2008 … Was third at NHMS in June.
• Has competed in USAC Sprint and Midget races this year … Won Midget race at Knoxville Raceway in May and Sprint race at Calistoga Speedway on September 5.
• Is the son of three-time National Sprint Car Champion Sammy Swindell.
Alan Tardiff (No. 38 Chevrolet)
• Has six top 10s in 12 career NCWSE starts.
• All six top 10s have come in eight 2009 starts … Is eighth in points despite missing WGI.
• Earned first career Coors Light Pole Award at Tri-County Motor Speedway.
• Finished seventh at NHMS in June.
Ryan Truex (No. 00 Toyota)
• Has 10 career NCWSE starts … Made his series debut at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2008.
• Is a Michael Waltrip Racing development driver.
• Took the overall points lead for the first time at TIS and currently leads Eddie MacDonald by 50 points … Has six-straight top-three finishes.
• Is also currently leading in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points.
• Earned his first career pole at SBS … Second pole came at NHMS.
• First race win came at WGI … Joined father, Martin Sr., and brother, Martin Jr., on the NCWSE all-time wins list in the process.
• Captured second career win at TIS … Joined his brother on the TIS wins list.
• Third win of rookie campaign came last time out at LRP.
• Finished second at NHMS in June after a last-lap battle with Matt DiBenedetto.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR CWSE PR