Here’s a rundown of the different helmets most Cup Series drivers will be sporting throughout the 2018 season.
Getty Images
Brad Keselowski wins pole for New Hampshire Xfinity race
Getty IMages
Brad Keselowski will start first in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Keselowski claimed the pole for the Lakes Region 200 (4 p.m. ET on NBCSN) with a speed of 130.296 mph.
It’s his second pole in three starts this season and his fifth pole in 10 starts at the 1-mile track.
Keselowski is trying to win his fourth straight Xfinity race.
The Team Penske driver will be joined on the front row by Christopher Bell (130.126 mph).
The top five is completed by Ryan Preece, Cole Custer and John Hunter Nemechek.
Ryan Truex, Matt Tifft, Austin Cindric, Kaz Grala, Jeremy Clements, Michael Annett and Ross Chastain did not advance out of the second round.
During the first round the red flag came out with 6:25 left due to fluid on the track from Ryan Reed‘s No. 16 Ford.
Reed will start last.
Check back for more.
Today’s Xfinity race at New Hampshire: Start time, lineup and more
Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Last year, Ryan Preece finished second to Kyle Busch in this race. Preece takes over the car that beat him last year and hopes to improve by one position. He’ll have to beat Cup regulars Brad Keselowski and Austin Dillon to do so.
Here’s all the info for today’s Xfinity race.
(All times are Eastern)
START: The command to start engines will be given at 4:07 p.m. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 4:16 p.m.
DISTANCE: The race is scheduled for 200 laps (211.6 miles) around the 1.05-mile track.
STAGES: Stage 1 ends on Lap 45. Stage 2 ends on Lap 90.
PRERACE SCHEDULE: Garage opens at 7 a.m. Qualifying is at 11:05 a.m. Driver/crew chief meeting is at 1:30 p.m. Driver introductions are at 3:30 p.m.
NATIONAL ANTHEM: Boston Sports Team Vocalist John Robert Murphy will perform the anthem at 4:01 p.m. The Canadian National Anthem will be performed by Jodie Cunningham at 3:58 p.m.
TV/RADIO: NBCSN will broadcast the race beginning at 3 p.m. Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. with Countdown to Green on NBCSN. Performance Racing Network’s radio broadcast begins at 2:30 p.m. and also can be heard at goprn.com. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have PRN’s broadcast.
FORECAST: wunderground.com calls for partly cloudy skies with a high of 78 degrees and a zero percent chance of rain at the start of the race.
LAST TIME: Kyle Busch beat his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ryan Preece by more than 10 seconds. William Byron came home third, with Cup regulars Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski rounding out the top five.
STARTING LINEUP: Qualifying is at 11:05 a.m.
Denny Hamlin posts fastest lap in Saturday morning Cup practice
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
LOUDON, N.H. – Denny Hamlin had the fastest lap in Saturday morning’s Cup practice at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, leading the field with a lap of 132.942 mph.
He was followed by Ryan Blaney (132.526 mph), Martin Truex Jr. (132.462), Kyle Busch (132.406) and Kevin Harvick (132.356).
Harvick ran the most laps at 50. Harvick told NASCAR on NBC broadcaster Rick Allen in the garage that he ran so many laps to see how much the speed falls off as the tires wear. Jimmie Johnson was next with 42 laps run.
There were no incidents in the 50-minute session.
Ryan Blaney had the best 10-lap average at 131.767 mph.
Start time of Sunday’s Cup race moved up to 1 pm ET
Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images
LOUDON, N.H. – The start time for Sunday’s Cup race has been moved up to 1 p.m. ET because of the threat of rain, NASCAR announced.
NBCSN will broadcast the race. NBCSN’s coverage begins at noon ET.
The wunderground.com forecast for 1 p.m. ET Sunday calls for a 49 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms. There is a threat of rain throughout the day.
Kurt Busch won the pole for Sunday’s race.
