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Who’s hot, who’s not heading into New Hampshire

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ISM Connect 300

LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 24: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Caramel Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 24, 2017 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

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NASCAR heads to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for its only Cup race weekend of the year at the “Magic Mile.”

Thanks to Racing Insights, here’s a look at who is hot and not entering the 20th race of the season.

Who is Hot

Kevin Harvick
• Finished 5th at Kentucky (2nd in Stage 1, 4th in Stage 2)
• Finished in Top 5 in 5 of last 6 races
• In 19 races in 2018, 15 finishes of 7th or better (including 5 wins) & 4 finishes of 19th or worse
• Finished in the Top 5 in 18 of last 22 races, dating back to last season
• Finished in Top 5 in 5 of the last 7 New Hampshire races, including win in Sept. 2016
• In last year’s race: Started 12th, 13th in Stage 1, 3rd in Stage 2, finished 5th.

Kyle Busch
• Finished 4th at Kentucky (3rd in Stage 1, 2nd in Stage 2)
• Finished in top 5 in 6 of last 7 races
• Finished in the top 10 in 7 of last 8 races
• Finished in the top 5 in 13 of 19 races this season
• Finished 8th or better in 8 of last 10 New Hampshire races
• Finished in top 3 in 6 of last 10 New Hampshire races, including wins in July 2015 & Sept. 2017
• Led 749 laps in last 12 New Hampshire races
• Last year’s race: Started 7th, 5th in Stage 1, 1st in Stage 2, 95 laps led, finished 12th after two speeding penalties

Erik Jones
• Finished 7th at Kentucky (11th in Stage 1, 9th in Stage 2)
• Finished top 10 in 4 straight races
• Finished 39th (July) and 6th (Sept.) at New Hampshire in 2017, his only starts at the track
• Last year’s race: Started 6th, 39th in Stages 1 & 2, finished 39th: DNF – lost left-rear tire on restart on Lap
41 while running 7th (cut due to contact on pit road under caution)

Martin Truex Jr.
• Won at Kentucky (1st in Stage 1, 1st in Stage 2, 174 laps led)
• Won 3 of last 6 races
• Finished 4th or better in 4 straight races
• Finished in the top 5 in 8 of last 9 races
• Finished top 10 in 4 of last 5 New Hampshire races
• Led over 100 laps in the last four New Hampshire races
• Hasn’t finished worse than 17th in last 14 New Hampshire races
• Last year’s race: Started 1st, 1st in Stage 1, 6th in Stage 2; 137 laps led, finished 3rd in this race one year ago; pit from lead with flat right-front tire on lap 218

Who is Not

Jamie McMurray
• Finished 17th at Kentucky (12th in Stage 1, 20th in Stage 2)
• Finished 12th or worse in 4 straight races
• Finished 15th or worse in 15 of 19 races this season
• One finish better than 14th in last 6 New Hampshire races (6th – July 2016)
• Last year’s race: Started 4th, 4th in Stage 1, 14th in Stage 2, finished 17th

Austin Dillon
• Finished 22nd at Kentucky (22nd in Stage 1, 21st in Stage 2); pit on Lap 22 to address vibration
• Finished 12th or worse in 13 of last 14 races
• Finished outside top 10 in 16 of 18 races since Daytona 500 win
• One top 10 in 8 career starts at New Hampshire (8th – July 2015)
• Last year’s race: Started 26th, 23rd in Stage 1, 24th in Stage 2, finished 15th in this race one year ago; spun in Turn 4 after contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on lap 88 while running 15th

Matt Kenseth
• Finished 19th at Kentucky (16th in Stage 1, 19th in Stage 2)
• Finished 13th or worse in 5 starts in 2018
• Finished 6th or better in 6 straight New Hampshire races, including wins in Sept. 2015 & July 2016
• Finished in top 10 in 9 of last 10 New Hampshire races (all with JGR)
• Last year’s race: Started 3rd, 2nd in Stage 1, 7th in Stage 2, 4 laps led, finished 4th.

Chase Elliott
• Finished 13th at Kentucky (10th in Stage 1, 13th in Stage 2)
• Finished 13th or worse in last 3 races
• Finished 11th or worse in 6 of last 9 races
• Never finished better than 11th in 4 career starts at New Hampshire
• Last year’s race: Started 11th, 10th in Stage 1, 12th in Stage 2, finished 11th.

Denny Hamlin
• Finished 16th at Kentucky (13th in Stage 1, 16th in Stage 2); started 36th after not making a qualifying
attempt (inspection issues); reported brake issues on Lap 30
• Finished 16th or worse in last two races
• Finished 12th or worse in 4 of last 6 races
• Finished 9th or better in 3 of last 5 New Hampshire races, including win in July 2017
• Finished in top 10 in 14 of 24 career starts at New Hampshire
• Last year’s race: Started 8th, 9th in Stage 1, 2nd in Stage 2, 54 laps led, won; went to a backup car after hitting inside wall in practice

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