NASCAR New Hampshire 301 Predictions

NASCAR Lenox Industrial Tools 301

The 17th Sprint Cup race of the 2010 NASCAR season takes us to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. The race is set to get underway on Sunday, June 27th 1:00 P.M. (ET). This is the first of two races at Loudon with the second one scheduled for September 19th.

Last week in Sonoma on a road course, Jimmy Johnson got back to his winning ways to notch his fifth Sprint Cup point race victory of the year. Kevin Harvick remained in the top spot in the Sprint Cup standings with 2334 points. Johnson and Denny Hamlin are the odds-on-favorites to win this week, but there are a few other drivers that might have something to say about that. The following is a preview of the top seven drivers in the Sprint Cup point standings along with their current odds to win this week.

Kevin Harvick 15-1

After a third place finish last week Harvick holds onto the top spot in the standings with 2334 points. Last year in this race he started 25th and finished 34th. His best career finish in this race was in 2003 when he ended up second after starting seventh. He has nine top 10 finishes at this track with one victory (2006). He has six top 10 finishes in this race.

Jimmie Johnson 9-2

With his win last week, Johnson moved up four spots in the standings with 2194 points, 140 back. Last year in this race he started third and finished ninth. He has one victory in this race, back in 2003 after starting sixth. He actually won both races at Loudon that year. Johnson has seven top 10 finishes in a row at this track and 11 overall in his career. Five of them have come in this race.

Kyle Busch 7-1

After finishing 39th last week, Busch has 2193 points, 141 out of the lead. Last year in this race he started ninth and finished seventh. In 2006 he won this race after starting fourth. In 10 career races at New Hampshire, Busch has five top 10 finishes including three in this race.

Denny Hamlin 9-2

With a 34th place finish last week, Hamlin now has 2183 points and is 151 points in back of Harvick. Last year in this race he started seventh and finished 15th. In 2007 after starting from the 11th spot he rallied to get the win. In eight career starts, Hamlin has five top 10 finishes including three in this race.

Jeff Gordon 7-1

Gordon moved up two spots in the standings with a fifth place finish at Sonoma. He now has 2142 points, 192 out of the lead. Last year in this race he started and finished second. He has won three times at this track including a victory in this race way back in 1995. For his career, Gordon has 16 top 10 finishes at New Hampshire and nine in this race.

Kurt Busch 12-1

With a 32nd finish last week, Busch drops two spots and with 2118 points he is now 216 points out of first. Last year in this race he started fourth and finished third. He has two victories in this race; 2004 after starting 32nd and 2008 after starting 26th. Busch has nine top 10 finishes at this track and five in this race.

Matt Kenseth 25-1

Kenseth dropped to seventh in the standings after a 30th place finish last week. He is 242 points out of the lead with 2097 total points. Last year in this race he started 10th and finished 22nd. His best finish in this race was in 2003 when he finished third after starting on the pole. Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in eight of his last nine races at this track and has four top 10 finishes in this race.

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