This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
NEW HAMPSHIRE 301
Location: Loudon, N.H.
Course: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Format: 1-mile oval
Laps: 301
Race Preview
Next on tap for the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams and drivers is the northeast oval of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The 1-mile oval has 12-degree banking in the turns and is difficult for passing. Therefore, track position and pit strategy are much more important at this track than others on the schedule. Drivers and teams will be looking to drive the car as deep into the corners as possible, yet remain stuck to the inside of the turn. The characteristics of the track and style of racing can put a lot of pressure on right-front tires and brakes, and it will be a battle to manage their effectiveness throughout a fuel stint and the race distance. Teams learned a lot about brakes at Kentucky last week, and New Hampshire will test what solutions they've developed since.
Key Stats at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
• Races: 40
• Winners from pole: 5
• Winners from top-5 starters: 11
• Winners from top-10 starters: 22
• Winners from 21st or lower starters: 9
• Fastest race: 117.134 mph
Last 10 New Hampshire Winners
2014 (fall) – Joey Logano
2014 (spring) – Brad Keselowski
2013 (fall) – Matt Kenseth
2013 (spring) – Brian Vickers
2012 (fall) – Denny Hamlin
2012 (spring) – Kasey Kahne
2011 (fall) – Tony Stewart
2011 (spring) – Ryan Newman
The majority of winners in New Hampshire start inside the top 10. Similarly to Kentucky Speedway, practice and qualifying speeds will be important indicators of a driver's potential. That speed can be jeopardized if the team is too aggressive on the settings, though. We saw last week that Keselowski had one of the fastest cars, but used his rear tires too much. Kyle Larson also showed promise, but lost his handling as well. New Hampshire will strain brakes and tires while teams look for any opportunity to maximize track position without jeopardizing their equipment.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Brad Keselowski - $12,800
Jimmie Johnson - $12,700
Kyle Busch - $11,800
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Denny Hamlin - $11,100
Jeff Gordon - $10,900
Carl Edwards - $10,200
Kyle Larson - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Jamie McMurray - $9,800
Clint Bowyer - $9,400
Ryan Newman - $9,200
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Tony Stewart - $8,800
A.J. Allmendinger - $8,200
Austin Dillon - $8,100
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Denny Hamlin - $11,100
Jeff Gordon - $10,900
Kyle Larson - $10,000
Clint Bowyer - $9,400
Austin Dillon - $8,100
Joe Gibbs Racing appears to have taken a big step forward versus the competition, and Denny Hamlin should be poised to capitalize on his newfound consistency. He has the third highest driver rating at the track at 103.2 while Jeff Gordon has the highest at 107.3. Larson has an average New Hampshire finish of 2.5, and was fast last week in Kentucky before he lost the handling of his car. Clint Bowyer and Austin Dillon have both shown improvement in recent weeks, and Bowyer has a top-10 driver New Hampshire driver rating of 95.0.
Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Brad Keselowski - $12,800
Kyle Busch - $11,800
Ryan Newman - $9,200
Tony Stewart - $8,800
David Gilliland - $7,200
Penske Racing had been losing ground to the Chevrolet-powered teams in recent weeks, but made an emphatic return last week in Kentucky. Keselowski should have challenged for the win should he have kept his tires under him. Busch is currently the hottest driver on the circuit, and his driver rating at the northeastern oval is stout at 94.7. Newman and Stewart have six New Hampshire wins between them, and this lineup would predict their skill at the track could overcome the issues they've had on pit road and with their equipment. Justin Allgaier is fighting to maintain his 30th-place in points, and is arguably the most likely at his price range to score a top-20 this week.
