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Classic Manufacturer Battle at New Hampshire

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by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Over ten years on the air and three on the net; see what can happen when I don't let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

September 13, 2008 1:30 pm CDT No Comments

New Hampshire Motor Speedway has a real thing for Chevrolet.

There have been twenty-seven Sprint Cup Series races held at this mile-plus slightly banked track since NASCAR  started bringing their premier series there in 1993.  Of those twenty-seven races, drivers who have driven Chevrolets have won twelve of those races or 44.4 percent.  Interestingly though, no one Bowtie driver has dominated in those twelve victories other than Jeff Gordon’s three wins in the mid to late nineties.

The rest of those wins have been scattered about with Jimmy Johnson  the only other driver to post multiple wins, when he swept the 2003 races.  Joe Nemecheck took the win in1999 and Robby Gordon  won the latest race of the year in modern NASCAR history, when he won on November 23, 2001, in the rescheduled race from just after 9-11.

Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer  have all seen victory lane in Chevys since.  Of those twelve wins, drivers who have driven for Hendrick Motorsports have been behind the wheel of seven.  Richard Childress Racing  has bought home the prize three times and current Toyota team, Joe Gibbs Racing seeing the stripe first, twice.

Ford drivers and teams hold the second spot in total wins; with car owner, Jack Roush leading the way.  His drivers; Jeff Burton, with four wins, and Kurt Busch with two, hold  sixty percent of the Blue Oval’s wins.  Robert Yates Racing, which is now a satellite team of Roush-Fenway Racing holds three of the remaining four victories.  The only other driver and team to have won at NHMS was Ryan Newman driving for Roger Penske who is now campaigning Dodges.

Roger Penske, as a car owner has had a fair amount of success over the years at New Hampshire.  He has just done it with a variety of manufacturers.  Along with his one Ford win, Penske owned Dodges have won twice with Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch behind the wheel.  Rusty Wallace  has also sprayed champagne for Roger while piloting a Pontiac in one of two wins for that retired manufacturer.

Ward Burton, driving a Bill Davis Racing Dodge in July of 2002, rounds out the wins at NASCAR’s northern-most Cup venue.

As the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins, Chevy drivers, Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., along with Richard Childress Racing Drivers, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer seem to have the statistical advantage.  But, if you factor in the working agreement between Roush-Fenway and Yates Racing, their nine wins give Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards a great chance of taming the progressive banking at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

It is a classic Ford versus Chevy battle, with one exception.  While Toyota hasn’t seen a win at NHMS yet, they also sport the points leader and Mr. Everything for much of 2008, Kyle Busch.  Toyota’s first win there could be the start of their run to a first Cup championship as well.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed Under Chevrolet Racing, Dodge Motorsports, Ford Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR, Nascar Chase 2008, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, TRD 

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