NASCAR: Sylvania 300 Race Recap

But as happens so often there is debris on the track and the caution flags are out for the fifth time. The leaders all elect to come to pit road and it is a disastrous stop for the 24 whose front nose just goes over his pit box line so the pit crew have to stop and push the car back before they can work on the car. The leaders off pit road are Johnson, Kenseth, Truex Jr, Jr and McMurray with Gordon’s mistake costing him dear as he comes back out in 22nd place. Johnson won’t be the leader though as Bowyer and Marcos Ambrose stayed out and will lead at the green flag.

Sep 22, 2013; Loudon, NH, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Aric Almirola (43) and driver Clint Bowyer (15) rub sides on pit row during the Sylvania 300 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The restart is frantic with Kenseth pushing Bowyer and then trying to come round him for the lead but he can’t make it stick straight away and has to settle for running in second. Kahne comes up from seventh to fourth and along with Johnson is swarming all over Ambrose. But the 5 gets a touch from 88 that sends him high up the track, luckily Kahne is able to keep control and avoids a caution being brought out but does fall down the pack. At the front Kenseth gets alongside Bowyer and causes to him to get loose so the 20 easily takes the lead, while just behind them Johnson gets round Bowyer for second but is over a second behind the 20.

Bowyer starts to fade as the 15 suffers from being on older tyres as Truex Jr and Kyle Busch both get round him. In order for the 15 to make this strategy work he needs a caution to come out soon but with cars passing him he has no choice but to come to pit road and give up his track position. Sure enough on the very next lap the caution flags come out as the 38 starts pouring smoke over the track, and while Bowyer will get a lap back he will be at the back of the field. This is where race winning decisions are made, track positions are key so it will either be 2 tyres or fuel only. No sense of pressure for the 20 team as they easily win the race off ahead of Truex Jr, Johnson, Kyle and McMurray. Kenseth gets a great restart with help from a push by his team-mate Kyle and easily retakes the lead. There’s no time for any more battling on the track though as Kahne gets loose and spins into the inside wall bringing out caution number 7.

All the leaders stay out and with 43 laps to go on the restart the top five will be Kenseth, Kyle, Johnson, Jr and Truex Jr. Once again Kenseth easily takes the lead on the restart getting round Kyle who is then passed by Jr before the 18 quickly regains the spot. But out of nowhere comes Greg Biffle who moves to the inside and takes Johnson and Jr three wide amazingly there’s no contact between them and Biffle takes third. Johnson tries to come back at the 16 but can’t get the move done.

Sep 22, 2013; Loudon, NH, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (20) celebrates his victory of the Sylvania 300 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle is in pursuit of Kenseth for the lead but he can’t seem to close the gap of 1.7 seconds down but with 30 laps left he’s got a little bit of time to try to win the race. In a similar position is Johnson who is right behind Biffle but is also unable to get around the 16 no matter what he tries. But Kyle has found some speed and is slowly getting the job done, with each lap he is slowly pulling back the 20’s lead. With 5 laps to go Kenseth comes across some slower cars and the gap comes tumbling down so that the 18 is right behind him. But he can’t quite find a way to get passed and Matt Kenseth takes his second win of the Chase and puts him in a commanding position for the Championship.

Not the typical race at New Hampshire we’ve had in recent years but it does echo the summer race with quite a few cautions to keep the field together. There was also the plenty of fights between Chase drivers who realise that every point now matters. But for some like Kahne their title hopes are virtually over and are now reliant on mechanical failures and accidents to effect his closest rivals as well as needing wins. With Dover next up on the schedule where drivers bump and rub at the best of times the excitement level should go up a notch as teams do everything they can to try to eat into Kenseth’s lead.