NASCAR Checkered Countdown: Top-Five New Hampshire Finishes

Beyond The Flag’s Checkered Countdown series provides you with the analysis of the best race finishes on the tracks that the Sprint Cup Series competes at. If you want to find out more about the history of the tracks on the schedule this is the right place!

With the drivers and teams heading to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the 18th point-paying race of the season, we take a look at what the five best finishes at this one-mile oval have been. Opened in 1990, it has always been on the Sprint Cup schedule since 1993. The track now hosts one regular season race as well as another one in the first round of the Chase which makes it even more important on the route to the Sprint Cup championship. Fuel mileage wins have been a recurring trend at New Hampshire and after seeing last weekend’s race decided by the last drops of fuel, we could definitely see it again on sunday.

Some legendary moments have taken place at this track but also some tragic ones: here, Ernie Irvan got back to victory lane for the first time after a nearly fatal crash at Michigan, and in 2000 Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin Jr both lost their lives in two separate accidents at this track. After the deaths of the two drivers restrictor-plates were mandated by NASCAR for the following New Hampshire race. Jeff Burton won but there were no lead changes in the entire event and that resulted in the end of the restrictor-plate experiment.

What do you think of our selection? Are there any finishes that you think should be on this list but that are not? Tell us in the comments below.