15 NASCAR Cup Series drivers to watch for in USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
New Hampshire is set to host the NASCAR Cup Series for the USA TODAY 301 on June 23, 2024, and Martin Truex Jr. is looking to go back-to-back.
The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota won last year’s race on a Monday after the scheduled Sunday start was pushed back due to rain. Truex Jr. is still searching for his first race win in 2024 after taking home three checkered flags in 2023, including the win in the then-titled Crayon 301.
If it's not Truex, then it may be a who's-who of drivers who could cross the finish line first. Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell all have wins in 2024 as well as previous wins at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
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Here are 15 drivers to watch for in the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire.
Drivers to watch in 2024 USA TODAY 301 NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire
Denny Hamlin
Age: 43
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Hometown: Chesterfield, Virginia
Crew chief: Chris Gabehart
What to know: Hamlin has three wins in the 2024 season with five top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes. He’s been running toward the front for the majority of the season with 607 laps led and an average finish of 11.467 after the race at Gateway Raceway. He also has three wins at New Hampshire, tied with Kyle Busch among active drivers.
Kyle Busch
Age: 39
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Crew chief: Randall Burnett
What to know: Busch, the 2015 and 2019 Cup Series champion, has been struggling this season. He’s finished in the top five twice with an average finish of 17.2. However, Busch loves the New Hampshire Motor Speedway: his three Cup Series wins on the track are tied with Denny Hamlin for most wins at the "Magic Mile."
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Joey Logano
Age: 34
Team: Penske Racing
Hometown: Middletown, Connecticut
Crew chief: Paul Wolfe
What to know: Logano, the 2018 and 2022 Cup Series champion, the won the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro this season but hasn’t been toward the front as he’s accustomed to. Logano has fond memories of the racetrack: it’s considered his home track and is the site of his first Cup Series win in his rookie year of 2009.
Brad Keselowski
Age: 40
Team: RFK Racing
Hometown: Rochester, Michigan
Crew chief: Matt McCall
What to know: Keselowski snapped a 110-race winless drought last month at Darlington. The 2012 Cup Series champion has put together a string of seven top-five finishes, including three top-three finishes in a row. Keselowski has two wins, 16 top 10s and 10 top fives finishes at New Hampshire.
Ryan Blaney
Age: 30
Team: Penske Racing
Hometown: Hartford, Ohio
Crew chief: Jonathan Hassler
What to know: Blaney, the defending Cup Series champion, was one lap away from winning his first race of 2024 but ran out of gas coming to the white flag at Gateway. Blaney had four top-five and five top-10 finishes. Blaney also has two top-five and four top-10 finishes at New Hampshire in 11 starts.
Martin Truex Jr.
Age: 43
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Hometown: Mayetta, New Jersey
Crew chief: James Small
What to know: Truex, the defending race winner at New Hampshire, has been running toward the front of nearly every race. The 2017 Cup Series champion has an average finish of 11.867 following the race at Gateway. In 30 starts at New Hampshire, Truex has one win, nine top-fives and 15 top-10s.
Christopher Bell
Age: 29
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Hometown: Norman, Oklahoma
Crew chief: Adam Stevens
What to know: Bell is one of the more consistent drivers on the circuit and has two wins on the season in 2024, including the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He won the 2022 race at New Hampshire and has two top-five finishes in four starts in Loudon.
Kyle Larson
Age: 31
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Crew chief: Cliff Daniels
What to know: Larson, the 2021 Cup Series champion, is the driver who attempted to run the double, both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600. Weather affected the attempt as the Indy 500 was delayed by rain, which also cut the Coca-Cola 600 short. Larson has two wins on the 2024 season and has five top fives and seven top 10s in 13 starts at New Hampshire.
Chase Elliott
Age: 28
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew chief: Alan Gustafson
What to know: Elliott has one victory this season and has been running strongly toward the front every week. The 2022 Cup Series champion has five top-five finishes, and seven top-10 finishes this season. At New Hampshire, Elliott has two top fives and three top 10s in 10 starts.
Ross Chastain
Age: 31
Team: Trackhouse Racing
Hometown: Alva, Florida
Crew chief: Phil Surgen
What to know: Chastain is always sneaky at tracks he’s least expected to have success at. Chastain won two races last season and already has five top-10 finishes this season. Chastain has two top-10 finishes at New Hampshire in five starts.
Austin Cindric
Age: 25
Team: Penske Racing
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew chief: Brian Wilson
What to know: Cindric picked up his first win of 2024 and the second of his career at Gateway Raceway. The win at Gateway should be a spark for Cindric heading toward the second half of the season.
Daniel Suarez
Age: 32
Team: Trackhouse Racing
Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico
Crew chief: Matt Swiderski
What to know: Suarez has one win on the season with a dramatic three-wide photo finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Suarez has been running in the middle of the field, usually with a 19.933 average finish. Suarez has three top-10 finishes in eight starts at New Hampshire.
William Byron
Age: 26
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew chief: Rudy Fugle
What to know: Byron is one of the more solid drivers in the field with three wins, five top fives and nine top 10s so far in 2024. However, Byron has struggled at New Hampshire; he doesn’t have any top five or top 10 finishes in six starts.
Chris Buescher
Age: 31
Team: RFK Racing
Hometown: Prosper, Texas
Crew chief: Scott Graves
What to know: Buescher has been so close to wins this season, including a late-race wreck with Tyler Reddick at Darlington. Buescher has been moving up the field with a 15.4 average finish with an 18.133 average starting position. Buescher has yet to notch a top-10 finish in 10 races at New Hampshire.
Erik Jones
Age: 28
Team: Legacy Motor Club
Hometown: Byron, Michigan
Crew chief: Dave Elenz
What to know: Jones missed two races with an injury after a nasty wreck at Talladega in April. Since his return, Jones has consistently moved up the leaderboard. Jones is one of the dangerous drivers on racetracks similar to New Hampshire and Darlington.
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