CWSE News & Notes Entering NHMS



The Race . The Heluva Good! Summer 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is
the sixth event in an 11-race schedule this year for the NASCAR Camping
World Series East, and the first of two trips to Loudon, N.H. This will be
the 51st all-time race for the series at NHMS.


The Procedure . The starting field is 36 cars, including provisionals. The
first 32 cars will have secured starting positions based on two-lap
qualifying. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional
process. The race will be 125 laps (132.5 miles).


The Track . NHMS is a 1.058-mile, slightly-banked asphalt oval. The NCWSE,
along with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, were among the first NASCAR
series to compete at NHMS when it opened in 1990. NHMS has played host to
more NCWSE races than any other facility in the series' history.


Race Winners . The inaugural NCWSE race on Sept. 2, 1990 at NHMS was won by
Mike McLaughlin. McLaughlin, who also captured the NWMT race that same day,
went on to earn three more NCWSE wins at the 'Magic Mile.' New Hampshire
native Brad Leighton has the most series wins at NHMS with eight. Eddie
MacDonald won both races last year.


Pole Winners . Kelly Moore has the most Coors Light Pole Awards in NCWSE
history at NHMS with six. Qualifying for the June 2008 race was rained out
and Peyton Sellers sat on the pole for the September event. Brian Hoar set
the qualifying record in 2002 at 28.892 seconds (127.141 mph).


Competition Counts . Each of the last seven races have featured nine or more
lead changes. Each of last year's races had nine lead changes among six
different drivers. The record for most lead changes is 12, achieved twice
(Sept. 2005 and Sept. 1996), and the record for more different leaders is
eight (Sept. 2006)


Going for a 'Spin' in Lowell on Wednesday


Defending race winner Eddie MacDonald and Joe Gibbs Racing development
driver Matt DiBenedetto will be among the drivers to kick off the New
Hampshire weekend a day early, as they are set to take part in NASCAR Night
at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass. - home of the Lowell Spinners, the Class
A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox - on Wednesday, June 24.


MacDonald, from Rowley, Mass., will have his No. 71 Grimm Construction
Chevrolet on hand at the ballpark, and they will be joined by NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour drivers Bobby Grigas III and Ryan Preece in signing autographs
for the fans and taking part in in-game ticket giveaways and on-field
promotions.


The Lowell Spinners play in the short-season New York-Penn League and have
sold out all of their home games dating back to 2000. In addition to being
the home to future Boston Red Sox, the club are routinely make headlines for
their original and wacky promotions.



New Englanders have lock on Victory Lane


Looking to pick the winner of Friday's New England 100? Narrow your search
for favorites down to those that hail from New England.


The win by Mayetta, N.J., native Martin Truex Jr.'s in the July 2003 race
was the last time a driver from outside of New England has gone to Victory
Lane in a NASCAR Camping World Series East race.


Of the 21 different winners over the 50 previous events at the 'Magic Mile,'
all six New England states have been represented. New Hampshire and Maine
have had six winners apiece, while Connecticut and Massachusetts have had
three each. Rhode Island's lone winner was Mike Stefanik (1995 and 2005).


Truex and his father are joined by fellow outsiders Steve Park and Mike
McLaughlin (both from New York) as the only non-New Englanders to break
through.


Other notes to keep in mind when looking for a favorite:



  a.. Just four rookies have won at New Hampshire - McLaughlin (1990), Park
(1996), Brad Leighton (1996) and Joey Logano (2007).


  a.. Only nine times has the pole winner gone on to win the race. Truex Jr.
and Leighton did it twice and it was most recently accomplished by Logano in
June 2007.


  a.. Joe Bessey's win from the 24th-starting position in 1994 is the
furthest back an eventual winner has begin. Only four times as the winner
qualified outside of the top 10.


Last year's event ...


Eddie MacDonald achieved what he called his biggest win of the season when
he emerged from a three-wide scramble with Matt Kobyluck and rookie Trevor
Bayne to pull off his first win at New Hampshire. MacDonald used the inside
lane to squeeze by Bayne just as Bayne was trying to take the lead from
Kobyluck on the inside.


MacDonald led the Heluva Good! 125 three times for 35 laps, taking the lead
for the final time on a green-white-checkered finish that stretched the race
to 127 laps. Bayne finished second, followed by Kobyluck and rookies Austin
Dillon and Ricky Carmichael.


Marc Davis, Mike Olsen, John Salemi, Brad Leighton and Brian Ickler rounded
out the top 10.