Statistical
Advance: Analyzing The Heluva Good! Fall 125
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 15, 2009) - The NASCAR Camping World Series
East is set for the second and final event of the year at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway with the Heluva Good! Fall 125 this Friday, Sept. 18.
At New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
History
* Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New
Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was Aug. 13, 1989.
* The official opening was June 5, 1990 with the first race being a
NASCAR Nationwide Series race on July 15, 1990.
* The first NASCAR Camping World Series East race was held on Sept. 2,
1990.
* The track was renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2008.
* Is the largest racing oval - and the largest sports facility overall
- in New England.
Notebook
* There have been 51 NCWSE races all-time at NHMS, more than at any
other track.
* There have been 22 different race winners, led by Brad Leighton's
eight.
* There have been 25 different pole winners, led by Kelly Moore's six.
* Eddie MacDonald won both races at NHMS in 2009 and became the third
driver in series history to sweep a season at the track along with Mike
McLaughlin (1992) and Joey Logano (2007) . The series ran three or more
races at NHMS from 1993-2000 with no drivers able to complete a season
sweep.
* Matt DiBenedetto won the Heluva Good! Summer 125 in June, edging pole
winner Ryan Truex.
* There are four drivers on the Heluva Good! Summer 125 entry list that
have won at NHMS before: Leighton (8), MacDonald (2), Mike Olsen (1) and
Steve Park (1).
Up to Speed:
· Brian Ickler won the NASCAR Camping
World Series East
season-opener at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway on April 11 . Rookie
Brett Moffitt became the youngest driver in NCWSE history to earn a 21
Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light at the event.
· Matt DiBenedetto was victorious on
April 25 at Tri-County Motor
Speedway in Hudson, N.C., in just his second start . Rookie Alan Tardiff
earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award at the event.
· Kyle Busch made his NCWS debut in the
East/West combination race
at Iowa Speedway on May 17 in Newton, Iowa . He set the series' track
qualifying record and went on to lead 168 of 200 laps to capture the race
win.
· Moffitt became the youngest race winner
in series history at
South Boston (Va.) Speedway on May 30 . Ryan Truex also earned his first
career 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light.
· Truex earned his first career win at
Watkins Glen (N.Y.)
International on June 6 . DiBenedetto earned his first career 21 Means 21
Pole Award presented by Coors Light . Both accomplished those feats in
their first road course events.
· DiBenedetto emerged victorious at New
Hampshire Motor Speedway
in Loudon, N.H., on June 26 from a last-lap battle with Truex for his
second win in just four starts . Truex captured his second 21 Means 21
Pole Award presented by Coors Light on the year.
· Truex won at Thompson (Conn.)
International Speedway on July 11
. With the win, he took the points lead for the first time this year .
Steve Park earned his first NCWSE career Coors Light Pole Award at TIS.
· Park drove to Victory Lane at
Adirondack International Speedway
in Lowville, N.Y. . It was his first NCWSE win since 1996, and third
overall . Eddie MacDonald earned his first career Coors Light Pole Award
prior to the race.
· Truex recorded the road course sweep by
winning last time out at
Lime Rock Park . DiBenedetto earned the pole for the race.
· Truex will bring a 50-point lead in the
driver standings on
MacDonald to NHMS . The No. 18 Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing and J.D. Gibbs
is atop the current owner standings.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Eric Curran (No. 31 Chevrolet)
* Will make his third NASCAR Camping World Series East start of the
2009 season . Finished 16th at Watkins Glen International and 21st at
Thompson International Speedway.
* Debuted in the series with a sixth-place finish at Lime Rock Park in
2008.
* Finished 24th in the NASCAR Camping World Series West race at
Infineon Raceway on June 20.
* Competes regularly in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge.Ty Dillon (No. 3
Chevrolet)
* First-year driver for Richard Childress Racing.
* NHMS will be his third start . Finished eighth at South Boston
Speedway and seventh at Adirondack International Speedway.
* Son of former NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Mike Dillon, grandson
of Richard Childress and younger brother of 2008 NCWSE Rookie of the Year
Austin Dillon.
Max Gresham (No. 18 Toyota)
* First-year driver for Joe Gibbs Racing that splits time in the car
with Matt DiBenedetto.
* NHMS will be his third start . Finished fifth at SBS and 16th at AIS.
* Ran the NCWSW race at Iowa Speedway and finished third.
* This will be his last scheduled start in 2009.
Jesus Hernandez (No. 12 Dodge)
* Splits time in the Troy Williams Motorsports entry with Antonio Perez.
* Has made seven starts in 2009 with a best finish of fourth at
Adirondack International Speedway.
* Has 12 top fives and 18 top 10s in 32 career NCWSE starts.
* Finished eighth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June.
Jason Holehouse (No. 81 Toyota)
* Has two top-10 finishes in 10 career NCWSE starts . First eight
starts came at the WGI and Lime Rock Park road courses . Made oval track
debut with a 15th place finish at AIS.
* Recorded best career finish last time out at LRP with a third-place
effort.
* Is the chief instructor of the Eastern Region for the Skip Barber
Racing School.
Matt Kobyluck (No. 40 Chevrolet)
* The 2008 NCWSE champion . Has seven poles, 16 wins and 90 top 10s in
166 career NCWSE starts . Has won at 11 different tracks, but still
looking for first NHMS win.
* Has two top fives and six top 10s in nine 2009 starts and is fifth in
points.
* Finished 11th at NHMS in June . Best finish there is third - three
times.
Corey LaJoie (No. 36 Chevrolet)
* Made NCWSE debut at TIS in July and finished 19th.
* Notable career wins include an Aaron's Pro Challenge Series triumph
at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2007 and a UARA win at Rockingham Speedway
this past April.
* Son of Randy LaJoie, two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion.
Jody Lavender (No. 88 Chevrolet)
* Has 11 top 10s in 21 career NCWSE starts, including five in nine 2009
outings.
* Has previously held the points lead this year . Is currently third,
87 points behind Ryan Truex.
* Registered best career finish of second in the season opener at
Greenville Pickens Speedway.
* Finished fifth at NHMS in June.
Brad Leighton (No. 55 Chevrolet)
* The 1999 and 2000 NCWSE champion.
* Is second on the series' all-time wins list with 24 . Has 130 top 10s
in 159 career starts.
* Is the NCWSE all-time wins leader at NHMS with eight . Last was Sept.
13, 2003.
* Finished 18th at NHMS in June in his only other NCWSE race this year.
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Chevrolet)
* Has five wins and 47 top 10s in 119 career NCWSE starts.
* Is currently second in points, 50 behind leader Ryan Truex . Has
registered a series-high eight top 10s in nine starts and has completed
all but two laps.
* Won both NHMS races last year and finished sixth there in June.
* Won the prestigious TD Banknorth Oxford 250 - an open Late Model race
- on July 19.
* Plans to run the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Memphis Motorsports
Park in October.
David Mayhew (No. 19 Chevrolet)
* Will make his first career NCWSE start . Also plans to run at Dover
International Speedway.
* Has two wins, 13 top fives an 20 top 10s in 32 career NCWSW starts .
Is fourth in the 2009 standings with two wins at Iowa - the first as the
highest-finishing West driver in the May combination race and the second
in the September stand-alone event.
Brett Moffitt (No. 44 Chevrolet)
* Has seven top 10s in nine starts in his rookie season . Is seventh in
overall points and second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.
* Became youngest driver in NCWSE history - surpassing Joey Logano - to
earn a pole when he accomplished the feat in the season opener at GPS .
Also surpassed Logano by becoming the youngest race winner in series
history at SBS.
* Recently ran the NCWSW race at Iowa and finished fourth.
* Finished 27th at NHMS in June.
Steve Park (No. 35 Chevrolet)
* Has three wins and 21 top 10s in 35 career NCWSE starts.
* Earned first career NCWSE pole at TIS and was the AIS race winner.
* Is currently fifth in points, 78 back of leader Ryan Truex.
* Has wins and poles in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide
Series, Camping World Truck Series and Whelen Modified Tour in addition
to the NCWSE.
* Finished 10th at NHMS in June . Won there in June, 1996.
Joey Polewarczyk (No. 61 Chevrolet)
* Will make 2009 debut after running two races in the Dave Davis
Motorsports No. 03 in 2008.
* Made series debut at TIS last year and finished 16th . Also finished
sixth in the fall NHMS race.
* Is currently fifth in points in the American-Canadian Tour with a win
at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Derek Ramstrom (No. 53 Chevrolet)
* Finished 18th in his NCWSE debut at TIS and came home 12th in his
second start at LRP.
* Leads Super Late Model points in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
action at TIS on the strength of four wins.
* Is seventh in PASS North Super Late Model points . Won at TIS in July.
Josh Richards (No. 03 Chevrolet)
* Finished fourth in his NCWSE debut at GPS in the season-opener.
* Is second in World of Outlaws Late Model points with seven wins and
31 top 10s.
* Has ARCA starts this year at Kentucky Speedway and DuQuoin State
Fairgrounds.
D.J. Shaw (No. 60 Chevrolet)
* Made NCWSE debut in June at NHMS and finished 24th.
* Has competed in NWAAS action at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and has a
2009 win.
* Won the American-Canadian Tour race at Wiscassett Raceway in June.
* Is the son of 1994 NCWSE Champion Dale Shaw.
Kevin Swindell (No. 9 Chevrolet)
* Has three career NCWSE starts . Finished 13th at Mansfield
Motorsports Park and 16th at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2008 . Was third
at NHMS in June.
* Has competed in USAC Sprint and Midget races this year . Won Midget
race at Knoxville Raceway in May and Sprint race at Calistoga Speedway on
September 5.
* Is the son of three-time National Sprint Car Champion Sammy Swindell.
Alan Tardiff (No. 38 Chevrolet)
* Has six top 10s in 12 career NCWSE starts.
* All six top 10s have come in eight 2009 starts . Is eighth in points
despite missing WGI.
* Earned first career Coors Light Pole Award at Tri-County Motor
Speedway.
* Finished seventh at NHMS in June.
Ryan Truex (No. 00 Toyota)
* Has 10 career NCWSE starts . Made his series debut at Stafford Motor
Speedway in 2008.
* Is a Michael Waltrip Racing development driver.
* Took the overall points lead for the first time at TIS and currently
leads Eddie MacDonald by 50 points . Has six-straight top-three finishes.
* Is also currently leading in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points.
* Earned his first career pole at SBS . Second pole came at NHMS.
* First race win came at WGI . Joined father, Martin Sr., and brother,
Martin Jr., on the NCWSE all-time wins list in the process.
* Captured second career win at TIS . Joined his brother on the TIS
wins list.
* Third win of rookie campaign came last time out at LRP.
* Finished second at NHMS in June after a last-lap battle with Matt
DiBenedetto.
