NASCAR At New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Ryan Newman Conquers The Magic Mile

Stewart-Haas Racing: 1^st, 2^nd

There is no questioning which team had the strongest run Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart were fast in the weekend’s practice sessions, swept the front row in qualifying and finished Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 with the team’s first ever one-two finish.

If you’re a card-carrying member of Junior Nation, you may want to cover your eyes.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. managed a 15th-place result on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but the finish dropped him another spot in the standings – from eighth to ninth – and left him perilously close to the edge of the top 10.

Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart started Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on the front row and the pair ended the day with a 1-2 finish.

Leading 119 of the 301 laps, Newman had a strong car throughout the day and enough fuel to last as he was able to hold off Stewart in the closing laps. Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top five.

Who will find that special something today at the “Magic Mile?” Find out along with the rest of us as the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 is about to take the green flag at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Chat with other fans and SB Nation’s Jeff Gluck – who is live at the track for today’s race. Make sure you have the auto-refresh button checked in order to see the latest comments from your peers.

Perhaps more than any other driver, Denny Hamlin understands the frustrations of fans mired in traffic last weekend at Kentucky Speedway. Driving to the track, Hamlin was stuck in the traffic and nearly missed the mandatory drivers meeting prior to the race.

This weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Hamlin was critical of the speedway, but also saw a silver lining in the problem.

Jimmie Johnson says Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate’s anti-NASCAR comments were made out of a lack of knowledge – but added they were nothing a trip to the racetrack wouldn’t fix.

Tate tweeted during Wednesday’s ESPY awards that Johnson – who was nominated for Best Male Athlete – shouldn’t have been included because NASCAR drivers aren’t athletes.

When NASCAR rolls into New Hampshire this weekend, its race teams will be looking at the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 as a crucial test.

What’s so special about a 1-mile oval in the middle of July? Simple: Since the Sprint Cup Series returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the Chase (it’s the second Chase race this season), this is a chance to get a leg up on the competition for the postseason.