NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire

By Carol D'Agostino

Drivers with Most Top 10s (Last 5 Years):

By Race

Jimmie Johnson - 5
All with 3 -  Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne
All with 2 - Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman

By Track
Matt Kenseth - 8
Kyle Busch - 7

All with 6 - Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson
All with 4 - Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano

Recent Pole Winners:  

2016 Carl Edwards
2015 Carl Edwards
2014 Brad Keselowski

Last Year's Race Winner: Kevin Harvick

The Likely Suspects: The Magic Mile has always been a good place to run for these drivers: Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson.

My 2 Cents: Encumbered has been the word for the week as Chase Elliott's stage win last week was penalized. Points have always been important, however, the championship may very well come down to who can not only make the least mistakes, but also not get snagged with an unauthorized or illegal car issue.

My no-brainer pick is a tie between Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth. My next choices are Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman. I'll round out my team with Ty Dillon and Michael McDowell.

My Final Four: Matt Kenseth, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Ty Dillon.

Points to Ponder:

• 21 different Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won Coors Light poles at New Hampshire, led by Ryan Newman with seven.
• Eight drivers have won the pole for New Hampshire’s Playoff races. Among active drivers are Brad Keselowski (two), Ryan Newman (two) and Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick (each have one). 
• The first starting position and the 13th starting position are the two most proficient starting spots in the field, producing more winners (five each) than any other starting positions at New Hampshire.
• Joe Gibbs Racing leads the series in wins at New Hampshire in the MENCS with 10 victories; followed by Hendrick Motorsports (nine), Roush Fenway Racing (seven), Team Penske (six), and Richard Childress Racing (four).
• 24 of the 45 (53.3%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at New Hampshire have been won from a top-10 starting position.
• 10 different drivers have won the New Hampshire Playoff races, but only three have multiple wins – Kevin Harvick (two), Clint Bowyer (two) and Matt Kenseth (two). 
• Among active drivers, five drivers are tied for the series-most wins at NHMS with three each – Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson. 
• Three drivers have posted consecutive wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Jimmie Johnson (2003 sweep), Kurt Busch (2004 sweep) and Matt Kenseth (2015 fall, 2016 spring). 
• Among active drivers, Denny Hamlin leads the series in runner-up finishes at New Hampshire with four, followed by Kyle Busch with three.
• 54 different MENCS drivers have finished inside the top-five at NHMS. Among active drivers Matt Kenseth leads the series in top-five finishes at New Hampshire with 11, followed by Jimmie Johnson with 10. 
• 79 different MENCS drivers have finished inside the top-10 at NHMS. Among active drivers Jimmie Johnson leads the series in top-10 finishes at New Hampshire with 21, followed by Matt Kenseth with 20.
• Denny Hamlin leads Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at New Hampshire with a 10.000.

Remember, if you're playing Yahoo! Fantasy Auto Racing, your pick deadline is Friday, September 22, at 5 a.m. EDT.

Enjoy the race! Post your comments here or follow me on Twitter at @purplecatpr.