Chase drivers should pack top 10 at New Hampshire

New Hampshire Motor Speedway hosts this Sunday's Sylvania 300, the first race of the Chase. At 1.058 miles in length, NHMS isn't a very big track and with minimal banking is also a flat track by conventional descriptions. Patience is the key in racing at New Hampshire, so drivers will be immediately tested as the Chase begins.

Those drivers that can overcome the mental battle of racing this track rather than the competition will reap the rewards. Resurfacing at Loudon a few years ago has made it easier to pass but one thing is for sure, after 300 laps at this small, brutal oval we'll soon know just who is stepping up and challenging for the championship and who has a long, 10-race playoff ahead of them. The following is our weekly power ranking for the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

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1. Jeff Gordon
Gordon has been painfully close to visiting Victory Lane a couple times this season, and one of those occasions was earlier at Loudon. He led 64 laps and finished second thanks to rain cutting that event short. Four of his past six trips to NHMS have resulted in top-three finishes.

2. Jimmie Johnson
The three-time defending Cup champion sets out this weekend in search of an unprecedented fourth consecutive title. Johnson comes to a good venue to kick off this quest. He has narrowly missed Victory Lane in his past two Loudon races and has a five-race top-10 streak at the track entering this event. Johnson will have a championship focus Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

3. Denny Hamlin
Hamlin has been one of the hottest drivers in the series lately. With his big win at Richmond last weekend, he now has two victories and six consecutive top-10 finishes. The No. 11 team looks like a legitimate championship contender coming to Loudon. While Hamlin wasn't the greatest in his last race at NHMS, remember that he does have one win and four top-10s in his past six visits to the flat New England oval.

Fantasy Report

Mike Bell has a two-time Loudon winner at the top of his list of picks to click at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

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4. Tony Stewart
The No. 14 team is having their struggles entering the Chase. Stewart had a disastrous outing at Bristol a few weeks ago, and Stewart has been less than impressive in recent races at Atlanta and Richmond. Still, the Chase is on and the championship is now on the line. Stewart's Loudon record is too good to ignore. He has led more than 200 laps at the flat oval in his past four races there and he won the pole and finished fifth in this season's Lenox Industrial Tools 301.

5. Kyle Busch
Despite Busch's non-participation in the Chase, he still carries a lot of fantasy racing value depending on the track. A statement win would be a good effort in the Sylvania 300. Busch is fresh off a top-five run at Richmond and he finished seventh at NHMS in June. A similar performance should be in store this weekend.

6. Kurt Busch
Busch had another classic performance at Richmond last weekend with a runner-up finish in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. Loudon is a facility that the Penske Racing veteran truly loves. Busch is a three-time winner at New Hampshire and he carries a three-race top-10 streak at the track into this event. With a potential championship within reach, expect the No. 2 team to push the envelope at Loudon.

7. Greg Biffle
Biffle has been pretty steady recently. Another Chase berth could easily energize the No. 16 team. Biffle has collected three top-10s in the last five events coming into the Sylvania 300, including an impressive performance at Bristol. While the Roush Fenway Racing veteran doesn't boast the most impressive numbers at NHMS, he did win this event one year ago.

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8. Ryan Newman
With the Chase now a reality for Rocket Man, he can focus on just racing. While a championship this year is a slim proposition for the No. 39 team, that's no reason to discount Newman from a fantasy racing perspective. He carries a three-race top-10 streak into this weekend and hopes to extend it to four after the Sylvania 300. Newman is a one time winner at NHMS, and he led 17 laps here in June before bad luck relegated him to a poor finish.

9. David Reutimann
The No. 00 team may have missed the Chase, but they've been most impressive this season. The Michael Waltrip Racing star has come a long way in just a couple seasons of Cup racing. Reutimann posted his first career top-10 at New Hampshire in this season's Lenox Industrial Tools 301. We expect him to find that familiar groove Sunday.

10. Juan Montoya
Montoya is another of the Chase participants that makes up the bulk of our power ranking this week. The No. 42 team has been playing it safe lately so Montoya could make the Chase --- now we're going to see the real potential of this race team. Montoya loves the flat tracks since it plays to his familiarities of open wheel racing. He led six laps and finished 12th in June at Loudon and we expect him to perform even better this time around.