Qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather and Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was jeopardized. But the USA TODAY 301 NASCAR Cup Series race started at 2:06 p.m. ET with Chase Elliott, who leads the NASCAR standings, on the pole position.
The 301-mile race promises a tough route on one of NASCAR’s most unique tracks due to the combination of asphalt and granite – it is the Granite State, after all – on the relatively flat 1.058-mile oval. The circuit has produced many memorable races in its more than 20 years hosting the NASCAR Cup Series.
There are eight races left on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, so drivers will be competing for spots as the playoffs approach. Follow along for live updates of the race from USA TODAY sports reporters on the ground in New Hampshire.
More:USA TODAY 301 NASCAR race details and driver profiles
USA TODAY 301 race restarts in New Hampshire
LOUDON, NH – We’re back in Loudon. Tyler Reddick leads the 2024 USA TODAY 301 race with less than 80 laps remaining at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The race was delayed by two hours and 14 minutes due to bad weather. Crews worked to clear standing water on the track and teams replaced cars in wet-weather ties, which are relatively new to NASCAR.
Moments before the race restarted, two-time NASCAR Series champion Kyle Busch, who was already going through a tough day after multiple incidents, collided with the outside wall under caution coming out of Turn 3. Bush had enough, he got out of his Chevrolet and ran. in the NASCAR safety truck when another truck pulled his No. 8 Richard Childress Racing car off the track.
NASCAR trying to restart New Hampshire race
LOUDON, NH – After heavy amounts of rain at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, team crews and NASCAR personnel are trying to get “The Magic Mile” back into racing shape to complete the USA TODAY 301.
Teams have wet weather tires available, and race officials have told teams to prepare cars to use them. However, there is still a lot of water present on the track. Puddles and spray can be a problem if the red flag is removed because the cars do not have windshield wipers.
If the race does not restart, Tyler Reddick will remain the race-winner as the leader after 219 laps.
The race was put in jeopardy due to weather
Loudon, NH – The 2024 USA Today 301 was stopped on Lap 220 of the 301 due to heavy rain in the area.
Tyler Reddick and his team look to be quite savvy, as the No. 45 23XI Racing team decided not to pit after Stage 2 in favor of track conditions due to heavy rain in the area. He leads the race ahead of Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Hamlin is in an interesting spot, as he co-owns the No. 45 Toyota driven by Reddick along with Michael Jordan, but he also could be in position to win when the race resumes from Loudon, New Hampshire.
If NASCAR officials call the race early, Reddick will be the winner and the USA TODAY 301 will become official as Stage 2 ends.
The winner of the defending race is out
LOUDON, NH – Martin Truex Jr. was tipped from behind by Brad Keselowski, making the day go from bad to worse for the defending champion at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Truex had a problem with his right rear tire on the first pit stop and dropped from second to 26th.
Meanwhile, Tyler Reddick leads Denny Hamlin with less than 90 laps remaining. Reddick did not pit after Stage 2, so fuel will be a concern if cautions and incoming storms do not shorten the race.
Slow burn as storm approaches Truex
LOUDON, NH – Martin Truex Jr., once the race leader and second in Stage 2, dropped to 26th on a restart after a slow stop while changing the right rear tire.
Others also decided to change tires during the break, while some drivers decided to stay out, hoping that the storm would reach the track before the storm deteriorated their tire and/or fuel performance. With two stages completed, the race would be official if storms ended the race early.
Tyler Reddick was the big winner, starting in front of Michael McDowell on the Stage 3 restart.
Meanwhile, Joey Logano experienced a lockup on the first lap of the Stage 3 restart and damage to his car. The Chase Elliott was also damaged in the accident.
Denny Hamlin looks at New Hampshire history
LOUDON, NH – Denny Hamlin can move toward his fourth victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver started from 14th and took advantage of chaos caused by multiple cautions to win the second stage of the 2024 USA TODAY 301 race in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Martin Truex Jr. (second) was right behind Hamlin’s tail, followed by Joey Logano (third), Christopher Bell (fourth), Ryan Blaney (fifth), Todd Gilliland (sixth), Kyle Larson (seventh), Josh Berry (eighth) ) Are. , Chase Elliott (ninth) and Ross Chastain (10th).
A fourth win at New Hampshire would tie Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton for most wins at New Hampshire all time. It would also be Hamlin’s fourth win of the season, giving him the lead in the series.
Precautions are increasing in New Hampshire
LOUDON, NH – A few lap cautions at New Hampshire Motor Speedway caused a major setback at the 2024 USA TODAY 301.
First, Daniel Hemric’s spin on lap 142 brought a flurry of activity in the pit lane. Just a few laps later, Kyle Busch hit the wall and brought out another caution flag late in the second stage of the race.
Meanwhile, Alex Bowman suffered engine trouble during a caution for the Hemric incident and was forced to take his car to the garage.
Denny Hamlin took the lead from Joey Logano and both Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell were close behind him.
Martin Truex Jr. passed Bell on lap 138; the weather is blowing
LOUDON, NH – Martin Truex Jr. passes Christopher Bell on lap 138 of the 2024 USA TODAY 301 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Truex started from seventh position and after a few laps both he and Bell made green flag pit stops for new tires.
At the time of the move, Truex was behind only Todd Gilliland, who has yet to be pitted.
Meanwhile, the storm is moving west of the track and the area remains under a tornado watch.
Bell, Logano big winners after Stage 1; elliot mayhem
LOUDON, NH – Christopher Bell held his position for the final 27 laps of the first stage to maintain his lead of the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
New England native Joey Logano passed polesitter Chase Elliott on the final lap of Stage 1 to take second place in the stage. Elliott will be looking around to find out what exactly went wrong after leading for the first 42 laps of the race.
Others scoring points after Stage 1 were Ryan Blaney (fourth), Josh Berry (fifth), Martin Truex Jr. (sixth), Denny Hamlin (seventh), Ross Chastain (eighth), Tyree Reddick (ninth) and Alex Bowman (10th ) ).
Christopher Bell took the lead on lap 43
LOUDON, NH – Can Christopher Bell do it two days in a row?
Bell, the winner of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race, made a move on the inside of Chase Elliott to take the lead on the 43rd lap of the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Bell, who started fourth Sunday, systematically chipped away at Elliott’s lead over the last 10 laps. Elliott was ahead by more than three seconds at one point. Still, Elliott is nearly a second behind Bell with more than 20 laps to go in the first stage. -Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports
Chase Elliott jumped to the lead on the first lap
LOUDON, NH – Polesitter Chase Elliott went three lanes deep as the green flag dropped and made a statement on the first lap to lead the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Christopher Bell was right behind in second, followed by Ross Chastain, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.
What time is the USA TODAY 301 NASCAR race?
The New Hampshire race begins Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
How to watch USA TODAY 301 NASCAR races
USA Network is televising the race. It is also available to stream on the NBC Sports app and fuboTV. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and PRN Radio will also carry the race.
NASCAR is starting the lineup for the races today
- Chase Elliott, No. 9 Chevrolet
- Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Ford
- William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet
- Christopher Bell, No. 20 Toyota
- Alex Bowman, No. 48 Chevrolet
- Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford
- Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Toyota
- Ross Chastain, No. 1 Chevrolet
- Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Ford
- Josh Berry, No. 4 Ford
- Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Chevrolet
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45 Toyota
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Chevrolet
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota
- Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford
- Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Ford
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota
- Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet
- Carson Hocevar, No. 71 Chevrolet
- Noah Gragson, No. 10 Ford
- Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet
- Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Ford
- Justin Haley, No. 51 Ford
- Michael McDowell, No. 34 Ford
- Corey Lajoie, No. 7 Chevrolet
- Harrison Burton, No. 21 Ford
- John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Toyota
- Austin Cindric, No. 2 Ford
- Kyle Busch, No. 8 Chevrolet
- Ryan Preece, No. 41 Ford
- Eric Jones, No. 43 Toyota
- Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Chevrolet
- Zane Smith, No. 71 Chevrolet
- Kaz Grella, No. 15 Ford
- Ty Dillon, No. 16 Chevrolet
USA TODAY Qualifying for 301 NASCAR races canceled
Where drivers start can have a lot to do with where they finish, and the starting lineup for this race was determined by NASCAR’s metrics after qualifying was canceled due to weather on Saturday. The beneficiaries were, notably, Chase Elliott, who would start from pole position, and last week’s winner, Ryan Blaney, who would join William Byron, Christopher Bell and Alex Bowman in the top five, with Elliott starting on the front row. do.
Weather update for today’s New Hampshire NASCAR Sprint Cup race
It continued to rain throughout the morning but eventually stopped around 11:15 pm (ET). For the race, the sky is cloudy and there is humidity and foggy conditions. But everything is not clear yet. The National Weather Service placed the area under a tornado watch until 8 pm ET. It said the storms could move across the region this afternoon and “have the potential to produce damaging winds, large hail and isolated tornadoes.”
-Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports
USA TODAY 301 Drivers to Watch in NASCAR Races
Which drivers have the best chance to claim victory in the 2024 USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway? These are the top drivers to watch Sunday in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Martin Trax Jr. will be looking to make it back to back to back after winning at New Hampshire last year, while Chase Elliott will be looking to stand on the top step of the podium from pole position.
If it’s not one of those two who is hoisting the trophy after 301 laps, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin or Christopher Bell could be a good bet. , All have won in 2024 as well as a previous win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
-Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports
NFL star Matthew Judon talks NASCAR while driving the pace car
Wet weather before the start of Sunday’s Cup Series race ruined the opportunity for New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon to drive the pace car, which is a shame because Judon believes he can compete with his Patriots teammates. Is the best driver among.
The wet track meant Judon’s pace car training had to be canceled, so the four-time Pro Bowler will instead ride shotgun inside the official Toyota Camry XSE pace car before the green light at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“I probably wouldn’t ask my teammates anything about driving,” Judon said before the race. “I think I’m the best driver in the team. I come into this fresh, no knowledge and I’m really happy. It’s just a new experience.”
Could Judon’s driving skills lead to a future career in professional racing?
“Definitely, no,” Judon said. “I don’t even know how to drive a stick car.”
-Richard Morin, USA TODAY Sports
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