Kevin Harvick has an opportunity to make NASCAR Cup Series history during the race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He can take the top spot on the all-time track wins list.
The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang has four career Cup Series wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This puts him in a tie with Jeff Burton, who won at the track in four consecutive seasons (1997-2000). Burton’s fourth win featured him leading all 300 laps.
What a battle. 🏁
Harvick first broke through at the track in 2006 with Richard Childress Racing. He then won for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2016, 2018, and 2019. His fourth win was significant as it was his first of the season.
Harvick held off Denny Hamlin in a wild battle and punched his ticket to the playoffs. He went on to win three more races before finishing third in the championship standings. Now, he will have an opportunity to win for the fifth time and break his tie with Burton.
“It’s definitely a racetrack that we’re looking forward to going to, and I can’t wait to finally, hopefully, get to Victory Lane,” Harvick said in a press release. “After Nashville, having the fastest car and having a tire go flat, and Phoenix and a couple of the other places where it just seems like it all hasn’t come together, we’re ready to finish off a weekend with a win.
“My guys are doing a great job of putting fast cars on the racetrack and Loudon is one of those places that checks a lot of boxes for us to go up there and have a good weekend.”
1 Harvick Win Had a Less-Than-Ideal Starting Position
GettyKevin Harvick waves to fans at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Harvick and Burton have the most wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and they have each delivered some dominant performances while leading a combined 1,569 laps.
Interestingly enough, only one of these wins began from pole position. Harvick led the field to green in 2006, and he led 196 laps before capturing the win. Burton never started from the pole in any of his four winning efforts.
This is not a surprise based on New Hampshire’s history. Of the 51 Cup Series races held at the track, 10 began with the winner lining up outside of the top 20. The July race in 1999 was a fitting example as Burton started 38th overall before going on to win.
Harvick nearly added to this stat during the 2016 season. He lined up 19th overall in the No. 4 Ford, and he went on to win after taking the lead from Matt Kenseth with five laps remaining. Harvick moved on to the Round of 12 in what was his 100th start with Stewart-Haas Racing.
Harvick Has Solid Odds Entering the Race Weekend
GettyKevin Harvick celebrates a win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
With Harvick having the most New Hampshire wins among active drivers, he automatically draws attention heading toward the 1.058-mile track. DraftKings even has Harvick as one of the drivers with solid odds to win.
The Closer enters the weekend at 9-1 overall. This puts him in a tie with fellow champions Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson. Three-time New Hampshire winner Denny Hamlin is just ahead of them at 7-1. Like his former teammate, Busch also has three wins at New Hampshire.
New Jersey native Martin Truex Jr. is at 13-2 as he seeks his first Cup Series win at the track. Though the 2017 Cup Series champion has an Xfinity Series win at New Hampshire from the 2005 season.
Christopher Bell holds the top spot in the initial odds at 11-2. The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is the defending Cup Series winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and he has three Xfinity Series wins in three starts.
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History Is on the Line for Kevin Harvick at New Hampshire