2021 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301

The 2021 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on July 18, 2021, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Originally scheduled for 301 laps, the race was shortened to 293 laps due to darkness. on the 1.058-mile (1.703 km) speedway. It was the 22nd race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. Aric Almirola led the last 28 laps to take a surprise victory, the third of his NASCAR Cup Series career, and his first on a non superspeedway.

2021 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301
Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Race 22 of 36 in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series
Date July 18, 2021 (2021-07-18)
Location New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire
Course Permanent racing facility
1.058 mi (1.703 km)
Distance 293 laps, 309.994 mi (498.887 km)
Scheduled Distance 301 laps, 318.458 mi (512.603 km)
Average speed 99.004 miles per hour (159.331 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Joe Gibbs Racing
Grid positions set by competition-based formula
Most laps led
Driver Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing
Laps 66
Winner
No. 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing
Television in the United States
Network NBCSN
Announcers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte
Radio in the United States
Radio PRN
Booth Announcers Doug Rice and Mark Garrow
Turn Announcers Rob Albright (1 & 2) and Pat Patterson (3 & 4)

Report

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Background

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New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the track where the race was held.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire, which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as the longest-running motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mile", the speedway is often converted into a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) road course, which includes much of the oval.

The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob Bahre. The track is currently one of eight major NASCAR tracks owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.

Entry list

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  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
  • (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
No. Driver Team Manufacturer
00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet
1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford
7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford
14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
15 James Davison Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford
22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota
24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford
37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford
41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet
47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet
52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford
53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford
99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
Official entry list

Qualifying

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Kyle Busch was awarded the pole for the race as determined by competition-based formula.[4]

Starting Lineup

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Pos No. Driver Team Manufacturer
1 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
3 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
4 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
5 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
7 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford
8 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
9 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
10 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
11 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford
12 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
13 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
14 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford
15 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
16 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
17 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford
18 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota
19 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
20 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
21 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
22 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
23 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford
24 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet
25 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
26 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
27 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford
28 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford
29 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
30 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
31 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet
32 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford
33 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
34 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet
35 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford
36 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet
37 15 James Davison Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet
Official starting lineup

Race

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Kyle Busch was awarded the pole. During the first few laps it began to rain and caused Busch to slam into the wall and others spun including Martin Truex Jr., and Alex Bowman. Busch would be unable to continue the race. The race was red flagged due to rain. When the race resumed, Joey Logano was penalized two laps for a crew member working on the car under the red flag. Bubba Wallace spun with a flat tire as Ryan Blaney won the first stage. Kevin Harvick would dominate, but Brad Keselowski won the second stage. In the closing laps, several laps were taken off of the distance due to darkness looming. Aric Almirola would take the lead from Matt DiBenedetto and hold off a charging Christopher Bell for the win, qualifying for the playoffs being 27th in points and needing a win to qualify.

Stage Results

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Stage One Laps: 75

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Points
1 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 10
2 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 9
3 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 8
4 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 7
5 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 6
6 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 5
7 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 4
8 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 3
9 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 2
10 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 1
Official stage one results

Stage Two Laps: 110

Pos No Driver Team Manufacturer Points
1 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 10
2 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 9
3 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 8
4 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 7
5 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 6
6 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 5
7 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 4
8 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 3
9 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2
10 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 1
Official stage two results

Final Stage Results

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Stage Three Laps: 116

Pos Grid No Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points
1 22 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 293 46
2 9 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 293 40
3 11 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 293 53
4 15 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 293 33
5 7 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 293 50
6 12 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 293 47
7 10 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 293 35
8 20 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 293 34
9 5 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 293 3
10 6 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 293 38
11 14 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 293 28
12 2 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 293 25
13 8 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 293 33
14 21 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 293 23
15 29 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 293 22
16 4 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 292 22
17 13 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 292 20
18 3 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 292 7
19 24 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 292 18
20 31 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 292 17
21 16 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 292 16
22 25 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 292 15
23 26 7 Corey LaJoie Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 292 14
24 28 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 292 13
25 23 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 292 12
26 18 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 292 11
27 19 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 291 10
28 30 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 291 0
29 17 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 290 8
30 32 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 288 0
31 34 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 285 0
32 27 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 285 5
33 33 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 283 0
34 35 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 280 3
35 36 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 187 2
36 37 15 James Davison Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 40 1
37 1 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 8 1
Official race results

NOTE: Race shortened to 293 laps by darkness.

NOTE: The 9 and 48 teams were penalised 25 points each on July 22, 2021, by NASCAR for an engine violation. Teams are limited to 20 engines during the Cup Series season, as eight full engines, known as long blocks, and eight short blocks, consisting of the engine block, connecting rod, pistons, crankshaft, and camshaft, must be sealed and reused for a second race. As reported by Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, special rules are in place when a team wins a race. Such race winning engine is marked by a car number, and can only be reused by the same team that used the engine in the race win. At this event, the 48 team used an engine previously raced by the 9 team at either Austin or Road America. By rule, because it was a race winning engine, only the 9 team can reuse that sealed engine. The infraction was discovered when the 48 engine in question was inspected and the 9 car tab was found.[7][8]

Race statistics

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  • Lead changes: 14 among 10 different drivers
  • Cautions/Laps: 6 for 37
  • Red flags: 1 for 1 hour, 41 minutes and 22 seconds
  • Time of race: 3 hours, 7 minutes and 52 seconds
  • Average speed: 99.004 miles per hour (159.331 km/h)

Race recap

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Kyle Busch would jump to the lead on the start with Truex Jr. following. Throughout the start, light rain started to increase into heavier rain. In an accident similar to the start of the 2001 The Winston, on lap 6 rain picked up heavily in Turn 1, causing the leaders including Kyle Busch. Truex Jr., and Hamlin to all spin and collect damage. As rain picked up even further, NASCAR decided to stop the race on lap 9. Aric Almirola would win. The race did not run the full 301 laps due to sunset.

Media

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Television

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NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Dale Earnhardt Jr., four-time and all-time Loudon winner Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte called the race from the broadcast booth. Marty Snider and Dillon Welch handled the pit road duties from pit lane.

NBCSN
Booth announcers Pit reporters
Lap-by-lap: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Color-commentator: Jeff Burton
Color-commentator: Steve Letarte
Marty Snider
Dillon Welch

Radio

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PRN had the radio call for the race, which was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice and Mark Garrow called the race from the booth when the field races down the frontstretch. Rob Albright called the race from turns 1 & 2 and Pat Patterson called the race from turns 3 & 4. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan and Alan Cavanna handled the duties on pit lane.

PRN
Booth announcers Turn announcers Pit reporters
Lead announcer: Doug Rice
Announcer: Mark Garrow
Turns 1 & 2: Rob Albright
Turns 3 & 4: Pat Patterson
Brad Gillie
Brett McMillan
Alan Cavanna

Standings after the race

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References

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  1. ^ "2021 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  2. ^ "New Hampshire Motor Speedway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on May 2, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  3. ^ "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Starting Lineup". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  5. ^ "Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. July 18, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  7. ^ Pockrass, Bob. "Bob Pockrass on Twitter". Twitter.com. Twitter. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  8. ^ "Nos. 9, 48 in Cup get L1-level penalties after New Hampshire". NASCAR.COM. NASCAR Digital Media. Retrieved 2021-07-21.


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