FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, July 17th, 2016

NOTES & QUOTES FROM NBCSN’s NASCAR SPRINT CUP COVERAGE FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

“He is building momentum for another Championship run.” – Jeff Burton on Race Winner Matt Kenseth

 

“Jeff is a team player. I hope we don’t have to use him, but he is there. I think he is a pretty good backup.” – Rick Hendrick to Marty Snider on Gordon Potentially Driving in Indy

 

LOUDON, N.H. – July 17, 2016 – NBC Sports Group presented over 19 hours of trackside action from New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend, highlighted by this afternoon’s coverage of the New Hampshire 301 on NBCSN. NBC Sports’ lead broadcast team of Rick Allen, Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton called the race. Krista Voda, Kyle Petty and Dale Jarrett hosted Countdown to Green, along with post-race coverage. Marty Snider, Mike Massaro, Kelli Stavast and Dave Burns reported from pit road.

 

At the conclusion of 301 laps, Matt Kenseth secured his 38th Sprint Cup victory.

 

Position Driver Car #
1 Matt Kenseth 20
2 Tony Stewart 14
3 Joey Logano 22
4 Kevin Harvick 4
5 Greg Biffle 16
6 Jamie McMurray 1
7 Ryan Newman 31
8 Kyle Busch 18
9 Denny Hamlin 11
10 Ricky Stenhouse Jr 17

 

The following are highlights from this afternoon’s Sprint Cup coverage from New Hampshire on NBCSN, in reverse chronological order.

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE 301 COVERAGE

 

Burton on race winner Kenseth: “He is building momentum for another Championship run…Without a doubt you have to consider him. He is driving for the hottest team in racing and he has the experience to get it done.”

 

Letarte on front runners racing to the finish: “A much better finish than many of them hoped. They are all going to put their mittens on and race politely from here to the finish.”

 

Burton on unexpected front runners: “I think Biffle, McMurray, Newman, Stenhouse Jr. and Blaney all want five (clean) laps too. They don’t want a caution. They want to squeak out of here with decent finishes. They just want this thing to end.”

 

Burton on the changing front runners in the final laps: “Kyle Busch must be like, ‘who are all these guys I’m racing, I haven’t raced them all day.’ He has been in front of them all day and now he is in a battle with them.”

 

Burton on Truex Jr.’s consistent season: “Everyone thinks that a mile and a half track is a mile and a half (track), I promise you they are all completely different in the way you drive and the way you have to set the race cars up. They have shown the ability to run well at every one of these tracks.”

 

Letarte on adjusting the car when you are leading the race: “When you have two cars that dominate the day like Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch has, it is hard to continue to work on your car, and try to make it better. Because you are already up front and you are already leading laps. You think perhaps you already have the car you need.”

 

Letarte at just over half way through the race: “This has the feeling of a classic New Hampshire race…But statistics would say if we have this many green flag laps early in a race here at Loudon, you are going to have a lot of cautions late.”

 

Rick Hendrick to Snider on Gordon potentially driving in Indy: “(Jeff Gordon) set himself up. I said ‘what are you doing next weekend?’ and he said ‘well I’m going to be in Indy making an appearance.’ And I said ‘well if Dale can’t go, bring a uniform.’ I think he thought I was kidding at first. But Jeff is a team player. I hope we don’t have to use him, but he is there. I think he is a pretty good backup.”

 

A link to the full interview is available here.

 

–NBC SPORTS GROUP–