The NASCAR Cup Series rolls this weekend into the Northeast, where the USA Today 301 on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (weather permitting) will mark the end of the first half of the season.
The race in Loudon, New Hampshire, features a unique NASCAR trophy: a live lobster for the winner.
Let’s look at three drivers to watch – a favorite, a contender and a dark horse – as well as one to avoid at the “Magic Mile.”
Favorite: Martin Truex Jr. (+500, per DraftKings as of Friday afternoon)
Truex Jr. has done everything but win in 2024 and now he heads to quite possibly his best track. He has led more laps at Loudon than he has anywhere else in his career aside from Richmond. In a dominant performance last season, Truex Jr. finally earned his first win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
That was his most recent trip to victory lane and after announcing last week that he will step away from full-time competition following the conclusion of this season, he may have best chance to notch another win on Sunday. Truex has the second-best odds behind only his teammate, Christopher Bell.
Contender: Ryan Blaney (+750)
Last week, Blaney was designated as one to avoid in Iowa, but he led more than half the race and won. So, to avoid that mistake again, he makes this week’s highlighted three to watch and offers perhaps Truex’s biggest competition for favorite status.
Blaney is one of the hotter drivers on the circuit. If not for running out of gas coming to the white flag at Gateway a few weeks ago, he would have two wins in the past three races. Loudon is perhaps the track most similar to Gateway, so Blaney should contend once again. His odds are only fifth highest on the board. Take them.
Dark horse: Bubba Wallace (+4000)
In two races at Loudon with NASCAR’s NextGen car, Wallace has finished third and eighth. He hasn’t shown a whole lot of win-contending speed in 2024, but he’s also racing with extra motivation each week due to his status as the guy everyone is chasing for the final playoff spot.
Nothing would ease those nerves like a win and it seems the oddsmakers are sleeping on Wallace this week. Grab him at these odds while you can.
Avoid: William Byron (+1200)
Byron has become a threat at virtually every track type, but Loudon is perhaps his worst track on the schedule. He has never finished better than 11th and has led only nine laps in six starts – those all came last year in a race in which he faded to 24th.
It’s always possible the three-time winner this season could turn around his fortunes, but these odds – tied for eighth highest – don’t feel worth the risk.
