The 2014 Sylvania 300 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on September 21, 2014, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Contested over 303 laps, it was the 28th race of the 36-race 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and second race of the ten race Chase for the Sprint Cup. Joey Logano scored his seventh career victory. Kyle Larson finished second while Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top five. The top rookies of the race were Larson, Austin Dillon (11th), and Justin Allgaier (20th).
Report
Background New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mile", the speedway is often converted into a road course, which includes much of the oval.
On September 16, BK Racing sidelined Ryan Truex and put Travis Kvapil in the No. 83 car. This was a decision made quietly and wasn't announced till Friday, September 19. No reason was given as to why this happened and the team has not announced the immediate future beyond this weekend. “I didn't have anything going on this weekend,” Kvapil said. “We had talked about doing something with the 93. These are my guys here. I had been with them for the last two years and feel I had a hand in building this team. I don't know what the plans are beyond this weekend, but it's good to be back.”
Entry list The entry list for the Sylvania 300 was released on Monday, September 15, 2014 at 10:01 a.m. Eastern time. Forty-three drivers were entered for the race.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski (PC2) Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 7 Michael Annett (R) Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Tony Stewart (PC3) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Matt Kenseth (PC5) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Alex Bowman (R) BK Racing Toyota 24 Jeff Gordon (PC6) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26 Cole Whitt (R) BK Racing Toyota 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32 Timmy Hill Go FAS Racing Ford 33 David Stremme Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 36 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 40 Landon Cassill (i) Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 41 Kurt Busch (PC4) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 42 Kyle Larson (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson (PC1) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Justin Allgaier (R) HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 66 Mike Wallace (i) Identity Ventures Racing Toyota 77 Corey Lajoie (i) Randy Humphrey Racing Ford 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 83 Travis Kvapil BK Racing Toyota 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 93 Clay Rogers BK Racing Toyota 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Chevrolet 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing FordOfficial entry list Key Meaning (R) Rookie (i) Ineligible for points (PC#) Past champions provisional
Practice
First practice Brad Keselowski was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 27.516 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 27.516 138.421 2 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 27.622 137.890 3 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.635 137.825Official first practice results
Qualifying
Brad Keselowski won the pole with a new track record time of 27.090 and a speed of . “Loudon's always been one of my favorite tracks, and we’ve won a couple poles here before,” said Keselowski. “But this one is a little extra special with everything that's going on and going through the Chase and what not. I'm ready to get running tomorrow and hopefully, we'll get another win. I try not to get caught up in statements, I'm just trying to go out there and do our job. The Penske team has done phenomenal this season, and it's great to keep it rolling." “I thought we had a really good car in race trim,” said Jamie McMurray who qualified second. “We ran a few laps in race trim to start today. Very similar to the same car we had here the first race. We switched over to qualifying trim we were second quick so yeah our car has been good so far. The track will change a little bit tomorrow when the rubber gets laid down, but overall it's been a really good weekend so far.” “We qualified a lot better this time than we did the last trip here,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “We saved a set of tires in practice too that will be a big benefit tomorrow in race trim. It was a good day.” Forty-three drivers were entered so no one failed to make the race.
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 27.281 27.090 2 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 27.377 27.121 3 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 27.342 27.193 4 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.328 27.253 5 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.368 27.260 6 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.328 27.319 7 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 27.345 27.354 8 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 27.286 27.398 9 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 27.403 27.412 10 42 Kyle Larson (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 27.321 27.425 11 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.404 27.428 12 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 27.338 27.449 13 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.412 — 14 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 27.412 — 15 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 27.413 — 16 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.430 — 17 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.436 — 18 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 27.445 — 19 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 27.485 — 20 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 27.495 — 21 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 27.498 — 22 3 Austin Dillon (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 27.502 — 23 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 27.506 — 24 51 Justin Allgaier (R) HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 27.542 — 25 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 27.558 — 26 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 27.563 — 27 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 27.582 — 28 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 27.676 — 29 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 27.684 — 30 40 Landon Cassill Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 27.803 — 31 26 Cole Whitt (R) BK Racing Toyota 27.858 — 32 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 27.863 — 33 93 Clay Rogers BK Racing Toyota 27.891 — 34 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 27.968 — 35 23 Alex Bowman (R) BK Racing Toyota 27.990 — 36 33 David Stremme Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 27.998 — 37 36 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 28.042 — 38 7 Michael Annett (R) Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 28.067 — 39 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Chevrolet 28.162 — 40 83 Travis Kvapil BK Racing Toyota 28.208 — 41 77 Corey Lajoie Randy Humphrey Racing Ford 28.306 — 42 66 Mike Wallace Identity Ventures Racing Toyota 28.472 — 43 32 Timmy Hill Go FAS Racing Ford 28.614 —Official qualifying results
Practice (post-qualifying)
Second practice Brad Keselowski was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 28.084 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 28.084 135.622 2 31 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 28.230 134.920 3 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 28.231 134.916Official second practice results
Final practice Brad Keselowski was going for the "perfect weekend" (topping the charts in every practice session along with winning the pole), but he came up short as Jeff Gordon was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 28.139 and a speed of . Corey Lajoie, who was making his first Sprint Cup Series start, tagged the wall in turn 4. Greg Biffle spun out exiting turn 2. The only damage that was sustained was a flat right-rear tire. In the closing seconds of the session, Tony Stewart got loose coming off of turn 4 and spun sideways down the front stretch.
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 28.139 135.357 2 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 28.160 135.256 3 4 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 28.164 135.236Official final practice results
Race
Start
The race was scheduled to start at 2:16 p.m. Eastern time but started three minutes early with Brad Keselowski leading the way, the first caution of the race flew on lap 36, It was a planned competition caution due to overnight rain. Denny Hamlin took just two tires and assumed the lead after David Gilliland pitted after staying out. Keselowski took four and exited pit road 16th, The race restarted on lap 41.
Second quarter Kevin Harvick took the lead on lap 71, Denny Hamlin was running second when he made an unscheduled stop for a fuel probe issue on lap 95.
Second Caution and restart Debris brought out the second caution on lap 105. The debris was from a Z-MAX decal that was located on the backstretch wall past the exit of turn 2. A NASCAR official eventually removed the logo. Harvick and Joey Logano traded the lead on pit road because of where Harvick's pit stall was located, The race restarted on lap 113, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was running sixth when he made an unscheduled stop for a loose wheel.
Third quarter Debris in turn 3 brought out the third caution on lap 170. Harvick and Logano once again traded the lead on pit road. Only this time, Logano exited first. The race restarted on lap 178, Caution came out for the fourth time on lap 180 when Martin Truex Jr. got into Cole Whitt and spun out taking David Ragan with him. Denny Hamlin slid into Ragan trying to avoid him. "Unfortunately, in this three-race deal you can't make any mistakes," Hamlin said of the new elimination format, in which four drivers will be out of contention after every third race in the 10-race run to the title. "And we didn't. But a parts failure put us down." "I hate to say it, but maybe some guys get some trouble and let us back in it. Other than that, it's going to be hard for us to do it without some help."
Restart and big wreck The race restarted on lap 187, Caution flew for the fifth time on lap 188 for another multi-car crash in turn 2. Matt Kenseth got loose exiting turn 2. He pancaked the front of Kyle Busch and that accordioned into Kasey Kahne and sent Busch spinning down the backstretch.
Fourth quarter The race restarted on lap 193 and caution flew for the sixth time on lap 194 when Brad Keselowski, racing for seventh with Kenseth, got loose and turned himself around in turn 2.
Restart The race restarted on lap 198 and caution flew for the seventh time on lap 201 after Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got turned by a loose Dale Earnhardt Jr. exiting turn 4, The race restarted on lap 206, Caution flew for the eighth time on lap 211 for debris on the backstretch. Brian Vickers stayed out when the leaders pitted and assumed the lead, The race restarted with 85 laps to go.
Midway