Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch: New Hampshire

For the last time this season, NASCAR will be heading to the northeast to delivery racing action. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is set to host both the Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. For the first time since 2017, the flat one-miler will be the location of a playoff race. The Cup Series is kicking off their Round of 12 while the Truck Series partakes in their Round of 10 finale. Both races should highlight how tight the battle is to stay above the cutline. For the playoff drivers, winning is the best way to ensure success in the postseason. Meanwhile, the remainder of the field will look to spoil the playoffs by winning. So far, no non-playoff driver has managed to pull off that task. Will one of the Critical Path Security 6 Drivers to Watch be able to do so in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire Motor Speedway certainly holds an intriguing place in the fans’ hearts. While never being one of the top tracks on the circuit, it would be unfair to claim that New Hampshire has failed to give enthralling entertainment. When a team hits on the setup right, the battle for the lead can be a snoozer. Meanwhile, differing strategies on long runs have led to intriguing developments between some of the contenders. Plus, the rain tires have allowed recent New Hampshire races to add some chaos into the mix. With the return of the playoffs (and the Truck Series) this weekend, will that help amplify the events?

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Denny Hamlin

Joe Gibbs Racing have dominated the field at New Hampshire since the introduction of the Gen7 car. Christopher Bell has rattled off 2 wins while Martin Truex Jr picked up his final Cup Series win at the track in 2023. After sweeping the opening round of the playoffs, JGR will look to continue these dominating ways this weekend. The obvious driver to watch from that organization would be Christopher Bell. Coming off his win at Bristol and recent history at New Hampshire, he will likely be the favorite. However, Denny Hamlin will certainly be an obstacle for Bell (and the rest of the field).

Denny Hamlin is a 3-time winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but his last win was in 2017. During the Gen7 races, Hamlin has still remained competitive in the Top-10. However, his winning ways have seemingly gone by the way side. His best performance in the last 3 races arouse last year before the rain. Hamlin won Stage 2 and led 43 laps in total. Yet, the damp weather tires ruined the day for Hamlin. With rain not looking likely for Sunday, that should not be a concern for Hamlin this weekend. Entering the Round of 12 as the leader in points, Hamlin could continue his march to a potential championship by winning his fourth lobster.

Ross Chastain

From a playoff driver above the cutline to one slightly under, Ross Chastain is now the lone Trackhouse Racing driver remaining in the battle for the championship. His New Zealander teammate could not overcome his struggles on the ovals to secure a spot in the Round of 12. It is all up to Chastain to carry the Trackhouse banner. Starting this round 2 points to the negative, Chastain will need to swiftly rack up points to put drivers under him in points. The ROVAL and Kansas should be melon-friendly tracks, but how does New Hampshire compare?

In his past 3 New Hampshire starts, Ross Chastain has collected 2 Top-10s. However, the Melon Man has failed to lead any laps nor remain highly competitive for the race win. The Top-10s are nice and will be helpful in putting Chastain on the right side of the cutline. That said, New Hampshire feels to be the track in this round that will give the 1 team the most fits. Last week at Bristol, the tire fiasco did not play well into Chastain’s hands. New Hampshire is another tire management race, so the recent history does not lend a lot of confidence in this 1 team. That said, Ross Chastain knows how to wheel his car to maximize its potential. Saturday might foreshadow a bad Sunday, but Chastain would be able to drag a poor car kicking and screaming to a Top-10.

Justin Haley

Despite what NBC’s playoff broadcast might imply, there are plenty of storylines to keep tabs on throughout the field. It is important that the non-playoff drivers receive the attention that has been earned (or deserved). One of the more intriguing storylines is centered around Justin Haley and the 7 team. With a lot of expectations heading into the 2025 season, the thought was Haley would take another step forward in his progress. Instead, this season might lead to Haley joining his third team in as man years.

Between the mutual parting with Rodney Childers to the rumors of a hot seat, Justin Haley finds himself as the center of silly season. Especially considering how slow it has been thus far, Haley and Spire Motorsports represents the only feasible (right now) opportunity for driver movement that is not attached to a lawsuit. Haley has underperformed this year, which is wild considering how much he dragged Rick Ware Racing into competitive speed. Through 29 races, Haley has only collected 2 Top-10s with an average finish of 21.6. Every race for the remainder of 2025 serves as a quasi-tryout. If Haley can repeat his Bristol performance more often, then the seat will cool. Will that happen this weekend in New Hampshire?

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Layne Riggs

Fresh off a win at Bristol Motor Speedway, Layne Riggs will look to ride the momentum through to the next race. At the moment, Riggs looks to be the best competition for Corey Heim. While Heim clearly has the better season going, Riggs’ 2025 campaign picked up well after closing out 2024 strongly. Through 20 races, the Front Row Motorsports driver has racked up 3 wins to go along with his 9.6 average finish. He has already surpassed his Top-5 and 10 total from last year with 5 races left to go.

Similar to the bulk of the Craftsman Truck Series field, Layne Riggs has no truck experience at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. However, this track would seem to play well into Riggs’s strengths. It is a flat, one-mile track that races similarly to IRP, which Riggs won earlier this season. With multiple groves and heavy braking, Riggs’s short track pedigree should be a boost to his performance. Similar to every other race, the odds would favor Corey Heim and Riggs as the two favorites. Will it turn into a battle between the two championship contenders?

Tyler Ankrum

Saturday will mark the elimination race for the Round of 10. For Tyler Ankrum, he heads into New Hampshire with a decent cushion of 29 points above the cutline. More importantly though, Ankrum has two drivers between himself and the cutline. Ankrum leads Kaden Honeycutt and Rajah Caruth by 11 and 15 points respectively. If Chandler Smith or Jake Garcia find their way to victory lane, that 2 driver buffer might be the key separation that Ankrum needs to do advance to the Round of 8.

Outside of the playoff bubble, Tyler Ankrum should be one to watch as an under the radar driver. When considering the Truck Series, the usual names that come to mind are Corey Heim, Layne Riggs, Grant Enfinger, and Ty Majeski. However, Ankrum is putting together a solid season in the McAnally 18 truck. Through 20 races, 2025 is set to be Ankrum’s career best. He picked up his first win since 2019 while setting career bests in Top-5s, Top-10s, laps led, and average finish. His average finish of 11.1 ties him with Ty Majeski for the fifth best mark in the Truck Series. Looking at his best tracks from this season, New Hampshire fits the mold for what works well with Ankrum. Expect a good showing from Ankrum as he should advance to the Round of 8.

More than likely, Gio Ruggiero will be winning the 2025 Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year award. With 5 races left to go, Ruggiero leads Connor Mosack by 115 points. Ruggiero has been the clear top rookie this season. With 20 races to his name, Ruggiero has racked up 4 Top-5s and 8 Top-10s. Although he missed the playoffs in a TRICON truck, it is difficult to be disappointed by Ruggiero’s season. At times, Ruggiero has looked to be a promising prospect that will rattle off wins one day. There is definitely room for improvement, but that will come with time.

When considering selecting Gio Ruggiero as a driver to watch this week, the difference between his good and bad runs do not play toward one track type or another. Road courses seem to be his strength, but the variety of results elsewhere makes it difficult to pin down where Ruggiero will shine. Plus, New Hampshire will be a new track for the majority of the field. Whether New Hampshire will be a great race for Ruggiero is part of the intrigue. For the (likely) 2025 Rookie of the Year, watching Ruggiero in these final 5 races might give an indication what to expect out of him next year. Will he take the next step like Layne Riggs did?

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