Someone reached in and grabbed it, Was a rock lobster! -“Rock Lobster” by the B-52s
Break out the butter and the lemon wedges, folks. This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The “Magic Mile” has a few different favorites, but obviously the big one is Christopher Bell. He’s never lost a NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at the track. Plus, he’s won here twice in the Cup Series.
Only Denny Hamlin is ahead of him among the winningest active drivers at the 1.058-mile oval. Of course, that makes Hamlin an obvious favorite too. But don’t sleep on Hendrick Motorsports, which has started to turn a corner recently, so keep an eye on those guys.
Despite what has been a breakout season, stay away from Ty Gibbs this week. He’s never finished better than 26th at this track.
Fantasy Forecast
Christopher Bell $10,700
Bell is not just a favorite this week, he’s the correct choice.
The guy is just so good here. You’re going to get laps led, you’re going to get fastest laps, you’re going to get position points because he’s starting sixth.
He’s won 33.3% of his starts at the track, and that is more than enough for me to say this is a slam dunk. It’s time for Bell to turn those seven runner-up finishes into a trip to victory lane.
William Byron $9,000
I’m telling you guys; Hendrick is going to get the ship turned in the right direction, and last week at Richmond Raceway was a significant step.
Crew chief Rudy Fugle is one of the top minds in the garage area, and the famous No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro looked really great in both qualifying and practice.
I don’t know if William Byron is ready to snap his winless streak right now, but I expect another big step for this team tomorrow.
Tyler Reddick $8,700
Tyler Reddick has really struggled recently, but I saw an old familiar friend to the 23XI team in Virginia last week: speed.
I do worry that the luck that carried this team to five wins early on in 2026 may have run out, though, so I’m curious to see what happens to him from the pole.
Something else that bothers me is how painfully average he’s been at this racetrack over the years. His best finish was sixth in back-to-back races.
Ryan Preece $7,300
Remember when it looked like Ryan Preece was going to be a real threat to win a points-paying race this season?
I do. I also remember that his background with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is illustrious at this track, with two big wins here in his time.
I don’t think Preece is going to be the winner by any means. But a decent start from 18th will likely mean a top 15 run for this grassroots superstar.
Alex Bowman $7,000
Welcome back to the lineup, Showman.
As I said, Hendrick Motorsports is on the upswing, and I really like the chances of the flagship cars this weekend.
After all, not only did Alex Bowman turn in his first top 10 in quite a while last weekend, but he also qualified there this weekend. I look for this team to end up top 10 once again.
And all of it comes at a bargain, no less.
Shane Van Gisbergen $6,900
Did you expect Shane van Gisbergen to put his car in the top five in qualifying? If you say yes, you’re a liar.
After dropping to 16th following last week’s race at Richmond, it’s time for all-out assault for Team Trackhouse to protect the current 50-point cushion and keep SVG eligible for the Chase.
Plus, this team and the driver have grown so much on ovals, particularly on short tracks that share characteristics with New Hampshire. I look for a sneaky top 10 for him this week.
Top Bets of the Week
Christopher Bell +400
I love Bell this week, absolutely love the pick. I am so concerned that this is another runner-up finish in the making, though. I said it on the fantasy side, but if there was ever a place for Bell to get the monkey off his back, it’s New Hampshire.
Dark Horse: Josh Berry +1500
Similar to how I view Preece, Josh Berry has so much experience on ovals just like this. What’s more, he’s put the legendary No. 21 Ford Mustang on the outside pole. I’m always down to bet on a man racing for his life. If you need any more reason to pick Berry, let me give you this little nugget:
He’s never finished a Next Gen race worse than third here.
Garrett joined Frontstretch as a news writer in 2023, and became a fantasy racing and betting writer in 2024. Hailing from the heart of coal country in southern West Virginia, he's a married father of three and a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant there.
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