2017 ISM Connect 300

The 2017 ISM Connect 300 was a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held on September 24, 2017, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Contested over 300 laps on the 1.058 mi speedway, it was the 28th race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, second race of the Playoffs and second race of the Round of 16.

On March 8, 2017 it was announced that the fall NHMS date would move to Las Vegas Motor Speedway starting in 2018.

Background
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a 1.058 mi 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 1.6 mi road course, which includes much of the oval.

The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob Bahre. The track is currently one of eight major NASCAR tracks owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.

First practice
Kyle Larson was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 28.065 seconds and a speed of 135.714 mph.

Qualifying
Kyle Busch scored the pole for the race with a time of 28.203 and a speed of 135.049 mph.

Second practice
Kyle Larson was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 28.727 and a speed of 132.586 mph.

Final practice
Martin Truex Jr. was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 28.932 and a speed of 131.647 mph.

Start
Kyle Busch won the pole for the ISM Connect 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Busch took the lead on the drop of the green flag and led for 39 laps. On lap 40 the circuit’s hottest driver, Martin Truex Jr., passed Busch. Truex held on for the next 38 laps to win his 19th Stage of the year. Adding another playoff point to his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series leading total of 59. Kyle Larson started on the front row with Busch and passed him to take second in Stage One. Busch finished third.

Kyle Larson started on the front row with Busch and passed him to take second in Stage One. Busch finished third. Byron, Michigan native and current Rookie of the Year points leader, Erik Jones finished fourth. The only no-playoff driver in the top 10 at the end of Stage One. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. slapped the wall on lap seven. A similar incident at Chicagoland last week cost Stenhouse dearly. Forcing him to the pits and putting him laps down early. Stenhouse avoided pitting and stayed on the lead lap this week. But, was the lowest finisher of the playoff competitors in Stage One.

During the stage ending caution, everyone pitted for tires and fuel. Truex exited the pits, still in the lead.

Stage 2
Martin Truex Jr. restarted first and held the lead for the next 74 laps. Two laps from the end of the Second Stage, Kevin Harvick spun coming off turn two. With the assistance of a slight tap from Austin Dillon. Kevin Harvick hit the gas trying to straighten the car out and covered the backstretch in heavy tire smoke.

Kurt Busch, unable to see through the dense cloud, plowed into Kevin Harvick’s car. Severe front end damage ended the day for the 41. Truex got caught up in the melee and spun around tapping Dale Earnhardt, Jr.. As Truex worked to straighten his car and continue, he backed into the 88 car doing damage to the left rear near the fuel inlet. Kyle Busch snuck through the mess to win the Stage, with Matt Kenseth taking second.

The race was red flagged as the cars of Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch had to be pulled apart by track crewman. Attention from the wrecker prevented Harvick from attempting to repair the car and return to the race.

Final stage
Kyle Busch started the final stage in front. Martin Truex Jr.’s crew repaired the car in the pits as best they could. Truex started Stage Three in 18th, the last car on the lead lap. Kenseth started second and Jones third. On lap 214 of 300, Truex moved back into the top 10.

The caution flew on lap 221 for debris on the track. As the pits opened the leaders pitted for possibly the final time. Giving everyone fresh tires and enough fuel to finish the race. As the race went back to green, Busch again led with Larson second and Kenseth third. Erik Jones ran fourth and Brad Keselowski worked himself into the fifth position.

With 37 laps to go, Kasey Kahne stopped on the race track trying to enter the pits with a suspension issue. Forcing NASCAR to display the yellow flag. Kahne was penalized for intentionally causing a caution. The penalty was meaningless as Kahne’s crew took the car to the garage for repairs to the rear suspension. During the caution, again all the leaders pitted for fresh tires. Martin Truex Jr. only took two tires while the rest of the leaders took four. The move put the 78 car back in the lead with Kyle Busch second. Kenseth in third, Kyle Larson in fourth and Brad Keselowski in fifth, coming to the restart.

David Ragan spun coming to the green, bringing out the caution again. Truex dropped to fourth sliding through turn one on older tires. While Clint Bowyer surged into second. On the restart, Bowyer misjudged the green flag and Busch jumped to a big lead dragging Truex with him. Again the caution flew before they could complete a single lap. Trevor Bayne spun coming off turn two.

The final restart of the day saw the green flag drop with 23 laps to go. Busch keeping the lead with Larson taking second, Martin Truex Jr. in third and Matt Kenseth fourth. Kyle Busch held on for the victory. Punching his ticket into the next round of the playoffs. Kyle Larson finished second, Matt Kenseth passed Truex for third, and the Ford of Brad Keselowski taking fourth. Truex finished fifth, his teammate Erik Jones sixth, and Clint Bowyer’s Ford Fusion in seventh. Rookie of the Year contender, Daniel Suarez placed eighth. With the Fords of Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano ninth and tenth.

Playoff Standings
Truex and Busch are on to the Round of 12 with wins. Larson and Keselowski are locked in, 81 and 62 points above the cut line respectively. Fifth thru 10 are likely to move on baring a major shakeup of the standings at Dover. Denny Hamlin(11) holds that fifth spot, 44 points above the cut line. Matt Kenseth is +43, Jimmie Johnson is +32, and Blaney is 26 points to the good. Chase Elliott, despite his 15 point penalty for cheating last week holds ninth +26. Kevin Harvick’s wreck dropped him to 10th, but still 25 points above the line.

Jamie McMurray moved to +9, but in 11th could still be in danger of dropping into the bottom four. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Austin Dillon are virtually tied in the bubble position. Ryan Newman(31) is 14th only 1 point behind the pair fighting for the last advancement position. Kurt Busch -17 and Kahne -21 are in a must-win situation if they expect to advance out of round one.

Stage results
Stage 1 Laps: 75

Stage 2 Laps: 75

Final stage results
Laps: 150

Race statistics

 * Lead changes: 3 among different drivers
 * Cautions/Laps: 6 for 32
 * Red flags: 1 for 13 minutes and 1 second
 * Time of race: 2 hours, 54 minutes and 47 seconds
 * Average speed: 108.958 mph

Television
NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton – the all-time wins leader at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with four wins – and Steve Letarte had the call in the booth for the race. Parker Kligerman, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast reported from pit lane during the race.

Radio
The Performance Racing Network had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

Standings after the race

 * Drivers' Championship standings


 * Manufacturers' Championship standings
 * Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.