Ambetter 301

Ambetter 301

NASCAR Cup Series
Venue	New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Location	Loudon, New Hampshire, United States
Corporate sponsor	Ambetter
First race	1993 (1993)
Distance	318.458 miles (512.508 km)
Laps	301[1] Stage 1: 75 Stage 2: 110 Final stage: 116
Previous names	Slick 50 300 (1993–1995) Jiffy Lube 300 (1996–1999) thatlook.com 300 (2000) New England 300 (2001–2003, 2005) Siemens 300 (2004) Lenox Industrial Tools 300 (2006–2007) Lenox Industrial Tools 301 (2008–2012) Camping World RV Sales 301 (2013–2014) 5-hour Energy 301 (2015) New Hampshire 301 (2016) Overton's 301 (2017) Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (2018–2021)
Most wins (driver)	Jeff Burton (3)
Most wins (team)	Joe Gibbs Racing (7)
Most wins (manufacturer)	Ford (12)
Circuit information
Surface	Asphalt
Length	1.058 mi (1.703 km)
Turns	4

The Ambetter 301 is a 301 lap (318.458-mile (512.508 km) annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.

Aric Almirola is the defending winner, having won it in 2021.

History[]

The race has been traditionally run in July, but from 2007 to 2010 it was run in late June or early July as the race preceding the Coke Zero 400 in order to allow that race to run as close to the 4th of July as possible. In 2011, the race returned to its traditional mid-July date. From its inaugural running in 1993 through 2007 the race was 300 laps, but after O. Bruton Smith and his company SMI bought the track their first date was given the moniker of the extra mile and was increased to 301 laps. In 2008, Kurt Busch won the race after it was called due to rain after 284 laps. One year later, Joey Logano became the youngest winner in NASCAR Cup Series history after the race was also shortened because of rain after 273 laps, at the age of 19 years, 1 month, and 4 days. Starting in 2018, it became the only event at the track because their fall race would be moved to Las Vegas Motor Speedway.^[2]

During the practice for the 2000 event, Kenny Irwin Jr. was killed after he lost control of his car, which slammed head on into the wall, causing it to flip onto its side. His cause of death, basilar skull fracture, was the same cause that killed Busch Series driver Adam Petty eight weeks prior at Busch 200 at the same track, leading NASCAR to make significant rule changes to maintain driver safety, including an experiment on using a restrictor plate for the next New Hampshire Cup race that season, the Dura Lube 300.

Race sponsorship[]

Foxwoods Resort Casino was the title sponsor of the race from 2018 to 2021

Newell Rubbermaid, through its Lenox Industrial Tools subsidiary, was the title sponsor of the race from 2006 to 2012. Starting in 2008, organizers added an extra lap to represent that Lenox Industrial Tools "is looking for users and suppliers of industrial tools that go the extra mile, whose jobs are physically demanding, day after day, and still find time to contribute to their communities in a meaningful way." The race was dubbed "The Extra Mile at the Magic Mile." Under the Lenox Industrial Tools sponsorship, the race was 318.5 miles (512.6 km) in length while the fall race, the Sylvania 300, is 317.4 miles (510.8 km). After Lenox Industrial Tools left as title sponsor, Camping World picked up the sponsorship of the event through its RV Sales department for 2013 and 2014, and since the 301 moniker became popular with the fans, NHMS decided to keep their July event 301 laps long. In fact, the first two races with the 301 lap distance did not go the whole distance.^[3]

In 2017, the race (along with the track's Xfinity Series race the day before) received sponsorship from water sports store Overton's (which is owned by Camping World), branding it the Overton's 301.^[4]

Starting in 2018, Foxwoods Resort Casino, located in Ledyard, Connecticut, became the title sponsor of the race after announcing a multi-year sponsorship agreement with the racetrack on May 31, 2018.^[5][6]

In 2022, Ambetter, which was the title sponsor of the Xfinity Series race at New Hampshire, became the title sponsor of the race, replacing Foxwoods.^[7]

Trophy[]

Unlike other races, the trophy is in the form of an American lobster provided by Makris Lobster and Steak House.^[8][9] After the winning driver poses with the lobster on victory lane, Makris pressure cooks it and sends the meat to the winning pit crew while a taxidermist reassembles the shell and mounts it on a trophy for the driver.^[10]

Past winners[]

Notes[]

• 2000, 2008, and 2009: Race shortened due to rain.
• 2006, 2013, and 2014: Race extended due to a NASCAR Overtime finish.
• 2020: Race postponed from July 19 to August 2 due to schedule changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 2021: Race delayed due to rain and shortened by eight laps due to darkness.

Multiple winners (drivers)[]

Multiple winners (teams)[]

Manufacturer wins[]

References[]

External links[]

• New Hampshire Motor Speedway race results at Racing-Reference