NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowsi signs autographs at NHMS at last year's race in June. NASCAR returns with a playoff race this weekend at Loudon. (Photo by Sam Nappi/NHMS)

LOUDON — Here are some news and notes regarding this weekend’s 58th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

New Hampshire hosted one race annually between 1993-96, then two races per year between 1997-2017 before returning to one race in 2018.

This is the 15th time New Hampshire hosted a Playoff race, but it is the first time since 2017.

The track hosted the opening round of the Playoffs between 2004-2010 and was the second race in the Round of 16 between 2014-2017.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is one of eight different tracks to host the fourth race of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, alongside Talladega Superspeedway (2006, 2007, 2008, 2012), Auto Club Speedway (2009, 2010), Charlotte Motor Speedway (2015, 2016, 2017), Dover Motor Speedway (2018, 2019), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2020, 2021), Texas Motor Speedway (2022-2023) and Kansas Speedway (2004, 2005, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2024).

A total of 17 different drivers have won the fourth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson leads the series in victories in the fourth race of the Playoffs with three postseason wins (2009, 2011, 2016). Joey Logano leads all active drivers with two wins (2014, 2015).

Ten different drivers have won the last 10 Playoff Round of 12 openers (2015-2024).

Four times a non-Playoff driver has won the fourth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs: 2004 (Joe Nemechek, Kansas), 2006 (Brian Vickers, Talladega), 2022 (Tyler Reddick, Texas), 2024 (Ross Chastain, Kansas).

Christopher Bell won this race last after NASCAR decided to wait out a 2:14:49 red flag for rain to go back racing with wet weather tires, Bell led the final 64 laps and won the race that ended at 8:10 after he was 9th on the last lap on slicks (the fastest lap on slicks was 30.032 seconds by Chase Elliott on Lap 3, fastest on wets was 31.565 seconds by Josh Berry on Lap 299)

Four of the last nine New Hampshire winners got their first win of the season.

In the Next Gen era, Toyota won all three races, all six stages and led 83% of the laps at New Hampshire.

Last year’s New Hampshire race had the track’s first overtime finish since September 2014 (12 races between).

Five drivers earned their first Cup win at New Hampshire, most recently Joey Logano in June 2009.

The driver starting first won once in the last 20 New Hampshire Cup races (Kyle Busch – September 2017).

Chevrolet leads all makes with 19 wins at New Hampshire but won only one of the last 18 races there.

New Hampshire is the only track where William Byron doesn’t have a top-10 finish (best finish in seven starts is 11th twice, most recently 07/22).

Christopher Bell won two of the last three New Hampshire races.

Only five entered drivers are New Hampshire Cup winners: Kyle Busch-3, Denny Hamlin-3, Joey Logano-2, Brad Keselowski-2 and Christopher Bell-2.

Joe Gibbs Racing had at least one car finish in the top-2 in the last 13 races at New Hampshire, the longest streak by a team ever at any track in Cup.

The last eight races of 2025 were won by eight different drivers.

Chase Briscoe, Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin lead all drivers in 2025 with 12 top-five finishes.

Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell lead all drivers in 2025 with 16 top-10 finishes.

The driver leading the most laps won five of the last seven races of 2025.

Toyota led 78% of the laps in the 2025 Playoffs and won all three races.

Chevrolet only has two top fives in the 2025 Playoffs.

All 12 drivers to advance to the Round of 12 have made it to the Round of 12 prior, nine of the 12 have raced in the Championship 4.

All four Championship 4 drivers from 2024 are still Playoff eligible: Blaney, Byron, Logano and Reddick.