NASCAR in New Hampshire: How to watch, schedule and preview for the Dollar Tree 301

Nbcwashington · Aug 20, 2026 · 907 words · By Logan Reardon

Sports Preview NASCAR Championship Race

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What to know about Sports Preview

NASCAR returns to New England this weekend with the iconic lobster trophy on the line.

Claims checked 23

Techniques found 1

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

NASCAR returns to New England this weekend with the iconic lobster trophy on the line.

Why it matters

The Cup Series will visit New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon for its annual race at the "Magic Mile." Stream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now.

Common ground

The appropriately nicknamed one-mile flat track has been a mainstay on the NASCAR calendar since 1993, with famous former winners including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Sports Preview story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Hamlin leads the way with three victories at the track, followed by Logano, Bell and Keselowski with two each. Blaney is a one-time winner after his triumph last September?
How does this story connect Sports Preview with NASCAR Championship Race over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/nascar-new-hampshire-how-to-watch-sche…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 23 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 13

verified Verified By Reference 3

check_circle Corroborated 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 1

cancel Disputed 1

schedule

Claim 1: “Hamlin leads the way with three victories at the track, followed by Logano, Bell and Keselowski with two each. Blaney is a one-time winner after his triumph last September.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 2: “The appropriately nicknamed one-mile flat track has been a mainstay on the NASCAR calendar since 1993”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms the track is located in Loudon and has hosted Cup Series races since 1993.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2027 NASCAR Cup Series will be the 79th season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 56th season for the modern-era Cup Series. The preseason will feature the Wheat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2027_NASCAR_Cup_Series

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Stock car races in the NASCAR Cup Series have been held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire since 1993. A second race in September was also formerly held at the track from 1997 to…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASCAR_Cup_Series_at_New_Hamps…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — New Hampshire Motor Speedway (formerly known as New Hampshire International Speedway from 1989 to 2007, Bryar Motorsports Park from 1965 to 1989, and as 106 Midway Raceway from 1961 to 1964) is a 1.05…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire_Motor_Speedway

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 3: “Ryan Blaney is the defending New Hampshire winner, leading 116 of the 301 laps last year.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 4: “Chase Briscoe was second to Logano at Richmond last week while leading the most laps.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 5: “Ditching the convoluted playoff system used from 2014 to 2025, the series is going back to the "Chase" format used from 2004 to 2013.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found regarding a change in the playoff system back to the 2004-2013 'Chase' format.

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Claim 6: “famous former winners including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as winners at New Hampshire; while Kyle Busch isn't explicitly listed in the snippet, the general claim of these drivers as former winners is supported by the context of the track's history and specific mentions of Gordon and Johnson.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series was the 57th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 34th modern-era Cup series. The season began on Saturday, February 12. The ten-race …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_NASCAR_Nextel_Cup_Series

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmie_Johnson

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American sports comedy film directed by Adam McKay who co-wrote the film with Will Ferrell. It features Ferrell as the titular Ricky Bobby, an imm…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talladega_Nights:_The_Ballad_o…

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 7: “He added another victory in 2014 and has led more than 1,000 laps in 27 New Hampshire starts.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 8: “Denny Hamlin, 969 points; Ryan Blaney, 854 points; Ty Gibbs, 842 points; Tyler Reddick, 831 points; Chase Briscoe, 715 points; Chase Elliott, 695 points; Christopher Bell, 695 points; Kyle Larson, 660 points; Joey Logano, 659 points; Chris Buescher, 653 points; Carson Hocevar, 645 points; William Byron, 630 points; Daniel Suárez, 618 points; Bubba Wallace, 587 points; Austin Cindric, 574 points; Shane van Gisbergen, 567 points; Ryan Preece, 517 points; Ross Chastain, 504 points; Brad Keselowski, 489 points; Erik Jones, 486 points”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 9: “Whichever driver leads the points standings after the 10-race Chase will be the champion.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “Five of the 36 drivers in the field are past winners in New Hamsphire.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 11: “All 36 drivers hit the track for 50 minutes of practice on Saturday, a new procedure that will be used for the rest of the season starting this weekend.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence includes general NASCAR and 2026 season information but does not mention a new practice procedure involving 36 drivers for 50 minutes starting this weekend.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series was the 76th season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 53rd season for the modern-era Cup Series. The pre-season started with the Busch Li…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_NASCAR_Cup_Series

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 Fleetio 200 was a NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race held on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Contested over 147 laps on the 1.366-mile (2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Fleetio_200

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series is the 78th season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 55th season for the modern-era Cup Series. The preseason featured the Cook Out Clash…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_NASCAR_Cup_Series

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 12: “Austin Hill will continue to fill in for Kyle Busch, as he has since the former champion died in May due to sepsis.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found to support the claim that Kyle Busch died in May; in fact, other evidence mentions him in the context of racing history/stats, and no news of his death exists in the provided results.

schedule

Claim 13: “Josh Berry... currently has a three-race top-10 streak”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 14: “Thirty-six drivers will race in New Hampshire: the 36 full-time cars with no part-time entries.”

SINGLE SOURCE

One source mentions 36 drivers/teams for a New Hampshire race, but it specifically refers to the 'NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series', not the Cup Series mentioned in the claim.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States.New Hampshire's two U.S. senators are Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both of whom are Democrats and former gover…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The entry list for the Team EJP 175 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been released. There are 36 drivers/teams for 36 spots.
https://www.jayski.com/truck-series/2025-nascar-craftsman-tr…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — There was a lot of contact out there.. We were guilty of a few racing incidents as well. None of which were intentional...To the guy in the Red Camaro who blasted me in the rear under caution, I know …
https://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/viewtopic.php?id=38575

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Claim 15: “Tyler Reddick grabbing the pole with a lap time of 29.054 seconds.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources confirm Tyler Reddick won the pole at New Hampshire with a lap time of 29.054 seconds.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Tyler Reddick won the race. Brad Keselowski finished 2nd, and Noah Gragson finished 3rd.Cautions/Laps: 4 for 21 laps. Red flags: 0. Time of race: 3 hours, 13 minutes and 29 seconds.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_GEICO_500

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Tyler Reddick edges Josh Berry for NASCAR Cup pole position at New Hampshire.The 23XI Racing driver turned a 29.054 second lap (131.094 mph) in his No. 45 Toyota to capture the pole for Sunday’s race …
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/22/sports/nascar-new-ham…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Officially, Reddick clocked in with a lap time of 29.054 seconds (131.094 mph), which was enough to bump Josh Berry, the driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford, from the pole by a margin of 0.…
https://tobychristie.com/nascar/cup-series/tyler-reddick-bum…

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Claim 16: “Leigh Diffey (play-by-play), Jeff Burton (analyst) and Steve Letarte (analyst) will be on the call for USA Sports, with Marty Snider, Kim Coon and Dave Burns reporting from pit road and Trevor Bayne riding in the pace car.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the broadcast team consisting of Leigh Diffey, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte, Marty Snider, Kim Coon, Dave Burns, and Trevor Bayne.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Leigh Diffey, 2000 Coke Zero 400 winner Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte will call the race from the broadcast booth. Dave Burns, Kim Coon, and Marty Snider will handle pit road, while Trevor Bayne provi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Coke_Zero_Sugar_400

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — USA Sports detailed its branding and broadcast plan as it gears up to present the final 14 races of the 2026 Cup Series season.
https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2026/07/22/usa-sports-reve…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Leigh Diffey (play-by-play) is the lead announcer, along with analysts Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton in the booth. Pit road reporters will include Marty Snider, Kim Coon, Dave Burns and Trevor Bayne.
https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/sports/nascar-usa-sports…

verified

Claim 17: “The Cup Series will visit New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon for its annual race at the "Magic Mile."”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly confirms that NASCAR Cup Series races have been held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon since 1993.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series was the 77th season of NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 54th season of the modern-era Cup Series. Joey Logano of Team Penske entered the sea…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NASCAR_Cup_Series

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 18: “Logano winning last week at Richmond and last month at North Wilkesboro.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 19: “No bowtie has won at NHMS since 2016, with that being the only Chevy win in the last 19 New Hampshire races.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

cancel

Claim 20: “Green flag for the Dollar Tree 301 is set for Sunday, Aug. 23, at 2:10 p.m. ET”

DISPUTED

One source confirms the Dollar Tree 301 is on Sunday, Aug 23, 2026, but lists the time as 3 p.m., contradicting the claim's 2:10 p.m. ET start time.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Muppet Show is a live-action/puppet television series that was created by Jim Henson and produced by ITC Entertainment and Henson Associates. It premiered on 5 September 1976 and ended on 15 March…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Muppet_Show_episod…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 21: “Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell both have multiple wins at NHMS”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 22: “The top 16 drivers at the end of the regular season will advance to the Chase”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 23: “Logano scored his first career Cup win at NHMS way back in 2009 when he was just 19 years old.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.