USA Today 301

The 18th race of the 2024 NASCAR calendar is going to be the USA Today 301. The race will return to its original name after being sponsored by Crayon Software Experts in 2023. It was one of the premier events at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The USA Today 301 has a unique trophy for its winner. The Makris Lobster and Steak House of Concord, New Hampshire provide their best and heaviest lobster for the race. The winner poses with the live lobster in the victory lane. This lobster later proceeds to the dining table of the winning crew and the shell is mounted on a trophy by a taxidermist. The celebrations are nearly the same except for 2008. Kurt Busch, the then winner of the race, donated his lobster to the New England Aquarium but it died on arrival.

The USA Today 301 will serve as a positive note for the defending Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney. He confirmed his spot in the playoffs for yet another Chase for Cup battle by winning the Iowa Corn 350 on Sunday, June 16. The Regular Season has provided us with 10 different drivers and only six spots remain for the Playoffs.

USA Today 301 history

The USA Today 301 has been a staple race in NASCAR since their 1993 calendar. It is a race which usually takes place in late June or early July. There have been no changes to its format ever since its introduction. The only significant change was the addition of an extra lap in 2008 to give the race its iconic 301 moniker.

The race has been historic for NASCAR Joey Logano, who achieved the record of being the youngest race winner in NASCAR at the 2009 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 (the then name of the race). The first USA Today 301 race was won by Rusty Wallace for Penske Racing. Martin Truex Jr. is the defending champion at the New Hampshire Speedway.

USA Today 301 2024 schedule

The USA Today 301 in 2024 will be a 301 lap race that will be held over the weekend from June 21st to June 23rd. The Qualifying session for the race will be held on Saturday, 22nd June from 1:20 PM Eastern Time. The final race will be a three stage event. It will be divided into Stage 1- 75 laps, Stage 2- 110 laps and the final Stage which will be of 116 laps. The race is going to be held on Sunday from 2:30 PM Eastern Time. The race will take place over a distance of 318.458 miles.

USA Today 301 2024 venue

The USA Today 301 2024 will take place at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. The track is a 1.058 mile Speedway oval. The surface of the circuit is asphalt and granite, with a banking of 2 to 7 degrees on its turns. The lap record of the circuit is held by Brad Keselowski, who set a lap time of 0:29.862 in his Ford Mustang in 2021. The Speedway is nicknamed the “Magic Mile”.

USA Today 301 2024 Drivers Standings

The driver standings for the race are led by Chase Elliot who has already secured his spot in the playoffs with one victory. Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and William Byron are ones following his tow with three victories each. The Driver Standings have undergone many changes after the last race results. Here are the Top-10 Drivers on the eve of USA Today 301 2024:

Drivers with most wins in the USA Today 301

Jeff Burton has registered the most number of victories at the USA Today 301. He has accumulated three victories in the race throughout his career. Joe Gibbs Racing is the most successful team in the USA Today 301 with nine victories in the history of the event.

Where to watch the USA Today 301 2024?

NASCAR’s official site states that the official broadcaster of the race will be the USA Network. The radio coverage is going to be handled by PRN and SiriusXM.

USA Today 301 2024 start times in different Time Zones