NASCAR weekend is back at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. The biggest names in racing will be in town, from dirt duels on Friday to the Cup Series on Sunday,
Between opportunities to meet drivers, fan activities and the actual races, there will be plenty of ways to get into the action.
Storylines
Cup Series driver Christopher Bell clinched a spot in The Chase after last weekend in Richmond, but he has no wins and seven second-place finishes this season.
This weekend might be his chance to fix that and get the victory he’s chased all year. Bell has one of the best records in New Hampshire, with seven wins in 12 starts across NASCAR’s top three series.
Bell’s No. 20 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing will be one to watch through qualifying this weekend.
Only five active full-time NCS drivers have won in Loudon: Denny Hamlin, Bell, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and defending winner Ryan Blaney.
Some Cup Series drivers will also be pulling double duty this weekend. Bell, John Hunter Nemechek and Connor Zilisch will race in the Team EJP 175 truck series race on Saturday, while Ryan Preece, a Berlin, Conn. native, will be in the Mohegan Sun 100 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race.
Talking about the Whelen Modified Tour, the long straightaways of the “Magic Mile,” its flat corners and the Modifieds’ unique aerodynamic setup lead to some of the most exciting and tight races of the weekend.
“If you aren’t there on Saturday and you’re just going Sunday, you’re gonna wish you were there on Saturday,” Preece said in a news release.
Defending champion Tyler Rypkema said it would be the best race all weekend.
Meanwhile, a Cup Series victory for Hamlin would place him tied for the most NCS wins at New Hampshire in history alongside Hall of Famers Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick. Logano and Keselowski arguably have the most to gain as they’re looking to clinch spots in The Chase with only two weeks to go.
Meet-and-greets
Fans flocking to New Hampshire for this weekend will have ample opportunities to catch their favorite drivers in the area for pictures and autographs before the racing begins.
On Thursday, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Christian Eckes will have a meet-and-greet at NAPA Auto Parts on 102 Old Turnpike Road in Concord at 11 a.m. Down south, truck racer Spencer Boyd will also have a meet-and-greet at 11 Continental Boulevard in Merrimack at 4 p.m.
Friday, Craftsman Series drivers Parker Eatmon and Landen Lewis will compete in the New Hampshire Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities (SCCNH) cornhole tournament outside the infield tunnel at 1:45 p.m.
Rypkema, the photo-finish winner of the Whelen Modified Race last year at NHMS, will hold a meet-and-greet at the SCCNH Track Treasures Shop outside the grandstands at 4 p.m.
Saturday will be one of the busiest days. Autograph sessions will begin at 11 a.m. in the fan zone on S2 lot and feature drivers from the Craftsman and Whelen series.
NCS driver Austin Hill will have a meet-and-greet at Cumberland Farms, 1727 Dover Road in Epsom, at 2 p.m. Denny Hamlin will host an autograph session in Manchester at South Willow Street’s Bob’s Discount Furniture at 3:30 p.m.
Back at NHMS, Tyler Reddick will hold a Q&A at 5:30 p.m. before a track walk. That evening, “The Magic Mile” Happy Hour Show will host Steve Park, Dick Berggren, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric and Joey Logano along with Freddie Kraft and Tommy Baldwin of “Door Bumper Clear” from 6 to 8 p.m.
Sunday race day will feature the Trackside Live pre-race show, which will include driver interviews with some of the top stars.
Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Zane Smith and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will all have events around NHMS to meet fans and answer questions before the big race that afternoon.
Race schedule
Friday: Sig Sauer Academy Dirt Duels, Xtreme Dirt Midget Association, Sprint Cars of New England and Granite State Micro Sprints start at 6:30 p.m. at The Flat Track.
Saturday: Team EJP 175 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at 1:30 p.m.; Mohegan Sun 100 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at 4:30 p.m.
Sunday: Dollar Tree 301 NASCAR Cup Series at 3 p.m.