Back in July, a wide-eyed Andy Seuss made his way down to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for a bucket-list moment. The 32-year-old Hampstead native made his long-awaited debut in NASCAR’s top series at his home track in a seat for Rick Ware Racing.
Since then, Seuss has done a little bit of everything. He returned to repairing boats at his business in Lake Norman, N.C., served as a crew chief for a modified race and has invested a ton of time into expanding his small race team in order to take care of a car for the K&N Pro East Series.
Now, Seuss is looking forward to getting back in the driver’s seat.
Seuss will return to the Magic Mile as part of NHMS’s Full Throttle Fall Weekend, which will feature four races, none bigger than Saturday’s Whelen Modified Tour Musket 250 where Seuss will drive the No. 82 for Danny Watts Racing.
“Any time I get to come home is awesome. Any race at Loudon for me is as big as the Daytona 500,” said Seuss, who finished 28th during his Cup Series debut on July 21 at NHMS. “I’m glad I got to do the Cup race and kind of check that off the list. It was definitely an honor, that whole weekend was a dream come true. But to get a shot at winning a modified race at Loudon, to me, is really up there in importance.”
It figures to be a busy weekend at NHMS as the track will roll out a 20-lap Granite State Legends Car race on Friday that will payout $5,000 to the winner before showcasing three races on Saturday: A potential championship-deciding K&N Pro East Series race in the Apple Barrel 125, the Visit New Hampshire 100 – the Pinty’s Series only trip outside of Canada – and the Modified Tour main event.
“Full Throttle Fall Weekend proved to be a unique and exciting race weekend with unprecedented access for our fans last year,” said David McGrath, executive vice president and general manager of NHMS. “Fans can once again expect to see grassroots racing at its finest.”
Seuss is no stranger to modified rides, having won the Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship twice (2014, 2015) before the series folded in 2016. He also returns to Loudon, the same track where he made his debut as a driver in the K&N Series in 2017.
Seuss said he was thrilled to get the call from Watts for a ride this weekend.
“It’s pretty neat to get these phone calls and be considered as someone who can help a team and elevate them. It’s flattering. It’s exciting. But at the same time, when we get there, it’s going to be game face on,” Seuss said.
“All the bump drafting for the modifieds at Loudon, anything can happen. It can get crazy,” he said. “It’s a long race and we have to survive, but we need a car that will be fast enough through the first 230 (laps) to be able to compete for the win in the last 20.”
Fans unfamiliar with NASCAR’s international scene are in for a treat when drivers from the Pinty’s Series hit the track this weekend.
The series only leaves Canada once a year to run at NHMS and overall points leader Kevin Lacroix (464) will look to maintain his edge over Andrew Ranger (462) and L.P. Dumoulin (436) in the penultimate race of the season.
The result of the Apple Barrel 125 could signal a champion in the K&N Pro East Series, and a monumental breakthrough for up-and-coming driver Sam Mayer.
“I’m one of the youngest drivers out there so it’s really cool being able to beat all those guys who are experienced and have been in the series for a while,” Mayer said. “I’m just learning and taking in as much as I can.”
Mayer, a 16-year-old from Franklin, Wis., currently leads the standings by 30 points over Chase Cabre. Mayer drives for GMS Racing and JR Motorsports through a developmental series and won his first K&N race earlier this year at Bristol Motor Speedway when he led for all 150 laps.
A victory at the Magic Mile would put Mayer in the driver’s seat for a championship. Mayer finished second in July while being guided by crew chief Mardy Lindley during the 70-lap race at NHMS.
“I feel like Mardy’s better and I’m better and we definitely have a shot to win,” Mayer said. “If we can do that and go out and get a win, that gets us close to locking up a championship where we just have to show up and a run top 10 or whatever at Dover at the end of the season. But getting a win in general would mean a lot and give us plenty of momentum.”
Off the race track, part of the weekend at NHMS will be spent honoring the tragic passing of racing great Michael Stefanik, who died at the age of 61 after a single-engine plane crash Sunday in Connecticut.
Stefanik was a nine-time NASCAR series champion, was a force in the Whelen Modified Tour where he won seven series titles and had a knack for finding victory lane in Loudon.
“Stefanik was a true champion on and off the racetrack, making a long-lasting mark on short track racing, specifically in the Whelen Modified Tour,” McGrath said in a statement. “With 10 career victories, Mike is one of New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s top winning drivers. I know that I can speak for everyone here, as well as our entire Speedway Motorsports, Inc. family, when I say that Mike will be truly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and the entire NASCAR community during this very difficult time.”
(Jay McAree can be reached at 369-3371, jmcaree@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @JayMcAree.)