With fans flocking in from Canada, New England and beyond, the NASCAR race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway always brings in a melting pot of racing enthusiasts from all walks of life.
There’s something special about racing in New Hampshire and this does not go unrecognized by some of the biggest stars of the sport.
I had the privilege of speaking to some Cup Series drivers (and even some local favorites) over the course of the weekend and here’s some of the things that they had to say about the “Magic Mile”.
After rain plagued and eventually cancelled qualifying for the Cup Series race: “Qualifying is really important at NHMS and I really wish that we would have had that today. I’m sure that the rain will affect the evolution of the track, but will not alter the outcome of the race for us” – Austin Cindric.
Talking about the nuances of the track: “It’s a tough track. There’s a lot of bumps leading into the corner and not a lot of banking. When the sun comes out on Sunday, we’ll be sliding around and using all sorts of grooves” – Michael McDowell.
On racing at Lee USA Speedway and other short tracks: “It’s what I grew up doing. I like getting out there and doing all sorts of short track things. I’m excited to return to Oxford in a few weeks as well” – Kyle Busch.
Speaking to a driver who got his roots in New England: “It’s cool to be able to represent the New England home base and be one of those ‘home town guys’. It’s cool to take the green flag tomorrow” – Kaz Grala, who also shared that he grew up sitting in the stands and going to NHMS as a child.
On advice he received from drivers regarding his first Xfinity Series start: “Ryan Preece has helped me a lot on the business side of things as well as given me advice on the race car. I have leaned on him quite a bit” – Justin Bonsignore, who won the Mohegan Sun 100 on Saturday.
Speaking on his last Cup Series start at New Hampshire: “This place has put a lot of people on the map in the Northeast and it’s truly special” – Martin Truex Jr. shared after reflecting on his upbringings at NHMS as a young Modified driver.
Coming from the defending Cup Series champion: “I think our short track program (at Penske) is getting fairly decent. You just try to stay on top of it and keep learning from previous years” – Ryan Blaney, who’s looking to add an entree of lobster to his side of corn that he earned in Iowa.
Finally, a two-time Cup champion and New England native weighs in: “Any memory made at the race track with your kids around is more enjoyable. It’s a pretty sentimental race track for sure” – Joey Logano.
Mother Nature played her evil hand on Saturday and dampened qualifying for the Cup Series. Practice was also cut short, leaving drivers with little to no time on the track leading into the USA Today 301 on Sunday.
It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out come race day, but Chasing the Checkered will keep you in tune every step of the way!
