The New Hampshire Motor Speedway will return to Nascar’s qualifiers this weekend for the first time in eight years.
The oval of 1.058 Mile will welcome the round of the 12 series for the Cup series, which ran to Loudon, New Hampshire in June, July or August since 2018, when the New Hampshire was reduced to an annual race.
The track was once a cornerstone of the eliminatory series of the NASCAR series, holding the inaugural opening of what was then known as Chase in 2004.
After swept away the first round with victories from Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing will be favored in New Hampshire. Since the beginnings of the next generation car in 2022, Toyota has won three races and the six stages on the track while leading 83% of the laps.
Bell, who won the Bristol Motor Speedway, is the defending winner of the New Hampshire, who finished last year’s racing on rain tires.
This weekend will mark the first race in the series of Craffstman trucks in New Hampshire since 2017, when Bell was also victorious.
Chase Elliott said to Siriusxm Nascar Radio that after having survived in the first round, “there is nothing to lose for us at this stage.”
New Hampshire weekend schedule
(All time is)
Friday September 19
Open garage
- 8:45 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Whelen
- 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Series of trucks
Track activity
- 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Modified practice
- 2:45 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. – Modified qualification
- 4:05 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Truck practice (FS2)
- 5:10 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Truck qualification (FS2)
Saturday September 20
Open garage
- 7:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Whelen
- 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. – Series of trucks
- 9:30 am – 5.30 pm – Series of Cups
Track activity
- 9:15 a.m. – Modified race (100 laps, 105.8 miles; flowering)
- Midi – Race truck (175 laps, 185.15 miles; Step 1 Tour 55, step 2 at the turn 110; FS1, MRN, Siriusxm Nascar Radio)
- 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. – Cup practice (trutv, prn, siriusxm nascar radio)
- 4:10 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Cup cup (trutv, prn, siriusxm nascar radio)
Sunday September 21
Open garage
- 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Series of Cups
Track activity
- 2 p.m. – Cup Race (301 rpm, 318.46 miles; Step 1 Tour 70, step 2 Tour 185; USA, Prn, Siriusxm Nascar Radio)
Weekend weather
Friday: Sunny with a summit of around 73 degrees, northwest winds at 10 to 15 MPH and 7% of rain.
SATURDAY: Sunny sky with a summit of 68 degrees, light and variable winds and 5% of rain. It should be 50 degrees with 1% rainy chance for the start of the modified race and 62 degrees with 0% rainy chances for the start of the truck race.
Sunday: Mainly sunny with a 71-degree summit, winds from the south / south-east to 5 to 10 MPH and 5% of rain. It should be 68 degrees with 0% rainy chance for the start of the Cup race.
