NASCAR Preview: New Hampshire Race Weekend
- DIVEBOMB Motorsport
- Sep 19
- 5 min read
Written by Gabriel Tsui & Sean McKean
From one short track to another, the Cup and Truck Series fields travel to New Hampshire for a double-header of action in the state's namesake speedway.
New Hampshire's origins trace back to 1965, when it was known as the Bryar Motorsports Park, a quarter-mile dirt track. However, in 1990, the track received a complete facelift, turning into the 1.058-mile (1.703-kilometre) facility it continues to be today.
The track has progressive banking from two-to-seven degrees in the turns with one degree on the straightaways.
Below are the start times for each race plus lap count:
Trucks: Saturday, 20 September, 12:00 local (17:00 UK) - 175 laps
Cup: Sunday, 21 September, 14:00 local (19:00 UK) - 301 laps
Below are the defending winners of each race:
Trucks (2017): No. 4 - Christopher Bell (Kyle Busch Motorsports)
Cup: No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Cup Series: Mobil 1 301 Preview
Written by Gabriel Tsui
With four drivers eliminated from playoff contention, 12 drivers remain in the NASCAR playoff contention, as we head north to Loudon, New Hampshire for the first race in the Round of 12. With a reset of the playoff points, it will be imperative for the remaining drivers to set the tone. Will we see one of the playoff drivers find success and a ticket to the Round of 8, or will a non-playoff driver find success amidst the temperamental early-Autumn weather in New England?
The drivers will be driving around the mile-long track for 301 laps, with 75 laps in the first stage, 110 laps in the second stage and closing off the race with 116 laps in the final stage, totalling a distance run of 318.5 miles (512.5 kilometres) around the track.
The weather report indicates the skies will be clear with sunshine, but temperatures will be slightly chilly at 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit). The race will commence on the Sunday of September 21st, at 14:00 Eastern (11:00 Pacific, 19:00 British).
Race Predictions
New Hampshire returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, so this will be an experience far from the norm for some of the less tenured drivers. However, using recent statistics, it will be easy to weed out a few possible standouts at New Hampshire.
Among active drivers who have driven all three races at New Hampshire since 2022, the top three ranked drivers based on average finishing position are Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, and Christopher Bell. Larson, even since his days with Chip Ganassi Racing, has been excellent at New Hampshire, racking up top-20 finishes day in and day out.
On the other hand, despite running with an objectively poor Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, Briscoe has fought tooth and nail for two consecutive top-ten finishes around New Hampshire. With better machinery, Briscoe is very much a contender, especially with Toyota’s dominance here.
However, our pick for the weekend is Bell. Since the switch to the next-gen car, Bell has found two wins in New Hampshire in 2022 and 2024. While Bell had a poor finish in the 2023 race, he still found pole position and top ten finishes during the initial stages. With his win in Bristol, Bell will be carrying a lot more momentum and confidence into New Hampshire.
We predict Bell will find the win and start another win streak in Loudon.
Three things to look out for
Short-lived playoff dreams
In the end, it was not to be for Alex Bowman, Austin Dillon, Shane van Gisbergen and Josh Berry, as they were knocked out of the playoffs. Bowman, who was eliminated despite securing 37 points on the weekend alongside a top-ten finish, will face many questions on his future with the team beyond the 2026 season due to his lack of playoff success.
For the other three drivers, however, a playoff appearance was mostly a success to begin with, and asking for anything more would’ve been difficult. They will most likely be searching for more consistency towards the end of the season, with eyes set on returning to the playoffs in 2026.
Corey Heim setting the tone
Corey Heim is amidst a historic Truck Series season, and many are speculating on whether he could find a step up to Xfinity or possibly the Cup Series in 2026. The chances of him securing a promotion are continuously increasing, as Heim found a strong performance in the Bristol Cup race – despite starting from the back of the field – to finish sixth.
Heim can be sure that people are looking and promotion opportunities will arise, especially in the Xfinity Series.
Penske breakthrough loading
The team Penske star duo of Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney has found more consistency in the recent few races, as both drivers secured top-20 finishes in all three races in the initial round of the playoffs, with top-five finishes in Gateway and Bristol despite difficult circumstances.
Penske’s record at New Hampshire is dubious at best, so this will be a litmus test to prove the team’s legitimacy in terms of their ability to make a playoff run and their chances at a fourth consecutive championship.
Truck Series: Team EJP 175 Preview
Written by Sean McKean
One week separated from Bristol, the Truck Series travels to another short track in New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The track hasn't been featured on the Truck Series schedule since 2017. In that race, eventual champion Christopher Bell led 73 of the 175 laps en route to a dominant victory.
As for this season's latest race in Bristol, the initial proceedings were dominated by Corey Heim. But, despite a first-lap spin, Layne Riggs took to the point and won his third race of the season.
The Truck Series drivers will run for 175 laps around the mile-long oval.
Race Predictions
Short tracks have been exciting affairs all season; however, the winners usually don't come as a shock. Besides a win by Chandler Smith in Bristol earlier in the spring, these tracks have been dominated by Layne Riggs. As a result, we have Riggs taking his second consecutive victory in New England.
Two storylines to look out for
Welcome back, Loudon
As stated, New Hampshire makes it return to the Truck Series schedule for the first time since 2017. Further, this is only the third time this facility has hosted a playoff race for the Truck Series. Thus, this will be uncharted territory for almost every driver.
Do or die, Smith and Garcia
Two playoff drivers, Chandler Smith and Jake Garcia, sit well below the cut line after shocking nights in Bristol.
Chandler Smith was the first to fall victim. He pulled behind the wall early in the race due to an electrical issue. Smith now sits 24 points below the cut-line and will require a win to advance to the Round of 8, barring extraordinary events.
Jake Garcia only sits 13 back but still requires a great showing. He showed pace in Bristol, having won the first stage, but a power steering issue sent him behind the wall.
Comments