New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH, will be hosting its only big NASCAR race next weekend on July 16-18 in 2021. This time there will be many teams with New England drivers.
Next Saturday offers the Xfinity Series with Brett Moffitt at the wheel of Cape Cod’s Chris Our as an entry. Our calls Harwich, MA home and is a Xfinity team owner. The building contractor and his driver are running for that division’s championship. Moffitt is a past Camping World Truck Series Champion. There is also a second car in the Our stable with various drivers.
Depending on his schedule between the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NTT Indy Cars, Connecticut’s Santino Ferrucci could also be at NHMS in his Xfinity ride. Santino finished ninth last weekend at the Indy car event held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Next Saturday, the one-mile oval will also host the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Looking for a strong finish in that event is Matt Swanson driving the Mike Boehler entry out of Freetown with Greg Fournier of Berkley as the crew chief. Also expected to race in the Modified event is Franklin’s Bobby Santos, III, in the Tinio entry out of Bellingham. Santos placed fifth in the SRX Series last weekend at the Lucas Oil Park, a half-mile track in Indianapolis. He was up against several top drivers from various clubs, including the Trans Am, Indy Cars, NASCAR Cup, and IMSA circuits.
Other Modified drivers expected to enter are Woody Pitkat of Bellingham, Chase Dowling of Oxford, and John McKennedy of Chelmsford.
Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race has a host of Connecticut drivers, including 2018 Cup Champion Joey Logano; Corey LaJoie is the son of two-time Xfinity Champion Randy Lajoie of Norwalk, Connecticut. Other Nutmeg State drivers that are in the Cup race are Ryan Preece and Anthony Alfredo.
Boston’s Kaz Grala could be a late entry at NHMS. He’s driven successfully in the NASCAR’s Cup, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Trucks. In fact, he won one of those Truck races at Daytona a few years back.
Here are some more upcoming Tour Type Modified races for the rest of July and all of August. On Saturday, 7/24, the Tri-Track Open Mod Series makes another stop at the Star Speedway in Epping, NH. Then, on Saturday, 7/31, it’s the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Lancaster, NY. Also, on Saturday, 7/31, it is Wiscasset Speedway in ME hosting the Modified Racing Series.
On Friday, 8/6, Stafford Speedway in CT offers the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. On Wednesday, 8/11, Thompson Speedway in CT hosts the Outlaw Mods; on Saturday, 8/14, it’s the Tri-Track Open Mods at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, NH. Then on Saturday, 8/21, Stafford Speedway in CT offers a Mod Open. Finally, on Saturday, 8/28, it’s a Rain Date at Seekonk Speedway that includes the Tri-Track Open Modified Series, ISMA Super Mods, and NEMA Midgets. Several local drivers will be in action in the NEMA events, including Randy Cabral of Kingston, Avery Stoehr of Lakeville, and Paul Scally of Raynham.
Here’s a partially updated list of cruise nights in southeastern MA. Patriot Place in Foxborough all on Thursdays 7/15, 7/29, 8/19, 8/26, 9/9, 9/23, 10/7, and 10/21. It is also at Raynham Flea Market off Rt.44 on alternate Thursday nights. Every Tuesday night at the Rite Aid strip mall at Cobb’s Corner in Canton on the Stoughton and Sharon town lines. There is another one at Walmart on Route 106 in Halifax every Friday night. All of those events start at 4 p.m. and end at dusk. (end)
Information for this column came from press releases and personal notes