Our New England correspondent, Lou Modestino checks in with his weekly report on NASCAR drivers from that area and how they did at Iowa…
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Lou Modestino’s Track Talk: How Did Northeast Drivers Do At The Brickyard And Monterey?
Here’s Lou Modestino’s Track Talk column for this past weekend’s racing at Indianapolis, IN and Monterey, CA.
Bubba Wallace won the Cup Series race at the Brickyard. Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT came in 4th. Joey Logano of Middletown, CT ended up 32nd.
Connor Zillisch won the Xfinity race while Anthony Alfredo of Ridgefield, CT came in 23rd.
Across town at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, the Craftsman Truck race was won Layne Riggs with Gio Ruggiero of Seekonk, MA having a tough day and ending up 28th.
Over on the west coast at Monterey, CA it was another Indycar win for Spain’s Alex Palou while Santino Ferrucci of Woodbury, CT had an off day and finished 22nd
How Did Northeastern Drivers Perform At Dover And Toronto?
Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup race at Dover. Joey Logano of Middletown, CT came in 14th. Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT finished 19th.
A day earlier, Connor Zilisch won the Xfinity race at Dover. Anthony Alfredo of Ridgefield, CT came in 23rd while Boston’s Kaz Grala ended his day in 31st.
In Indycar at Toronto, Pato O’Ward won the Indy Car race. Things didn’t go well for Santino Ferrucci of Woodbury, CT who had big problems and ended up 27th due to a DNS!
Here’s How the Northeast Drivers Performed At Sonoma And Iowa
On Sunday, Shane Van Gisbergen won the Cup race with Joey Logano of Middletown, CT finishing ninth . Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT ended his day in 12th.
In the Xfinity Series, on Saturday, it was Connor Zilisch who scored the win. Anthony Alfredo of Ridgefield, CT came in 23rd while Kris Wright ended his day in 29th. Wright drives for Cape Cod’s Chris and Mary Our.
On the Indy Car scene Alex Palou won the Iowa race. Santino Ferrucci of Woodbury, CT ended his day in 15th.
Here’s How Northeast Drivers Performed On The Streets Of Chicago And With The Indy Cars At Mid-Ohio
Shane Van Gisbergen swept the weekend, winning the Cup Race and the Xfinity race with ease.
Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT came in seventh, and Joey Logano of Middletown, CT finished in 11th.
In the Xfinity race, Thomas Annunziata of New Jersey came in 17th. Boston’s Kaz Grala placed 22nd, and Anthony Alfredo of Ridgefield, CT ended up 36th.
The Indy Cars were in action at Mid-Ohio where Scott Dixon won that one with Woodbury, CT’s Santino Ferrucci ending his day in 16th place.
How did New England and Northeast Drivers Perform at Atlanta and Lime Rock Park?
Chase Elliott won the Cup race at Atlanta. Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT came in 15th. Not so lucky was Joey Logano of Middletown, CT who placed 36th.
The Xfinity race at the same track had Nick Sanchez going to Victory Lane. Kris Wright ended up 25th. Wright steers the entry for Cape Cod’s Chris and Mary Our who reside in Chatham, MA. Anthony Alfredo of Richfield, CT ended his day in 29th place.
Lime Rock Park in Connecticut had the Craftsman Trucks in for the first time. Corey Heim won the race. Gio Ruggiero of Seekonk, MA came in third. Stewart Friesen of NJ placed 23rd. Dale Quarterly of Westfield, MA ended up 32nd.
Also, at Lime Rock Park was a Menard’s ARCA race won by Tom Annunziata of Colts Neck, NJ. Dale Quarterly finished seventh.
Lime Rock Park followed up with a story that there was a record crowd in attendance.
How Did New Englanders Do At Pocono This Past Weekend?
Chase Briscoe won the Cup race. Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT finished eighth while Joey Logano of Middletown, CT came in 16th.
Connor Zilisch won the Xfinity race. Anthony Alfredo of Ridgefield, CT finished 13th with Patrick Emerling of Long Island, NY coming in 30th. Kris Wright made it to 37th place. Wright drives the Cape Cod owned Chris and Mary Our entry, father and daughter, that reside in Chatham, MA.
The Truck race was won by Layne Riggs with Gio Ruggiero of Seekonk, MA coming in 11th. Patrick Emerling finished 15th.
Also, the Indy Cars were at Elkhart Lake, WI where Alex Palou won that one. Santino Ferrucci of Woodbury, CT came in third place, his best finish ever.
Note: We and others are still very unhappy with NASCAR about the last five “Flowing” broadcasts and the extra money to view it. That fact and many other things over the past years have turned off many NASCAR fans.
How Did New England Drivers Do South Of The Border… Other Notes
Shane Van Gisbergen won the first Cup race at Mexico City. Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT came in 15th while Joey Logano of Middletown, CT finished in 21st position.
Daniel Suarez won the Mexico City Xfinity race before a cheering crowd. Kris Wright came in 17th while Anthony Alfredo of Ridgefield, CT was 21st. Kris Wright drives the Chris and Mary Our entry. The father and daughter team owners reside on Cape Cod and receive their mail in Chatham, MA.
Note: It was nice to be able to watch the F1 race in Montreal and the Indy Car race in E. St. Louis and the Le Mans Endurance race in France on TV over the weekend. Again, we have to let NASCAR know that it was not at all pleasant to miss the Amazon-Prime Mexico race because we could not find a way to receive the broadcast. Nor did I and the rest of the fans, along with some of the media, feel very pressured by the sanction to spend the extra money, beyond the cable TV charges, when in previous years, we did not have to make this payment.
How Did NASCAR Drivers From New England Do Up In Michigan?
Denny Hamlin won the Cup race. Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT took fourth place while Joey Logano of Middletown, CT came in 22nd.
Stewart Friesen of NJ took the win in the Truck race. Corey LaJoie finished fifth while Gio of Seekonk, MA came in 12th.
In the Menards ARCA Series, Brendan Queen won the race. Gio Ruggerio came in fourth. Andy Jankowiak of Buffalo, NY finished 16th.
As for viewing the Cup race, it was another bad deal. You had to pay to get to see it which continues to be another bad move by NASCAR. They will pay the price by losing more fans. Once you offer it and then change it to a “pay a premium” it’s a turnoff.
Here’s How New England Drivers Performed At Nashville, Detroit, And Epping, NH
By Lou Modestino
Ryan Blaney won the Cup race at Nashville. Joey Logano of Middletown, CT ended his day in fourth and Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT came in 28th position.
Justin Allgaier won the Nashville Xfinity race. Anthony Alfredo of Ridgefield, CT came in 29th. Kris Wright came in 31st. Wright steers a for Cape Cod’s Chris and Mary Our entry. Both owners reside in Chatham, MA.
At the Indy Car race Detroit, MI was taken by Kirkwood beating second place driver Santino Ferrucci of Woodbury, CT, his best show in that sanction.
Early Exit on Race Day
Heading into Sunday’s Funny Car eliminations at New England Dragway in Epping, NH , Bob Tasca III of Hope, RI was confident in the team’s setup and potential. But any hopes of a deep run at his home track were dashed in Round 1. Facing Phil Burkart, Tasca lost traction just past 60 feet and smoked the tires, coasting to a 7.569 at 94.02 mph and a first-round loss.
“Too much,” Tasca said. “Lost traction around 60 feet.”
Eyes on Bristol
Despite the early exit, the team leaves New England with key positives—most notably, top-tier speed and valuable data from their No. 2 qualifying effort.
“We’ve set speed records. We’ve been 340 mph,” Tasca said Friday. “But we have got to go down the racetrack consistently.”
The Tasca Racing crew will look to bounce back quickly as the NHRA tour rolls on to Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tennessee, for next weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. With the car showing serious horsepower and the crew focused on consistency, Tasca will arrive in Tennessee ready to contend.
Are the NASCAR fans unhappy about having to pay to see five Cup races in the middle of the season Here’s a more detailed look at the different perspectives:
Negative Reactions:
- Disappointment and Frustration: Many fans express feeling “slapped in the face” by the exclusivity of these races, especially if they prefer watching on traditional TV.
- “Unfair” to Regular Viewers: Some fans, like the one on Facebook who mentioned Jimmie Johnson fans, feel that NASCAR is prioritizing a new audience and leaving regular viewers behind.
- Increased Cost and Complexity: The shift to streaming and pay-per-view adds to the cost of watching NASCAR, potentially making it less accessible for fans on fixed incomes or those who prefer free options.
More Positive or Accepting Views:
- NASCAR’s Growth Strategy: Some fans understand that NASCAR needs to adapt to the changing TV landscape and see streaming as a way to reach new audiences and expand the sport’s reach.
- The Future of Sports Broadcasting: Others view streaming as the future of live sports and are open to exploring new platforms like Amazon Prime for watching races.
- Benefits of Streaming: Some fans see potential benefits to streaming, such as less commercial interruption and a more streamlined viewing experience.
Other Considerations:
- The Internet Makes It Easier to Find Information: While the shift to streaming might seem confusing to some, fans can still use the internet to find out where and when races are being broadcast.
- NASCAR’s Financial Position: Some fans acknowledge that NASCAR needs to generate revenue and that streaming may be a way to achieve that.
- Boycotts and Alternative Strategies: Some fans are actively boycotting the streaming races or finding alternative ways to watch.
Our own view is that NASCAR will lose more fans than ever!