With New England’s only NASCAR Playoffs weekend just weeks away, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) teamed up with NASCAR Racing Experience to host media on Friday for a taste of what’s to come. Media members from New England took part in the eighth annual Media Racing Challenge, and it was Kyle Belcher of The Loose is Fast Podcast out of Providence, R.I. who took home the win. It was his second Media Racing Challenge win overall.

“Race weekend here is our favorite, I mean, we grew up at this racetrack, and it’s the reason we got into the sport,” said Belcher. “The Media Challenge, we look forward to every year. It’s great to win it again, obviously, and it’s a lot of fun to be up here, but just a good time to have and good to promote the sport and the track that we call home.”

The Media Racing Challenge winner was determined by the top speed achieved on the 1.058-mile track. Belcher was the fastest media member around “The Magic Mile” reaching a top speed of 157.36 mph while Claire Overton from WWLP-TV/22 News out of Springfield, Mass. (152.77 mph), “Scumbag Steve” Helveston (152.67 mph) and Dan Walker (152.53 mph) also from The Loose is Fast Podcast and Andy Austin from WWSF 104.3 FM and 1220 AM/Seacoast Oldies out of Sanford, Maine (148.55 mph) rounded out the top-five.

This year’s event not only featured the most female drivers to ever compete in the annual Media Racing Challenge, but Overton’s second-place finish marked the highest finishing position of any female to ever participate in the event.

Belcher was honored with a traditional NHMS victory lane celebration, complete with a trophy, $100 gift card to Makris Lobster and Steak House, $100 gift card to Mohegan Sun and, of course, a live lobster, provided by Makris Lobster and Steak House. Though a bit smaller than the 20-pound Loudon the Lobster, who will be presented to the winner of the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Playoffs race at NHMS on Sept. 21, the 10-pound crustacean was proudly hoisted up into the air by Belcher.

When asked what he’s going to do with his prize lobster, Belcher quickly replied, “That 10-pound lobster’s gonna have to find a pot to be cooked in, so we’ll figure that out, but that’s a good problem to have. We can’t complain.”

Not only did the participants get a taste of what it’s like being a NASCAR driver, they also sampled three uniquely New England food items that were crafted by the chefs of NHMS’s catering partner Levy Restaurants:

• Cheeseburger Whoopie Pie – Two soft vanilla cakes sandwiching coconut lettuce and creamy whoopie pie filling and covered by a generous coating of chocolate jimmies
• Apple Smoked Loaded Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese – Creamy macaroni and cheese topped with apple smoked pulled pork
• The Last Lap Crash – Two soft chocolate cakes sandwiching creamy peanut butter and marshmallow fluff filling

Garnering 50% of the votes, the Cheeseburger Whoopie Pie won as the favorite of the three and will be available for race fans to purchase at an NHMS concession stand Sept. 19-21.

Top Speeds:

• Kyle Belcher (The Loose is Fast Podcast | Providence, R.I.) – 157.36 mph
• Claire Overton (WWLP-TV/22 News | Springfield, Mass.) – 152.77 mph
• “Scumbag Steve” Helveston (The Loose is Fast Podcast | Providence, R.I.) – 152.67 mph
• Dan Walker (The Loose is Fast Podcast | Providence, R.I.) – 152.53 mph
• Andy Austin (WWSF 104.3 FM and 1220 AM/Seacoast Oldies | Sanford, Maine) – 148.55 mph
• Mike Wankum (WCVB-TV/ABC 5 | Needham, Mass.) – 146.52 mph
• Matt Holderman (WFFF-TV/FOX 44 and WVNY-TV/ABC 22 | Colchester, Vt.) – 144.89 mph
• Breana Pitts (WBZ-TV/CBS News Boston | Boston, Mass.) – 144.49 mph
• Kevin Wiles Jr. (WCVB-TV/ABC 5 | Needham, Mass.) – 142.59 mph
• Morgan Prue (95.7 WZID-FM and Rewind 94.1/WZID-HD2 | Manchester, N.H.) – 142.29 mph
• Rylie Johnson (104.9 The Hawk/WLKZ-FM | Belmont, N.H.) – 140.66 mph
• Leanna Scachetti (WCVB-TV/ABC 5 | Needham, Mass.) – 138.28 mph
• Joshua Mann (95.7 WZID-FM | Manchester, N.H.) – 138.24 mph
• Scott Whitley (Wicked Bites on NESN | Watertown, Mass.) – 138.24 mph
• Alex Rapp (Concord Monitor | Concord, N.H.) – 136.45 mph

Christian Lacoss from 96.5 Live Free Country/WMLL-FM out of Manchester, N.H. took part in a ride-along experience.

New England’s only NASCAR Playoffs weekend is Sept. 19-21 at NHMS. On-track action kicks off Friday with practice and qualifying sessions for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) plus SIG SAUER Academy Dirt Duels at The Flat Track. The action continues on Doubleheader Saturday with the Mohegan Sun 100 NWMT race, the Team EJP 175 NCTS playoff race and NCS practice and qualifying. The on-track action culminates Sunday with the NCS taking on “The Magic Mile” to kick off the Round of 12. Don’t miss all of the exciting off-track action including “The Magic Mile” Happy Hour Show, Trackside Live, The Groove fan hangout, concerts from Draw the Line and Being Petty: The Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Experience, Family Movie Night featuring “Captain America: Brave New World,” driver appearances, a variety of live performances, fireworks and much more.

For a full NASCAR weekend schedule, visit NHMS.com/Events/NASCAR-Cup-Series/Schedule/.

Tickets:
For tickets and camping for New England’s only NASCAR Playoffs weekend, featuring the NCS and Team EJP 175 NCTS playoff races, Mohegan Sun 100 NWMT race and SIG SAUER Academy Dirt Duels, fans should visit NHMS.com or call 833-4LOUDON. Tickets for kids 12 and under are just $10 on Sunday, free on Doubleheader Saturday and start at $10 on Friday.

Follow Us:
Keep track of all of New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook (@NHMotorSpeedway), X (@NHMS) and Instagram (@NHMS). Keep up with all the latest information on the speedway website (NHMS.com) and mobile app.

NASCAR officials talks future of the Cup Series at Iowa, repave originally appeared on The Sporting News

Mike Forde, NASCAR’s managing director of racing communications, isn’t sure about the Cup Series future of Iowa Speedway and he wouldn’t tell you even if he had.

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In addition to his public and media relations role with the Sanctioning Body, Forde also hosts the Hauler Talk podcast where he discusses questions from the industry and other hot button topics of the week.

That includes whether or not the Cup Series will return to the Newton, Iowa speedway for a third consecutive season.

“TBD. As far as what we’re looking at for next year’s schedule, I think we’re probably three weeks away on when that schedule would drop,” Forde said. “Haven’t heard anything one way or the other on Iowa except all positives. I don’t have any inside information. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to talk about it anyway.”

Attendance for the race this year was down from the inaugural race with much of the temporary seating not needing to be constructed this year but Forde still credited fans in that region for showing up.

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Read more:Dale Jr says ‘I don’t love’ NASCAR’s NextGen

The race is in doubt due to the reported return of Chicagoland Speedway next year – both tracks being located in the central Midwest.

“They come out, and they show their love for Iowa, and they’re voting with their wallet on whether it should be on the schedule,” he said. “I imagine the powers that be will take that into account.”

Read more:Kevin Harvick says NASCAR’s NextGen ‘sucks’

And if Iowa Speedway does return for a third season, Forde acknowledges that a conversation about the pavement will need to be had with NASCAR repaving just the bottom of the corners prior to the first race.

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The rest of the surface was laid down in 2006.

“Then the next step would be on a repave,” Forde said. “We would get with the industry on that as well and get their opinion. Some like the old surface, or whenever there is an old surface that has this question of do we need a repave or not. Some want to keep it because that does lead to some good racing, but there are parts of that track that are kind of put together. There’s some band-aids on that track that probably need to be the more permanent solution.”

Mission 176 at The Glen

Location: Watkins Glen, N.Y. 
Course: Watkins Glen International 
Format: 2.45-mile road course 
Laps: 72

NASCAR Trucks Mission 176 at The Glen Race Preview

Layne Riggs became the third NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver to win multiple races two weeks ago when he drove to victory at Lucas Oil Raceway. His victory left three playoff spots available to claim with two regular-season races remaining, but all is not quiet on the playoff front. While there hasn’t been action on track since that race, there has been plenty to talk about off track. First, Stewart Friesen was injured racing in a SuperDIRT Car Series race in Canada, suffering several injuries that will force him out of competition while he recovers. Following that news, it was announced that Kaden Honeycutt was released with immediate effect from Niece Motorsports after the playoff contender signed a future deal to drive for another competitor. Connor Zilisch will step into Honeycutt’s vacated No. 45 machine this week at Watkins Glen before Bayley Currey takes over for the remainder of the season, but Honeycutt’s playoff hopes are not lost with his exit. It was announced Tuesday that he will fill in for Friesen starting at Richmond while Christopher Bell takes the wheel at Watkins Glen. Honeycutt will remain playoff eligible by racing at Watkins Glen with Young Motorsports. With unexpected changes and two races remaining to finalize the playoff field, nearly anything remains possible with a potential shot at the 2025 championship still to play for.

Key Stats at Watkins Glen International

• Number of races: 6
• Winners from pole: 4
• Winners from top-5 starters: 5
• Winners from top-10 starters: 6
• Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
• Fastest race: 97.790 mph

Previous Watkins Glen International Winners

2021 – Austin Hill
2000 – Greg Biffle
1999 – Ron Fellows
1998 – Joe Ruttman
1997 – Ron Fellows
1996 – Ron Hornaday, Jr.

This week’s trip to Watkins Glen will be the seventh race at the track in NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history and the first since 2021. Prior to the last race, the series visited five times from 1996 through 2000. The track is a natural-terrain road course with elevation changes, fast flowing turns, and long straights with some calling it the superspeedway of road courses. However, like all road courses, track position is a key ingredient of success. In the six series run there so far, five of those were won from the front row. The furthest back anyone started to win was 10th in 1996. Having positive track position and the freshest tires at the end will give drivers an advantage making it a tough combination to beat at Watkins Glen. It will be just the second road course outing of the season for the trucks, and the only prior race, at Lime Rock, was won by Corey Heim. He and the rest of the series regulars will face a stacked field of competition this week with several NASCAR Cup and Xfinity regulars racing on Friday in a bid to gain track time, though. Since lap time and track position are such critical components of success this week, fantasy players are advised to revisit rosters and make final selections after practice and qualifying, focusing on drivers that practiced and start inside the top 10 where possible.

RotoWire NASCAR Truck Series DFS Tools

NASCAR Lineup Optimizer

NASCAR Projections

DraftKings Value Picks for the Mission 176 at The Glen (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)

DraftKings Tier 1 Values  

Connor Zilisch – $12,000
Corey Heim – $11,300
Kyle Busch – $10,800
Christopher Bell – $10,300

DraftKings Tier 2 Values  

Ross Chastain – $10,000
Layne Riggs – $9,500
Ty Majeski – $9,200
Chandler Smith – $9,000

DraftKings Tier 3 Values

Parker Kligerman – $8,700
Daniel Hemric – $8,500
Tyler Ankrum – $8,300
Ben Rhodes – $8,100

DraftKings Long-Shot Values

Grant Enfinger – $7,400
Kaden Honeycutt – $7,000
Rajah Caruth – $6,900
Matt Crafton – $6,000

NASCAR Truck Series DFS Picks for the Mission 176 at The Glen

Connor Zilisch – $12,000
Layne Riggs – $9,500
Ben Rhodes – $8,100
Grant Enfinger – $7,400
Kaden Honeycutt – $7,000
Matt Crafton – $6,000

Connor Zilisch is a NASCAR star of the future with a road racing pedigree that puts him among some of the best. Evidence of his skill was his Xfinity victory over Shane van Gisbergen just a few weeks ago at Sonoma Raceway. This week’s race will be his seventh series start and first of this season. He has two poles and a best finish of fourth from six series starts in 2024 and won his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen last season. This time, he’ll be driving the No. 45 in place of Kaden Honeycutt and racing in all three NASCAR races at the Glen this weekend. One series driver Zilisch will have to contend with is Layne Riggs. The Front Row Motorsports driver won his second race of the season last time out at Indianapolis. He is picking up momentum just in time for the playoffs and could offer some serious competition all the way to Phoenix. Riggs finished 13th in the only road course race held so far this season but qualified third for the race, running well until a late mistake cost him a top finish. Combine that with an eighth-place start at Circuit of the Americas last season and you can see that Riggs has road course speed and just needs to carry it through to the end. Ben Rhodes has also shown pace at road courses. He finished fourth at Lime Rock and has four series top-10 finishes at COTA despite starting one of those races 34th. He also finished fifth at Mid Ohio in 2023, winning a stage. His prior road course finishes suggest he should be one of the top runners this week at the Glen.

Veteran Grant Enfinger isn’t a name that typically comes to mind when talking about road courses, but his finishes at the tracks have been pretty good. He finished 11th this season at Lime Rock and hasn’t finished worse than 12th in four career tries at COTA, too. He was part of the last series race at Watkins Glen but retired early with transmission failure. His past statistics suggest he should be in store for a top-15 run this week, though. Kaden Honeycutt will definitely be a driver to watch. He was dumped from his ride with Niece Motorsports, but is keeping his playoff hopes alive by driving the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports entry before moving over to fill in for Stewart Friesen for the remainder of the season. Honeycutt holds a 75-point advantage over Jake Garcia with two races remaining to shore up a championship entry. Honeycutt finished 12th at Lime Rock and was 15th at COTA back in 2023. Two more finishes like that should be enough to see him into the championship battle. Another veteran that showed speed at Watkins Glen is Matt Crafton. He qualified fourth at the track when the series raced there in 2021. He also finished 19th just a few weeks ago at Lime Rock. While Crafton isn’t likely to be a contender for the victory, his experience and ability to fight for top-15 finishes consistently at road courses make him a potentially valuable lower-priced option.

NASCAR Truck Series Best Bets for the Mission 176 at The Glen

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 1:00 PM ET Friday.

Race Winner – Connor Zilisch -120, Corey Heim +350
Top-Three Finish – Chris Buescher +180
Top-Five Finish – Layne Riggs +225

Connor Zilisch’s entry in this week’s race at Watkins Glen widens the odds we would typically see for the usual favorites. This week, Corey Heim to win is a better option than usual because of that. Even against one-off specialist drivers, Heim has gotten the better results this season. He is a five-time winner this season that has been behind the wheel of this equipment all season. Compare that with Zilisch, who just agreed to drive this race a few days ago and hasn’t raced in the series since last season. Heim has the advantage in seat time with a well-drilled crew to support him, which could make all the difference at a place like Watkins Glen where execution and strategy are defining factors of success.

One interloper worth considering this week is Chris Buescher. His positive odds for a top-three finish are good value. Yes, this will be Buescher’s series debut, but he went up against the best in the world at this track in the Cup series last season and won. He is a consistent top-10 finisher at road courses in Cup and Xfinity, and that success gives him an edge this week at a track he knows well with a team he can rely on. He will be piloting the No. 66 ThorSport Racing entry, which finished fifth in the hands of Cam Waters at Lime Rock Park. While unconventional, there is a lot to like about Chris Buescher as a top-three option this week.

A more conventional option is Layne Riggs as a top-five finisher. Riggs is achieving peak form with a second victory under his belt last time out. He finished 13th at the only other road course race held so far this season but not for lack of speed. He qualified third for that race and slipped down the order after a mistake on a late restart on old tires. That is a mistake he and the team will learn from and wagerers should expect him to be among the front runners throughout this weekend’s race.

Mapping out your wagers for the Truck Series race? Check out the latest Sportsbook Promo Codes to get special offers and make the most of your bets.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it’s possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. C.J. Radune plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: cjradune, RaceDayScore: cjradune.

⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious

Rare 2019 Corvette ZR1 coupe with ZTK package, 3ZR trim, and full PPF listed for sale by GP Motorsports.

GP Motorsports has just listed an exceptionally rare 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 finished in Torch Red, equipped with the coveted ZTK Track Performance Package and the top-tier 3ZR Preferred Equipment Group. With 30,917 miles and a showroom-quality presentation, this C7 ZR1 coupe blends supercharged American performance with refined options and aggressive aero.

Powered by a 6.2-liter LT5 Supercharged V8 producing 755 horsepower, this ZR1 channels its output through an 8-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission and an electronic limited-slip differential. The car’s ZTK package includes a high rear wing, carbon fiber front splitter, and Magnetic Ride suspension tuned for track use—offering legitimate on-track capabilities straight from the factory.

The 3ZR trim brings a host of comfort and tech features, including:

• Jet Black perforated Nappa leather interior with red custom stitching

• Red seatbelts and leather-wrapped surfaces throughout

• Navigation, dual-zone climate control, and Bose premium audio

• Remote start and keyless entry

• Power everything—seats, mirrors, windows, and locks

Cosmetic enhancements include Satin Black hood stinger stripes, Carbon Flash side mirrors and wheels, red-painted calipers, and a full-body paint protection film (PPF) to preserve the factory Torch Red paint.

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The ARCA and Truck series will race Friday at Watkins Glen International as the road course in New York opens its annual NASCAR weekend.

After practicing and qualifying from 10 to 11:20 a.m., ARCA will race at 2 p.m. The Truck series will practice and qualify from 11:35 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. before racing at 5 p.m.

There will be four Cup drivers in the Truck race: Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain.

Multiple Cup drivers will do double duty this weekend at Watkins Glen International.

Xfinity full-time driver Connor Zilisch will be racing in the Truck race (and in Sunday’s Cup race). Zilisch also is the defending winner of the ARCA race but is absent from that entry list.

The Truck series’ most recent race at Watkins Glen International was on Aug. 7, 2021 when Austin Hill won an event that was shortened by lightning.

Watkins Glen International Friday schedule

(All Times Eastern)

Friday, Aug. 8

Garage open

• 8:15 a.m. – 6 p.m. — ARCA Series
• 10 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. — Truck Series
• 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. — Xfinity Series

Track activity

• 10 – 10:45 a.m. — ARCA practice
• 11 – 11:20 a.m. — ARCA qualifying
• 11:35 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. — Truck practice, FS2
• 12:40 – 1:30 p.m. — Truck qualifying, FS2
• 2 p.m. — ARCA race (150 laps, 131.25 miles; FS2, Motor Racing Network)
• 5 p.m. — Truck race (72 laps, 176.4 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 20, Stage 2 at Lap 40; FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Weather

Friday: Mostly sunny with a high of 85 degrees and winds from the south at 5 to 10 mph. It’s expected to be 83 degrees with a 2% chance for rain at the start of the ARCA race. It’s expected to be 84 degrees with a 0% chance for rain at the start of the Truck race.