With 11 races remaining in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season and five playoff-eligible positions still to be decided, Saturday’s SciAps 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App) could play a big role in setting the title vibe.
Only two drivers in the field — Justin Allgaier and Cup Series regular Christopher Bell — have won at New Hampshire previously. Allgaier scored his win in 2022 and has an impressive nine top-10 finishes in 12 starts and hasn’t finished worse than seventh since 2018. The driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet is fourth in the championship with a victory at Darlington Raceway.
Bell, a two-time winner in the Cup Series this season, is looking to improve on an already stellar Magic Mile resume — winning the Xfinity race in all three of his starts (2018, 2019 and 2021). He will be driving the No. 20 Toyota this weekend for his Cup team, Joe Gibbs Racing.
Saturday’s race marks a chance at redemption for JGR’s Chandler Smith, who finished runner-up last year at New Hampshire. The JGR team has won seven of the last eight New Hampshire races, including John Hunter Nemechek’s victory last season. Smith is one of four drivers with two wins this season and sits only a single point behind championship leader Cole Custer in the standings.
The reigning series champion Custer, driver of the No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, is still competing for his first win of the year but certainly has a good history at this New England track. He became the youngest winner in NASCAR’s national series history (16 years, 7 months, 28 days) when he claimed a Craftsman Truck Series race win at the track in 2014. He’s earned three top 10s in four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at New Hampshire with a best showing of runner-up in 2019.
Chandler Smith leads the playoff picture, followed by two-time winners Austin Hill, Sam Mayer and Shane van Gisbergen. Allgaier and rookie Jesse Love also have secured a shot at the 2024 title with a win this year.
In addition to Custer, drivers also currently playoff-bound based on points are Sheldon Creed, Riley Herbst, AJ Allmendinger, Parker Kligerman and Sammy Smith.
This weekend the series regulars will have some added competition with three-time Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore set to make his series debut driving for JGR.
Practice for the SciAps 200 is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET Friday followed by qualifying at 4:45 p.m. ET. All the on-track action will be televised on USA Network and streamed on the NBC Sports App.
After Ryan Blaney’s dominant performance in the inaugural Cup race at Iowa, the series now gears up for a return to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the USA Today 301 this Sunday (2 p.m. ET, USA, PRN Radio, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).
According to the advanced metrics, Denny Hamlin is expected to win this weekend at New Hampshire, marking both his fourth victory of the year and his fourth career win at the track.
Hamlin’s stats at NHMS are not just consistent but dominant. In his 30 career starts there, Hamlin has finished in the top two nine times. In the last five contests there, Hamlin has finished in the top 10. If we peel back even further, he’s finished in the top 15 over the last 12 New Hampshire races.
While Hamlin has yet to crack a top-five finish at the circuit in the Next Gen era, he does have the third-most wins since the start of the 2022 season (eight) and is tied with three other drivers for the most top-five finishes this season with seven. Plus, he led the second-most laps this season (607). All signs point to collecting another win soon.
Following Hamlin in the projections are Team Penske’s Blaney, Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. and the Hendrick Motorsports pair of William Byron and Chase Elliott. Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Tyler Reddick complete the projected top 10.
OTHER DRIVERS TO WATCH
MARTIN TRUEX JR.: With Truex set to retire from full-time racing at the end of 2024, it wouldn’t be right to see him walk away without one more trip to Victory Lane. At New Hampshire in the Next Gen era, he has won all four stages and led 426 out of 602 laps (71%).
CHASE ELLIOTT: Elliott is having a career year. He grabbed the points lead after Iowa, and his 9.12 average finish — a career high through 17 races — remains the best in the series. While no Hendrick driver has won at the circuit since 2012, with the season Elliott is having, that could change Sunday.
BUBBA WALLACE: Wallace is in a tight battle with Logano for the final playoff spot. Sunday presents a prime opportunity for him to either provisionally lock into the playoffs or extend his six-point lead over the two-time champ. He has two top-10 finishes at NHMS in the Next Gen era.
TY GIBBS: Four of the last eight New Hampshire winners tallied their first win of the season. Gibbs is still in search of his first career victory. Lucky for him, the New England facility is the track the JGR camp excels at, with the last two winners being Truex and Christopher Bell.
JOSH BERRY: The No. 4 Ford was firing on all cylinders last week at Iowa. Berry led 32 laps and scored his third top-10 finish of the season. Expect the momentum to keep rolling at another flat track this weekend.
RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR USA TODAY 301
Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.
Editor’s Note: The Mohegan Sun 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which was originally scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET Saturday, was rescheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday morning. This story was published before the event was rescheduled.
A unique doubleheader awaits 2010 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Bobby Santos III this weekend.
Santos will start the weekend racing in a USAC Silver Crown Series event Friday at Wisconsin’s Madison International Speedway. He’ll hopefully end it by competing in Saturday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Mohegan Sun 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (10 a.m. ET on FloRacing).
The opportunity to compete in both events is something Santos, a six-time Modified Tour winner at New Hampshire, didn’t think was possible when the schedule was released late last year.
“New Hampshire switching from a typical July race to June kind of threw a curveball at me,” Santos said. “New Hampshire in the Modified is one of my favorite races. I was originally pretty disappointed thinking that I was going to miss it and not be able to do it.
“As time went on, I talked to Joe (Stearns) and the guys on the No. 14 team, and they kind of threw an option at me to make it possible to get there in time to run the race.”
As was the case for Kyle Larson’s attempted Indianapolis-Charlotte double last month, there are a variety of unique variables for Santos as he attempts his Madison-New Hampshire double this weekend.
Unlike Larson, Santos won’t be leaving directly from Madison International Speedway to jump on a private jet. He’ll instead pile into a car with his parents to make the two-hour drive to Chicago once his duties with DJ Racing at Madison are complete.
Then, first thing Saturday morning, Santos will board a flight from Chicago to Boston, where he will then start the one hour and 23-minute drive to Loudon, New Hampshire, to compete in the Mohegan Sun 100 in the No. 14 Advantage Motorsports Modified.
If everything goes according to plan, Santos should make it to New Hampshire with plenty of time to spare.
“No private charters for me,” Santos said with a laugh. “We’re definitely relying on commercial airlines.”
However, even if everything goes perfectly, Santos will face major challenges Saturday evening.
To compete Friday at Madison, Santos will have to forgo practice and qualifying at New Hampshire. Advantage Motorsports will have Jacob Lutz in the No. 14 to practice and qualify the car for Santos. As a result, Santos will be forced to start Saturday’s race from the rear of the field.
Ryan Newman, Bobby Santos III and Jacob Lutz have all driven the Advantage Motorsports No. 14 Modified in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events in 2024. (Photo: Adam Fenwick/NASCAR)
Lutz, who finished sixth in his Modified Tour debut in the most recent event at Seekonk Speedway, will remain on standby just in case Santos doesn’t arrive on time.
“I feel like I’m used to driving different race cars,” said Santos, who has raced and won in a variety of different cars ranging from Modifieds to Sprint Cars and everything in between. “From that side of it, I’m pretty confident. From the other side of it, I’m very confident in Joe’s team and (crew chief) Billy Putney and Jacob Lutz and all those guys to bring a well-prepared race car to where hopefully I can just hop in and run well and pass cars.”
Santos is no stranger to New Hampshire; his six Modified Tour wins at the track are more than any other active driver. He’s tied with Reggie Ruggiero for third overall at New Hampshire, with only Tony Hirschman (seven wins) and Mike Stefanik (eight) ahead of him.
In fact, six of Santos’ last seven Modified Tour victories dating back to 2014 came at New Hampshire. His most recent New Hampshire win was in 2020, with that victory doubling as his most recent Modified Tour triumph.
The 38-year-old from Franklin, Massachusetts is a 12-time feature winner in USAC Silver Crown Series competition to go along with his 19 wins with the Modified Tour.
Currently ranked seventh in the USAC Silver Crown Series standings, Santos believes he has a real chance at winning one or both races this weekend. If he didn’t think he could win, he says, then he wouldn’t be traveling more than 1,100 miles in 24 hours.
“I wouldn’t be doing this if that wasn’t the goal or the expectations,” Santos said. “I feel like these are both tracks that I’m capable of winning at. I have capable teams on both sides. Capable people around me on both sides. Again, we wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t feel we could run both races and have shots at winning both races.
“If the situation is right, I think that you can pass cars and potentially win the race from the back (at New Hampshire). A lot of other race tracks I feel like it probably wouldn’t make sense, but being New Hampshire, a place where you can race and pass well, it’s a place where I think we can make it work.”
Here’s what’s happening in the world of NASCAR with Iowa Speedway in the rearview and New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sun., 2:30 p.m. ET, USA) right around the corner.
1. Single-digit races left — who else might sneak into the playoffs?
Reigning champion Ryan Blaney locked up another playoff spot at Iowa. With nine regular-season races remaining before the field is set, take a look at who might join him.
Ask around and you probably won’t find a whole lot of people out there who didn’t have defending champion Ryan Blaney in their preseason playoff grids.
Still, No. 12’s win at Iowa Speedway does take one more potential playoff spot off the board for those not yet locked in, and there are some rather large names currently slated to miss this year’s postseason.
Bubba Wallace holds the final playoff spot, plus-six to the elimination line. Here are the drivers inside the top 30 in points but below him in the standings, and their most likely tracks to cash in for a win.
(Note: Daniel Suárez and Austin Cindric are 18th and 19th in the standings, respectively, but each have a win to slot them into the provisional playoff field.)
15. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Best remaining track: Michigan (12.3 avg. finish, three wins)
Dark-horse opportunity: Indianapolis (10.8 avg. finish, no wins)
16. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Best remaining track: Richmond (7.4 avg. finish, six wins)
Dark-horse opportunity: Indianapolis (12.1 avg. finish, two wins)
17. Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Best remaining track: Darlington (16.3 avg. finish, one top five)
Dark-horse opportunity: Loudon (17.3 avg. finish, one top 10)
20. Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Best remaining track: Darlington (19.0 avg. finish, three top 15s)
Dark-horse opportunity: Indianapolis (20.5 avg. finish, one top five)
21. Josh Berry, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Best remaining track: Richmond (6.5 avg. finish, one top five)
Dark-horse opportunity: Darlington (16.5 avg. finish, one top five)
22. Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Best remaining track: Daytona (20.9 avg. finish, one win)
Dark-horse opportunity: Darlington (25.8 avg. finish, 3 top 10s)
23. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Best remaining track: Atlanta (19th in only Cup start)
Dark-horse opportunity: Richmond (27th in only Cup start; one Craftsman Truck Series win)
24. Noah Gragson, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Best remaining track: Daytona (17.3 avg. fin, one top five, two top 10s)
Dark-horse opportunity: Darlington (20.0 avg. finish; two Xfinity Series wins)
25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Best remaining track: Daytona (20.4 avg. finish, two wins)
Dark-horse opportunity: Atlanta (19.1 avg. finish, three top 10s)
26. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Best remaining track: Darlington (12.4 avg. finish, two wins)
Dark-horse opportunity: Daytona (21.5 avg. finish, one win)
27. Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Best remaining track: Daytona (22.9 avg. finish, one top five, three top 10s)
Dark-horse opportunity: Michigan (19.3 avg. finish, one top 10)
28. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Best remaining track: Daytona (9.7 avg. finish, one top 10)
Dark-horse opportunity: Atlanta (22.0 avg. finish; one Xfinity Series win)
29. Corey LaJoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Best remaining track: Daytona (17.2 avg. finish, one top five, five top 10s)
Dark-horse opportunity: Atlanta (21.5 avg. finish, two top fives)
30. Justin Haley, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Best remaining track: Daytona (18. 8 avg. finish, one win, two top 10s)
Dark-horse opportunity: Atlanta (18.1 avg. finish, two top 10s)
Several can still get in on points, but a victory is the surest path to the postseason (not to mention the only path for some of the above), so where might they win to clinch their spots? Honestly, plenty of the driver/track combos listed above stand as reasonable options that could come to fruition.
Busch has shown he can win anywhere throughout his career and it’s hard to picture a playoff field without him, but if he gets to Richmond still riding what will then be a career-long 43-race-winless streak and leaves Virginia without a winner’s sticker … well, sorry, Rowdy Nation. Might not be happening this year.
Logano feels like he’s right on the verge of joining his teammates in the playoffs, and it could happen this weekend. Jones could pop up and crank out yet another Southern 500 win despite a down year, Berry could continue to show the field how it’s done on short tracks with a Richmond romp, Gragson could give the SHR shop something to smile about by rekindling his NXS success at Darlington, you name it.
Heck, any of these guys could pull it off with two drafting-style races remaining. Certainly, you look at recent Daytona 500 champs McDowell and Stenhouse as the most likely among the crop there.
Of course, none of that could happen, too; stock-car racing surprises us every week. That’s why we watch, right?
There’s lots of racing left before we know who’s vying for this year’s title — and on a wide variety of tracks — and anything goes as things start to heat up. The pressure’s on.
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2. Will Toyota regain its footing at the ‘Magic Mile’?
< After stumbling at Iowa and just one win in the last six races, will the manufacturer reestablish its early-season momentum in Loudon?
Toyota entered Sunday’s race at Iowa Speedway with three drivers in the top six favorites to win the inaugural race at the 0.875-mile short track.
It left the Hawkeye State with one top-10 finisher, and he didn’t even score any stage points.
The first portion of the season was all Toyota and Chevrolet — namely Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports — with a Ford-backed team not picking up its first win until Darlington in Race 13. Toyota has just one win since then … and it was a rain-shortened one at that.
There are no long-term concerns here — such is the ebb and flow of the Next Gen, as we’ve learned — and it wouldn’t be a shocker to see the manufacturer land two or three drivers in the Championship 4 later this season. It is worth considering, though, if it will be able to reach into its spell book and find the magic once again this weekend in Loudon — especially considering the track’s similarities to fellow 1-mile Phoenix Raceway, where the Championship 4 will take place.
If Sunday again doesn’t go well for the Toyota group, it’s probably fair to start wondering if it’s been caught up to in some respects, and if it will be playing catch-up by the playoffs.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. It’s entirely possible JGR and 23XI Racing (heck, maybe even Legacy Motor Club; Nemechek won the Xfinity race last year) come out and smash everybody this weekend at the “Magic Mile,” a longtime stomping ground.
Soon-to-be-mostly-retired Martin Truex Jr. enters as the defending race winner, having won seven of the 16 stages at New Hampshire, including the last four. JGR’s 13 wins there make it the track the team has the fifth-most wins at, and last year four of the top eight finishers all drove Toyotas.
Ford is just as formidable at the track — Team Penske, in particular, but RFK Racing could have a sneaky good weekend as well — and is likely Toyota’s top competition on Sunday, especially given how the tides have turned for the Blue Ovals.
A major factor going for Toyota’s prospects this weekend, though? Chevrolets aren’t … great there. Like, at all.
I won’t be surprised if Kyle Larson — a three-time NHMS runner-up — makes me eat my words here and wins his first lobster, but it’s notable that Hendrick heads to a staple of the annual Cup schedule and none of its current lineup of drivers have won at it. That’s a rarity. (Byron has the only national series win there among them — a Truck Series win in 2016 driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports … in a Toyota.)
In fact, Busch is the only current Chevrolet driver, period, that has a New Hampshire Cup win and, well, you can probably guess which manufacturer that was with.
The struggles do indeed extend beyond just Hendrick. Chevy has just one win at Loudon in the last 17 races (with Kevin Harvick, who switched to Ford the following season). The manufacturer has a whopping 163 Cup wins overall since its last “Magic Mile” victory, coming at the hands of Kasey Kahne in July 2012.
It has led just 18% of Loudon laps since then.
Needless to say, if Toyota drivers leave New Hampshire as empty-handed as they did Iowa … your ears should perk up a little.
Todd Gordon and Luke Lambert break down how Kyle Larson’s day unraveled at Iowa as we head into New Hampshire.
4. Loudon — the track for title winners
Twelve of the last 15 New Hampshire winners are NASCAR Cup Series champions — will a fresh face break the trend or will a title winner once again reign supreme?
Date
Winner
Championship
9/22/2013
Matt Kenseth
2003
7/13/2014
Brad Keselowski
2012
9/21/2014
Joey Logano
2018
7/19/2015
Kyle Busch
2015/2019
9/27/2015
Matt Kenseth
2003
7/17/2016
Matt Kenseth
2003
9/25/2016
Kevin Harvick
2014
7/16/2017
Denny Hamlin
9/24/2017
Kyle Busch
2015/2019
7/22/2018
Kevin Harvick
2014
7/21/2019
Kevin Harvick
2014
8/2/2020
Brad Keselowski
2012
7/18/2021
Aric Almirola
7/17/2022
Christopher Bell
7/17/2023
Martin Truex Jr.
2017
5. Catch the pack — news and notes from around the garage
Change can be scary. It’s something Riley Herbst tried to avoid at this time last season, despite Stewart-Haas Racing’s desire to pair Chase Briscoe with a new crew chief, Richard Boswell. It was an effort to reform a dominant duo that took the Xfinity Series by storm in 2020 with nine victories.
As the NASCAR Xfinity Series entered a pair of road courses last spring, Herbst learned what was coming. Stewart-Haas informed Herbst that his new crew chief would be Davin Restivo, the lead engineer for Aric Almirola in the Cup Series.
“It wasn’t welcomed at the beginning,” Herbst said of the change. “It’s not that I didn’t want to get rid of [Boswell] or I didn’t want Davin, because the furthest from the truth. But I didn’t think it was to the best standards of the company to change my crew chief a little bit more than a [third] of the way through the season. I didn’t think that was truly fair, just because higher-ups wanted Briscoe and Boswell back together because of their 2020 campaign.
“I had to take that medicine and move on with it. I think that’s what frustrated me the most about the whole thing. Not that Richard was leaving or that I was getting Davin because ultimately Davin is awesome, and I like him, it’s just the fact of how they did it.”
Despite working for the same company, the new pair never spoke before Sonoma Raceway, when Restivo helped Almirola when he won for RSS Racing. After Sonoma, the series had a bye week before picking up at Nashville Superspeedway.
Restivo was on vacation at the beach when he was told he would be the new crew chief of the No. 98 Ford. Since entering the sport in 2013 with NTS Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series, he served as an engineer for multiple race teams, including stops at Turner-Scott Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing.
Herbst and Restivo traded phone calls to ensure that they were on the same page when the season resumed at Nashville.
“I kept telling him, ‘I know you don’t know me, and I don’t know you, but I’m going to give you 110%, so let’s go win some races,'” Restivo recalled. “I feel like we hit on that.”
The No. 98 team started off strong with a runner-up finish at Nashville. Boswell helped set up the No. 98 car before Nashville as Herbst said Restivo was instructed not to change the setup.
Beginning at the Chicago Street Race, Restivo began using his own philosophies. The No. 98 team scored three straight finishes of 20th or worse and backed that up with three finishes of sixth or better. The inconsistency continued late into the regular season; the No. 98 car suffered a suspension failure at Watkins Glen International, and Herbst was involved in a wreck at Daytona International Speedway, putting him below the elimination line. With finishes of sixth and 23rd to end the regular season, Herbst missed the playoffs.
Missing the playoffs is “extremely unacceptable” and a “failure” for one of Ford’s top teams in the Xfinity Series. Personnel changes were made, but Herbst and Restivo stuck together through hard times.
“It would have been easy for me to jump ship,” Herbst said. “A lot of people thought I was going to jump ship. I didn’t really want to because I knew how fast we could be and the potential we could have. The stats sheet don’t look good. If you look into my stats, they say what they say, but there are a lot of asterisks next to them.
“I think what Davin and I had and what Stewart-Haas had, [Greg Zipadelli] and everyone who stuck behind me and what we could build and do, I just wanted to see that through.”
With more experience atop the pit box and managing a race team for the first time, Restivo became more secure. He believes that was the biggest hurdle to overcome.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
By missing the postseason, Herbst solely chased race victories. He ended the season with a career-high five straight top-five finishes, including a dominant, 15-second victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his home track.
“We finally [won], and that calmed everyone down and gave everybody life,” Herbst said.
This week’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway marks one year since the pairing ran their first race together. During that time, both have become more familiar with each other and Herbst is in a much better playoff position than a season ago, ranking seventh in the regular season standings — one point behind fifth — 91 points above the elimination line.
“Riley has grown a lot over the last year,” Restivo said. “Going from Week 1 of us communicating on the radio to today, he’s way more mature, confident and his answers last year, there seemed to be some questionable comments. Now, he’s aged five years overnight. He’s starting to prep himself for the next level.”
Herbst has enjoyed working with Restivo and has also seen his growth in running a race team.
“Davin is a young, eager person who wants to make it to the next level and win on this level,” Herbst said. “It’s kind of like a rejuvenation and a shot in the arm for myself and the whole Xfinity shop.”
Restivo believes the turning point in the No. 98 team’s chemistry came in a Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. Herbst was in contention for the victory and gave Ryan Blaney the winning push.
“As soon as that race was over, he texted me and said, ‘Did you see that? That was awesome; I could have won that race. We’re going to go win one now,’ Restivo remembered. “Two weeks later, we showed up to Vegas and knocked it out of the park.”
The No. 98 team has bounced back despite news surrounding SHR. The team announced on May 28 that it would close at the end of the season, affecting both the Cup and Xfinity Series teams. Herbst and Restivo both know they are trying to impress on the race track to secure a stable future.
Herbst has been in the rumor mill of where he could land in 2025. Ultimately, he just wants it to be enjoyable.
“I want to have fun,” Herbst added. “I want to go to the race track and feel what I’m doing this year, which I’m going to give it my best effort, and my best effort is going to be competitive, and I’m going to have a good time.”
Daniel Suárez hears the American national anthem every race day during the NASCAR Cup Series season, taking part in the pre-race tradition just minutes before the green flag each week. Tuesday afternoon, with hand over heart at the Charlotte field office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “The Star-Spangled Banner” felt a bit different for the Mexican-born driver.
Suárez was sworn in as a United States citizen on Tuesday, joining 48 candidates from 28 countries in a naturalization ceremony as a group of the newest Americans. Suárez — and all 47 others — received a citizenship certificate from NASCAR President Steve Phelps, a surprise guest who was present for the oath-taking and delivered the keynote address.
For Suárez, who came to America 12 years ago to pursue a racing career, Tuesday’s ceremonies represented a crucial next step in his stateside journey. The Trackhouse Racing driver’s celebration of his Mexican culture has been a significant part of that ride, but now he has another anthem he can call his own.
“It is different because now I feel like I have a little bit of a part in it,” Suárez said upon hearing the U.S. anthem in Tuesday’s program. “I don’t know if that makes sense. I don’t know, but it does feel a little bit different. It’s almost like, OK, now that’s part of myself.”
Suárez was joined by his fiancée, Julia Piquet, and Trackhouse Racing president Ty Norris and other team representatives at Tuesday’s ceremony. Phelps’ arrival was news to Suárez, who embraced his friend before the 45-minute program.
“I’ve known about this for a couple of months, and it was a surprise, so Daniel was unaware of this,” said Phelps, who admitted to a mild case of nerves with the new experience. “But when the Trackhouse folks asked me to do it, I was absolutely thrilled. So, it means a lot to me, and Daniel and I have a special relationship, and to see him fulfill a dream to become a U.S. citizen, I just feel honored I was here.”
The new citizens were greeted by a welcoming video address from President Joe Biden, who noted their shared courage in carving out a path in a nation full of opportunity. Phelps also made special recognition of Suárez’s resilience in his speech, noting how he charted his racing career from modest beginnings to becoming a winner at the top level of the sport.
When Suárez arrived in America, he was a 19-year-old prospect in what’s now called the ARCA Menards Series East, landing here with just two seasons of racing in the NASCAR Mexico Series under his belt. He made learning English quickly his priority, to better communicate with his racing team, sponsors and fans, getting a quick grasp of the language by watching television — specifically, cartoons.
Just five years later, he became an Xfinity Series champion who was soon promoted to the Cup Series ranks. After starting out in NASCAR’s big leagues driving for three teams in his first four seasons, he found a home with Trackhouse and became the first Mexico native to win a Cup Series race in 2022. He is now in his fourth year of wheeling the team’s No. 99 Chevrolet — which was on display in show-car form in the USCIS parking lot Tuesday.
It might be hackneyed to call Suárez’s journey and achievements through racing an American dream, but his story so far fits that mold.
“Honestly, a lot of people have been telling me that, and I don’t like to brag or anything like that, but I feel like it is,” Suárez said. “If you think about it, I came from a family with no money, I grew up in a small house, it was five of us with a two-bedroom apartment, a two-bedroom house with one bathroom. Like I grew up in a very humble family and a lot of people don’t know all the details, but to come here from being in Mexico, going to public school in Mexico and not having really much money, and coming here without speaking English, with not having the contacts, not having really the racing background, and being able to learn the language, making it to Drive 4 Diversity, racing in NASCAR, win races, win a championship and make it to the top of NASCAR in a sport that 15 years ago, every person that I knew, they were telling me that there was no way, that it was a very American sport. I feel like it is, and hopefully I can bring awareness to people to not let anyone tell you can’t.”
The journey to citizenship has been its own path, and Suárez explained the various types of U.S. visas he’s had to apply for — all the way to his Permanent Resident Card, or “green card” — and the work involved to secure them. His studies for his citizenship test were extensive, and learning about the USA’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, when America was still a young nation, was particularly eye-opening.
“Honestly, being part of this journey in the last few years has really taught me a lot,” he said. “I really hope that a lot of people have the experiences and the opportunity to go through something like this, because it really teaches you a lot of things in life. I feel that I won’t take this for granted. Maybe some people take some things for granted, and for me, I will never take this for granted because I know how much it cost me to get here and to get these opportunities and to be able to work hard and to be part of this group of people that they were able to accomplish the same thing that I did is very special.
“I just hope that this is the beginning of something great, and I can be the example for many people from my country, South America, Europe, you name it, Asia, to come to this country, to work hard, to be disciplined and to do things the right way, because in my mind, if you do all these things right, there is no question you’re going to be successful.”
Suárez said his next stop in the process would be registering to vote, a new privilege that comes with citizenship. Aside from potentially hearing the American anthem in a different light — “I’ll let you know on Sunday,” he says — Suárez insisted he’ll be the same person he’s always been, one who also celebrates his Mexican citizenship and shares his home country’s traditions.
The 32-year-old driver’s next opportunity to embrace his culture with fans comes Thursday in Chicago, where Suárez and Trackhouse have planned the largest gathering of his “Daniel’s Amigos” community in the lead-up to NASCAR’s second annual Chicago Street Race Weekend on July 6-7.
“Super excited for that. I’m sure that I’m going to be talking a lot about what happened today,” Suárez said. “I’m sure a lot of people there are Mexican-Americans, and there’s a lot of people there that are looking forward to one day having an oath ceremony like the one I had today. So hopefully I can inspire some people and push them to do things the right way.”
Silly Season is up and running — and a steamy rumor mill right along with it.
No. 51 Rick Ware Racing driver Justin Haley appeared to clear the smoke from his future in NASCAR’s premier series next year and beyond on Tuesday afternoon in a teleconference with reporters after an uptick in performance had some tossing his name into the ring for a potential new ride next year for the second consecutive season.
After a sophomore slump in his second full-time Cup Series campaign last year, the 2019 winner at Daytona was forced to make a change, parting ways with Kaulig Racing and signing with Rick Ware Racing to drive the No. 51 Ford full-time starting at the beginning of 2024.
“Looking back a year ago, Rick Ware and Lisa Ware, they gave me an opportunity when I was high and dry and didn’t have an opportunity left in the Cup Series,” Haley said. “I trusted them, they trusted me, and I kind of gambled my whole career and life, and everything I have done up to that point to trust Rick and his process and see him through.”
That “gamble” has since paid off for the 25-year-old as he’s been turning heads throughout the first half of the regular season, turning in two top 10s the last five races — with another P13 this past Sunday at Iowa Speedway — and consistently putting the No. 51 in a position to perform.
With multiple full-time opportunities looming as one of the most dizzying Silly Seasons in recent memory is expected to heat up over the summer, Haley dispelled any notion of moving on from his new home, prepared to go the distance with RWR for the foreseeable future.
“We’re fully committed,” said the Winamac, Indiana native. “I think we’re running too good right now to, you know, really veer too far off the path of anything. … without Rick, I wouldn’t even be in the Cup Series right now. … Whatever Rick wants my future to be, you know, if (he wants) me to stay for five to 10 years, I’ll stay for five to 10 years, just because he gave me the opportunity when no one else would … I kind of owe everything to him.”
As far as the remainder of 2024, Haley and the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing team show no signs of slowing down as the hunt for a playoff spot with nine regular-season races remaining before the postseason field sets.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done but I’m very proud of what we’ve done so far.”
Bonsignore has been working tirelessly to ensure his first venture into the Xfinity Series goes flawlessly. A part of that process includes conversing with current NASCAR Cup Series competitor Ryan Preece, who also racked in numerous accomplishments in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour such as winning the championship in 2013.
“Ryan Preece and I have been really good friends for a long time now,” Bonsignore said. “I’ve reached out and asked if he had some time he could make available for me to offer any type of insight that I can put in the memory bank and think about for the next couple of days.
“Anybody that is willing to tell me anything, I will listen and remember it when it counts.”
The three-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion is not only set to defend his #NHMS crown in the #MoheganSun100, but also make his @NASCAR_Xfinity Series debut in the #SciAps200.
— New Hampshire Motor Speedway (@NHMS) June 17, 2024
A veteran of the Modified Tour for more than 15 years with three titles to his name, adjusting to full-bodied stock cars has been a learning experience for Bonsignore.
The ARCA Menards Series pre-race practice at Daytona International Speedway served as his first exposure to stock-car racing, which earned him a chance to make his series debut at the same track in February. Driving for Rette Jones Racing, Bonsignore had to settle for 32nd after rupturing an oil line on Lap 42.
New Hampshire will provide a much different atmosphere compared to Daytona. Unlike on the Modified Tour, no draft will be prevalent in Saturday’s Xfinity Series event, which has forced Bonsignore to ascertain how to gain track position by utilizing aerodynamics and horsepower to his advantage.
The two Modified Tour New Hampshire victories Bonsignore has on his resume has provided him some confidence prior to the SciAps 200. Despite this, Bonsignore understands he needs to be patient and not interfere with the ongoing battle to reach the Xfinity Series Playoffs.
“There’s going to be a lot of good cars in this race, Christopher Bell my teammate probably being the toughest,” Bonsignore said. “You have to know you’re the new guy here, so you don’t want to be too aggressive like us Modified guys can be.
“We’re going to be smart about it and attack when we can. We don’t want to make any enemies along the way.”
The SciAps 200 is currently the only Xfinity Series event on Bonsignore’s schedule, but he did not rule out potentially tagging on more races should the appropriate sponsorship materialize.
For now, Bonsignore is focused on being the best version of himself both physically and mentally during the biggest race of his career to date. Those qualities will be more paramount Saturday afternoon as drivers deal with a heat wave that is arriving in the northeast this weekend.
With his family, friends and sponsors in attendance at New Hampshire, Bonsignore is setting high expectations for himself. He would love to triumph in his Xfinity Series debut, but Bonsignore stressed the importance of logging laps and coming away from the afternoon with Gibbs’ car intact.
“I’m looking to have a smooth day and take it all in,” Bonsignore said. “If we can contend in the top five or top 10, that would be a win, but I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t think we couldn’t contend for the win. We’re in a Gibbs car, so you have to go there with that mindset, but we need to execute and try to learn each and every lap.”
The SciAps 200 commences at 3:30 p.m. ET and will air on the USA Network. Once the Xfinity Series race concludes, Bonsignore will chase another Modified Tour New Hampshire checkered flag starting at 6:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing.
The race every driver in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour garage anticipates is here.
The Mohegan Sun 100, the seventh race of the 2024 Modified Tour season, takes place Saturday evening at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (10 a.m. ET on FloRacing). The annual visit to the track known as the Magic Mile is considered the Modified Tour’s equivalent to the Cup Series’ Daytona 500; it’s the race every competitor on the Tour wants to win, and the entry list each year backs up that claim.
Modified Tour competitors first visited New Hampshire in 1990, when Mike McLaughlin became the first winner in series history at the 1.058-mile oval. In the years since, the track has played host to some of the most thrilling races in series history. Winners at New Hampshire include stars like Mike Stefanik, Ted Christopher, Tony Hirschman, Reggie Ruggiero, Doug Coby, Bobby Santos III, Steve Park, Ryan Preece, Ryan Newman and, the most recent winner, Justin Bonsignore.
Tickets to the Mohegan Sun 100 are available here. Below is everything you need to know about the seventh race on the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule.
Cars in action during last year’s Mohegan Sun 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Mohegan Sun 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
What to watch for:
Justin Bonsignore is prepared for perhaps the biggest weekend of his career.
Not only is the three-time Modified Tour champion racing in Saturday’s Mohegan Sun 100, of which he is the defending winner, but he is also making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the Sci Aps 200 driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Add to that the fact that Bonsignore is still one win away from tying Ted Christopher for third on the all-time Modified Tour wins list, and Saturday could turn out to be a massive day for the driver from Holtsville, New York.
More than 30 drivers will be trying to deny Bonsignore a return visit to Victory Lane at New Hampshire. Among them is NASCAR Cup Series star Ryan Preece, who is making his second start of the Modified Tour season Saturday in his own No. 40 Modified. Preece has one Modified Tour victory at New Hampshire, which came in 2021.
Bobby Santos III, who is the active wins leader at New Hampshire with seven Modified Tour wins, will chase his eighth victory at the track in the Advantage Motorsports No. 14. However, he’ll be doing it from the rear of the field since he’ll miss practice and qualifying on Friday due to commitments with the USAC Silver Crown Series.
Doug Coby will reunite with Tommy Baldwin Racing to chase another New Hampshire win. They’ll do so while also honoring the late Bugsy Stevens with a special tribute paint scheme. Jon McKennedy will return to the series to make his 100th career start, and Anthony Nocella, the 2022 New Hampshire race winner, will join the fray in the No. 17 for team owner Michele Davini.
Ron Silk, a winner of three Modified Tour races already this year, will chase his fourth New Hampshire win. Chase Dowling, a winner at New Hampshire in 2018, will also be in the field aboard the No. 44 for team owner Lawney Tinio.
One notable driver, Luke Baldwin, will be making his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour start. The son of Tommy Baldwin Jr., the younger Baldwin will make his debut in the No. 38 for Sadler-Stanley Racing.
Other notable entries include Austin Beers, Craig Lutz, Patrick Emerling, Eric Goodale, Jake Johnson, Dave Sapienza, Tyler Rypkema, Andy Seuss and Matt Swanson, among others.
The full entry list for Saturday’s Mohegan Sun 100 is available here.
Doug Coby leads last year’s Mohegan Sun 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Schedule: Friday, June 21: Final practice from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. ET … Qualifying at 5:45 p.m. ET… Saturday, June 22: Mohegan Sun 100 at 10 a.m. ET.
Qualifying: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one vehicle engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Starting field for the Mohegan Sun 100 is limited to 32 starters including Provisional Positions.
Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is twelve (12) tires per team. All tires used for qualifying and the race must be purchased at the track and scanned by Hoosier, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Series Director. Four (4) tires must be used for qualifying and to begin the race. All qualifying tires must remain in impound until released by NASCAR Officials. The remaining tire allotment may be used for practice and/or change tires during the event.
