Posted on by Brandon White

Akinori Ogata arrived in the United States from his home country of Japan in 2003 with the goal of becoming a successful NASCAR driver.

Despite knowing little about American culture at the time, Ogata had always been fascinated by the vibrant atmosphere of NASCAR. He wanted to add his name to a long and prestigious list of winners in the sport that included Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and many more.

Almost two decades of hard work and determination to reach that goal is finally paying off for Ogata, who tallied his first three victories on American soil this year at Hickory Motor Speedway.

For Ogata, getting that elusive first win back on Apr. 9 could not have come at a more perfect location with Hickory having a storied reputation as ‘The Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars.’

“Hickory has such a great history behind it,” Ogata told NASCAR.com. “So many drivers started their own careers there. I’m a Japanese driver, but I want to be like the American racers. If I want to race in the Cup Series one day, I need to win at the local tracks, so people know that Akinori Ogata is a good driver.”

RACING REFERENCE: Ogata’s career statistics

Akinori Ogata
Akinori Ogata walks the grid prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway on Sept. 11, 2021. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

There were many days when Ogata wondered whether his leap of faith into NASCAR would ever work out.

Back in Japan, Ogata had established himself as a solid driver in multiple forms of motorsports. He claimed 30 victories as a motocross rider and even visited Victory Lane at Twin Ring Motegi driving a dirt Midget back in 2007.

Transitioning to full-time auto racing in the United States served as a clean slate for Ogata. He had to get acclimated with competing inside a full-bodied stock car all while trying to build relationships in the industry with a limited understanding of the English language.

Those challenges for Ogata were only compounded when he moved his family to Mooresville, North Carolina, back in 2010 so he could devote more time and energy toward getting comfortable with NASCAR.

“Moving to North Carolina was hard, because we honestly didn’t know anybody here,” Ogata said. “I could not speak any English, and it was difficult to understand what other people were saying. My English is much better now, but it was so hard when we first moved here.”

Ogata admitted adjusting to racing in the United States would have been more difficult without the assistance of people like Billy Larrimore, who was his first crew chief when he started racing at Concord Speedway in 2003, as well as his current crew chief in Zach McDaniels.

Being able to regularly compete at Hickory has also helped Ogata find a comfort zone in becoming a staple of the track’s Saturday night festivities, even with him occasionally branching out into the NASCAR Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series, as well as the ARCA Menards Series East.

Hickory track operator Kevin Piercy has seen Ogata come close to winning on so many occasions during his tenure and has been overjoyed by the amount of success the veteran has experienced in 2022.

“Akinori is a very respectful driver to his competitors,” Piercy said. “He will race you hard but clean, and I think he has a lot of grit. Akinori is a tough customer who digs in week in and week out, so I was happy to see him finally fulfill this opportunity.”

Piercy added that Ogata’s consistency reinforces the idea of Hickory as a track where anybody can win regardless of nationality or skin color. Rajah Caruth joined Chris Bristol as a Black winner at Hickory last year, while Annabeth Barnes-Crum, Gracie Trotter, Katie Hettinger and Kate Dallenbach are among the women who have found Victory Lane throughout the track’s storied history.

What Piercy enjoyed the most about seeing Ogata add to that legacy was how popular the win was not only amongst his fellow competitors, but also the local fanbase that had watched him grind over the past several years.

As Ogata continues to add wins in Hickory’s Limited Late Model division, Piercy hopes the driver’s dedication will allow him to contend for a Late Model Stock championship within the next few years.

“I would love to see Akinori have an opportunity to move up to Late Models,” Piercy said. “He needs a genuine chance to win a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship. It would be a great honor for him to go to the banquet and accept that trophy.”

Akinori Ogata
Akinori Ogata pictured during East Series competition at Georgia’s Gresham Motorsports Park on June 9, 2012. (Photo: Kevin Liles)

The confidence Ogata had from Hickory gave him extra motivation heading into first Truck Series start of the year at Darlington Raceway, where he drove a Mike Skinner tribute scheme for Reaume Brothers Racing.

Unfortunately for Ogata, he struggled to find speed with his truck in qualifying and found himself out of the race before the halfway point after a collision with teammate and owner Josh Reaume just eight laps into the event.

“[Darlington] was a tough weekend,” Ogata said. “I was disappointed, because I felt I had momentum from the Late Models and thought I was in for a good race. We started slow and then we got into Josh on the track, so it was frustrating.”

Despite the rough outing at Darlington, Ogata is still dreaming big on his racing aspirations in the United States even as he continues to deal with challenges on and off the track.

Staying in touch with his wife Eniko and two children in Ken and Ryo has been difficult since they now reside in Japan again, but he knows they are supporting his journey and is eager to celebrate his on-track success with them.

With his program making significant strides, Ogata is confident that he and his family will have plenty more to cheer about once the 2022 season ends.

“Now that I have three wins, I want to try and win the [Limited Late Model] championship at Hickory,” Ogata said. “I also want to keep moving up through NASCAR, but my goal is to keep having great performances wherever I race.”

Ogata still plans to make his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series sooner rather than later and is hoping to at least have an opportunity to race in the Daytona 500 before he eventually decides to retire.

As someone used to overcoming adversity, Ogata remains determined to pursue that Cup Series ride and keep alive a dream that has been ongoing for almost two decades.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Toyota Racing Development (TRD) President David Wilson expressed his strong support Tuesday for keeping Kyle Busch on the automaker’s driver roster with Joe Gibbs Racing until his retirement, hinting that maintaining that partnership would pave the way for the next generation of Buschs to continue that legacy.

Busch has driven the No. 18 Toyota for Coach Joe Gibbs’ team since the 2008 season. In that time, he’s amassed 56 of his 60 NASCAR Cup Series victories. His agreement with JGR runs through the end of this season, and Busch periodically has spoken candidly, sometimes in blunt terms, about his contract status in recent weeks.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Kyle Busch driver page

Tuesday, Wilson reaffirmed his commitment to Busch in a roundtable with reporters, making reference to Busch’s ebbs and flows with the manufacturer but also his 203 NASCAR national series wins in Toyota equipment.

“We’ve been very close to Kyle for years and years and years, and some of that relationship, to be candid, has been born through trials that we’ve gone through together and through controversy that we’ve gone through together,” Wilson said. “We’ve had some really tough times with Kyle Busch but we also are sitting on two championships and in celebrating recently our 1,500 starts across the three national series.

“I’ll pull this up, because I keep the stat handy all the time: One driver has accounted for 36% of our total wins across all three series, and you know who that driver is. It’s just amazing. So any scenario that doesn’t have Kyle Busch retiring from Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota would be a monstrous disappointment — for us and for Coach Gibbs and the family.”

Wilson admitted that the offseason decision of primary sponsor Mars, through its M&M’s brand, to leave the No. 18 team at year’s end had added a surprise wrinkle to the negotiations. But the TRD executive said he understood and was “somewhat empathetic” to Busch’s stance on the delays, which he has aired out in media interviews at recent races.

Wilson said he hoped to keep Busch as part of the Toyota family, making overtures that his son — Brexton, who turns 7 years old Wednesday — could keep the family connection going one day, starting with the Camping World Truck Series team that his father owns.

“Put yourself in his shoes. He’s on an out year of his contract. This is so rare, because, of course, what the team, what we try and do is get well ahead of this, particularly with a tier-one driver like Kyle Busch,” Wilson said. “The circumstances, unfortunately, have made that challenging. So you know, we’re working on it. This is a conversation I have with Joe every week, and I’m optimistic.

“I know, and Kyle wants … you know, he doesn’t want to go anywhere else. He has been very candid. You know, he can’t wait for the day that his little boy, Brexton, races a Toyota Tundra out of the Kyle Busch Motorsports stable. He has that in his sights. And that’s not going to be for another 10-plus years, which means that we’ve got to make sure that we’re still together long after Kyle’s out of the driver’s seat full time.”

Busch, 37, competed in his first three seasons for Hendrick Motorsports, collecting four Cup Series wins in that span. His first season with JGR coincided with the organization’s first year under the Toyota banner.

That driver-owner-carmaker relationship now stands at nearly a decade and a half, a grouping that Wilson intends to keep going.

“If nothing else, I can’t envision any other scenario. Any other scenario is just unacceptable,” Wilson said. “The last I’ll add is just the point of obvious — it takes both of us to get there, right? It takes Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch to get there. So we can’t control everything, and I’ll leave it at that.”

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

Located a short drive from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Lee USA Speedway has been a staple of the New Hampshire racing scene since it first opened in 1964.

First operating as a dirt track and now as a paved 0/375-mile paved oval, Lee USA Speedway has been entertaining New England race fans for more than 50 years.

The track has hosted countless races through the years. It was reconfigured from a tri-oval to an oval in the mid-1980s, a move that gave the facility new life. The track continues to host weekly racing in addition to special events, including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s Inaugural Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation on May 21.

FLORACING: Watch the Granite State Derby at Lee USA Speedway

The track has even played host to some of NASCAR’s greatest stars, with competitors like Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Terry Labonte, Tim Richmond and Buddy Baker among those known to have turned laps at the historic New Hampshire racing venue. NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans also raced his modified at the track several times through the years.

Current NASCAR competitors like Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Brett Moffitt and Ryan Truex have turned competitive laps at Lee USA Speedway, with Wallace even winning an ARCA Menards Series East (then NASCAR K&N Pro Series East) event at the track in 2010.

Below is everything you need to know about Lee USA Speedway.

Lee USA Speedway

Track Profile

Image001
An aerial view of Lee USA Speedway (Photo Courtesy of Souza Media)
Track Lee USA Speedway
Location Lee, New Hampshire
Opened 1964
Length 0.375 miles
Surface Asphalt

The track now known as Lee USA Speedway opened for the first time in 1964 as a third-mile dirt tri-oval under the ownership and direction of Bob Bonser. Interestingly, the track featured two elevation changes, one uphill and the other downhill.

Originally known as Lee Raceway, the facility didn’t remain a dirt track for very long. In 1965, the track was paved in an effort to attract the New England Super Modified Racing Association, a goal that was accomplished later in the year.

Lee USA Speedway is part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. (Photo Courtesy of Souza Media)
Lee USA Speedway is part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. (Photo Courtesy of Souza Media)

The track continued to operate until 1979, when due to financial reasons the facility was closed. It sat dormant for the next few seasons until three men – Kenny Smith, Russ Conway and Charlie Elliott – came together to purchase and reopen the facility in 1983.

Prior to reopening, the track was reconfigured from its tri-oval layout to the current 0.375-mile oval shape. With the new configuration came a new name – Lee USA Speedway.

In 1986, the track was sold once again, this time to the MacDonald family, who operated the track until early 2018. The track is now owned by Norman Wrenn Jr., who also owns two other New Hampshire race tracks – Monadnock Speedway and Claremont Motorsports Park.

Lee USA Speedway is part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, with the track hosting weekly racing for the Late Model Sportsman, Street Stocks, Six Shooters and Pure Stock divisions.

In addition, the track has hosted the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the ARCA Menards Series East several times in its history. Below is the complete list of winners for both divisions at Lee USA Speedway.

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at Lee USA Speedway

Year-Race No. Date Winner
1993-11 8/6/93 Reggie Ruggiero
1994-06 6/10/94 Jamie Tomaino
1995-06 6/2/95 Tim Connolly
1996-08 6/28/96 Rick Fuller
1998-12 7/17/98 Ed Flemke Jr.

East Series races at Lee USA Speedway

Year-Race No. Date Winner
1992-09 6/7/92 Kelly Moore
1993-01 4/25/93 Dale Shaw
1993-17 9/19/93 Stub Fadden
1994-18 9/4/94 Stub Fadden
1995-03 4/30/95 Bobby Dragon
1995-17 9/3/95 Robbie Crouch
1996-02 4/28/96 Dave Dion
1996-16 9/1/96 Brad Leighton
1997-02 4/20/97 Brad Leighton
1998-01 4/26/98 Brad Leighton
1999-01 4/18/99 Brad Leighton
2000-01 4/16/00 Dale Shaw
2001-01 4/22/01 Tracy Gordon
2002-01 4/21/02 Andy Santerre
2003-01 4/27/03 Andy Santerre
2004-01 4/26/04 Andy Santerre
2010-07 7/30/10 Bubba Wallace
Posted on by Dustin Albino

Ryan Truex has been put through the ringer since entering NASCAR’s national series in 2010. But that hasn’t stopped him from trying to make it.

In February, Joe Gibbs Racing announced Truex would return to the organization in a four-race deal for the first time since 2012, which began at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He would go on to compete at Martinsville Speedway and Darlington Raceway, before the final race this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Prior to that, he was announced to drive the No. 26 Toyota for Sam Hunt Racing in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

RELATED: Entry list for Texas Motor Speedway

Truex, who had two previous stints under the Toyota banner, had been wanting to make the transition back for a while. And he elected now was the time to either put up or shut up.

“This was in the works for a while, but my goal was to be back in the Toyota family,” Truex told NASCAR.com at Darlington. “Both of those deals worked out perfectly together. Obviously, Sam uses JGR engines and gets support. TRD is a big supporter of him.

“When I come here, the goal is to win races and show everyone what I can do with the right equipment.”

Previously, Truex ran three partial Xfinity Series seasons for Toyota between JGR and Michael Waltrip Racing. In those 35 combined races over three different seasons, he scored nine top-10 finishes, including the infamous runner-up finish to Kyle Busch at Dover Motor Speedway in 2012. He led 43 of his 50 career laps in the series during that race.

For the 2016 season, Truex returned to Toyota to run in the Camping World Truck Series for Hattori Racing Enterprises. Competing in a limited schedule, he earned four top 10s, including a runner-up finish to Johnny Sauter at Daytona. But by the end of 2017, the deal fizzled out, leaving him once again without a ride.

“I’ve been trying to get back (to Toyota) for a long time,” Truex said. “When I was with Hattori in 2016 and 2017, I was trying to build that relationship with TRD. That was a lot of work with Shige to get to the point where we got the support that we needed and got close with the Toyota guys. The way the deal ended with Shige wasn’t how I wanted it to go.”

After leaving Hattori, Truex landed in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing in 2018, before being replaced by Justin Haley in 2019. That year, he ran just six NASCAR races for JR Motorsports.

Getting bounced around is something Truex is unfortunately accustomed to. He’s coming off a full-time season with Niece Motorsports with just three top-10 efforts, and there wasn’t an opportunity to return to the team in 2022.

Enter JGR.

“I felt like I needed to give myself an opportunity to get into something that I felt like I could win in right away,” Truex said. “I felt like this was the best opportunity.”

Having run four of the opening 11 Xfinity races in 2022, Truex has a best finish of seventh at Martinsville. In his most recent outing at Darlington, the No. 18 Toyota was battling for a top-10 position on the final lap before contact with Jeremy Clements wrecked both cars. Truex was visibly frustrated after the race, tossing his gloves at the race car after parking it on the frontstretch.

While having a few races to pick from on the schedule in the “all-star” No. 18 car, Truex chose the four tracks based on circuits he has run well at. He also knew being in the car more regularly would likely elevate his potential chances of winning.

“I felt like I had a better shot of front-loading them and being in the seat more consistently,” he said. “Having Darlington and Texas in a row is a huge deal for me. That was a lot of it, just trying to get some consistency.”

XFINITY SERIES: Standings | 2022 schedule

Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. sees how hard his brother works. But that makes Martin even more frustrated, believing his brother has done a good job behind the wheel.

“To think that ‘I’ve got four races in a really good car; if I don’t win one or two of these, I’m probably going to be in the same situation next year,’ it’s tough and it’s a lot of pressure,” Martin said. “He’s just happy to have the opportunity to race a good car and show what he can do. You just pray for things to go really well. A lot of this stuff is about timing.”

Toyota, in general, is happy to have Ryan Truex back in the fold, as executives have become close with the Truex family. Even David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development said, it doesn’t hurt having a former champion in the family.

“We would love to see Ryan break through, and with the struggles that he’s had is emblematic of just how hard it is to break through in this sport,” Wilson said. “Hopefully, this year will be a turning point for Ryan and looking forward he might have more opportunities and longer-term opportunities.”

Reflecting on his first few races in the No. 18 car hasn’t been ideal. In Sin City, Truex was caught up in a late-race crash to finish 30th, despite earning stage points in both stages. While Martinsville was his best finish, he believes he had a top-three car and finished seventh, coming back from a late-race spin.

The little things add up. But overall, the transition has been easy.

“My biggest worry was if I would get in the car and have speed because it’s been a while since I’ve been in the Xfinity Series,” Truex said. “And JGR has shown that their cars are the cars to beat every weekend. I probably put more pressure on myself than I need to.”

On a team led by Jason Ratcliff, winner of 54 Xfinity races as a crew chief, Truex considers himself the “weakest link.” That pressure of performing came from knowing he’d have to elevate his game in order to have a fighting shot.

“This is something,” Truex said, “that I needed to do to prove to myself that I can do it.”

Looking at recent success stories at JGR, Truex points to Ryan Preece, who ran two partial seasons in 2017-18. In 19 races, Preece won twice, earning 14 top 10s. He also looks at what Ross Chastain achieved when given an opportunity at Chip Ganassi Racing, winning in his second start.

That was the goal for Truex. And heading into his final scheduled race, it’s something he needs. Because after Texas, Truex hopes to be in an Xfinity car again this season and the team is working to find the necessary sponsorship.

“I need to win,” Truex said. “I feel that way. Vegas, we could have had a shot. At Martinsville, anything can happen there. But for me, the speed has been there and that’s been encouraging. That was the biggest thing I was worried about going into, wondering, ‘Would I still have the speed to do this?’

“My confidence is higher than it was going into the start of this deal. I’ve just to keep it there and do my job right.”

Posted on by Press Release

RALEIGH, N.C. (May 18, 2022) — Western Pennsylvania’s Jennerstown Speedway, located in Jennerstown, Pa., has claimed the $50,000 prize as winner of the Advance My Track Challenge, a community engagement-based program led by Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive aftermarket parts retailer and entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (NAAPWS).

Jennerstown secured the most votes out of six NAAPWS tracks participating in the final round of voting. Opened in the late 1920s as a dirt oval, the speedway was paved in 1987. Officially measuring as a 0.522-mile track, Jennerstown hosts NAAPWS racing and other racing series from April to October on an annual basis. Jennerstown will be able to use their grand prize for capital facility enhancements and efforts to support the local community.

“Jennerstown is a true gem of the grassroots racing scene in Pennsylvania, and we’re proud to celebrate their team and community as winners of the Advance My Track Challenge,” said Jason McDonell, Advance’s executive vice president of merchandising, marketing and eCommerce. “Fans have supported racing at Jennerstown for generations and winning this challenge is a great example of their passion and dedication for their local track. We’ve enjoyed seeing how Advance My Track has been embraced by the racing community and we look forward to advancing grassroots racing in the years to come.”

RELATED: More on the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series

Jennerstown will also host an Advance Auto Parts-themed night for race fans during an upcoming weekend of racing in 2022. As part of the Advance My Track Challenge, Advance awarded $15,000 to the track finishing with the second-most votes, Alaska Raceway Park in Palmer, Alaska. The track finishing in third, Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, received $10,000.

“It’s great to see a historic track such as Jennerstown win the Advance My Track Challenge in their return to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series family,” said NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Development & Strategy Ben Kennedy. “We know Jennerstown will use this award to continue to elevate the track and grassroots racing within the community, and we appreciate Advance’s continued dedication to supporting these facilities. Additionally, we’re looking forward to Alaska Raceway Park and Adams County Speedway taking advantage of their opportunity to build upon their strong foundation in their regions.”

The Advance My Track Challenge began April 5, with 21 NAAPWS tracks across the United States and Canada represented in the program’s first round of voting. Fans voted up to three times daily in the first round, which concluded May 6. The six tracks receiving the most fan votes took part in the final round of voting, from May 9-13. More than 130,000 total votes were tallied during this year’s challenge.

Advance promoted the program through its partnership with the Team Penske organization and its driver Ryan Blaney, a 7-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner. He raced the No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang with Advance My Track Challenge branding at the April 9 Martinsville Speedway race and on May 9 at Darlington Raceway.

“First off, I’m excited for the team at Jennerstown,” said Blaney. “It’s a track that has meant a lot to my family. My grandfather raced there for many years, so it’s neat to see them win the Advance My Track Challenge. This is such an outstanding program, and I think it’s great what Advance is doing to support local race tracks. These tracks are all so important to their communities, and for local race fans, there’s no better value than visiting your local NASCAR track on a Saturday.”

Learn more about the drivers, teams and NASCAR’s local tracks that make up the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series by visiting the series page on NASCAR.com.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials issued penalties to the No. 31 Kaulig Racing team Tuesday for a detached wheel during last Sunday’s Cup Series event at Kansas Speedway.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Kansas results

The violation fell under Sections 10.5.2.6 in the NASCAR Rule Book: “Loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle.” Competition officials handed down four-race suspensions to each crew chief Trent Owens plus crew members Jonpatrick Kealey (rear-tire changer) and Marshall McFadden (jack) have been suspended from the next four Cup Series races. That span stretches through the June 12 event at Sonoma Raceway and includes this weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race exhibition at Texas Motor Speedway.

Kaulig’s Justin Haley was an early exit from Sunday’s Kansas event, finishing 35th in the 36-car field. His No. 31 Chevrolet expired with an electrical failure after just 64 of the 267 laps in the AdventHealth 400.

Posted on by Press Release

MILFORD, Conn. – Fresh off a victory at Riverhead Raceway last Saturday, Doug Coby and Tommy Baldwin Racing will team together again to join the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour this weekend at Lee USA Speedway for the inaugural Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation.

Coby will drive the No. 7NY for Baldwin’s team in the first Whelen Modified Tour race at the New Hampshire oval in over two decades. Lee, known for its abrasive surface and tire conservation, will be difficult for Coby and Baldwin to tackle – but with momentum on their side coming off a victory in New York – the team is excited to hit the track together again.

Coby does have experience winning at tracks that require excessive amounts of tire conservation. The six-time Whelen Modified Tour champion won the last Whelen Modified Tour race at Myrtle Beach Speedway in 2019 – a track that is similar to Lee, when it comes to strategy. With Baldwin calling the shots on the pit strategy and Coby behind the wheel, the combination feels like they will be in the running to make it two straight wins.

Coby will step back into the No. 7NY seat to allow Jimmy Blewett additional time at home and keep the Baldwin Racing entry in contention for the Whelen Modified Tour owners championship. Through three races, the team leads the owners points by 12.

“At Myrtle Beach you couldn’t even go 100 percent,” Coby said. “In these races, it’s definitely timing of when you take tires, v.s. when the cautions fall. In the last race I won at Myrtle Beach, we timed our pit stop well, when some others stayed out and were hoping for a caution later in the race, but it never came out. Being a six-tire race at Lee, it’s a big difference to be able to come into the pits twice. Someone may even try to time it right and only pit once and not need the second stop. The race is going to be about pacing yourself and not abusing the car. At Riverhead, I was able to pace myself the whole race, and knowing how the car responded to it, it gives me a lot more confidence. At Lee, we will be in a tire saving mindset from the drop of the green. Lee is a great facility and the track is a ton of fun.”

The event schedule for the Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation will include one Whelen Modified Tour practice session from 1:40-2:40 p.m., followed by Mayhew Tools pole qualifying at 5:30 p.m. The drop of the green flag for the 175-lap race is scheduled for 7 p.m. All tickets will be available at the track and are also available in advance at JDVProductions.com. The race will air live on FloRacing for those who can’t make it to the track.

Posted on by Staff Report

What is this, a crossover episode?

Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Chase Briscoe, Cole Custer and Riley Herbst recently played host to Haas F1 drivers Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher at Charlotte Motor Speedway to let their global counterparts give stock-car racing a whirl.

MORE: All of SHR’s wins by driver

From the sounds of it, the F1 gang did not disappoint. And may have even shocked the Cup Series stars a bit, thinking they were bound to wreck on Lap 1.

After all, it’s just one, big racing family. Welcome to NASCAR, boys!

Posted on by Bozi Tatarevic

Editor’s note: Bozi Tatarevic is a professional racing mechanic and pit crew member. He will provide technical analysis for NASCAR.com throughout the 2022 season.

The NASCAR Next Gen car made its first visit to Kansas Speedway last weekend and showed us that the overall package continues to impress at intermediate tracks.

As seen earlier in the year at tracks like Auto Club Speedway, drivers had to battle challenging conditions and try to get a handle on lift-off oversteer, along with the increased loads on the left rear tire which caused flats for a handful of drivers. Cars were breaking loose early and the No. 14 of Chase Briscoe experienced a lift-off oversteer condition in Turn 4, resulting in Briscoe spinning and going through the grass. Luckily the grass had been cut overnight which, combined with the splitter height of the Next Gen car, allowed him to drive off without significant damage.

Another spin happened around lap 60 as we saw the No. 99 of Daniel Suárez appear to have a left rear tire go flat and result in a spin. This would end up being a continuing trend as multiple cars would end up losing their left rear as the race progressed and this is likely based on multiple factors. Goodyear released notes before the race that noted the significance of the air pressure in that left rear tire and that could impact the durability of the tire due to the loads that it was estimated to see at Kansas.

RELATED: Photos from Kansas | Kurt Busch clutch down the stretch

Goodyear shared that the loading of the left rear has increased on the Next Gen car because of the independent rear suspension and aerodynamic balance being shifted more to the rear of this car. Goodyear responded to these increases by recommending that teams add two more psi (pound-force per square inch) to the left rear than what they put in the left front to attempt to compensate for those increased loads.

“The amount of air pressure in the tire should directly correlate to the amount of load on that corner of the car,” Goodyear Director of Racing Greg Stucker said. “If the amount of load increases – like it has on the left-rear of this Next Gen car – you need to increase the load-carrying capability in that tire, which is done via air pressure. If you run below our recommended pressures, the tire can over-deflect, sustain damage and result in an air loss.”

While Goodyear can make recommendations on tire pressures, teams are still free to make their own decision on what they want to run and it is obvious that some are more aggressive than others. The Next Gen car allows teams to change dynamic camber on the rear of the car due to the design of the independent rear suspension and some teams are choosing to be more aggressive with their camber settings which can have a significant impact on the loads seen at the rear of the car. Choosing to be more aggressive on camber typically requires higher air pressure in the tires to compensate and teams are chasing that perfect balance of camber and air pressure, with some appearing to miss it.

Dynamic camber is the angle of the tire relative to the car when it is under load on the track compared to static camber which is the measurement of that angle when the car is sitting still in the paddock or the tech-inspection bay. In addition to the camber and tire settings, there is also a factor of impact loading on the left rear of the car as many cars appear to have a setup that leaves them sitting on the left rear shock at the beginning of a run which results in larger impact loading.

MORE: Cars loaded up, racing three-wide at Kansas

Every team that wants to be fast will chase an aggressive setup and finding the perfect balance is key. It is apparent that some teams have chosen to be more conservative. Cars like the No. 18 of Kyle Busch were seeing issues at intermediate tracks early on in the season but have been more stable in recent races.

While a blanket air pressure recommendation is helpful, it might be a good idea for Goodyear and NASCAR to potentially take some notes from sportscar racing where many series have set up recommendations based on how much camber the car is running. In those cases, the more camber that a car is set up with, the lower air pressure that they are allowed to run since the two have a combined impact on the tire loads. These left rear flats are also self-policing to an extent as teams learn where the limits are and begin to run a bit more conservative as the season goes on.

Pit road also had some chaos. The right rear tire of the No. 43 of Erik Jones was stuck during one of the stops with the wheel not wanting to budge. Based on a review of the incident it appears that the wheel nut was overtightened which resulted in it getting bound up against the wheel and having to be cut off to be removed.

Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Justin Fiedler, who is the rear tire changer of that No. 43 tweeted that he got the wheel nut too tight in the previous stop and while this has happened in the past, it never created such a large issue. Tire changers have been cautious all season to make sure that wheels are tight because the penalties for losing a wheel are severe. This has resulted in some occasions where wheels have been overtightened, but typically they can be removed even if they require a bit of extra work. In this case, it looks like the steel wheel nut ended up fusing to the aluminum wheel after being tightened and re-tightened during the previous stop.

Based on the information we know of the design of the wheel nut, the wheel, and the wheel gun it is likely a combination of multiple factors that caused this incident, including the hardness of the steel used for that wheel nut along with the amount of torque that the wheel gun produces.  Based on observation of pit stops and how wheel nuts go on and off the hubs, it is likely that they are being overtightened in many cases as the wheel gun likely produces more torque than is required for this combination. Unfortunately, the teams are not allowed to make adjustments to the guns so tire changers have to use their best judgment when they believe that the wheel nut is tight enough.

As we shared recently, there are options to measure the torque of the wheel guns at the moment that the wheels are being fastened that can notify the tire changer and even the crew chief on the pit box when wheels are properly torqued. But those are currently not allowed in the series. Teams and officials are likely taking notes from all of these pit-stop incidents and as with other elements of the Next Gen car, will make adjustments to make them more useful for teams and prevent similar incidents in the future.

SCHEDULE: Races up next for Cup Series | Buy tickets

Kansas provided for exciting racing and showed us who has been keeping the best notes since the first few intermediate track races, proving that even though teams are optimizing these cars that there is still room for growth.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

For the first time since 1998, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is returning to New Hampshire’s Lee USA Speedway this Saturday night.

The 0.375-mile paved oval welcomes the Tour back for the Inaugural Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation, the first of four Tour races this season to be promoted by JDV Productions and an event that will pay out almost $90,000 in posted awards.

The Inaugural Granite State Derby, the first race of the new Whelen Granite State Short Track Cup bonus program, will also feature a Kentucky Derby theme in its pre-race ceremonies.

RELATED: Watch the Mods at Lee USA Speedway on FloRacing

This marks the sixth time the Tour has visited Lee USA Speedway dating back to 1993. That first race was won one of the Tour’s greatest stars, Reggie Ruggiero, who led 94 of 102 laps on his way to victory. Other Tour winners at Lee USA Speedway include Jamie Tomaino (1994), Tim Connolly (1995), Rick Fuller (1996) and Ed Flemke Jr. (1998).

A stacked entry list featuring an even mix of Modified Tour regulars and local Riverhead heroes are set to descend onto the historic quarter-mile bullring on Saturday evening with the goal of building momentum heading into the summer.

Inaugural Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation at Lee USA Speedway

What to watch for:

Inaugural Granite State Derby Logo White Outline

For the first time since his victory to open the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season in February at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway, Matt Hirschman is back with the Tour this Saturday night at Lee USA Speedway.

Hirschman, one of the top Modified stars of the Northeast, will be in search of his sixth career Tour victory. While no active Tour competitor has competed in one of the previous Tour events at Lee, Hirschman is among a select handful who has raced there and even has a victory at the track.

His competition includes Doug Coby, who returns to the seat of Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s No. 7 after winning last Saturday’s race at New York’s Riverhead Raceway. Justin Bonsignore will try to get back on track after another rough outing due to a mechanical issue, while Eric Goodale looks to pad his Tour points lead.

Anthony Nocella will attempt his season debut after a part failure forced him to sit out the second race of the season at Richmond Raceway. J.B. Fortin also returns to action after opting to skip Riverhead following the birth of his daughter, Joelle.

Other Tour regulars scheduled to be in action include Ron Silk, Kyle Bonsignore, Dave Sapienza, Austin Beers, Jon McKennedy and Craig Lutz. Spencer Davis makes his third attempt of the season, while Jake Johnson is back in the Boehler Racing Enterprises No. 3 for his second start of the year.

The complete entry list for the inaugural Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation can be found here.

Cars line up before the New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour during night 2 of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna, Florida on February 12, 2022. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)
Cars line up before the New Smyrna Visitors Bureau 200 for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour during Night 2 of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on Feb. 12, 2022. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

RACE FACTS

Race Inaugural Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation
Date Saturday, May 21, 2022
Track Lee USA Speedway
Layout 0.375-mile paved oval
Location Lee, New Hampshire
Start time 6:30 p.m. ET
Laps 175
Posted awards $89,950
TV channel USA (Delayed: Friday, May 28, 11 a.m. ET)
Live stream FloRacing (Live)

Schedule: Garage opens at 11 a.m. ET … Final practice from 1:40-2:40 p.m. ET … Single-car qualifying (two laps) at 5:30 p.m. ET … Race at 7 p.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 inaugural Granite State Derby presented by USA Insulation is limited to 28 starters including Provisional Positions. Vehicles will be impounded after qualifying. Vehicle must qualify on race setup.

Tire allotment: The maximum tire allotment available for this event is 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. The tire change rule is six (6) tires, any position.