New Hampshire Motor Speedway will return to the NASCAR playoffs this weekend for the first time in eight years.
The 1.058-mile oval will play host to the Round of 12 opener for the Cup Series, which has raced in Loudon, New Hampshire, during June, July or August since 2018 when New Hampshire was reduced to one annual race.
The track once was a cornerstone of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, holding the inaugural opener of what was then known as the Chase in 2004.
After sweeping the first round with victories by Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing will be favored at New Hampshire. Since the debut of the Next Gen car in 2022, Toyota has won three races and all six stages at the track while leading 83 percent of laps.
Bell, who won at the Bristol Motor Speedway, is the defending winner at New Hampshire, which ended last year’s race on rain tires.
This weekend will mark the first Crafstman Truck Series race at New Hampshire since 2017 when Bell also was the winner.
Chase Elliott tells SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that after surviving the first round, “there’s nothing to lose for us at this point.”
New Hampshire weekend schedule
(All Times Eastern)
Friday, Sept. 19
Garage open
- 8:45 a.m. – 6 p.m. — Whelen Modified Tour
- 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. — Truck Series
Track activity
- 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. — Modified practice
- 2:45 – 3:30 p.m. — Modified qualifying
- 4:05 – 5 p.m. — Truck practice (FS2)
- 5:10 – 6 p.m. — Truck qualifying (FS2)
Saturday, Sept. 20
Garage open
- 7:30 – 11 a.m. — Whelen Modified Tour
- 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. — Truck Series
- 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. — Cup Series
Track activity
- 9:15 a.m. — Modified race (100 laps, 105.8 miles; FloRacing)
- Noon — Truck race (175 laps, 185.15 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 55, Stage 2 at Lap 110; FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
- 3 – 4 p.m. — Cup practice (truTV, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
- 4:10 – 5 p.m. — Cup qualifying (truTV, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Sunday, Sept. 21
Garage open
- 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. — Cup Series
Track activity
- 2 p.m. — Cup race (301 laps, 318.46 miles; Stage 1 at Lap 70, Stage 2 at Lap 185; USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Weekend weather
Friday: Sunny with a high around 73 degrees, winds from the northwest at 10 to 15 mph and a 7% chance of rain.
Saturday: Sunny skies with a high of 68 degrees, light and variable winds and a 5% chance of rain. It’s expected to be 50 degrees with a 1% chance of rain for the start of the Modified race and 62 degrees with a 0% chance of rain for the start of the Truck race.
Sunday: Mostly sunny with a high of 71 degrees, winds from the south/southeast at 5 to 10 mph and a 5% chance of rain. It’s expected to be 68 degrees with a 0% chance of rain for the start of the Cup race.
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