Before New England’s only NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race takes the green flag on Sunday, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) will bring its own brand of hard-fought, door-to-door racing to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) on Saturday.
The NCTS returns to “The Magic Mile” this weekend for the Team EJP 175, highlighting a loaded Doubleheader Saturday that also features the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) Mohegan Sun 100.
For the race fans, they get the unique opportunity to experience two distinctly different styles of racing on the same 1.058-mile oval. For the drivers, they get the opportunity to compete in front of one of the most passionate crowds they will see all season.
Just ask Gio Ruggiero. The Seekonk, Mass. native grew up racing Bandoleros at NHMS before making his first NCTS start at his home track last September. He finished fourth, but one of the biggest memories from the weekend had nothing to do with his finishing position.
“Just the fans,” Ruggiero said when asked what he is most looking forward to about returning. “It’s really cool. Honestly, last year out of all the tracks we went to, the biggest crowd was at New Hampshire. Obviously, in the camping lots over there, it gets pretty rowdy, so it’ll be a fun weekend.”
This time around, Ruggiero returns as a NCTS winner and championship contender. After earning 2025 Rookie of the Year honors, Ruggiero scored his first career NCTS victory at Talladega Superspeedway last October. Now fifth in the championship standings, the driver of the No. 17 TRICON Garage Toyota Tundra has his sights set on an even bigger homecoming.
“It was awesome,” Ruggiero said of his first NCTS race at New Hampshire. “It’s a really cool track. Obviously, that was my first time on the big track, so we had a strong race, but I’m excited to go back this year and hopefully contend for the win.”
Ruggiero will not be the only driver with a large contingent of regional supporters in the grandstands and campgrounds.
Cole Butcher will make his NHMS debut in the NCTS, but the Porters Lake, Nova Scotia native is no stranger to New England. Butcher has spent years racing throughout the region and grew up visiting NHMS. For a Canadian driver who has built a significant following throughout the Maritimes and Northeast, Loudon is about as close to a home race as NASCAR’s national series can offer.
“I’m excited,” Butcher said. “I’ve raced up in New England probably the past 10 years between Oxford and some other racetracks out there, so it’s the closest thing to home. We have a ton of fans there from Nova Scotia and all around the Maritimes, so we’re really looking forward to it.”
Some of those fans are making a weekend out of the trip. Butcher said he was told supporters had already reserved more than a dozen campsites, bringing together fans from Nova Scotia, Maine, New Hampshire and beyond.
“It’s just great to have that support,” Butcher said. “Whether it be the Maritimes or Maine, New Hampshire, et cetera. I was told we have 12-plus camping sites, so that’s pretty amazing, and I’m sure it’s just going to grow. We’ll get up there, have some lobster and just enjoy the weekend,”
A weekend full of racing, camping and regional pride has long made NHMS a destination for race fans from across New England and Canada. Stewart Friesen knows that audience well.
A native of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Friesen built much of his racing reputation behind the wheel of a dirt modified and has developed a strong following among modified fans throughout the Northeast and Canada.
“There are a lot of great Canadian race fans,” Friesen said. “Being from the Niagara Falls area and Ontario, where I grew up, there was a lot of dirt modified fans there. There are a lot of modified fans north of New Hampshire in Quebec and a ton of Canadian NASCAR fans. Having everybody together at New Hampshire is something that we definitely celebrate.”
Saturday will also carry extra meaning for Friesen personally. When the NCTS returned to New Hampshire last season, Friesen was recovering from serious injuries that sidelined him for the second half of 2025. He attended the race but could only watch from pit road as his Halmar Friesen Racing team competed without him.
“That was my first race back as a spectator,” Friesen said. “It was great to just be back in the garage and get hooked back up with everybody. I love New Hampshire, so it was cool to still be there with the team.”
This weekend, Friesen gets his seat back. Saturday’s Team EJP 175 will mark his first NCTS start at NHMS since Sept. 2017, bringing the veteran driver back to the track that he calls home.
The NWMT has been synonymous with racing in the Northeast for generations, while the NCTS brings the door-to-door action of one of NASCAR’s three national series. On Saturday, fans get to experience both.
Butcher did not need much convincing when asked why fans should be there.
“I mean, I’m going to be there, and all my ThorSport teammates are going to be there, so why wouldn’t you want to be there?” Butcher said. “The Truck Series and the Whelen Modified Tour put on a great show, and it’s two for one.”
Ruggiero believes the experience extends well beyond what happens at the racetrack.
“If you’re up there, it’s worth going for the whole weekend,” Ruggiero said. “Whether you’re camping out or getting there early for Friday and Saturday, the infield is really fun. They’ve got the Toyota Experience and all the manufacturer displays set up outside the gates. There’s a lot to do.”
And Friesen, who had to experience last year’s NCTS race as a spectator himself, has a message for anyone considering waiting until Sunday to make the trip to “The Magic Mile.”
“If you’re going for Sunday and not participating in Saturday’s event, you’re missing out,” Friesen said. “The modifieds put on a great show at New Hampshire, one that I love to watch, and then you can check out the trucks. You won’t be disappointed.”
With regional favorites, championship contenders and NASCAR veterans taking on “The Magic Mile,” Saturday offers much more than a warmup for Sunday’s Dollar Tree 301 NCS race. It is a full day of NASCAR racing in its own right.
On-track action kicks off Friday with practice and qualifying for the NWMT and NCTS plus SIG SAUER Academy Dirt Duels at The Flat Track. The action continues on Doubleheader Saturday with the Team EJP 175 NCTS race and the Mohegan Sun 100 NWMT race following NCS practice and qualifying. The on-track action culminates Sunday with the Dollar Tree 301 NCS race. Don’t miss all of the exciting off-track entertainment including the “The Magic Mile” Happy Hour Show, Trackside Live, The Groove fan hangout, concerts from Everybody Wants Some and Tim Dugger, driver appearances, 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 NCS weekend, featuring the Dollar Tree 301 NCS race, Team EJP 175 NCTS race, 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.
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