Fans headed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) for New England’s only NASCAR Playoffs weekend are in for a wicked good time at “The Magic Mile” as drivers take to the track for three full days of action-packed racing this Friday through Sunday, Sept. 19-21. From one driver’s chance to go back-to-back and be the first to lock in to the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Playoffs Round of 8 to the majority of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) field racing at NHMS for the very first time during a cutoff race, there will be no shortage of thrilling, white-knuckled excitement for fans to enjoy. Here are five must-watch storylines headed into the weekend:
BACK-TO-BACK BELL?
Christopher Bell earned himself a spot in the Round of 16 with back-to-back-to-back wins early in the season at EchoPark Speedway, Circuit of The Americas and Phoenix Raceway. He continued the 2025 season without earning another points-paying win (Bell won the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May) until this past Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS), which locked him in to the Round of 12. Next up is the Mobil 1 301 at NHMS, where Bell has been dominant, so can he earn another set of back-to-back wins on the season and be the first to lock in to the Round of 8 in pursuit of his first championship?
JOE GIBBS RACING DOMINANCE
While Bell may be the favorite to win NHMS this Sunday, his stiffest competition may be his own teammates. Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin have also already earned wins in the Playoffs, with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) sweeping the Round of 16. Hamlin has won at NHMS three times, while Briscoe earned a second-place finish at NHMS last year. JGR has taken home the last three NHMS NCS race wins (Bell in 2022 and 2024, Martin Truex Jr. in 2023), and even the fourth JGR driver, Ty Gibbs, earned his first career NASCAR win at NHMS in 2019 with the K&N Pro Series East.
TRUCKS RETURN TO NHMS
In the most recent NCTS race at NHMS (Sept. 2017), Noah Gragson won the pole, and Bell won the race – his first of many NHMS wins to follow. This Saturday, The Team EJP 175 will mark the first NCTS race at “The Magic Mile” in eight years. The majority of the field has never raced at NHMS, so with the added pressure of it being the Round of 10 cutoff race, practice will be more critical than ever. The only drivers in the field with NHMS experience will be NCTS veterans Matt Crafton, Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes.
Former NCS regular Corey LaJoie will be racing the No. 77 Truck for Spire Motorsports, and while he has plenty of NHMS experience from the NCS (10 starts) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) (one start), it will be his first NCTS start at “The Magic Mile.”
Full-time NXS driver Christian Eckes will make his second NCTS start of the season for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, and while he enjoyed success in the NCTS prior to making the jump to NXS this season, he’s never raced at NHMS.
Most recent NCTS winner, Layne Riggs, will make his 50th career NCTS start at NHMS this Saturday, and while it will be his first time racing at “The Magic Mile,” he already has a good feeling about it, following his win at BMS saying “Man, I’m excited for New Hampshire. I’ve never even been there, and I already love that racetrack.”
LOCAL GUYS GET CALLED UP
New Englanders Blake Lothian (Wellesley, Mass.) and Mike Christopher Jr. (Wolcott, Conn.) will race in Saturday’s Team EJP 175 in front of a hometown crowd.
Lothian will pilot the No. 22 Reaume Brothers Racing Ford in his fourth NCTS start, his first since April 2024 at Martinsville Speedway. Lothian started his career competing in indoor karting from 2014-2017, where he won the F1 Boston Series and New Hampshire Karting Association Series championship in 2017. He made the jump to Legend Car racing in 2019 as part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program and then into Late Models in 2021. Lothian made his NCTS debut at Martinsville Speedway in April 2022.
Christopher Jr., the 25-year-old nephew of the late NWMT legend Ted Christopher and son of veteran driver Michael Christopher Sr., will make his NCTS debut in the No. 62 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota. Christopher Jr. has made a name for himself with multiple wins at Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson Speedway in SK Modifieds and Tour-type modifieds. He’s also made seven NWMT starts since 2021 and earned one win and three top-fives.
40 GREATEST
Last month, NASCAR unveiled its list of the 40 Greatest Modern-Era NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) drivers. One driver included on that list and racing in this Saturday’s Mohegan Sun 100 at NHMS is two-time defending Mohegan Sun 100 winner Justin Bonsignore. The four-time NWMT champion is currently second in points with one win, six top-fives and 11 top-10s so far on the season. At “The Magic Mile,” Bonsignore has 26 starts, three wins, 11 top-fives and 15 top-10s.
Also on that list is 2013 NWMT champion and Berlin, Conn. native Ryan Preece, who currently runs full-time for RFK Racing in the NCS. Preece’s NWMT career includes 27 starts, one win, eight top-fives and 14 top-10s at NHMS alone, and while he won’t be racing in this year’s Mohegan Sun 100, fans can cheer for him on Sunday during the Mobil 1 301.
On-track action kicks off Friday, Sept. 19 with practice and qualifying sessions for the NWMT and NCTS plus SIG SAUER Academy Dirt Duels at The Flat Track. The action continues on Doubleheader Saturday with the Mohegan Sun 100 NWMT race, the Team EJP 175 NCTS Playoffs race and NCS practice and qualifying. The on-track action culminates Sunday with the NCS taking on “The Magic Mile” to kick off the Round of 12 with the Mobil 1 301. Don’t miss all of the exciting off-track action including “The Magic Mile” Happy Hour Show, Trackside Live, The Groove fan hangout, concerts from Draw the Line and Being Petty: The Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Experience, Family Movie Night featuring “Captain America: Brave New World,” driver appearances, a variety of live performances, fireworks and much more.
For a full NASCAR weekend schedule, visit NHMS.com/Events/Mobil-1-301/Schedule/.
Tickets:
For tickets and camping for New England’s only NASCAR Playoffs weekend, featuring the Mobil 1 301 NCS and Team EJP 175 NCTS Playoffs races, Mohegan Sun 100 NWMT race and SIG SAUER Academy Dirt Duels, fans should visit NHMS.com or call 833-4LOUDON. Tickets for kids 12 and under are just $10 on Sunday, free on Doubleheader Saturday and start at $10 on Friday.
Follow Us:
Keep track of all of New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook (@NHMotorSpeedway), X (@NHMS) and Instagram (@NHMS). Keep up with all the latest information on the speedway website (NHMS.com) and mobile app.
