On Sunday, Sept. 21, Ricky Craven, two-time NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race winner and Newburgh, Maine native, will get behind the wheel of the official Toyota GR Supra pace car as he leads 36 of NASCAR’s best to the green flag for the Mobil 1 301 NCS race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS).

“I’ve been looking forward to my return home for several months,” said 1995 NCS Rookie of the Year Craven. “This was, during my driving days, and will always be my absolute favorite racetrack. Each time I returned to New Hampshire to compete in a NASCAR event, I had the advantage of feeling as though I was racing with a home field advantage. I am so grateful for the opportunity to get back behind the wheel to lead the Cup Series field to the green flag.”

In addition to serving as the Honorary Pace Car Driver for Sunday’s Mobile 1 301 NCS Playoffs race, Craven will participate in a variety of appearances throughout New England’s only NCS Playoffs weekend:

“Ricky is a pride of New England, and I can’t wait to see him back on ‘The Magic Mile’ behind the wheel of the official Toyota GR Supra pace car to lead the field of NASCAR’s stars to the green flag,” said New Hampshire Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager David McGrath. “We’re excited to welcome him for the whole weekend to engage with New England race fans back on his home turf.”

Throughout his career, Craven achieved two NCS wins, including the famed March 16, 2003 win at Darlington Raceway with a margin of victory of only .002 seconds over Kurt Busch – the closest finish in NCS history until April 17, 2011 when Jimmie Johnson tied this margin of victory over Clint Bowyer at Talladega Superspeedway. That record has since been broken by Kyle Larson with a .001-second margin of victory over Chris Buescher at Kansas Speedway on May 5, 2024.

From 1991 to 2004, Craven made 278 NCS starts, earned two wins, 17 top-fives, 41 top-10s and six poles and led 1,075 laps. From 1986 to 2006, he made 142 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, earned four wins, 27 top-fives, 57 top-10s and seven poles and led 1,579 laps. After retiring from the NCS, Craven made 26 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts from 2004 to 2005, earned one win, four top-fives and nine top-10s and led 114 laps.

On-track action kicks off Friday, Sept. 19 with practice and qualifying sessions for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (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/NASCAR-Cup-Series/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.