The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers will be at Iowa Speedway on Friday and the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series drivers will be at the Magic Mile – New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
What are the drivers saying about these tracks? Scroll through to see what your driver has to say…
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Iowa Speedway
Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford for Brad Keselowski Racing:
“Iowa has been a great racetrack to me and I’m excited to go back. We got our first win in the Truck series there in 2012 and that was really fun. We’ve had good runs there in the past. We had two very strong trucks there last year. I have a lot of family from Iowa and they always come out to the race and it’s always good to see them and hopefully we get ’em all to victory lane. I ran the Nationwide race in May and saw how much the track has changed. They’ve put patches along a lot of the racetrack and you can feel it’s kind of rough. Everyone always talks about the bump over the tunnel in Turns 1 and 2. That’s definitely worse this year and it gets progressively worse every single year.”
Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 19 Broken Bow Records Ford for Brad Keselowski Racing:
“Iowa is a three-quarter mile short track but it’s a pretty fast little place. From what I’ve seen each corner is a little bit different. It’s a D-shaped racetrack and you’re constantly turning, even a little bit in the straightaway. It looks like a really nice racetrack.”
Ben Kennedy, driver of the No. 31 Heater.com Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports:
“It feels good to be going back to a track where I have some experience. I really liked Iowa Speedway a lot when I raced there in the Truck Series last year, and I’m fortunate that I also have a lot of laps there in the K&N Series. Iowa Speedway always draws a great crowd and has some of the most welcoming fans. It’s a great facility and I can’t wait to get back there.”
Tayler Malsam, driver of the No. 32 Outerwall Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports:
“I’m looking forward to racing at Iowa Speedway this weekend. I’ve raced at this track in both the Truck Series and Nationwide Series, so I’m familiar with the layout and the grooves. The finishes my Turner Scott Motorsports team and I have gotten recently aren’t representative of how strong our team is and how capable we are of winning. Hillman has had pretty good success at Iowa. I think we’ve got a good shot at contending for the win this weekend. We’re more determined than ever to prove what we’ve got.”
Ron Hornaday, Jr., driver of the No. 30 Rheem Comfort Products Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports:
“Iowa is a great little track that’s always fun to race on. I’ve had some really good runs there in the past, but have never quite managed to close the deal and get a win; I’m really hoping to change that and bring our Rheem Comfort Products Chevrolet into victory lane. This team works so hard week after week, and there’s nothing I’d like more than to reward these guys by getting everyone at Turner Scott Motorsports a win.”
Darrell (Bubba) Wallace, Jr., driver of the No. 54 ToyotaCare Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports:
“Iowa Speedway is one of my favorite tracks to compete at and I’ve finished in the top 10 in every start in the Truck Series and the Nationwide Series. The last few weeks have been a lot of fun following our win at Gateway (Motorsports Park) and second-place finish at Kentucky (Speedway). We also mixed it up a little and had a good run at Daytona (International Speedway) in the No. 20 Camry in the Nationwide Series for JGR. I know Jerry (Baxter, crew chief) and the guys have prepared a great Toyota Tundra for Iowa and I’m ready to carry the momentum from the last few weeks and hopefully, add another mark to the win column.”
Joey Coulter, driver of the No. 21 Allegiant Travel Chevrolet for GMS Racing:
“Iowa Speedway is my favorite track on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule for sure. The track has multiple racing grooves and has enough grip to race side-by-side all night long. I am really feeling good about the progress we have made over the past few weeks at GMS Racing. The trucks are getting faster and the team is getting stronger as a whole. If we can put all of the puzzle pieces together, we are going to have a really good shot at victory this weekend.”
Spencer Gallagher, driver of the No. 23 Allegiant Travel Chevrolet:
“I’m really looking forward to taking my Allegiant Travel Chevrolet Silverado to Iowa Speedway for my first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race there. I have been to Iowa Speedway with the ARCA Racing Series, and it’s really one of my favorite tracks. The 7/8-mile size is perfect for the short-track racing that everybody loves. The multiple race grooves mean that you can make a truck work almost anywhere around the track, which helps make passing much easier for the driver. Additionally, having my teammate, Joey Coulter, there racing alongside of me is going to make the transition from driving an ARCA Racing Series car to a truck much smoother. So, I’m really looking forward to getting out there!”
Jeb Burton, driver of the No. 31 Estes Toyota for ThorSport Racing:
“Iowa is another standalone event for our series and it’s a good opportunity for us to rebound after a couple of bad finishes. In the past, Iowa hasn’t been a strong track for me, but I do enjoy coming out here. It’s a cool track and the fans always fill the grandstands. Iowa has the characteristics of a short track with the speeds of a speedway; it’s wide, with two grooves and you can run side-by-side, which always makes for great racing.”
Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota for ThorSport Racing:
“We’ve been pretty good at Iowa, and I think it’s really because that track just fits my driving style. Iowa doesn’t drive like a short track, even though it’s less than a mile. You might think I’m crazy, but to me, it drives more like a mile-and-a-half track, with the taste of a short track. The trucks can run wide open around there, making it not only a challenge, but a bunch of fun.”
Johnny Sauter, driver of the No. 98 for ThorSport Racing:
“Iowa is a track that always produces great racing and we’ve seen some good finishes there. I’ve always run well there, but I’ve never been able to close the deal. In order to be successful at Iowa, you’ve got to get over the bumps in turns one and two to carry your momentum down the backstretch. If you can handle that, you can bring home a good finish. This team continues to be consistent week in and week out and although we don’t always have the best truck, we seem to salvage a decent day. My last top-five finish was at Gateway – maybe bringing back the green machine this weekend will do the trick.”
Tyler Young, driver of the No. 02 Chevrolet for Young’s Motorsports:
“The year didn’t start out exactly how I had imagined it. It’s not like we weren’t running well, our finishes just didn’t reflect our performance on track. The first four races were tough – I think we brought back three wrecked trucks. Since Dover, we have pulled together some decent finishes and we are bringing these trucks back in one piece, which means a lot for our program. When we are able to bring these trucks back to the shop, we can learn from and improve on them. We aren’t trying to compete with some of the tenured and highly funded teams; we are on our own program, running our own race. I’m going to a lot of these tracks for the first time, so this is a year about learning from the good runs and the bad ones so we can continue to improve on our program along the way.”
Erik Jones, driver of the No. 51 ToyotaCare Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports:
“My confidence level this year is definitely stronger. I am able to show up at the track every week and have a better feel for what I need out of the truck and then be able to communicate what I need to the crew. We’ve had fast Tundra’s for all three races, unfortunately, we’ve had some unfortunate situations at the end of races that didn’t allow us to get the finishes we deserved – especially Gateway, I feel like we had the win in hand there. I feel really good going into Iowa. It’s another race where I’m confident that we can unload a fast ToyotaCare Tundra and go out and compete for the win.”
Timothy Peters, driver of the No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota for Red Horse Racing:
“I love going to Iowa; we were able to win the July race there last year and our goal is to go back and do that again. It’s a fun track to visit, the trophy sure is cool and the fans are great.”
German Quiroga, driver of the No. 77 Otterbox Toyota for Red Horse Racing:
“Iowa (Speedway) will always be a special track for me since it’s the place I captured my first pole award. Maybe we can go back this weekend and make it the home of my first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win.”
NASCAR Nationwide Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 22 Hertz Ford for Team Penske:
“It all starts with the car, and Team Penske builds great Ford Mustangs. This No. 22 Hertz team has consistently provided me with cars that are capable of winning. The team does great on race day with Jeremy (Bullins) calling the strategy, and our pit crew is one of the best out there. When a driver has those assets and that support, all I have to do is drive, which is what I love to do.”
Dakoda Armstrong, driver of the No. 43 WinField Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports:
“I ran at Loudon once in a K&N race in 2009, so it’s been a long time. It’s been five years since I’ve been on the track, and sometimes even tracks I visit regularly you have to kind of re-learn how to drive it in the Nationwide car. It was actually one of my first stock car races. It’s a fun place. It’s really flat and the straightaways are long for how tight the corners are, so you have to make sure the car rotates well. If I remember correctly, it was fun to pass there. You can move to the outside on guys and get a run on them. It drives like a short track, and our cup teams have had some pretty good runs at the short tracks lately, so I’m hoping we can carry that over to the Nationwide car.”
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Monster Energy Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing:
“This track has long straights and tight turns, so the speed is there, but you have to get yourself slowed down too. The balance of your car from the beginning to the center of the corner is key. You don’t want to work the brakes too hard and then find yourself fighting the car too much. I feel like I can go in there and give Adam (Stevens, crew chief) a good idea of the set up I want. I look forward to working with the No. 54 Monster Energy Camry, to see if we can repeat what we did there last year.”
Austin Theriault, driver of the No. 5 BetBomb.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports:
“I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s race in Loudon with the BetBomb.com car. I have a lot of confidence going into this race being at my home track that I have some laps on and just the experience I gained at Iowa in the Nationwide Series. The team is on a roll right now with back-to-back wins so I think we can have a solid run on Saturday and continue that momentum.”
Regan Smith, driver of the No. 7 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports:
“Being part of the Dash 4 Cash program is really cool. We missed out on it last year and it was disappointing because I really wanted to be in the running for $100,000. It’s exciting. Nationwide does a great job promoting our series and the Dash 4 Cash adds a whole other level. As competitors we all want to win, but this definitely puts a larger spotlight on these next four races.
“New Hampshire can be a tricky place to get your car setup properly. Sometimes the flat tracks are more challenging than others because you don’t have the banking that we’re used to. We came out of there with an eighth-place finish last year and I’m certain our TaxSlayer team can improve on that this time around.”
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet for JR Motorsports:
“I feel like it’s definitely a plus to have run a couple races there rather than not experience a track like Loudon. It’s a fun place to go to. I wouldn’t really call it a short track but it does have a unique feel to it.”
Brendan Gaughan, driver of the No. 62 South Point Hotel and Casino Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing:
“I haven’t been to New Hampshire in a while. It is Shane Wilson’s home track. He always tries to put on a good show for me when I am home at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. So I am going to do my best to run well for him. I like New Hampshire because it’s a fun, driver-style track. You have to have a good setup because the track is so flat and demanding to get grip. The fun part is racing for a team like RCR where you know you will have great equipment and a setup.”
Brian Scott, driver of the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing:
“Our short track program has been really strong. We battled up front all day for the lead at Iowa. We were more of a long-run car and should the race have gone on a long run, we would’ve won that race. It played out more into the restarts and short runs and things that were not our strong suit. Of course, Richmond we were able to get the pole there and lead a good portion of the race. I’m happy with our short track program. I think we will be equally as good at New Hampshire. Hopefully we can figure out what it’s going to take. We are just missing a little bit to break into that win column.”
Ty Dillon, driver of the No. 3 WESCO Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing:
“Yes, I’m looking forward to it because it’s a challenging race track. I’ve raced there before, but in a completely different car. We really are going to spend time working on our set up and making sure we have the best handling car when it comes time for this 200-mile race.”
Paul Menard, driver of the No. 33 Libman/Menards Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing:
“I think New Hampshire is a fun track to race. We haven’t had much luck in the Sprint Cup Series, so running the Nationwide Series race should help make that transition better. It’s hard to pass here, but the different grooves make racing interesting. I’m sure Nick (Harrison, Crew Chief) and the guys have been working hard to bring a fast Libman/Menards Chevy to the track. I’m looking forward to it.”
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 51 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet for HScott Motorsports:
“I’m looking forward to New Hampshire [Motor Speedway]. It’s a shorter track and for whatever reason I really like the smaller tracks. This weekend is my first time in a Sprint Cup car at New Hampshire, so I’m curious to see how I will do.”
David Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford for Front Row Motorsports:
“The last couple times we’ve gone to New Hampshire, we’ve had some decent speed. I feel like that’s attributable to Frank Kerr, my crew chief. Since he’s come on, we’ve incorporated some things into our cars that he’s had success with in the past at Loudon and that’s given us more speed. And anytime you go to a track with a little bit more speed, you seem to enjoy it more.
“It’s just a tough place, as flat as it is. It’s like when you’re driving your passenger car on a flat, curving on-ramp onto the freeway. Your tires want to squeal a little bit and it feels like it wants to throw you right into the guardrail. It’s a lot different from the tracks we normally race on and it always presents a challenge, but we’re up for it.”
David Ragan, driver of the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford for Front Row Motorsports:
“New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a tough racetrack. It’s one of those places where, if you get that sweet set-up where your tires are turning the corners and you’ve got plenty of forward drive, you can really have a lot of fun and race hard. Typically, you get one or two cars that hit that ideal set-up and they kind of run away with it. And everyone else behind them is racing each other pretty hard.
“I’ve had some good runs at New Hampshire before, but I’ve had some tough outings as well. But one thing that stays the same is there are always a lot of great race fans in Loudon. The place is always packed.
“I think we’ll see a lot of speed. I think we’ll see a new track record with this new set-up if the weather cooperates and it’s a fairly cool day. With the lower ride heights, the higher rear spoiler and more downforce, you’re going to be able to get into the corners harder. I think the groove is still going to be the very bottom. But I think it will be interesting to see how it goes at this track for the first time with this new rules package.”
Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing:
“New Hampshire has probably been one of my worst tracks statistically over the last eight or nine years, up until last year. Last year, I thought we ran pretty well in both of our races there and of course we were able to win the fall race where I thought our car handled pretty good overall. It’s just one of those tracks where you have to turn good in the corner and still be able to get off the corner. It’s about keeping up your middle of the corner momentum the best you can, which is typical of any flat or short track.”
Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Redd’s Apple Ale Ford for Team Penske:
“Loudon is one of the tracks that we run very well, and our results are not necessarily indicative of our performance. We earned a couple of poles there, one of which was my first career pole, which stands out in my mind. The way we have been qualifying this year with the new format I feel confident that we should have an ideal starting position. We did a short-track test recently and we found some things that should helpful this weekend. Following up on that, this No. 2 Redd’s Apple Ale team has been executing well on race day and Team Penske has been building fast Ford Fusions. We have great momentum right now, and I feel like we are in a strong place to contend for wins every weekend.”
Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 AutoTrader.com Ford for Team Penske on the importance this track has for him on his career:
“It has and the funny part about it is that it is probably one of the toughest tracks for me on the entire schedule. I just don’t really run that well there. But it has been pretty important, especially getting my first win there. Even that day though, we didn’t run the best, we just had the best strategy when the rain was coming and took advantage of it. But I’ve generally struggled at the track. It’s gotten better over the last couple of years and I’ve had a couple of top 10s there, but it’s definitely my kryptonite on the schedule. But I’m looking forward to going back there with the new rules and the stuff we learned testing at Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago. I think we could change a lot of that this weekend.”
Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Dow Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing:
“I love New Hampshire Motor Speedway, that’s one of my favorite tracks. I’ve always run well there in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I’ve got quite a few laps there, even going back to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East days, so I’m looking forward to my first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.”
Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 Duracell/Menards Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing:
“It’s a fun track. It has not been good to me in the Sprint Cup Series, so we are going to run the Nationwide Series race up there to try and get better. It has been good for me in the Nationwide Series, though. We’ll try and make that transition a little better. It’s a fun track, you can run on what’s kind of like an apron. The bottom groove is flat, so it’s like having an apron. The fast groove is a little more up, so it’s like having high banking so you can change your position around a little bit. It’s definitely a cool track.”
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing:
“New Hampshire Motor Speedway has always been a good track for me, which is why I consider it to be one of my favorite tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. It’s the place where I scored my first Cup win. I’ve found a way to be fastest on both Fridays and Sundays. I also enjoy the Modified races here and will compete in that event, as well. It’s going to be a very busy weekend for me, but it will be a lot of fun. I really enjoy the area and the fans are great. New Hampshire is always a place I look forward to going back to each year.”
Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Charter Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports:
“Obviously, coming off a win changes our outlook a bit this weekend. We have a lot of momentum going into New Hampshire and are now really focused on just winning more. Right now, we’re 10th in The Chase standings and feel comfortable, but we want to make sure we are in when we head back to Richmond. Another win really secures everything.
“New Hampshire is really, really tough. We spend more time in the corners than we do in the straightaway. The corners are just really big and wide and really flat. You have to make sure your car is handling really well there because you can make up so much time in the corners. If you are off a just a little bit, it’s magnified because you are in the corners so long. That’s one race track that we know that it’s all about handling. We need to get our cars to handle better there than we have in the past.
“Even though we finished in the Top-Five there last year, we didn’t have the best of cars. If our car was better, I think we could have contended for the win. We’ve showed improvement on our short track program this year. We also had a Goodyear test this week at Richmond, where we tried some setups to get a good idea for New Hampshire. All in all, I think we can finish solid there and hopefully keep up the momentum we have right now.”
Marcos Ambrose, driver of the No. 9 DeWALT Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports:
“Well, a win guarantees you a spot in The Chase, and that’s still our priority. We have seen that our organization can do that, and that’s our most secure way to get into The Chase. We have a lot of good tracks coming up for us, and I think we’ll compete for the win. We can continue to gain points by having good finishes like we have, and that’s still important too. Each week is a chance to get closer in points.
“New Hampshire is a tough track. It’s fast and really flat. The turns are long and sweeping, so you need to have a good setup under the car. You’re always looking for grip, always looking for that forward drive. We don’t want to be conservative. We want to be aggressive, stay aggressive and continue to knock out these Top-10 finishes. We are just chipping away at this and doing everything to make The Chase.”
