LOUDON, N.H. – Brad Keselowski battled Mother Nature, fuel mileage and Denny Hamlin, but came out victorious against all three at the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday.
New England’s first major sporting event with fans since the start of the pandemic was briefly paused by a rain shower early in the second stage, but the delay didn’t deter excited race fans – and Keselowski didn’t disappoint, leading a race-high 184 laps and holding off Hamlin for the win.
“We’ve had a lot of great races this year with the No. 2 car and we just haven’t really gone out and dominated a race, you know?” Keselowski said. “I was talking to (crew chief) Jeremy Bullins and said that’s what we really need to get to that next level. We’re right there. We just need to go out there and dominate a race; that’s what today was for us.”
ROBIE SWEEPS MODIFIED TWINS, FELLOWS STILL PERFECT AT CLAREMONT
Claremont Motorsports Park July 31 event story
By Gary Dutton
CLAREMONT, N.H.- Brian Robie rocketed to victory twice in Modified action Friday at Claremont Motorsports Park, winning both Maurice Trailer Country Modified 35-lap features at the Thrasher Road speedplant.
Aaron Fellows stayed undefeated in two seasons, topping Friday’s Late Model Sportsman feature for his fifth CMP victory of the summer, while Street Stock ace Dave Greenslit also earned his fifth 2020 victory lap, and Pure Stock super soph Dylan Adams was dominant in scoring his first win.
Charlestown’s Paul Colburn won his third Six Shooter victory of the season, duplicating his victory of a week earlier Friday, and Jimmy Zullo drove away from a huge field to top the 75-lap Enduro.
BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Western Star/Alliance Parts Ford Mustang — VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW
WHAT KIND OF STATEMENT WAS THAT TODAY? “We’ve had a lot of great races this year with the 2 car, but we just haven’t really went out and kind of dominated a race. Talking to Jeremy Bullins and like, ‘Man, what do we need to get to that next level? We’re right there. We need to go out and just dominate a race,’ and that’s what today was for us with the Western Star/Alliance Parts Ford Mustang. I’m really proud of my team and the effort that they gave today. A great race car and to all of Team Penske, thank you. Its so great to be racing back in front of fans again. It feels like forever, so welcome back, guys.”
The Granite State Pro Stock Series invaded Monadnock Speedway for a mid summer affair and DJ Shaw finally conquered a track that had stymied him for several years.
On a hot and sunny afternoon practice went smoothly for everyone except rookie Casey Call. At the end of the final practice session the bracket that attaches the track bar to the rear end broke sending the team scrambling to make repairs. The part failure would cause him to miss time trials but the young driver would make the call for his heat race.
The Crazy Horse Racing Fast Time Challenge would be the first laps of competition for the series competitors and it was former champion Devin O’Connell setting fast time for the day. O’Connell came up short of Mike O’Sullivans track record by less than a tenth of a second but was the fastest man on this day.
Coby Takes Control Late for White Mountain Showdown Win
Hill Earns First Career Late Model Victory
N. Woodstock, NH — Milford, CT’s Doug Coby began his drive for a seventh NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in earnest by capturing the White Mountain Showdown 200 at North Woodstock, NH’s White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, August 1. Coby dove underneath polesitter Jon McKennedy to get the lead on the 135th circuit and then held on through a late restart to pick up his 30th career NASCAR Modified victory and first as an owner-driver.
Coby took the green flag fifth on the 28-car starting grid and was content to maintain his position early as McKennedy and outside polesitter Chris Pasteryak duked it out at the front. McKennedy was able to keep the top spot through a trio of cautions for single-car spins spread over the first half of the race. When the field went back to full song on lap 94 following the third yellow, Coby ducked underneath Lisbon, CT’s Pasteryak for the second spot.
N. Woodstock, NH — Berlin, NH’s Cody LeBlanc went to the front early and stayed there to win the North East Mini Stock Tour (NEMST) “King of the Mountain 50” at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, July 25. The 2018 NEMST Champion took the lead from polesitter Issac Rollins on a lap-4 restart and left the field in the dust for his first victory in nearly two years.
Leblanc earned the fourth starting spot in qualifying for the 50-lap main event and was already up to second when the first caution flew on lap 4 for Joe Katula’s spin. When the green flag came back out, LeBlanc flew past Rollins like a man possessed, determined to break his winless streak.
