This NASCAR fan's view at NHIS from behind the fence.
This past Saturday I got the chance to take a day trip to New Hampshire International Speedway to take in the days action. After a three hour car trip up from Massachusetts and getting there for 10:30am or so, I sat through the final practice section for the Nextel Cup Series. Beyond that, I watched a little of the Busch Series qualifying for the Busch 200, but the time it was over, I didn't not even know most of the line beyond who took the pole.
Once 1pm come around, those grandstands were packed...pictured above is Tony Stewart "Smoke's" #94 Modified.
The main event and the real reason that I went up to NHIS was the Whelen Modified Tour, anytime I get the chance to watch the modifieds in action at NHIS I will grab at the chance to and this time for the New England 100, I was not disappointed, the Modifieds put on a incredible show from start to finish. This past Saturday's 100 laper had a bonus in it, two Nextel Cup drivers, Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart, qualifyied mid-pack in a 42 car field. This was a great race almost from the begin for the regulars, Carl edwards climbed up to fourth or fifth before a earlier wreck with the wall somewhere out of view of my seat sent Edwards to the garage and retired from the field, he would finish 39th. For Tony Stewart, I watch him come up through the field twice after a two mid-race pitstops, with just under 10 laps to go, stewart was battling for second and trying to go for the lead when going into turn 3, he got hit and ended up in the grass and on the aprin to save his car, Stewart would end of finishing in the 9th position, but the race would come down to the regulars, just when the fans would see an incredible race for the victory, the caution flag came out and the race ended under under the yellow flag. What a shot in the air for the racing fans, no one in the grand stands was happy with that at all. It was announced that RON YUHAS had won the race and he even went to victory lane, but later on, it was JOHN BLEWETT, III being declaired the winner of the New England 300.
Official Results: 1. JOHN BLEWETT, III, 2. JAMES CIVALI, 3. REGGIE RUGGIERO, 4. ED FLEMKE, JR, 5. MICHAEL STEFANIK, one note, TED CHRISTOPHER finished 7th.
Again, the modifieds was the race that I wanted to see and for the most part except for ending the race under the yellow, the modifieds was great to see...see yeah in September.
Clint Bowyer in the #2 beats out Denny Hamlin in the #20 on an early pitstop.
As for the real main event to lots of people, the Busch 200 was up next, for the bUsch race, I didn't find this race as good as I found the modified race, sometime during the race, it was just boring with follow the leader as the Nextel Cup guy domanated the race. Kyle Busch, who started on the pole, got bowed during the introductions, lead in the early laps, before giving up the lead to Clint Bowyer, Bowyer lead through most of the race until he got caught out pitting under green with the caution coming out just a couple of laps later. the real action was in the final laps with Carl Edwards leading with 2 laps to o and Mr. Busch Series Kevin Harvick tried to close the gab, but just ran out of laps and Carl Edwards got redemption from crashing out of the Modified race as he held on to get the victory.
For both my father and I, the day was not over, we left the grand stands right after the checkered flap waved to go home, I was dead on my feet, 90+ degree temperatures, humid and partly to mostly cloudy, we still got roasted, of course we sat in the grand stands from 1pm (the start of the Modified race) until 5:30, when the Busch race ended.
Here's the low...the NHIS parking, we parked behind the backstraight around turn 3 and the traffic getting out was horrible, we idealed in the parking lot moving a 10th of a minute for 1.5 hours to 2 hours to squize out one gate two cars wide. This was a nightmare...NHIS needs to fix its parking, getting into the speedway along route 106N was bad enough on a two lane blacktop squeezed one more lane using the breakdown lane, but the parking, coming in, was lots of NHIS employees parking cars, but on the way out, there were no NHIS employees helpping us leave. I turned a great day trip into hell and we still had a three hour drive home. When I go in September, we will find a different place to park...that simple.
See Yeah!
