Event Overview
● Event: USA Today 301 (Round 18 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 23
● Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon
● Layout: 1.058-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 301 laps / 318.46 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 70 laps / Stage 2: 115 laps / Final Stage: 116 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● Ryan Preece is heading home to New England for Sunday’s USA Today 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. The native of Berlin, Connecticut, has one win in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at the 1.058-mile oval, just a two-hour, 45-minute drive from his hometown. Preece has five NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire with a best finish of 16th, scored in August 2020 for JTG Daugherty Racing. He qualified 21st and finished 28th there in July 2023 in his first year with Stewart-Haas Racing.
● Preece has five New Hampshire starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a pair of top-three finishes in his most recent outings driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. He started sixth and finished second with a pair of laps led in July 2017, then returned the following July to start third and finish third with six laps led.
● Preece arrives at New Hampshire on the heels of last weekend’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway in Newton, where he started 29th and charged to 16th in the opening 30 laps to become one of the top-three biggest movers in the race. An untimely pit stop in the latter stages of the race, however, left him with a 27th-place finish.
● Preece is set to make his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour comeback at New Hampshire this weekend. Driving the No. 40 for his family-owned outfit, Ryan Preece Racing, he’ll compete in Saturday’s Mohegan Sun 100 at 6:30 p.m. EDT, airing on FloRacing. The 2013 Modified Tour champion has 26 New Hampshire starts in the series with a 2021 victory there to go with eight top-fives and 14 top-10s.
● Before NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying Saturday, Preece will walk a lap around the 1.058-mile oval with fans. The Speedway Children’s Charities Track Walk Presented by NBT Bank, which supports children in need, starts at 8 a.m. EDT. Cost is $25 per person with children 12 and under admitted free with a paying adult. Registration is available online (click here), or in-person between 7-8 a.m. at event check-in located in front of the facility’s bath house, across from the infield tunnel entrance.
● Joining Preece and the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at New Hampshire is Mohawk Northeast. This weekend marks Mohawk’s first race of 2024 as the primary partner on the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. A longtime supporter of Preece, Mohawk is one of the premier heavy-civil contractors in the Northeast. The corporation has been providing the highest-quality construction services to a wide variety of clients. Specializing in heavy highway, railroad, movable and fixed bridges and marine construction, Mohawk has completed countless projects within industry safely, on time and within budget. Mohawk can self-perform all phases of construction, including electrical, mechanical, structural steel repair and erection, deep foundations, pier and bulkheads, fabrication and coating (AISC & SSPC Certified), and a wide range of marine services. With an extensive fleet of cranes, barges, offshore tugboats and many other pieces of heavy equipment, Mohawk is a well-established leader in heavy civil construction. Clients include the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, USACE, General Dynamics – Electric Boat, Connecticut DOT, Massachusetts DOT, New York DOT, Metro North Railroad, Amtrak, and various private sector clients.
Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 Mohawk Northeast Ford Mustang Dark Horse
How much are you looking forward to heading back to New Hampshire? Your hometown is less than three hours from the racetrack.
“I was born and raised in the Northeast, so I love going there. I love the fans. I love the campground. I love everything about that racetrack. I grew up going to races at New Hampshire and there’s really no place like it. The atmosphere is incredible.”
Do you feel the support from people in the Northeast when you race at New Hampshire?
“Yep, for sure. I’ve won a lot of races in the Northeast, and it’s home, so driver introductions are pretty good to me there. I’m really looking forward being in New Hampshire, and hopefully we’re able to have a solid run in our Mohawk Ford Mustang Dark Horse. The support means the world to me. I had to fight to get to where I am, and I don’t take any of it for granted.”
You’ve had a lot of success at New Hampshire. What will it take to have a strong run in Sunday’s USA Today 301?
“I think, for me, it comes down to having the right balance in our racecar. If we have that in the race, and can go where others aren’t, we’ll be fine. Iowa was tough, balance-wise, but we’re working in the right direction. Qualifying is also really important at this style of racetrack. A good starting spot sets the tone because track position is everything.”
You’re making your first start of the season in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. What are your thoughts about that?
“I’m really excited about it. I’ll be running for my family-owned team, and the Modified Tour is where I made a name for myself. When I won the championship in 2013, I became the youngest champion in that series. I think it’s a good opportunity to build momentum heading into Sunday, and we’ll do everything we can to park the No. 40 (Modified) in victory lane.”
Mohawk has been a longtime supporter of yours. How important has its support been for your career?
“Mohawk is certainly one of the reasons why I’m racing in the Cup Series. They were on the car when I was given a shot to race for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series back in 2017. We finished second at New Hampshire and won Iowa with Mohawk on the car in my first two races with Gibbs, and those races are what ultimately changed my life. They’ve been a great partner and I’m looking forward to having them back on the car this weekend.”
No. 41 Mohawk Northeast Team Roster
Primary Team Members
Driver: Ryan Preece
Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut
Crew Chief: Chad Johnston
Hometown: Cayuga, Indiana
Car Chief: Jeremy West
Hometown: Gardena, California
Engineer: Marc Hendricksen
Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey
Spotter: Tony Raines
Hometown: LaPorte, Indiana
Over-The-Wall Members
Front Tire Changer: Devin Lester
Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia
Rear Tire Changer: Austin Chrismon
Hometown: China Grove, North Carolina
Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons
Hometown: Tyler, Texas
Jack Man: Sherman Timbs
Hometown: Indianola, Mississippi
Fuel Man: Dwayne Moore
Hometown: Griffin, Georgia
Road Crew Members
Front End Mechanic: Joe Zanolini
Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania
Interior Mechanic: Robert Dalby
Hometown: Anaheim, California
Tire Specialist: Matt Ridgeway
Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia
Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife
Hometown: Orange County, California
Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues
Hometown: Santa Clarita, California
Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer
Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania
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