What the drivers are saying after New Hampshire tire test

This week, three drivers representing each of NASCAR’s manufacturers took part in a Goodyear tire test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

NHMS holds extra significance this year as it returns to the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season. The ‘Magic Mile’ will open the Round of 12 this year.

Christopher Bell

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Krista Jasso / Getty Images

At the tire test, Christopher Bell was there in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, as was Ross Chastain in the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet, and reigning series champion Joey Logano in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

“Well, I definitely like it being in the playoffs, for sure,” said Bell, a two-time winner at NHMS. “I love this racetrack. It’s statistically, I think my best track on the schedule, and with it being later on in the year, putting it in the playoffs is really, I mean, it’s good for me, so I’m all for it. Let’s crown a champion here.”

Ross Chastain

Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

Chastain hasn’t enjoyed the same success as Bell at Loudon, finishing as high as eighth in his career there.

“Yeah, it’s big (to test at NHMS),” said Chastain, who won the Coca Cola 600 earlier this year. “I mean, I got to my crew chief now, Phil Surgen, for the 2021 Cup Series season and told him ahead of the season that New Hampshire was my worst track. I’d had one of my biggest crashes to date here with a popped right front tire a long time ago in the Xfinity Series, and I just didn’t feel ever confident with any of the cars.

“I drove here, and he said he was gonna fix that, and he did, and we’ve had top-10-esque runs a couple times, but never in contention for a win, so was fortunate and glad to draw this test outta the Chevy camp for our team and get to have two days to just rip laps and them work on the car and them work on me because they can get as much out of me as they can the car. So big priority on the car and me for these two days as well as just capturing all the data for all the engineers to figure out.”

Joey Logano

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Photo by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Logano has a special history at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which is the site of his first ever win in the Cup Series back in 2009. It’s also the closest he has to a home track in the Cup Series, as he is from Middletown, Connecticut.

“Coming here for a race weekend, I love it,” said Logano. “I always say I feel like Dale Jr. when I come up here ’cause it’s about the only track I don’t get booed, and it’s freaking awesome. It is cool to see a lot of red and yellow out there. You know, you look at some of these photos of a packed house. It’s great to see. I watched my first race here back in ‘95 or ‘96 as a child, and this is where I fell in love with the sport. It was right here.

“So, as you can imagine, there’s a lot of really special memories for me here, whether it’s sitting in the grandstand, starting my first race, winning my first race, it’s all happened here in Loudon. I don’t think there’s any more core memories of at least motorsports to me than what is here in New Hampshire. I absolutely love coming up here for all those reasons. I look forward to coming back. Wish we had two races up here.”