Welcome back to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Ryan Newman.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular is making his annual appearance in the modifieds this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and he is off to a fast start driving the No. 77 Curb Records Chevrolet.
Newman was fastest in the only practice session on Friday morning. The session allowed teams to tune on their cars for both Friday’s All Star Shootout and Saturday’s Eastern Propane & Oil 100 all at once. Newman’s fast time around the 1.058-mile oval was 28.704 seconds (132.692 mph), and it came on his final lap.
In 18 prior starts in modified action at New Hampshire, Newman has two wins, but the most recent of them came in 2010. He has finished inside the top-10 in more than half of his modified starts at the ‘Magic Mile.’
Five-time Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby was second on the final rundown, posting a top speed of 28.712 seconds (132.655 mph). Coby has four career wins at NHMS, but has yet to visit Victory Lane this season driving the No. 2 Mayhew Tools Chevrolet. The veteran has 23 wins across 17 years of competition.
Justin Bonsignore, who has already been in the winner’s circle four times in the first seven races this season, was third in practice, while Rob Summers and Jon McKennedy rounded out the top five.
Eric Goodale was sixth, followed by Andy Seuss, Calvin Carroll, Chase Dowling and Matt Swanson.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour returns to the track later this afternoon, when select competitors will compete in the 35-lap All Star Shootout at 2:10 p.m. On Saturday, the eighth points race of the 2018 season will go green just after 2 p.m.
Complete practice results can be found below.
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