Team EJP 175
Location: Loudon, N.H.
Course: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Format: 1.06-mile oval
Laps: 175
NASCAR Truck Series Team EJP 175 Race Preview
Layne Riggs joined Corey Heim with a playoff victory last time out at Bristol to secure his spot in the penultimate playoff round, coming back from a mid-race spin to get the job done. It was his third win of the season. The pair have been on top of the competition all season long and are working hard to segregate themselves at the top of the order with the championship decider almost within reach. This week, the rest of the playoff field hopes to join those two in the next playoff round with a win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. With just one race left to determine which eight drivers will battle it out to move on, anything is still possible, and this week's race could be a bit of a wild card, too.
For the first time since 2017, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will race at New Hampshire's flat 1.0-mile oval. Christopher Bell won the last race at the track and, despite 20 series races having been held there, it has been almost a decade since the trucks have raced there. Both Heim and Riggs will be relieved to have secured playoff advancement, but the fight to join them in the final eight will be an exciting one to watch. Heading into the weekend, Jake Garcia -14 and Chandler Smith -24 both sit in the danger zone needing to make something happen, while Rajah Caruth +14 and Kaden Honeycutt +18 will both be treading cautiously hoping to avoid mistakes. With everything still to be decided, the CRAFTSMAN Trucks face their first playoff elimination race of the season.
Key Stats at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 20
- Winners from pole: 8
- Winners from top-5 starters: 16
- Winners from top-10 starters: 19
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 1
- Fastest race: 118.707 mph
Previous 10 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Winners
2017 - Christopher Bell
2016 - William Byron
2015 - Austin Dillon
2014 - Cole Custer
2011 - Kyle Busch
2010 - Kyle Busch
2009 - Kyle Busch
2008 - Ron Hornaday, Jr.
2007 - Ron Hornaday, Jr.
2006 - Johnny Benson, Jr.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway has not featured on the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule since 2017 when Christopher Bell drove to Victory Lane. While the circuit has hosted the trucks 20 times, it has been eight years since the teams have raced here. The circuit is a flat 1.0-mile oval where track position has been a dominant factor in the past. The last 10 series races at the track have been won by a driver starting on the front row, and only one of the 20 races run have been won by someone starting outside of the top 10. It isn't hard to imagine why given the track's flat nature and difficulty of passing. Despite slightly progressive banking, the preferred line at New Hampshire is the bottom groove, and working well in that lane helps hold off drivers charging from behind. While passing is difficult, braking and throttle control are what can make the difference. The track's long straights, heavy braking zones, and slow turns can be a challenge for drivers to manage tires and equipment, but those that do it well can walk away with a dominant performance.
RotoWire NASCAR Trucks Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Team EJP 175 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Corey Heim - $13,500
Layne Riggs - $12,500
Chandler Smith - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ty Majeski - $9,800
Christian Eckes - $9,500
Kaden Honeycutt - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Grant Enfinger - $8,800
Daniel Hemric - $8,500
Tyler Ankrum - $8,300
Corey Lajoie - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Jake Garcia - $7,800
Matt Crafton - $7,000
Connor Mosack - $6,800
Matt Mills - $6,400
NASCAR Trucks Series DFS Picks for the Team EJP 175
Corey Heim - $13,500
Daniel Hemric - $8,500
Jake Garcia - $7,800
Matt Crafton - $7,000
Connor Mosack - $6,800
Matt Mills - $6,400
Corey Heim has been the dominant driver throughout the 2025 season, and he will look to continue that momentum to close out the first round of elimination races, too. This will be his first series race at New Hampshire, but given his success behind the wheel this season, a lack of experience there shouldn't be a concern. Looking at similar circuits, Heim finished sixth earlier this season at Martinsville, which is a smaller but comparable track to New Hampshire. He also won at Lime Rock, which was one of six new venues the series visits this season. With five wins and two third-place finishes from the last seven races, Heim remains the top choice nearly every week, regardless of the venue or how many times he has raced there.
Daniel Hemric, third in points, could also be a top selection. He has two runner-up finishes and two other top-10s from the last five races. More importantly has been his success on flat ovals this season. Hemric won at Martinsville in March and came home seventh at Indianapolis in July. Those prior results should translate well to New Hampshire, which means he could be in store for another top finish this weekend, ensuring he advances in the championship chase.
Jake Garcia is also hoping to advance with a good day at New Hampshire. He sits ninth in the standings and needs to make up 14 points to be among the top eight drivers that will move on in the championship. He will be aiming for stage points and a good race finish to ensure that happens. Like Hemric, he has also been good on the flat ovals this season with a third-place Martinsville result.
Experience at a new track can be valuable, and Matt Crafton's 15 prior New Hampshire starts give him the most series starts at the track in the field this week. His results have been quite good here, too. Back in 2017, he finished sixth to total 10 top-10 finishes from those 15 tries. His return to the top 10 a week ago at Bristol could also be encouraging for this week's race, potentially extending the boost he got last week with that result.
Connor Mosack is also carrying a Bristol top-10 into this weekend. He finished seventh last week for his third top-10 of the season so far. A top-15 result is usually within Mosack's reach, and he raced at this track before in Xfinity equipment, finishing 25th in the 2023 season. Past experience, plus some wind in his sails from Bristol, could lead to another top-15 expectation this week.
A little further back, Matt Mills comes to mind. He has one series start at New Hampshire from 2016 when he finished 23rd. However, top-20s have been more of his expectation this season. One of his better finishes of the year (15th) came at Martinsville, too. He was 16th a week ago at Bristol and all of those considerations point toward another potential top-20 this week with a top-15 being an upside possibility.
NASCAR Truck Series Best Bets for the Team EJP 175
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 5:00 PM ET Thursday.
Race Winner - Corey Heim +160
Top-Three Finish - Layne Riggs -170
Head-to-Head Matchup - Daniel Hemric -115, Kaden Honeycutt -115
Corey Heim and Layne Riggs have won the last seven series races, which is a trend that stretches all the way back to June. While no pair in history have won eight series races in a row, it would be tough to think Heim and Riggs couldn't set that bar this week at New Hampshire. The two have been the class of the field with Riggs coming on more strongly as the season progressed. These are the two dominant drivers of the series right now, and their success make them top choices this week despite visiting New Hampshire for the first time. While we aren't getting any bargains by choosing Heim to win and Riggs for a top-three finish, we do have a convincing case for buying into their dominance. Riggs has three top-three finishes from his last six races while Heim hasn't finished lower than third in the last seven. Despite lower odds that usual, these two options are still worth taking this week.
The other option wagerers may want to consider is the driver matchup between Daniel Hemric and Kaden Honeycutt. Hemric has been very quick on flat ovals this season like Martinsville and Indianapolis, which should give him a leg up on Honeycutt this weekend at New Hampshire's flat oval. In comparison, Honeycutt was 14th at Indianapolis and 26th at Martinsville. He enters this week's race with no finishes better than 12th from the last three races while Hemric boasts four finishes of seventh or better from the last five. Choosing Hemric is one of the most attractive driver matchups available to fans this week.
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