Dan Walker of The Loose is Fast Podcast out of Weymouth, Mass. won New Hampshire Motor Speedway's ninth annual Media Racing Challenge on Thursday.
Walker reached the highest speed of the day (126.27 mph) at "The Magic Mile," beating second-place Erik Barber of WMEX 101.1 FM/1510 AM out of Plymouth, Mass. by 1.16 mph.
Participating media members voted the Watermelon Cooler to be the signature food item that race fans can purchase only at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during the Aug. 21-23 NASCAR weekend.
The Media Racing Challenge winner was determined by the top speed achieved on the 1.058-mile oval racetrack. Walker was the fastest media member around "The Magic Mile," reaching a top speed of 126.27 mph while Erik Barber from WMEX 101.1 FM/1510 AM out of Plymouth, Mass. (125.11 mph), Kevin Wiles Jr. from WCVB-TV/ABC 5 out of Needham, Mass. (125.03 mph), Claire Overton from WWLP-TV/22 News out of Springfield, Mass. (124.36 mph), and Mike Wankum, also from WCVB-TV/ABC 5, (123.81 mph) rounded out the top five.
Walker was honored with a traditional NHMS victory lane celebration, complete with a trophy, $100 gift card to Makris Lobster and Steak House, $100 gift card to Mohegan Sun, and live lobsters, provided by Makris Lobster and Steak House. The twin crustaceans weighed about eight pounds together and were proudly hoisted up into the air by Walker.
When asked what he’s going to do with his prize lobsters, Walker replied, “My plans are to give them to my co-host Kyle, because he likes lobster a lot more than I do, so he’s very excited that he gets to have some lobster tonight.”
Not only did the participants get a taste of what it’s like being a NASCAR driver, they also sampled three unique food items that were crafted by the chefs of NHMS’s catering partner Levy Restaurants: Watermelon Cooler, Wicked Big Lobster Roll, and Fruit Roll-Up Dill Pickle.
Garnering 47.37% of the votes, the Watermelon Cooler won as the favorite of the three and will be available for race fans to purchase at an NHMS concession stand Aug. 21-23.
Top Speeds: Dan Walker (The Loose is Fast Podcast | Weymouth, Mass.) – 126.27 mph; Erik Barber (WMEX 101.1 FM/1510 AM | Plymouth, Mass.) – 125.11 mph; Kevin Wiles Jr. (WCVB-TV/ABC 5 | Needham, Mass.) – 125.03 mph; Claire Overton (WWLP-TV/22 News | Springfield, Mass.) – 124.36 mph; Mike Wankum (WCVB-TV/ABC 5 | Needham, Mass.) – 123.81 mph; Matt Holderman (WFFF-TV/FOX 44 & WVNY-TV/ABC 22 | Colchester, Vt.) – 123.46 mph; Andy Austin (WWSF 104.3 FM & 1220 AM/Seacoast Oldies | Sanford, Maine) – 122.62 mph; Nelson Valencia (WMEX 101.1 FM/1510 AM | Plymouth, Mass.) – 121.48 mph; Nick Antonakas (WWLP-TV/22 News | Springfield, Mass.) – 121.06 mph; Alex Rapp (Concord Monitor | Concord, N.H.) – 120.95 mph; Morgan Prue (95.7 WZID-FM & Rewind 94.1/WZID-HD2 | Manchester, N.H.) – 120.50 mph; Ian Steele (WMUR-TV/ABC 9 | Manchester, N.H.) – 119.02 mph.
New England’s only NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) weekend is Aug. 21-23 at NHMS. On-track action kicks off Friday with practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) plus SIG SAUER Academy Dirt Duels at The Flat Track. The action continues on Doubleheader Saturday with the Team EJP 175 NCTS race and the Mohegan Sun 100 NWMT race following NCS practice and qualifying. The on-track action culminates Sunday with the Dollar Tree 301 NCS race. Don’t miss all of the exciting off-track entertainment including the “The Magic Mile” Happy Hour Show, Trackside Live, The Groove fan hangout, concerts from Everybody Wants Some and Tim Dugger, Family Movie Night featuring “Zootopia 2,” driver appearances, fireworks and much more.
For a full NASCAR weekend schedule, visit NHMS.com/Events/NASCAR-Cup-Series/Schedule/.
For tickets and camping for New England’s only NCS weekend, featuring the Dollar Tree 301 NCS race, Team EJP 175 NCTS race, Mohegan Sun 100 NWMT race and SIG SAUER Academy Dirt Duels, fans should visit NHMS.com or call 833-4LOUDON. Tickets for kids 12 and under are just $10 on Sunday, free on Doubleheader Saturday and start at $10 on Friday.
