A Strong NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Debut for Mike Christopher Jr at New Hampshire
RPW Exclusive Column By: Stephen Durham / RPW – LOUDON, NH – It was quite the weekend for Mike Christopher Jr, debuting in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Halmar Friesen Racing, and bringing a new family owned NASCAR Whelen Tour modified to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Christopher seemed to enjoy every bit of it, knocking on the door of a top 10 in the truck series, and running in the top 5 in the modified.
Christopher said he wasn’t sure what to expect for the truck series race, as he was searching for speed on Friday, but felt confident in his truck.
“I had a ton of fun. You know, coming from yesterday, I was really frustrated just because I lacked a lot of speed. So I think the confidence was there, pretty much right from the get go. driving it in and, you know, feeling the car and trusting it,” Christopher says.
As the race went along, Christopher Jr felt the truck coming to him, working his way through the field, coming from his 29th starting position.
“I felt pretty happy with it. And it turns out the thing turned really, really well. I was able to use the apron to my advantage. I really liked being down there. When you’re passing cars, it’s fun,” a happy Christopher Jr says.
As the race went along for Christopher Jr, he was changing lanes and searching around for more speed. Something the NASCAR modifieds are known to do, to be using different lanes to get around the “Magic Mile’.
“I was searching around, you know, I even slide jobbed on a couple people, but it didn’t work. Like I watched some people do it, so maybe I got to get better at it,” Christopher Jr says.
What really impressed Christopher Jr today racing in the truck series was learning about the side draft.
“The side draft is insane. Like, someone gets to your left rear and you feel the thing just lug down and pull back. That was the craziest thing,” an amazed Christopher says. “you always see it on TV, but to feel it was pretty crazy. I really liked going three wide and, you know, making a show out of it. It was a ton of fun. A ton of fun.”
Christopher Jr really enjoyed his opportunity to get to race for Halmar Friesen Racing, and knows he’s in a race winning truck. Christopher says he had issues getting comfortable of shifting his Toyota Tundra and getting through the gears.
“You know, we ran really fast laps with like two or three to go. The crew chief even said, just as fast, if not faster than a leader. So I’m like, man, if you can just get someone to qualify up front and know how to shift and put this thing in the gear, because that’s what I had trouble with at times,” Christopher Jr says, “they have winning race trucks, if we had the day over and, a little bit more experience, I think we would run the top 10.”
For Mike Christopher Jr’s modified, it was a strong run, cut short though by mechanical issues. Christopher Jr had made his way into the top 5 in the closing laps before his modified day came to an end.
“I broke the engine going into turn one for the green, white, checker. That really sucked. You know, I kind of had a plan in place,” Christopher explains, “who knows if it would have worked out, but if the race ended up like it did, I think I would have been in the best spot, you know, just cleaning up the mess. You know, being in third and cleaning up the mess off of turn four. So who knows.”
It was a special weekend for Mike Christopher Jr., with support from all over New England and the Northeast.
“It’s been insane on social media. people saying they’re showing up from Stafford and you know, the Northeast. I looked up in the stands today while racing the modified, and I was like, damn, there’s a lot of people up here,” Christopher explains, “it was great to see so many show up for the modified race, and I think a lot of people showed up to support us and to watch the double. And I’m glad I put on a pretty good show for them in both series.”
