Drake Prepared For Wild Action At ‘The Madhouse’ - Speedway Digest

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East visits one of the most unique venues on the schedule this Saturday, Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The historic track hosts the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 each year.

Nick Drake, driver of the Bill McAnally Racing No. 15 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota, got his first taste of the track known as “The Madhouse” as a rookie a year ago. The action on the track and the fans who pack the grandstands both stand out from that first experience, Drake said.

“It’s pretty wild,” said the 19-year-old from Mooresville, North Carolina. “Last year was my first time there. They pack the place with as many people as they can fit in there. They’re pretty crazy.”

Competing on a tight, flat quarter-mile oval, meanwhile, can take its toll on man and machine – in terms of crumpled fenders and short tempers. Drivers and crew chiefs say avoiding trouble is critical to getting a good finish.

“If you can stay out of trouble, you should get a good finish,” Drake said. “That’s the tough part, not getting into trouble or getting into someone else’s mess. That’s the key for everyone. And if you do get into a little trouble, you want it to be early in the race so you have time to work your way back to the front.”

Drake knows from experience. He was in third on the last lap last year when he got spun by contact from behind. Nevertheless, he salvaged a 10th-place finish.

This year, he hopes to avoid such trouble.

“We’ll see how it plays out,” Drake said. “It’s a long race there.”

Drake is sixth in the championship standings, with two top-10 finishes in four starts this season.

BMR PR