New Hampshire International Speedway History

On November 2, 2007, O. Bruton Smith, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., agreed to purchase New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob and Gary Bahre. Closing documents were completed on January 11, 2008, finalizing the purchase of the newly renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS).

The speedway, which opened in 1990 and hosts two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events each year, is located about one hour north of Boston in Loudon, N.H. According to the latest census numbers, the population within 200 miles of the speedway is more than 18 million people. The venue is easily accessible via Interstate highways from all metro areas in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.

Located on approximately 1,100 acres, the multi-use complex is the largest sports facility in New England and features a 1.058-mile oval speedway, with a total capacity for 105,491 spectators, and a 1.6-mile road course.

The speedway hosts the only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events held in the six-state New England region. Both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races regularly sell out and exceed the NFL Super Bowl in attendance.

In addition to the major NASCAR races, the track hosts several regional professional racing series, including the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and the American-Canadian Tour. Amateur series events are sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America, Loudon RoadRace Series, Vintage Racer Group, U.S. Classic Racing Association, and the World Karting Association.  Racing schools are conducted throughout the year by the Richard Petty Driving Experience and Penguin School.