New Hampshire Motor Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway at a glance
- Location
- Loudon, New Hampshire
- Type
- oval
- Length
- 1.058 mi (1.703 km)
- Turns
- 4
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Banking
- 2°-7° in the turns, about 1° on the straights
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1990
- Owner
- Speedway Motorsports, LLC
- Capacity
- 44,000
- Phone
- +1 603-783-4931
- Website
- nhms.com
Track map and layout
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a flat, deceptively technical mile oval carved into the New Hampshire countryside. Unlike the high-banked ovals common on the NASCAR schedule, its turns run just 2 to 7 degrees, which makes grip precious and rewards a smooth, momentum-based driving style over sheer horsepower. Following the 2000 deaths of Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin Jr., the track was reconfigured with wider turns and reduced banking to slow speeds and improve safety, changes that also reshaped the racing groove. A road course layout using part of the oval and an infield section adds a second, twistier configuration used for select events. Locals and NASCAR regulars alike nickname the venue 'The Magic Mile' for how tricky it is to find consistent speed on its flat surface.
Named corners and sections
- Turn 3. A flat, often greasy corner where cars can lose the rear end without much banking to lean on, a common passing and spinning point.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Oval | 1.058 mi | Primary configuration used for NASCAR national series races. |
| Road course | 1.6 mi | Combines part of the oval with an infield section; used for club and support events, 16 turns. |
Events and race weekends
New Hampshire hosts one NASCAR Cup Series weekend a year, typically in mid-to-late summer, along with a Truck Series support race. The track has also long been a hub for regional short-track and motorcycle racing, including the historic Loudon Classic motorcycle event that predates the speedway itself. Outside major national-series weekends, the facility runs a busy calendar of regional NASCAR touring events, club racing, and driving experiences.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dollar Tree 301 (or current title sponsor) | NASCAR Cup Series | July | The track's single annual Cup Series weekend. |
| Truck Series support race | NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | July | Runs the same weekend as the Cup race. |
| Loudon Classic | American motorcycle road racing | June | Long-running historic motorcycle event dating to 1965. |
Getting there and parking
The speedway sits on NH Route 106 in Loudon, roughly 15 miles northeast of Concord, the state capital, and about an hour's drive from Manchester. Most fans drive; the closest sizable commercial airport is Manchester-Boston Regional, with Boston Logan a larger option further south. Race weekends bring significant traffic on Route 106, and the track publishes dedicated traffic and route guidance for Cup weekend.
- Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) · about 40 min drive
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) · about 75 min drive
Parking
General parking is free on NASCAR weekends and available on a first-come, first-served basis through the north and south entrances. Overnight parking outside designated camping areas is not permitted.
Route 106 backs up heavily before and after the Cup race; arriving well ahead of the gates opening and leaving via alternate local roads after the checkered flag both help.
Hotels and camping near New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Concord, about 20 minutes from the track, has the closest concentration of hotel rooms, with Manchester offering a larger selection roughly 40 minutes away. Because the Lakes Region is also a summer tourist draw, rooms near the track for Cup weekend should be booked well in advance, especially if the race weekend overlaps with peak New Hampshire lake season.
Where to look
Concord and Manchester, NH are the main hotel hubs; the wider Lakes Region also offers lodging for fans combining the race with a vacation.
Camping
On-site camping is available in designated general and premium lots for race weekend, with tent and vehicle camping options priced separately from parking.
RV
RV camping runs from roughly $40 for basic, distant spots up to several hundred dollars for premium locations close to the track, per the track's own camping guidance.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
New Hampshire Motor Speedway hosts club racing, driving schools, and car-control clinics on both its oval and road course configurations through various regional organizers, in addition to its NASCAR national-series weekends. Specific current-year provider listings should be confirmed directly with the track, as club calendars change year to year.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndyCar | 0:22.3481 | Scott Dixon | Dallara-Honda | 2011 |
| NASCAR Cup qualifying (single lap) | 0:29.812 | Carson Hocevar | Chevrolet | 2026 |
Spectator guide
Grandstands run along the frontstretch and through the flatter turns, giving fans a clear view of cars searching for grip on the low-banked surface. Because the track is flat and relatively featureless compared to high-banked ovals, sightlines to the far side of the track are decent from most upper-level seats. Summer race weekend weather in central New Hampshire is generally warm by day and can cool noticeably in the evening.
Seating
Frontstretch grandstands face pit road and start/finish; additional grandstand sections wrap toward turns 1 and 3, per the track's official seating chart.
Best places to watch
Upper rows in the frontstretch grandstands give the widest view across the flat oval; turn seats put fans closer to the low-banked, harder-to-read racing groove.
Bag policy
Bags, backpacks, purses and fanny packs must be clear or no larger than 14" x 14" x 14"; cameras with detachable lenses over 5 inches, GoPros, tripods and selfie sticks must also be carried in a compliant clear bag.
Weather
- June-July: Warm days, typically 70s-80s°F, with cooler evenings common in the New Hampshire summer.
History of New Hampshire Motor Speedway
From dirt oval to Magic Mile
The site began life in 1961 as 106 Midway Raceway, a quarter-mile dirt track, and later became Bryar Motorsports Park, a road course known mainly for motorcycle racing including the long-running Loudon Classic. Maine businessman Bob Bahre bought the run-down facility in December 1988 for under a million dollars and rebuilt it almost entirely, opening the paved mile oval that became New Hampshire International Speedway in June 1990.
Growth through the 1990s
Bahre quickly landed NASCAR Cup and Xfinity dates, and the track earned the nickname 'The Magic Mile' for how difficult its flat, 12-degree-banked turns made it to find consistent grip - a stark contrast to the high-banked superspeedways elsewhere on the circuit. Attendance and prestige grew through the decade as the track became a fixture of New England motorsports.
Tragedy and reconfiguration
In May 2000, rising NASCAR star Adam Petty died after a crash during a Busch Series practice session. Just two months later, in July 2000, Kenny Irwin Jr. died in a nearly identical accident in the same corner. The back-to-back tragedies prompted an industry-wide reckoning over safety and led the track to widen its turns and reduce banking from 12 degrees to the 2-7 degrees seen today, changes intended to lower cornering speeds and improve car control.
Ownership change and present day
Speedway Motorsports, LLC bought the track from Bahre in November 2007 and later renamed it New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The venue lost its second annual Cup date in the mid-2010s realignment of the schedule and now hosts a single Cup weekend each summer, alongside a Truck Series race, extensive regional short-track programs, and the historic Loudon Classic motorcycle races that connect it back to its Bryar Motorsports Park roots.
Frequently asked questions
How long is New Hampshire Motor Speedway?+
It's a 1.058-mile flat, banked oval, often called 'The Magic Mile'; the track also has a 1.6-mile road course configuration.
Why is it called the Magic Mile?+
Because the low banking (2°-7°) makes grip scarce and hard to predict, so drivers who find speed there seem to have found something 'magic' compared with higher-banked tracks.
How many NASCAR Cup races does New Hampshire host each year?+
One, typically in mid-to-late July, after losing its second annual Cup date in a mid-2010s schedule realignment.
What happened to Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin at this track?+
Both drivers died in separate, nearly identical crashes in the same corner in 2000, which led the track to widen its turns and cut banking from 12° to 2°-7° for safety.
Who owns New Hampshire Motor Speedway?+
Speedway Motorsports, LLC, which bought the track from founder Bob Bahre in November 2007.
Where should I stay for a race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?+
Concord, about 20 minutes away, is the closest hotel hub, with Manchester offering more options roughly 40 minutes from the track.
Other tracks nearby
- Palmer Motorsport Park · 87 mi · road course
- Lime Rock Park · 139 mi · road course
- Sanair Super Speedway · 165 mi · dormant
- Circuit Gilles Villeneuve · 179 mi · street circuit
- Montreal Street Circuit (Montreal ePrix) · 181 mi · historic circuit (defunct)
- Autodrome Saint-Eustache · 196 mi · historic circuit (defunct)
Facts checked against 5 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.