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New Hampshire Motor Speedway

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New Hampshire Motor Speedway at a glanceChecked 2026-09-09

Length
1.058 mi1.703 km
Turns
4
Opened
1990
Capacity
44,000
Location
Loudon, New Hampshire
Type
oval
Direction
counter-clockwise
Banking
2°-7° in the turns, about 1° on the straights
Surface
asphalt
Owner
Speedway Motorsports, LLC
Address
1122 North New Hampshire Route 106
Website
nhms.com
Circuit mapNew Hampshire · United States
USA New Hampshire Motor Speedway Race Track
New Hampshire Motor Speedway track layout

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

  1. 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

  • 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.

  • Dollar Tree 301

    NASCAR Cup Series

    The track's single annual Cup Series weekend.

    Annual event
    WhenAUGAugust

  • Truck Series support race

    NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

    Runs the same weekend as the Cup race.

    Annual event
    WhenAUGAugust

  • Loudon Classic

    American motorcycle road racing

    Long-running historic motorcycle event dating to 1965.

    Annual event
    WhenJUNJune

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.

  • MHTManchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT)about 40 mindrive
  • BOSBoston Logan International Airport (BOS)about 75 mindrive

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.

TipRoute 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.

Drive or ride at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Offers NASCAR stock-car drives and ride-alongs on the oval, plus HPDE days and motorcycle schools on the 1.6-mile road course.

First time on track? Checklist · What it costs · Insurance · HPDE explained

Checked on each provider’s own site in October 2026. Prices are the lowest publicly listed and change often. Some links may earn us a commission at no cost to you (disclosure).

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

CategoryTimeDriverCarYear
IndyCar0:22.3481Scott DixonDallara-Honda2011
NASCAR Cup qualifying (single lap)0:29.812Carson HocevarChevrolet2026

Drive New Hampshire Motor Speedway in a sim

These racing games and simulators include New Hampshire Motor Speedway as official content. Mods and community tracks are not listed.

  1. iRacing

    PC

    paid track

    LayoutsOval plus 3 road course configurations

Building a sim rig? Four example setups from $279 → · Every real track in sim racing games

Checked against each publisher’s track list in October 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 and soft-sided coolers must be no larger than 14 x 14 x 14 inches; clear bags are recommended but not required. Foam and hard-sided coolers, glass containers and umbrellas are prohibited.

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.

Can you drive on New Hampshire Motor Speedway?

Yes. NASCAR Racing Experience, Penguin Roadracing School, SCDA (Sports Car Driving Association) and MassTuning TrackFest offer drive, ride-along, motorcycle school and track day sessions at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Dates, prices and age or licence requirements are set by each provider, so check their booking page before you plan a trip.

Which racing games and sims have New Hampshire Motor Speedway?

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is officially available in iRacing. Some of these include it in the base game and others sell it as paid content; the table above shows which.

Other tracks nearby

Facts checked against 11 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-09.