The facility has operated under several names: 106 Midway Raceway (1961–1964), Bryar Motorsports Park (1965–1989), New Hampshire International Speedway (1989–2007), and New Hampshire Motor Speedway from 2007 onwards.
In 1961, Keith Bryar opened 106 Midway Raceway — named for its location adjacent to NH Route 106 — as a 1/4 mi (0.40 km) dirt oval hosting go-karts, midgets, and stock cars. In June 1964, Bryar entered negotiations to build a $300,000 road course to host motorcycle races. A contract to host the Laconia Classic (later renamed the Loudon Classic) was signed in September of that year. The 5,000-seat, 10-turn, 1.6-mile (2.6 km) Bryar Motorsports Park was completed by June 1965; Herb Kresge won the first major event on June 17. The first Loudon Classic at the complex followed four days later, won by Ralph White.
By July 1966, a 1/8-mile (0.20 km) drag strip and a motorcycle oval had been added. In 1971, seating capacity doubled to 9,000 grandstand seats. Financial difficulties emerged in the early 1970s; in 1972, with the Trans-Am Series leaving, Bryar acknowledged races made "just barely enough to cover expenses." The Laconia Classic developed a notorious reputation for violence among campers, including shootings and stabbings. After banning roadside camping, the subsequent Laconia Classic became the complex's most successful and profitable event to that point, reversing its financial woes. Racing fatalities occurred at the complex in later years: Charles Coy in 1979, Linda King in 1980, and John Dranginis in 1983.
On December 15, 1988, the Loudon Planning Board approved a renovation to lengthen the oval to 1 mile (1.6 km) and expand seating to 55,000. Maine businessman Bob Bahre had been collaborating with Bryar to fund the project; he then bought the venue outright for $950,000 (adjusted: approximately $2.59 million). Bahre stated his intention to host NASCAR Cup Series and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) events. Environmental opposition and a lawsuit from Concerned Racetrack Neighbors halted construction; a settlement was reached in May 1989 after Bahre personally negotiated with local residents, and the facility was renamed New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS).
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on August 13, 1989. The project expanded to 59,000 seats by December 1989, and NASCAR agreed to host Busch Series (now Xfinity Series) races for the 1990 season. The NHIS road course officially opened on June 15, 1990, for the Loudon Classic weekend; the oval's first race followed a month later, won by Tommy Ellis in a Busch Series event. CART scheduled its first race at the track for 1992; Bobby Rahal won on July 5. A fatal go-kart accident occurred in October 1992 when Fred Clarke crashed at nearly 80 mph.
Later that October, a Cup Series race was announced for 1993. With 4,000 additional seats, 20 VIP suites, and upgraded parking, the venue's first Cup Series race was held on July 11, won by Rusty Wallace. In 1994, the removal of 8 acres of wetlands from the infield allowed construction of two 52-car garages, a media centre, and a daycare facility alongside 6,000 new grandstand seats. After complaints about track surface deterioration in the 1994 Slick 50 300, the track was repaved for 1995 and 4,000 more seats were added. In 1996, Bahre purchased a half interest in North Wilkesboro Speedway, enabling NHIS to receive one of its two annual Cup Series dates from 1997. Capacity reached 80,000 by July 1997 and was planned to grow further; after legal challenges, it reached 91,000 by 2001.
In May 2000, Busch Series driver Adam Petty crashed into the third-turn wall during practice after his throttle stuck; he died as a result. Two months later, Cup Series driver Kenny Irwin Jr. died after crashing in almost the same manner. The deaths raised concerns about the turn's sharp radius and flat banking. In response, the track was smoothed and sealed in 2001. In 2002 the track was repaved with turns made 12 feet (3.7 m) wider and banking reduced from 12° to 6–7°, creating an additional racing groove; the initial repave was poorly received and the turns were repaved again in time for the 2003 New England 300 to consistent positive reception. SAFER barriers were installed in 2003.
In July 2006, Bahre acknowledged a potential future sale; by September 2007 he confirmed negotiations with multiple parties, including Boston Red Sox owner John W. Henry. On November 1, 2007, racetrack conglomerate Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) and its owner Bruton Smith were reported to have bought the venue; Smith confirmed the purchase the following day for $340 million. The sale was finalised on January 11, 2008, with the facility renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Jerry Gappens appointed general manager. A $4 million infield renovation was completed in 2009. In 2010, motorcycle racer Morgan Rose was killed after crashing on the 11th turn of the road course. In October 2015, Gappens resigned following a guilty plea for public indecency; vice president of corporate sales David McGrath replaced him as president. Capacity was reduced to 74,000 in 2018 and further to 44,000 in 2021, reflecting sustained attendance declines.
NHMS measures 1.058 miles (1.703 km) in its current form, with a progressive banking system of 2–7° in the turns and 1° in the straights. NASCAR uses 1.058 miles; the IndyCar Series used 1.025 miles (1.650 km). The venue also features a 1.6-mile (2.6 km), 12-turn road course used primarily for motorcycle racing, combining portions of the oval with purpose-built road course sections.
NHMS currently hosts one annual NASCAR weekend: the Mobil 1 301 Cup Series race, with the EJP 175 Truck Series race as a support event. The Xfinity Series formerly also ran a support race. IndyCar events ran from 1992 (initially under CART sanction) through 1998; the sanctioning body switched to the Indy Racing League (IRL) in 1996 following the CART–IRL split. Attendance fell and the race was removed from the IRL schedule after 1998. The IndyCar Series made a one-off return in 2011 but did not renew. The Loudon Classic motorcycle event has been held at the venue since 1965. Trans-Am Series races were held from 1966 to 1972, and an IMSA GT Championship race took place in 1972.
The all-time outright track record is 0:21.466 seconds, set by Andre Ribeiro in a Reynard 95I during qualifying for the 1995 New England 200.
This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.
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