HISTORY OF THE SPEEDWAY

New Hampshire Motor Speedway, nicknamed “The Magic Mile,” is one of the most important racing venues in the Northeast. The site began life in the early 1960s as a dirt oval called 106 Midway Raceway, founded by Keith Bryar. A few years later, it was expanded into Bryar Motorsports Park, a paved road course that welcomed sports cars and motorcycles, including the famous Loudon Classic, one of the oldest motorcycle races in the United States.

In 1989, businessman Bob Bahre purchased the property and completely transformed it into a modern oval. The new facility officially opened in 1990 with a 1.058-mile oval and an updated road course. NASCAR arrived that same year with the Busch (now Xfinity) Series, and by 1993, the Cup Series made its debut with Rusty Wallace winning the first top-level event at the track.

Over the years, NHMS has been known for close, physical racing and has played a role in NASCAR history, including being the venue where the “lucky dog” rule was first introduced in 2003. For two decades, the track held two Cup Series races each year, before being scaled back to one annual event in 2018. In 2007, Speedway Motorsports acquired the venue and invested heavily in fan amenities and safety upgrades. Today, the facility continues to host NASCAR along with motorcycles, regional stock car races, and major fan festivals, cementing its reputation as New England’s racing hub.

Recent winners

Cup Series – recent winners
2024: Christopher Bell
2023: Martin Truex Jr.
2022: Christopher Bell

Xfinity Series – recent winners
2024: Christopher Bell
2023: John Hunter Nemechek
2021: Christopher Bell

Cup Series All-Time leaders
4 wins – Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick
3 wins – Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson
2 wins – Christopher Bell