New Hampshire International Speedway is one of the most unusual tracks on the Nextel Cup Series.
How unusual? The track has been described as “Martinsville on steroids.”
The Bahre family owns NHIS. Its roots in New England racing go back to 1964, when Bob Bahre acquired a track in Oxford, Maine, which he and his son, Gary, operated until 1986.
Efforts to bring a major racing facility took off in 1989 when ground was broken for New Hampshire International Speedway on a site about 10 miles north of Concord, New Hampshire’s capital city.
The track opened its gates for the first time in June 1990 and hosted its first NASCAR touring series event, the Budweiser 300 for the Busch Series. The Cup Series followed in July 1993, with Rusty Wallace getting the victory.
Jeff Burton’s list of multiple victories at New Hampshire International Speedway includes the Dura Lube 300 in 2000 in which Burton led every lap.
In 2004, New Hampshire International Speedway hosted the first race in the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup. As it turned out, that race played a big role in how that battle for the championship played out.
Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and Jeremy Mayfield were involved in a wreck that put an early dent in their championship hopes, while Kurt Busch, who had won the July race at New Hampshire International Speedway as well, completed a season’s sweep that propelled him toward the 2004 Nextel Cup championship.
(Courtesy of NASCAR)
The Chase for the Championship is on. Jeff Gordon is obviously in the catbird seat, but in NASCAR, things can change in a hurry. Gordon hasn’t had a lot of success in New Hampshire recently, which bodes well for Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, two recent winners here. Tony Stewart will also contend, and Ryan Newman could surprise some drivers. -MR