After nearly a year of preparation, the New Hampshire Motor Speedway team is ready to open the campgrounds this Saturday, Aug. 15 ahead of New England's only NASCAR Cup Series weekend, Aug. 21-23.
Tickets for New England's only NASCAR Cup Series weekend, which also includes the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Whelen Modified Tour, are available for purchase at NHMS.com.
LOUDON, N.H. – NASCAR may be in Richmond, Va. this weekend, but 610 miles north, the campgrounds at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) are set to welcome thousands of campers starting this Saturday after nearly a year of preparation for New England’s only NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) weekend, Aug. 21-23.
“It starts in the winter, and it really never ends,” said New Hampshire Motor Speedway Operation Event Manager Joey Lembo when asked about preparing the facility for NASCAR. “It’s a full cycle here.”
“Four seasons mean that we are encased in ice for about two to three months out of the year, meaning all our water is shut down,” said Lembo. “Any outside activities pretty much come to a halt. So come April, it's time to fire up all the electricity, water, different things around property, make sure everything works, and that process carries on to about June.”
“Obviously, most of us do work outside,” said Lembo. “That is where most of the things need to get done, but good hot weather is good for us. It helps us be able to do what we need to do. Rain just means you gotta go inside, and there's plenty to do inside, whether it's painting a suite or working under the grandstands, touching up things in the Media Center. There's always stuff to do everywhere on property.”
The outdoor prep includes regular mowing and weed whacking across the 1,200-acre property, painting lines in parking lots and campgrounds, power washing buildings, grandstands and trams, scraping and painting the racetrack walls, crack sealing the asphalt surface of the 1.058-mile oval, rebuilding fan amenities, setting up temporary fencing and hanging banners and various signage all over property.
Message boards and safety cones are placed both on and off NHMS property to ensure the most efficient traffic flow. The team also places hundreds of portolets and dumpsters throughout campgrounds and other fan areas to prepare for the tens of thousands of race fans who will be on site for the next nine days, turning NHMS into a mini city.
“Getting it just right for when the campers move in is kind of down to a science,” said Lembo. “We will be ready for campers to move in on Saturday.”
For tickets and camping for New England’s only NCS weekend, featuring the Dollar Tree 301 NCS race, Team EJP 175 NCTS race, Mohegan Sun 100 NWMT race and SIG SAUER Academy Dirt Duels, fans should visit NHMS.com or call 833-4LOUDON. Tickets for kids 12 and under are just $10 on Sunday, free on Doubleheader Saturday and start at $10 on Friday.
Keep track of all of New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook (@NHMotorSpeedway), X (@NHMS) and Instagram (@NHMS). Keep up with all the latest information on the speedway website (NHMS.com) and mobile app.
New England’s only NCS weekend is Aug. 21-23 at NHMS. On-track action kicks off Friday with practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) plus SIG SAUER Academy Dirt Duels at The Flat Track. The action continues on Doubleheader Saturday with the Team EJP 175 NCTS race and the Mohegan Sun 100 NWMT race following NCS practice and qualifying. The on-track action culminates Sunday with the Dollar Tree 301 NCS race. Don’t miss all of the exciting off-track entertainment including the “The Magic Mile” Happy Hour Show, Trackside Live, The Groove fan hangout, concerts from Everybody Wants Some and Tim Dugger, Family Movie Night featuring “Zootopia 2,” driver appearances, fireworks and much more. For a full NASCAR weekend schedule, visit NHMS.com/Events/NASCAR-Cup-Series/Schedule/
