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New Hampshire International Speedway
The official groundbreaking ceremony for New Hampshire International Speedway was held on August 13, 1989. The site was the former home of the Bryar Motorsport Park, which existed from 1955 until 1988. In November 1989, the main grandstanded was constructed with an initial seating capacity of 55,000 spectators. In April 1990, paving of the new speedway was completed, along with the addition of the press box and race control center.
By 1990, the track was ready to open. After just over one year of construction, Governor Judd Gregg hosted the official ribbon cutting ceremony on June 17. New Hampshire International Speedway was the first super speedway to be constructed in the United States since 1969 and is currently the largest sports facility in all of New England in terms of its seating capacity.
The first professional race at New Hampshire International Speedway was held on June 17, 1990, but it wasn't until July 15 of that same year when the first NASCAR race was held. The Budweiser 300 Busch Grand National event marked the inaugural NASCAR competition to be held at NHIS. Even though events were now being held at the new facility, that didn't mean that the expansions were complete. In April 1992, the North parking lot was cleared and work began on a new timing and scoring center. The following year, in May, additional seats, an elevator and suites were constructed in anticipation of the coming events. The first Nextel Cup, formerly known as Winston Cup, event was just around the corner. On July 11, 1993, the Slick 50 300 was held in front of thousands of spectators.
Through the years, many new additions have been made. One of the most recent, in October 1997, New Hampshire International Speedway broke ground for the new Speedway Gift Shop and an expansion on the current administration offices. In January 1998, the store opened and prepared to welcome thousands of race fans. In August 2003, one of the most significant improvements that could have been made was the construction of The SAFER, which stands for the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction, barrier. This new construction helps to promote the well being and safety for the competitors, who travel at amazing speeds, as well as fans who are sitting in the grandstand.
New Hampshire is a state that is full of charm, beauty and, several times each year, it's also packed full of NASCAR fans.
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