New Hampshire Motor Speedway....get the coffin, nails, and hammer?

Speedbowl14

Ryan Preece and short tracks
Joined
May 18, 2014
Messages
3,646
Points
443
Location
SLC, Utah


So if I say New Hampshire Motor Speedway most board members will either think of Jeff Burton leading all 300 laps the year they ran plates, or you'll think of "The Modifieds" and how they put on one of the best races that's NASCAR sanctioned in the country. When NHMS lost its second Cup weekend the modifieds got a huuuuuge 250 lap, $25k to win race as a replacement. The race lived up to expectations the last three years, and while attendance was OK the first couple years, this year it was bad with COVID.

Now next season there'll be no solo modified show in September and currently there's no mods on the Cup weekend either. Ticket prices for next years Cup race are out and they're slashed to prices I haven't seen in the 30 years the track has been around. Still, who would come to New Hampshire for just Cup and Xfinity races? Attendance has fallen off a cliff. While the track was getting a better crowd than most in the late 00s, the attendance crash finally came and it's hit the track harder than many other tracks. SMI has put very little money into the track, despite owning it since 2008. SMI has tried to put in lights which never came and a Casino which never came. Both because the town wouldn't allow it. Now with attendance as bad as it is and the track needing a repave within the next decade, at what point does Bruton say "f-it" and tear it all down? I do not see a way for things to get better- the modifieds at NHMS were their own draw, not an undercard. Without them the racing card is pretty lackluster, and attendance will almost assuredly suck next year.

I do not think this is the beginning of the end for the track- that ship sailed with the loss of the second Cup date. I think we're very close to bulldozers.
 
The track pres/whatever said he’s working on bringing Modifieds for the Cup weekend.

I’d calm down, it’s the only race in the Boston market.
 
I wouldn't mind if they reconfigured it by going back to the original layout in 1&2 and going a Dover-style banking in 3&4. I've never been a fan of this track (any layout) aside from the Whelen races but I hear attending NASCAR there in person is a much better experience.

Maybe Indycar could give it a go?
 
I wouldn't mind if they reconfigured it by going back to the original layout in 1&2 and going a Dover-style banking in 3&4. I've never been a fan of this track (any layout) aside from the Whelen races but I hear attending NASCAR there in person is a much better experience.

Maybe Indycar could give it a go?

I like flat tracks.

IndyCar at New Hampshire, one of my fondest memories ... that is Will Power's double salute.
 
Personally I think Pocono & NHMS get the most hate of em all when people think of “boring” tracks.

Arguably Dover & Richmond have been worse lately.

They’d be sorely missed if they get taken off any schedule.
 
New Hampshire is hit or miss for me. I definitely prefer Martinsville:wub:, old Phoenix and Gateway over it. Not sure what is missing there.
Milwaukee and old Homestead too, plus I enjoyed most Indy races. I don't know what it is about either NH configuration that fell flat for me
 
Personally I think Pocono & NHMS get the most hate of em all when people think of “boring” tracks.

Arguably Dover & Richmond have been worse lately.

They’d be sorely missed if they get taken off any schedule.

Dover's either really great or a horrible bore, no in-between. Both tracks have become boring ever since the Gen-6 car. For that matter, Richmond got pretty stale with the Car of Tomorrow.

I quit going to Richmond after the third time they rolled that ****box car out at Richmond and the race sucked. The finish to the 2008 Richmond Spring race was great with Hamlin cutting a tire and Kyle Busch wrecking Dale Jr, pissing everyone off. But the first 375 laps of that race were the worst thing I've ever attended in person, aside from the CARS Tour race at Carteret County a few weeks ago.
 


So if I say New Hampshire Motor Speedway most board members will either think of Jeff Burton leading all 300 laps the year they ran plates, or you'll think of "The Modifieds" and how they put on one of the best races that's NASCAR sanctioned in the country. When NHMS lost its second Cup weekend the modifieds got a huuuuuge 250 lap, $25k to win race as a replacement. The race lived up to expectations the last three years, and while attendance was OK the first couple years, this year it was bad with COVID.

Now next season there'll be no solo modified show in September and currently there's no mods on the Cup weekend either. Ticket prices for next years Cup race are out and they're slashed to prices I haven't seen in the 30 years the track has been around. Still, who would come to New Hampshire for just Cup and Xfinity races? Attendance has fallen off a cliff. While the track was getting a better crowd than most in the late 00s, the attendance crash finally came and it's hit the track harder than many other tracks. SMI has put very little money into the track, despite owning it since 2008. SMI has tried to put in lights which never came and a Casino which never came. Both because the town wouldn't allow it. Now with attendance as bad as it is and the track needing a repave within the next decade, at what point does Bruton say "f-it" and tear it all down? I do not see a way for things to get better- the modifieds at NHMS were their own draw, not an undercard. Without them the racing card is pretty lackluster, and attendance will almost assuredly suck next year.

I do not think this is the beginning of the end for the track- that ship sailed with the loss of the second Cup date. I think we're very close to bulldozers.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said the town wouldn't allow it. Sucks
 
Milwaukee and old Homestead too, plus I enjoyed most Indy races. I don't know what it is about either NH configuration that fell flat for me

I'll add Pocono next to Milwaukee and the second Homestead configuration.

For me, it's not the tracks that suck as much as the Gen-6 car.

Indianapolis was great until the Car of Tomorrow era. Pocono usually entertained me more often than not until the Gen-6 car. Same with Dover, Homestead, Sonoma, Darlington, Atlanta, and even Martinsville puts on terrible races with this ****box Gen-6 car.
 
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said the town wouldn't allow it. Sucks

To be fair, Bruton Smith flipped that town the bird hosting concerts there. Used a legal loophole to disregard a previous agreement.

Once you go out of your way to piss the community off, you're living on borrowed time.
 
I wouldn't mind if they reconfigured it by going back to the original layout in 1&2 and going a Dover-style banking in 3&4. I've never been a fan of this track (any layout) aside from the Whelen races but I hear attending NASCAR there in person is a much better experience.

Maybe Indycar could give it a go?

There's a few issues with a reconfiguration. First, the track is boxed in with the big hill on the backstretch and the main road only a few hundred feet west of the main grandstands. Second, the track does A LOT of local racing events on the road course, which goes inside and outside of the NASCAR oval. Not sure they'd want to lose that. There's multiple events on it every week May-October. Last, the track has pissed off the local planning board a bunch, to the point where I'm not sure if they'd approve any major construction projects. You can see in early pictures of the track there's a pretty considerable stream that runs through the infield that's slowly been culverted-over through the years and now it's completely hidden. Hypothetically the town could say "no" to any big construction citing that stream.


Indycar has raced there on/off. Good events too. With Pocono gone and the one-off to Richmond cancelled I have no idea why they don't go back to NHMS. There isn't an event remotely close to the Northeast. And dirt/open wheel sprints are huuuuuuuge in PA/NY.
 
For as much flak as Indianapolis and Pocono get as NASCAR tracks, I have to force myself to watch Cup races from New Hampshire. Snooze fest all the way for me but I never want to see someone lose their Cup race like we lost ours in Chicagoland. While I wouldn’t be sad to see Cup not go to New Hampshire anymore, I would be sad for those fans who can’t attend a race anymore at their home track
 
I went to the race in 2019 and thought it was pretty good?

I really think a Musket 200 / IndyCar 250 weekend would do decent from a ticket sales standpoint. Maybe bunch them both together on one day? But I’m sure there’s a reason they don’t come.
 
NH used to provide some stellar races, but flat tracks NEED cars with higher HP, great throttle response so that drivers can feather the throttle while, excuse the pun, flat tracking it.

We have lost that entertainment with the current generation car and the show at NH has suffered as a result.

Pocono was a lot more fun when gear ratios were a factor with drivers shifting talent.
 
I like flat tracks.

IndyCar at New Hampshire, one of my fondest memories ... that is Will Power's double salute.
That was cool..I remember sitting on the front stretch watching air vapors coming off the rear wings due to the weather. The indy lights was a snooze fest, with 1 or 2 cars on the lead lap at the end.
 


So if I say New Hampshire Motor Speedway most board members will either think of Jeff Burton leading all 300 laps the year they ran plates, or you'll think of "The Modifieds" and how they put on one of the best races that's NASCAR sanctioned in the country. When NHMS lost its second Cup weekend the modifieds got a huuuuuge 250 lap, $25k to win race as a replacement. The race lived up to expectations the last three years, and while attendance was OK the first couple years, this year it was bad with COVID.

Now next season there'll be no solo modified show in September and currently there's no mods on the Cup weekend either. Ticket prices for next years Cup race are out and they're slashed to prices I haven't seen in the 30 years the track has been around. Still, who would come to New Hampshire for just Cup and Xfinity races? Attendance has fallen off a cliff. While the track was getting a better crowd than most in the late 00s, the attendance crash finally came and it's hit the track harder than many other tracks. SMI has put very little money into the track, despite owning it since 2008. SMI has tried to put in lights which never came and a Casino which never came. Both because the town wouldn't allow it. Now with attendance as bad as it is and the track needing a repave within the next decade, at what point does Bruton say "f-it" and tear it all down? I do not see a way for things to get better- the modifieds at NHMS were their own draw, not an undercard. Without them the racing card is pretty lackluster, and attendance will almost assuredly suck next year.

I do not think this is the beginning of the end for the track- that ship sailed with the loss of the second Cup date. I think we're very close to bulldozers.
Bruton screwed us New Englanders. All for another race at ****** Vegas. He did put in a lot of improvements, but I would be happy with Bryar Motorpark again. The Bahres had a vision, gave 'ol Keith a few bucks, and made a decent facility. They did help screw North Wilkesboro over for Loudons fall race, but NHMS will be it's own demise. This coming from me, a person who has truly loved that facility since going there for the first time in 1975.
Remember, it's all about the $ for SMI...
 
The last 3 years New Hampshire has put on a great race in my opinion. The COT races there and the first couple years of gen 6 were terrible but I think the track is coming around and the PJ1 helps a bit as well. I attended this year's race and the first 225 laps were some of the best racing I've seen in person.
 
I don’t want to see tracks loose a Cup race, just for the sake of the fans in those areas that might not have easy access to see another cup event in person.

I try to think about it that way when these types of concerns are brought up.

I do think some of the car changes over the last decade or so have really hurt the product that the TV viewer see’s from many venues though
 
I don’t want to see tracks loose a Cup race, just for the sake of the fans in those areas that might not have easy access to see another cup event in person.

I try to think about it that way when these types of concerns are brought up.

I do think some of the car changes over the last decade or so have really hurt the product that the TV viewer see’s from many venues though
This is me.

I live in MA, and since 2004, the NH race is literally the event of the year for my buddy and I.

Losing it would be yet another blow to the nascar childhood.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
 
I went in 2019 and was more entertained with NHMS than the LVMS and Sonoma races I went to. NHMS gets a bad wrap because of how flat it is.
 
Back
Top Bottom