Touring Series News
New Hampshire Retains NASCAR Events, Moves Sprint Cup, IndyCar Dates
PHOTO: New Hampshire Motor Speedway VP/GM Jerry Gappens (right) and New Hampshire Governor John Lynch announced the 2011 major event schedule for the track on Wednesday. (Steve Poulin photo)
LOUDON, N.H. -- Breathe a sigh of relief, New Hampshire. NASCAR will be back for both of its Sprint Cup Series events next year.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway vice president and general manager Jerry Gappens announced on Wednesday afternoon that the 1.058-mile track in Loudon, N.H., has secured both of its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events as well as an IZOD IndyCar Series event in 2011, but not before a change of date for all three race weekends.
Due to a shifting of NASCAR schedules, the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 race has moved from the final weekend in June to July 17, 2011, and the Sylvania 300 has moved to one week later in the year, running on Sept. 25, 2011.
“We’re here to celebrate a tremendous win for New Hampshire Motor Speedway in keeping two NASCAR Sprint Cup races,” Gappens said. “These NASCAR Sprint Cup Series dates are special and they’re highly coveted by other venues in other cities throughout the country. It really concerned me because the realignment process for next year saw some dates from speedways that currently host two Sprint Cup races move away to where they only have one. I think it’s fitting that the largest sports entertainment facility in all of New England is maintaining its rightful place on the calendar with two weekends a year. I am very grateful for that, I don’t take that for granted.”
Because of the schedule changes, the IndyCar event, which was originally scheduled for July 31, has been moved to August 14, 2011. That gives the track three consecutive months with major events, prompting officials to offer a 10% discount to ticket buyers that purchase seats for all three weekends.
“With the date change we had with NASCAR, it forced us to go ahead and talk with Indy Racing League officials and change the date that we announced,” said Gappens. “It creates some travel and logistical challenges for them by going to August 14th. They have to go to Infineon from the east coast to the west coast that next weekend and so that’s a hard thing to do, but it shows their commitment to bringing open wheel racing back to New England.”
Gappens said that companion events for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend will remain similar to what they have traditionally been; the NASCAR Nationwide Series will again be a part of the Lenox 301 event in July and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be on the Sylvania 300 weekend card in September. NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series East and Whelen Modified Tour will participate during both weekends, and the American-Canadian Tour will compete during the Sylvania 300 weekend.
According to Gappens, details for the companion races for the IndyCar weekend in August are still being worked out.
