After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, racing returns to The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS). In addition to motorcycle events, the ¼-mile dirt oval will host two shows where cars take to the track — June 18 and July 15.
The first event caps off Motorcycle Week at NHMS. The inaugural Musket Dirt Shootout will feature the USAC Dirt Midget Association (DMA), Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE), and the 500cc and 600cc classes for the Granite State Mini Sprints (GSMS). Both the DMA and SCoNE tours will compete in features awarding $1,500 to win.
The second night takes place in conjunction with the NASCAR Cup Series weekend. The DMA and SCoNE series return again, but this time for $3,000 to win. Legend cars also make an appearance, with a $1,500-to-win feature.
“In 2019, at NHMS we had more than 6,000 fans watching on a 95° summer night on NASCAR weekend,” said DMA race director Mark Hann. “The fans filled the hillside, pits, and stands. They gave the midgets a standing ovation and stayed on their feet for the entire 35-lap feature. They went away wanting more.”
For 2022, NHMS trucked in more than 2,000 yards of Vermont clay to resurface a track that’s been widened to 50 feet. They also added an additional 300 grandstand seats in turns three and four. Spectators can still sit on the hillside, too.
“We encourage fans to bring seats, lawn chairs, and blankets to fill the hillside and enjoy the atmosphere,” Hann said. “They’ll have a great view of all the action.”
The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is one of only two dirt tracks in the Granite State. (For more on the other oval, read “Legion Speedway: New Promoter Ron Giroux’s Plans”.)
New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s dirt oval is located behind turns one and two of the NASCAR track, and behind the North East Motor Sports Museum. The museum will be open during the daytime, offering an additional attraction while in the area for racing.
Outside Groove Note of Transparency: Clarified the amount to win for the features (2022-02-03).
The Outside Groove Director of Photography has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
