NASCAR race weekend filled with fun at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; USA Today 301 Sunday

LOUDON – When fans arrive at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this week for NASCAR race weekend, their tickets will get them so much more than a seat in the stands.

David McGrath, the General Manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, said the track works to provide plenty of entertainment and opportunities for track-goers from Wednesday throughout the weekend.

“We have people start arriving at about 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 15 – usually around 300 campers – and while some of them drop the campers and come back later in the week, the large majority of them stay all week," McGrath said. “They might just hang out at the campground or do some things in the area, but we have programing for them from Wednesday through Sunday, so they don’t even have to leave the grounds.”

Wednesday festivities kick off with the opening of the New England Racing Museum near the south entrance to the track, and Wednesday night sees the wildly popular Bingo Night at the track.

“You wouldn’t think bingo would be that big a draw, but people love it,” McGrath said. “Hundreds of fans come into The Groove in the infield and they pack the place.”

MORE: USA TODAY 301 full schedule and list of events

On Thursday, fans and families are invited into the track to watch the movie Guardians of the Galaxy on the big screen, which McGrath said underscores the focus on family-oriented events that carries throughout the weekend.

“It’s like a drive in, without the car,” he said. “And we also have the April Cushman band at The Groove on Thursday night.”

The weekend only gets busier from there. On race week the racing museum will be open from 10-4 Wednesday and Thursday, from 9-5 Friday and Saturday, and from 8-2 on Sunday.

“The New England Racing Museum is 9000 square feet of awesomeness,” McGrath said. “It is truly a celebration of racing and the history of racing in the region.”

Charity events a cornerstone of race weekend

The track also hosts the Laps for Charity event on Thursday night, where fans can ride in the pace car or take laps around the track in their own vehicles to raise money for Speedway Children’s Charities.

Those fundraisers continue throughout the weekend, and McGrath said they are an important component of race weekend for Speedway Motorsports Inc., as well as the children the charities help support.

“Each speedway that (Speedway Motorsports Inc.) owns hosts events throughout the year where we fund raise,” McGrath said. “The weekends of our Cup races are our biggest weekends for that fund raising. Then, in December, we pool all the money and grant that money to charities that help children.”

Saturday is a busy day for these fund raisers, with a morning track walk from 8-9 am and a cornhole tournament from 9 am to 2 pm. Sunday morning from 9:30-10:45 on the Magic Mile Stage, fans can participate in the “Wicked Good Live Auction” where funds also go to support Speedway Children’s Charities.

Options keep expanding on Friday

On Friday cars take to the track for the first time, but fans gather early in the day to watch the hauler parades, starting with the Xfinity Series haulers at 9:30 am, followed by NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Haulers at 10:30 am, and ultimately the NASCAR Cup Series Hauler parade rolls through at 12:30 pm.

The Fan Zone opens at noon as well, and McGrath likened that area to a carnival, where there is something for everyone.

“In the Fan Zone there are all kinds of family activities, like carnival rides, a Kid Zone for kids where they can be introduced to activities with NASCAR like coloring books, Legos and other things. There is something for all ages in the Fan Zone.”

Many of the sport’s corporate sponsors also have booths and events set up along the midway, where McGrath said fans have the chance to engage with sponsors, and meet some of the drivers, among many other activities.

On Friday night the action on the track(s) heats up, as the Xfinity and Whelen Modified series qualify on the heels of the Sig Sauer Academy Dirt Duels on the dirt flat track adjacent to New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

McGrath said there will be three different classes racing at the flat track starting at 4:30 pm. Then Xfiniity and Whelen Modified Tour cars will be on the big track for their qualifying efforts. The night will cap off with a 9 pm concert by Aerosmith tribute band Draw The Line, and fireworks.

Saturday and Sunday cap the weekend in style

While the racing on the track takes center stage on Saturday and Sunday, there are still plenty of options to keep fans busy between races.

Saturday morning kicks off with “The Morning Show” at the Magic Mile Stage, where a live talk show featuring NASCAR Cup Series drivers Daniel Hemric and William Byron, as well as Xfinity Series drivers Austin Hill and Corey Heim and Whelen Modified Tour drivers Justin Bonsignore (who is making his Xfinity Series debut on Saturday), Doug Coby and Ron Silk.

“One of the cornerstones of our sport is access,” McGrath said. “(SMI President and CEO) Marcus Smith, and all of the track general managers, push the envelope to make sure fans have access. We work for the fans, and nothing makes their experience better than being able to see the drivers and haulers and cars up close.”

There are driver appearances throughout the week leading up to race day as well, a list of which can be found at https://www.nhms.com/events/nascar-cup-series/appearances/

Saturday’s festivities will culminate with the AC/DC tribute band Dirty Deeds playing at the Magic Mile Stage from 8:30-10 pm after completion of the Xfinity Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series races.

Sunday brings fans closer to the sport

The Fan Zone opens back up at 10 am on Sunday, with Trackside Live at the Magic Mile Stage kicking off at 11. There, Speedway Motorsports President Marcus Smith, NASCAR Cup Series driver’s Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain and Martin Truex, and McGrath himself will be on stage for interviews, hosted by personalities Kenny Wallace and John Roberts.

Track Pass access begins at 12:15 for fans who plan to be out on the front stretch of the track to watch driver introductions prior to the race, then racing for the USA Today 301 will kick off at 2:30 on Sunday afternoon.

“Tickets for this weekend are a great deal when you think about all these opportunities and everything that comes with a ticket,” McGrath said. “We strive to really make the entire weekend something that people can enjoy with friends or family, and we hope it will be something they always remember and keep coming back for.

SHOP: Tickets to USA TODAY 301 weekend

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NASCAR race weekend filled with fun at New Hampshire Motor Speedway