New Hampshire Motor Speedway - NHMS South Oval
New Hampshire Motor Speedway - NHMS South Oval Notes:
The New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) is a staple part of the NASCAR Series, operating since 1990 in Loudon, New Hampshire, an hour and a half ride north of Boston, Massachusetts. The famous NASCAR Speedway is a typical 1.058-mile (1.703 km) oval track with heavy banking in the corners. But this is not all the NHMS complex offers, featuring a 1.6-mile (2.57-km) road course that shares a portion of the oval and regularly hosts the Loudon Classic, the longest-running motorcycle race of the United States. The addition of six turns featuring impressive elevation changes to the NASCAR oval increases the technical level required to compete successfully in the track.
Races start at the middle of the front straightaway, going counter-clockwise and taking turn one right before the entry to the oval speedway. Turns 1A and two lead into a short back straightaway that uses the banked oval straight until reaching number three, where racers turn heavily to the right and start going uphill. Divers dive back down in turn 5 to face a banked corner in turn six, where they touch the bottom and start going up again. The tire-screeching turn number 9 leads into re-entry to the oval speedway in a 90° turn number 10, with turns 11 and 12 completing the circuit.
South Oval Notes:
The South Oval configuration at New Hampshire Motor Speedway represents one of several road course variants that combine portions of the 1.058-mile NASCAR oval with technical infield sections and extensions, creating a layout ranging from 1.55 to 1.6 miles featuring 12 turns across the Loudon facility's multi-use complex. This configuration utilizes a breathtaking hillside loop that climbs into the countryside beyond the backstretch to a 180-degree bowl turn before plunging back down to the oval, creating dramatic elevation changes uncommon at oval-based road courses. The South Oval variant serves primarily sports car club racing, motorcycle events, and high-performance driving experiences seeking a technical challenge that rewards chassis balance and driver commitment through blind crests and compression zones.
What distinguishes the South Oval from NHMS's other road course configurations is the specific combination of oval banking transitions with the hillside excursion section, creating corner sequences where drivers navigate between flat infield asphalt and banked oval surfaces mid-corner. The 180-degree bowl turn at the hillside's apex demands absolute commitment approaching blind over a crest, while the descent back toward the oval creates compression that punishes hesitation or poor line selection. New England's four-season climate creates dramatic seasonal variations-summer sessions see track temperatures exceeding 50°C on exposed oval sections, while spring and autumn events operate in conditions where morning frost can delay track opening and afternoon temperatures create significant grip evolution. The facility's location in Loudon, approximately 30 kilometers north of Concord, positions it as New Hampshire's primary road racing venue, with the South Oval configuration providing a unique character distinct from the facility's other road course variants. The layout's integration of oval and road course elements creates specific overtaking opportunities where multiple racing lines exist through banked sections before braking into tight infield corners that reward precise entry speed.
| Name | Organization | Date |
|---|
