Motorcycle Week at NHMS Kicks Off this Weekend
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the perfect pit stop for racing, demo rides, vendor displays, camping and more during Laconia Motorcycle Week, June 8-16.
LOUDON, N.H. – New Hampshire Motor Speedway is an anchor destination for riders during Laconia Motorcycle Week with nine days of on-track racing, off-track demo rides, vendor displays and more, June 8-16. The speedway will host the inaugural Laconia Short Track presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys on the all-new Flat Track on June 15 and the 96th annual Loudon Classic, the longest-running motorcycle race in America, on June 16.
“The whole New Hampshire Motor Speedway team always looks forward to the Laconia Motorcycle Week rally,” said David McGrath, executive vice president and general manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “We’re all so excited to host our fans for the very first event on our all new flat track, and you can expect more things to come from New Hampshire Motor Speedway as we march toward that milestone of 100 years of this wonderful rally.”
The speedway officially opened its newest racing surface, The Flat Track, on Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and on-track demo from American Flat Track rider Cameron Smith following the Laconia Motorcycle Week kick-off event, which was held at the North East Motor Sports Museum.
New for 2019
Put on by American Flat Track, “America’s Original Extreme Sport,” the Laconia Short Track presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys will be held on Saturday, June 15. Race fans have a new reason to enjoy the thrill of racing in Loudon, as so much bar-banging, tire-rubbing action will be packed onto The Flat Track when these pro riders enter the arena. Known as the fastest-growing sport on two wheels, AFT has added multiple new venues to its 2019 schedule, including the all new Flat Track, to accommodate its growing fan base. General admission and VIP tickets for this event are available on AmericanFlatTrack.com. The race will also be streamed live on FansChoice.TV and broadcast on NBCSN on Sunday, June 23 at 2:30 p.m.
Opening Weekend (June 8-9)
Opening weekend kicks off June 8-9 with the Cystic Fibrosis Trail Ride, the United States Classic Racing Association (USCRA) and Legend Cars racing in J&J’s Yolk & Co. Oval Series.
The Cystic Fibrosis Trail Ride returns with the ride beginning and ending on property. The participants will ride over 100 miles throughout the weekend, weaving their way through the Granite State. The ride departs the track at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday and 9:00 a.m. on Sunday.
Other charity rides making pit stops at the speedway throughout Motorcycle Week include:
- 13th Annual Peter Makris Memorial Ride (June 8)
- National Gypsy Memorial Ride (June 9)
- Mae-West Memorial “For the Love of Pets” Ride for the N.H. Humane Society (June 10)
- Speedway to Lake Ride with Winnipesaukee H.O.G. Chapter #2529 (June 11)
- 2nd Annual Speedway Children’s Charities Ride for the Kids (June 12)
- Seek the Peak! Concord H.O.G. Chapter #2756 Ride to the Mt. Washington Auto Road (June 13)
USCRA, the oldest vintage motorcycle racing organization in the United States, will run the FIM North American Vintage Road Racing Championships on June 8-9. There is a full slate of races each day with legendary racer and broadcaster, Richard Chambers as the grand marshal for the event. Chambers placed third in the 1981 Loudon Classic.
Legend cars will race on the 0.25-mile mini oval in turns one and two of the speedway on June 8 as a part of J&J’s Yolk & Co. Oval Series. Legend car racing is one of the fastest growing and most affordable types of American motorsports. Powered by a motorcycle engine, a legend car is a purpose-built race car designed to resemble the legendary American automobiles of the 1930s and ’40s. Drivers range in age from 12 to 65+ years old.
During the Week (June 10-15)
Off-track action heats up June 10-15 with demo rides and vendors, Monday – Saturday.
Katancha will host the largest demo ride course in the area along with a vendor mall. The seven-mile route will take riders through an on-and off-property experience to test out the latest and greatest that the top motorcycle manufacturers in the world – Harley-Davidson, Indian and Yamaha – have to offer. Members of Harley Owners Group, the official riding club of Harley-Davidson, can visit the H.O.G. booth inside the Harley-Davidson display to receive their commemorative rally token.
On top of the demo rides, there will be nearly 30 vendors on-site with gear, accessories and more for bikers. Vendors include Cycle Solutions, Öhlins, Ultimate Seats, Soundz, Iron Braids and many more.
Speedway Children’s Charities New Hampshire Chapter is hosting their second annual Ride for the Kids presented by WILDCO Petroleum Equipment Sales & Service on June 12. This charity motorcycle ride will begin at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where riders will start off with a three-lap ride around “The Magic Mile” before proceeding to the beautiful coast of New Hampshire, ending at Seacoast Harley-Davidson in North Hampton, N.H. All riders will enjoy a barbecue lunch after the ride and receive a commemorative patch from the event. All profits benefit Speedway Children’s Charities New Hampshire Chapter, which helps children from all over New England. To register, please visit SpeedwayCharities.org/Events.
Closing Weekend (June 14-17)
Motorcycle week will be capped off with a full weekend of on-track racing that includes Supermoto East Coast, the Loudon Road Race Series, the ASRA Team Challenge and American Flat Track.
Supermoto East Coast will take place in the S3 lot on a specially-designed track that combines asphalt and dirt for only $5 a ticket, June 14-15. Classes will range from small mini bikes to the pro-sized 450s, so don’t miss the dirt-slinging and sideways-sliding action.
Starting June 14, the Loudon Classic’s traditional three days of racing will take place on the 1.6-mile road course. With 29 races, the race weekend will feature different series and types of motorcycles, including the Loudon Road Race Series and legend cars racing in the MOAT Mountain Road Course Series.
The American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) Team Challenge on June 15 is a two-hour team endurance race. Teams are comprised of up to four riders, both amateurs and experts, on a single bike.
For those looking for food, drinks and entertainment, the Miller High Life Hub beer tent is the place to be on June 15 at The Flat Track. Bad Medicine will be playing from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. leading up to the inaugural Laconia Short Track presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys.
The 96th Annual Loudon Classic feature event will be run by the Loudon Road Race Series in the form of Middleweight Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon, is the longest-running motorcycle race in America and has been held on-site since long before the speedway was built when it was simply a road course known as Bryar Motorsports Park. Last year’s Classic was won by seven-time champion, including the last four in a row, Shane Narbonne from Tyngsboro, Mass. – dubbed the “King of the Classic” after his 2018 win.
The speedway is centrally located on Route 106, the main corridor to Laconia, and just 20 minutes south of Rally Headquarters, making it the perfect spot for your home away from home during Motorcycle Week. Whether it’s dry camping, spots with water and power hookups, amazing views of the racetrack or infield spots with the opportunity to take a few laps on-track, new camping options have been created.
For a full schedule of NHMS’s Motorcycle Week events, visit: NHMS.com/Events/Motorcycle-
For ticket information for events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, including the June 8-16 Motorcycle Week at NHMS, the July 19-21 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 race weekend and the September 20-21 Full Throttle Fall Weekend, visit the speedway website at NHMS.com or call Fan Relations at (603) 783-4931.
Sources: Kristen Lestock, NHMS PR