Built on the site of the old Bryar Motorsports Park, the New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS) is located in Loudon, New Hampshire, the northernmost stop on the NASCAR circuit. Although it plays host to a number of non-NASCAR events, including IRL and CART races as recently as 1998, the jewels of the NHIS are the two NASCAR Winston Cup races it hosts. Currently known as the New Hampshire 300 and the New England 300, the NHIS has a Winston Cup tradition dating back 1993's Slick 50 300, and has hosted two Winston Cup Races every year since 1997. The NHIS is also the site of the less popular Busch 200, as well as the Craftsman Truck Series New England 200. The NHIS hosts the largest spectators sports events in New England with an attendance of over 101,000.
Sporting an asphalt surface just over one mile in length, the track is universally hated by NASCAR drivers for its lack of grip, poor construction and maintenance, and its low 12 degree embankment. Jerry Nadeau calls it the worst track he's ever raced on. In fact, the NHIS has the dubious distinction of being considered the most dangerous track in the sport. Adam Petty lost his life after crashing into a wall on May 12, 2000. Kenny Irwin met a similar fate less than two months later on July 7, 2000. Both died during practice laps, both on the now-infamous Turn 3. The crashes brought about the installation of so-called "soft walls" at a number of tracks around the country, much like the Dale Earnhardt crash raised the issue of mandatory HANS Devices.
Perhaps because of the danger, or more likely because of the poor track conditions, the NHIS is the slowest one mile oval in the circuit (if NASCAR races could be said to be slow), with a qualifying record of 132.089 mph (Rusty Wallace, 7/9/2000) and a race record of 117.134 (Jeff Burton, 7/13/1997). This year's New England 300 was won by Ward Burton, with an average speed of 92.342, or roughly what cahla does in rush hour traffic on I-95. Burton has won four times as Loudon, Jeff Gordon three. No other driver has won more than once.