Enthusiasts of automobiles - from vintage sprint cars to modern day tuners - will be interested in what's happening at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Aug. 25-27. The 26th annual Vintage Celebration will return to the 1.058-mile oval course on Thursday, Aug. 25 and Friday, Aug. 26, while Hot Import Nights will invade the speedway grounds for a fourth consecutive summer on Saturday, Aug. 27.
The Vintage Racing Celebration is a tribute to the race cars of yesteryear. The event is focused around the participants and their love for maintaining the history of auto racing. The cars featured in the track sessions include classic midgets, modifieds, sprints, Indy cars and stock cars, which will race around the 1.058-mile oval.
This year, Ray Evernham, a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship crew chief and star of the "AmeriCarna" television show, will bring three restored modified cars to the speedway. Evernham got his start racing modifieds around the short tracks of the Northeast. Even as he won championships and became a team owner at the highest level of racing his passion for preserving the roots of racing never stopped.
"The history of modified racing in the Northeast is incredible," said Evernham. "So many famous drivers got their start on the legendary tracks up and down the Eastern seaboard, and I was fortunate to get to race with some of them. It's an honor to be able to help preserve these pieces of history and promote the grassroots racing community."
Evernham has collected and restored a number of modifieds, including the famous No. 61 of Richie Evans, along with two of his own modifieds that he raced in his early career.
Thursday, Aug. 25
9:00 a.m. Open Track Time (20-minute groups)
12:00 p.m. Toyota Camry Pace Car Rides
1:00 p.m. Open Track Time (20-minute groups)
5:15 p.m. Power Puff Laps
Friday, Aug. 26
9:00 a.m. Open Track Time (20-minute groups)
12:00 p.m. Toyota Tundra Pace Truck Laps
12:45 p.m. Bahre Cup Presentation in Sunoco Victory Lane
1:00 p.m. Open Track Time (20-minute groups)
As a segue, Evernham and all Vintage Celebration participants are encouraged to stay on and display their vehicles in a special Vintage Racing Paddock to help create an interest from younger racing enthusiasts that will be on property for Hot Import Nights.
Hot Import Nights is the leading producer of touring automotive lifestyle events and the events are attended by thousands of automotive and entertainment enthusiasts each year. HIN and its drifting club partners' event series features the rising stars of the drifting world in a lifestyle festival that includes car shows, industry models, a vendor midway, and live entertainment.
The event will be located in the NHMS infield and will feature the fan favorite drifting competitions on the road course, as well as drifting exhibitions, stage entertainment and an after party. Here's a look at the full schedule:
Saturday, Aug. 27
10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Drifting Competitions
2:15 - 2:30 p.m. Drift Exhibition Show
2:45 - 3:30 p.m. Drifting Competitions
4:00 - 4:15 p.m. Drift Exhibition Show
5:45 - 6:00 p.m. Drift Exhibition Show
6:15 - 7:00 p.m. Drifting Competitions
7:00 - 7:30 p.m. Toyota Camry Pace Car Hot Laps
7:30 - 10:00 p.m. Stage Entertainment & Awards
10:00 p.m. - Midnight Silent DJ After-Party
For more details and ticket information on all events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, or to purchase tickets to the September New England 300 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend, please stop by our ticket office, visit the speedway website at www.nhms.com, or call our Ticket Hotline at (603) 783-4931.
