LOUDON – The first race of a NASCAR Cup weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway comes as a flood of campers descends on the track during the week leading up to race day. This year’s USA Today 301 weekend will be no exception.
The property around the track becomes its own neighborhood during race weekend, attracting campers from all over the country to gather around a shared passion, for a weekend of fun that has something for all.
“It’s like going to theme camp,” said Andy Carpenter, of Keene, who has attended most NASCAR race weekends at the track since the mid-1990s and has camped there with his wife Jessica. for the last seven years. “You’re surrounded by people who share a common interest and it’s an instant connection.”
Camp opens a week before NASCAR Cup Series race day, which this year falls on June 23, and campers can stay on site until noon the day after the race.
Charlie Sanborn, one-third of the Windham, Maine-based “Black Flagged Podcast,” is a die-hard racing fan. He said no other sporting event offers an experience that rivals a weekend camp at a NASCAR race.
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“’Come for the race cars, stay for the people’ is kind of the motto of our podcast,” Sanborn said. “And camping in Loudon is the epitome of that phrase. There are people who don’t even go to the race track, they just go there and hang out with their friends and maybe watch the race on TV next to the caravan.”
Camping at New Hampshire Motor Speedway fosters community
According to the Carpenters, the New Hampshire Motor Speedway campgrounds are a true melting pot, where everyone, regardless of whether they are in a small RV or a large RV, comes together around a common interest, building a community unlike any other. other.
Jessica Carpenter said she enjoys camping during the weekend as much, and maybe even more, than the race itself. Jessica Cotter said there is a sense of community that makes it one of her favorite weekends each year. And that sense of community makes it a fun and safe space for those who attend.
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“I can go for a walk alone at 11 at night and I feel safe,” she said. “There aren’t many places where this is like that, but I don’t think twice when I’m there.”
He added that people’s children flit from camp to camp, playing and making friends that, in many cases, last a lifetime.
“People take care of each other,” Jessica Carpenter said. “You walk, you stop, you talk to people and you get to know them. And most of the time people return to the same campsites, so they really become your friends over the years. You see most of the same people every year.”
RESERVE TODAY: Limited space remains for camping and recreational vehicles
Brad Saucier, another of the trio of “Black Flagged Podcast” personalities, along with Sanborn and Bobby Timmons III, echoed the idea of community. And he said it goes beyond the fans at the track, and reaches out to the competitors, who often venture out of their own recreational vehicles that are parked on the New Hampshire Motor Speedway infield, and into the parking lots to socialize with his fans.
“Last year we had an absolute monsoon, and I got a text from (NASCAR Cup spotter) Freddie Kraft saying he and (NASCAR driver) Tyler Reddick are coming to camp,” Saucier said. “That’s one of the things that really makes NASCAR stand out. “If you go to a (Pittsburgh) Penguins hockey game, you won’t be able to hang out with Sydney Crosby.”
Nightlife at New Hampshire Motor Speedway draws new fans
While most camping lots at New Hampshire Motor Speedway are geared toward families, with quiet hours from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., lot N1, often referred to as “lot X” by fans, serves as a gathering place for those who like a little more of a party atmosphere. Although lot N1 has quiet hours from midnight to 7 a.m., partygoers make the most of the extra hour, as well as the rest of the day.
This is where Saucier, Sanborn and the group of friends they affectionately refer to as “the gang” gather on race weekends.
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“It’s hard to describe it to people who have never been there,” Saucier said. “I’ve had friends come to camp with me who weren’t even really racing fans, but they come for the weekend and when they leave they say, ‘I wish I knew this sooner.’ ‘”
Sanborn noted that at most sporting events, fans tend to be tribal and at odds with each other as they cheer for their team of choice, while in NASCAR there are fans of 40 different teams rallying around a common love for each other. the races.
“The number of people who go to a racetrack and don’t even have tickets to the race, just watch it on TV in the parking lot, tells you everything you need to know,” Sanborn said.
To get a campsite, you need to have purchased race tickets, and most people enter the track to watch the races, but some ticket holders choose to stay with their friends in the caravans to watch the events. in TV.
The fun doesn’t stop when the engines stop, and Saucier noted that there are plenty of activities near the track to keep fans busy outside of racing hours, and there are also always things going on at the track that fans can participate in.
“It’s a festival atmosphere,” Saucier said. “It draws people in, even if they’re not racing fans. They may not be interested in racing, but they see all the fun we have on our social media and they want to be a part of it. “It really helps turn a lot of people into fans.”
Camping Logistics at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
While most campsites are already sold out for this year’s NASCAR visit, information on remaining camper availability, along with the track’s schedule of events, can be found on the track’s website , along with a calendar of the weekend’s events.
In a letter to campers in the New Hampshire Motor Speedway camping guide, Kristyn Galante, the speedway’s director of consumer sales, stated to fans: “Our goal is to provide each guest with the best experience possible during their stay at NHMS “.
That letter to fans also lists the entertainment available at the track, including “concerts, fireworks, live performances, driver appearances, charity events, and the Fan Zone where the gathering place for The fans can be found.” Groove, activities for children and more starting Wednesday.”
RESERVE TODAY: Limited space remains for camping and recreational vehicles
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