LOUDON, N.H. – New Hampshire Motor Speedway is an anchor destination for riders during Laconia Motorcycle Week with 10 days of on-track racing, off-track stunt show, demo rides, vendor displays and live entertainment June 8-17. The speedway is home to the 95th annual Loudon Classic, the longest-running motorcycle race in America, which will cap off the week on June 16.
“Motorcycle Week is one of my personal favorite weeks of the year,” said David McGrath, executive vice president and general manager of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “Any excuse to jump on my Harley and take in the sights and sounds of New Hampshire with fellow riders is a good one, but to be able to welcome the riders to New Hampshire Motor Speedway and offer them a destination to stop at for some fun on their way up to Weirs Beach is something the team here really looks forward to.”
New for 2018
The Dunlop Burnout Pit will be open from June 14-17 allowing visitors the chance to burn some rubber. Located in the S2 lot, awards will be given for the top burnout each day. The entry fee for the competition is $10.
Speedway Children’s Charities – New Hampshire Chapter Ride for Kids presented by WILDCO Petroleum Equipment Sales & Service is set for June 13. This charity motorcycle ride starts at Heritage Harley Davidson in Concord, N.H., tours approximately 100 miles up and around Lake Winnipesaukee before returning to the speedway for two laps around “The Magic Mile” and a cookout. All profits benefit Speedway Children’s Charities – New Hampshire Chapter, which helps children from all over New England. To register, please visit www.SpeedwayCharities.org/Events.
Opening Weekend (June 8-10)
Opening weekend kicks off June 8-10 with a Vintage Swap Meet, U.S. Classic Racing Association (USCRA) and Cystic Fibrosis Trail Ride.
Get an up-close and personal look at vintage motorcycles from as early as the 1930s, and shop for vintage parts and apparel at the Vintage Swap Meet. The swap meet will provide riders and guests an opportunity to gather and exchange motorcycle parts and ideas.
USCRA, the oldest vintage motorcycle racing organization in the United States, will run the FIM North American Vintage Road Racing Championships on June 9-10. There is a full slate of races each day with New England native, four-time AMA Champion and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver Dale Quarterly is the grand marshal for the event. Quarterly won the 2004 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
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 8:00 a.m. on Saturday and 9:15 a.m. on Sunday. Other charity rides making pit stops at the speedway throughout Motorcycle Week include the 12th Annual Peter Makris Memorial Ride, the National Gypsy Memorial Ride and the Mae-West Memorial “For the Love of Pets” Ride for the N.H. Humane Society.
During the Week (June 11-16)
Off-track action heats up June 11-16 with demo rides, vendors, live entertainment and a jaw-dropping stunt show, Thursday – Sunday.
Home to the largest motorcycle demo ride course, the speedway will host the most manufacturers of any location at Laconia Motorcycle Week. Indian, Slingshot, Yamaha, Aprilia, and MotoGuzzi will offer demo rides and guided tours along an 11 mile route of back roads and speedway property on the latest motorcycle models.
On top of the demo rides, there will be more than 25 vendors on-site with gear, accessories and more for bikers. Vendors include Soundz, Fast Lights and many more.
For those looking for food, drinks and entertainment, the Miller High Life Hub will be the place to be. Starting Wednesday, live music presented by Outlaw Nation will invade the hub with two bands playing each day through Saturday. This year’s lineup includes Porter & Sayles, Dream Spectrum, Stone Senate, Dave Fields, Dionysia, Hillbilly Vegas and Jeremy Bar-Illan Band.
Closing Weekend (June 15-17)
Motorcycle week will be capped off with a stunt show and a full weekend of on-track racing.
Using antique Indian, Harleys and go-karts, the Wild Wheels Thrill Arena’s “Wall of Death” will provide four days of heart-pounding entertainment.
Starting June 15, the Loudon Classic’s traditional three days of racing will begin on the 1.6-mile road course. With more than 36 races, the race weekend will feature different series and types of motorcycles, including the Moat Mountain Legends and J&J’s Yolk and Co. Oval Series, which are powered by motorcycle engines, USCRA Side Cars and the Loudon Road Race Series.
The LRRS Supermoto event will take place in the S3 lot on a specially-designed track that combines asphalt and dirt for only $5 a ticket on June 15. Classes will range from small mini bikes to the pro-sized 450s with qualifying and features for three classes (Super Mini, Lites and Open). A $5,000 purse is up for grabs in the Lites and Open classes, so don’t miss the dirt-slinging and sideways-sliding action at 4:45 p.m.
The 95th Annual Loudon Classic feature event will be run by the Loudon Road Race Series in the form of Middleweight Grand Prix on Saturday 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 six-time champion, including the last three in a row, Shane Narbonne from Tyngsboro, Mass.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is located just 20 miles from Laconia Motorcycle Week headquarters at Weirs Beach and on scenic Route 106.
Check out the full Motorcycle Week schedule: http://www.nhms.com/documents/bikeweek_2018schedu…
For ticket information on all 2018 events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, including the July 20-22 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race weekend and the September 21-22 Full Throttle Fall Weekend, please stop by the ticket office, visit the speedway website at www.nhms.com, or call Fan Relations at (603) 783-4931.