New Hampshire

From the travels and adventures of the “World’s #1 Trackchaser”

All-Time Favorite New Hampshire Track:

Legion Speedway – Wentworth

Current lifetime trackchasing state rank:  5

Best Memories:

On a Saturday night in the summer of 2009, I went to the Monadnock Speedway. What was so special about that visit? It was the second half of an inter-continent trackchasing double certainly the most challenging trackchasing double ever achieved in the more than 50-year history of trackchasing. What was the OTHER half of that double? It was my afternoon visit to Kapelluhraum in Hafnafjorour, ICELAND. Yes, ICELAND for gosh sakes!

First, I can’t believe I’ve seen nearly 25 tracks in New Hampshire! NH is a LONG way from California in many ways. About 25% of my trackchasing in New Hampshire has been on the ice. I shook the winner’s hand in victory lane at the Canaan Speedway asphalt track.

They’ve got really steep hillside grandstands at the Claremont International Raceway. Talked with my all-time favorite ice racing driver Alan Darrah (above) at the Contoocook Lake Ice Track. He was racing for the 50^th year in the SAME racecar. Well done Alan and major congrats on your achievement.

Saw my first ever flagpole race at the Hudson Speedway. The Lee USA Speedway was a first-class facility on a rainy night. Had a great at the track interview at the Legion Speedway (above) and got to give the “Gentleman, start your engines” command. However, I maintain the four most important words in racing are, “Put your helmets on”!

At the special Meredith Bay Ice Oval reunion Stu and Karen Lord joined me with a guest appearance from Paul Weisel. This was my first chance to meet Linda Hanson Cook, my main NH ice racing contact. Then Alan Darrah the famous ice racing driver who has been competing in the same 1930 Ford for 53 years entertained us all with his ice racing history. He did miss one ice racing season through no fault of his own…there was no ice all winter for racing!

I went to the New Hampshire MX track and NH buddy Bruce Spencer saw his first-ever UTV race. He was suitably unimpressed. Met Alan Darrah, who would come to be my all-time favorite ice racing driver at the Northeast Pond Ice Track. At that time he had been racing the very same 1930 Ford for 42 years on the ice only. I rode shotgun (above) in an ice race at the Northwood Lake Ice Oval. The Riverside Speedway in Groveton was poorly lit but had good racing on their quarter-mile asphalt oval.

The Route 106 Speed Park in Pembroke was a state-of-the-art kart race facility. Saw some good super-modified racing at Star Speedway. The Sugar Hill Speedway (above) was one of the best kart racing venues I’ve ever seen. P.J. Hollebrand joined us for the F8 racing at the Twin State Raceway when Carol was seeing racing in her 39^th state. I first met racechaser, not trackchaser, Bruce Spencer (above) at the White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock back in 2006. We have teamed up many times since.

If you see a track link in the above list simply click on it to be transferred to my Trackchaser Report. Here you will be able to read about my adventure at this particular track. Not only will you learn about my time at the track but you’ll hear about all of the interesting people, places and things I encountered during the entire trip, coming and going, to that speedway. Most of my Trackchaser Reports will also include a photo album and YouTube video. Check it all out. Don’t be afraid to use the “search” box in the upper right corner of my website’s home page. Just type in the track name or whatever and you’ll be directed to the place you want to be.

Below is a key to surface types and track configurations so you can understand the above list just a little bit easier.

Surface types:  D-dirt; P-paved; M-mixed

Configuration types:  O-oval; RC-road course; F8-figure 8 track