In 1989, Maine businessman Bob Bahre bought out the facility from Bryar, completely reconfigurating the complex in efforts to host major series.

[‡ 1] In 1961, the Keith Bryar-owned 106 Midway Raceway opened to the public, hosting various types of races, including go-karts, midgets, and stock cars on a 1⁄4 mi (0.40 km) dirt oval.

In addition, the Laconia Classic gained a notorious reputation for frequent violence caused by the event's campers, including shootings and stabbings.

[19] In 1974, with the Laconia Classic planned to be cancelled for the following year, Bryar stated to the Monitor that he did not make needed improvements to the facility due to financial troubles and increasing debts, leading to considerations of shutting down the complex.

[22] In the following years, numerous racing-related fatalities occurred at the complex: Charles Coy in 1979,[23] Linda King in 1980,[24] and John Dranginis in 1983 were all killed in accidents at the facility.

[37] The first tire tests for NHIS were conducted on June 5, 1990, with Busch Series driver Tommy Houston and New Hampshire Governor Judd Gregg participating in the session.

[40][41] The road course received consistent negative reception from motorcycle racers, who found the track to be too dangerous due to a lack of run-off areas.

[45] In October of that year, NHIS' first fatality occurred during a go-kart race when Fred Clarke spun after spinning "violently" at "nearly 80 mph".

[47][48] In preparation for the Cup Series race, numerous additions were made to the facility, including 4,000 seats, 20 VIP box suites, and increased parking and concessions.

[61] The following year, construction was fully approved after a study conducted by Acentech found that the expansion would not increase noise in surrounding towns.

[64] In May 2000, NHIS' second fatality occurred when Busch Series driver Adam Petty crashed into the third turn wall after his car suffered a stuck throttle during a practice session.

[80] In July 2006, Bahre stated to the News & Record that while he was not currently seeking to sell NHIS, he admitted that "it might [happen] someday".

[81] By September 2007, Bahre stated that he had been in negotiations with "eight different groups of people" over a potential sale, including Boston Red Sox owner John W.

[84] The sale was finalized on January 11, 2008; with the purchase, the facility was renamed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS), with Jerry Gappens being appointed as the track's general manager.

[85] In 2009, a $4 million project aimed at renovating the track's infield was completed, which removed wetlands and trees to create more space.

[86] The following year, the venue's fourth fatality occurred when motorcycle racer Morgan Rose crashed on the road course's 11th turn during a race.

[98] From 1997 to 2017, the facility held two Cup Series races per year: the aforementioned USA Today 301 and a fall event last known as the ISM Connect 301.

Following 2017, the race was transferred to the SMI-owned Las Vegas Motor Speedway due to economic reasons and attendance issues at NHMS.

[119] However, shortly after the festival was approved by Loudon's planning board,[120] the speedway was sued by three Merrimack County residents, arguing that the 1989 law still applied.

[127] As of June 2024, the fastest official lap records at New Hampshire Motor Speedway are listed as: In the text these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):