Historical Photos

July 11, 1993 - After three years of hosting NASCAR's Busch Series, NHIS welcomed the Cup Series for the first time. Rusty Wallace led an impressive 106 laps of the Slick 50 300 to etch his name into the track's history.

July 10, 1994 - Ricky Rudd seized the race lead from reigning Cup champion Dale Earnhardt with seven laps to go and held off "The Intimidator" to win by 0.69 seconds. Earnhardt would still go on to win a second consecutive Cup title, the last of a record-tying seven in his career.

July 9, 1995 - The promising season of 23-year-old Jeff Gordon got a huge boost when he led a race high 126 laps to win the Slick 50 300. The third year driver would go on to claim his first career title later in the year.

July 14, 1996 - Ernie Irvan led the final 23 laps in a race that featured 23 leads changes among 15 drivers and ran away for a 5.470-second Margin of Victory. Reigning Cup (and race) champion Jeff Gordon led a race-high 59 laps, but was forced to go behind the wall with ignition problems after 253 laps.

July 13, 1997 - Jeff Burton led a race high 99 laps of the Jiffy Lube 300 for his first win at NHIS. Dale Earnhardt finished runner-up for the second time in four years at the track. The race featured 14 leads changes, but just two cautions.

Sept. 14, 1997 - NHIS hosted two Cup races for the first time in 1997, but it was a familiar visitor in Victory Lane after the race. Jeff Gordon led 137 laps for his second career win at the track. He would go on to win the Cup championship later in the season.

July 12, 1998 - For the second consecutive year, Jeff Burton both led the most laps and won the Jiffy Lube 300. His 191 laps led made him the car to beat all day, and he never gave up the lead after grabbing it with 84 laps to go.

Aug. 30, 1998 - Although Jeff Gordon led only the first lap after starting on the pole, he worked his way back to the front to lead the Farm Aid on CMT 300's final 67 laps for the win. This race was the only time NHIS has ever hosted a NASCAR Cup race in August. Gordon would go on to win his third title in four years. Interestingly (and perhaps not by coincidence), he won at NHIS all three of those years and not the fourth.

July 11, 1999 - Jeff Burton led only the final two laps, but it was enough for a third consecutive trip to Victory Lane in the NHIS July race. Rookie Tony Stewart led a race-high 118 laps in his first Cup race at NHIS.

Sept. 19, 1999 - Joe Nemechek led the final 71 laps of the Dura Lube/Kmart 300 to make his first career trip to Victory Lane in the Cup Series. It was the first time in history that NHIS congratulated a first time winner.

July 9, 2000 - Tony Stewart led 156 laps of the thatlook.com 300 and won the race when it was called after 273 laps. The second year Cup driver had previously won at NHIS while driving in the Indy Racing League two years earlier.

Sept. 17, 2000 - Jeff Burton took the lead from pole sitter Bobby Labonte on the first lap of the Dura Lube 300 sponsored by Kmart and never gave it up. The win marked Burton's track record, fourth Cup win at NHIS.

July 22, 2001 - Dale Jarrett led 88 consecutive laps in the middle of the New England 300, but didn't get the lead back until four laps remained. He needed to hold off pole sitter Jeff Gordon, who led 126 laps and finished second.

Nov. 23, 2001 - It was an emotional and unique race at NHIS, as the original running of the New Hampshire 300 in September was postponed in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. Luckily, the weather was uncharacteristically warm for late November and NASCAR's final race of the season. While Jeff Gordon would lead 257 laps, it was Nov. 23, 2001 - Robby Gordon who eventually worked his way to the front for his first ever Cup win.

July 21, 2002 - The older brother of four-time NHIS winner Jeff, Ward Burton held the lead three different times, including the final 10 laps for his first win at the track.

Sept. 15, 2002 - Ryan Newman started the race from the pole and held the lead when the New Hampshire 300 was called after 207 laps. It was Newman's first career win at the Cup level. It was the final time the September race ran as the "New Hampshire 300" before becoming the "SYLVANIA 300."

July 20, 2003 - Jimmie Johnson led the final 37 laps of the New England 300 and 58 total for his first win at NHIS. The second-year driver would return to Victory Lane later in the year to sweep the NHIS Cup races.

Sept. 14, 2003 - Jimmie Johnson only led 12 laps in the inaugural SYLVANIA 300, but he was in front when it mattered most. The win gave Johnson a sweep of the two Cup races at NHIS in 2003.

July 25, 2004 - Kurt Busch more or less solidified a spot in NASCAR's first ever Chase by winning the Siemens 300 in late July. The win gained him three spots to sixth place in the standings. He would go on to win again at NHIS two months later, en route to a NEXTEL Cup championship.

Sept. 19, 2004 - Kurt Busch completed his sweep of the Cup races at NHIS by winning the SYLVANIA 300. Busch would go on to dominate NASCAR's inaugural Chase to claim his first Cup championship.

July 17, 2005 - Eventual 2005 NEXTEL Cup champion Tony Stewart flexed his muscle by winning the New England 300. It would be the last unsponsored Cup race at NHIS.

Sept. 18, 2005 - Ryan Newman's second win in four years at NHIS was overshadowed by some mid-race fireworks. After a wreck on Lap 191, Robby Gordon climbed from his car and threw his helmet at Michael Waltrip as cars circled under caution.

July 16, 2006 - The 21-year-old Kyle Busch visited Victory Lane for the first time in NH by leading 107 laps in the inaugural year with LENOX Indsutrial Tools as a race sponsor. Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished dead last. He completed just 134 laps before suffering engine problems.

Sept. 17, 2006 - Kevin Harvick finished the SYLVANIA 300 in the same place he started it: first! He led 196 of 300 laps and left NH at the top of the NEXTEL Cup standings. (He eventually finished in fourth.)

July 1, 2007 - Denny Hamlin picked up his only win of the season and used the momentum to carry him to his second Chase in as many full seasons at the Cup level. This was the final time the LENOX Industrial Tools 300 ran before it added "The Extra Mile" and became the 301.

Sept. 16, 2007 - In what would prove to be the final race under the name of "New Hampshire International Speedway," Clint Bowyer visited Victory Lane for the first time in his Cup career. He started from the pole and led a dominant 222 laps in the SYLVANIA 300.

June 29, 2008 - New Hampshire Motor Speedway hosted its first Cup race under its new name, and the first Cup race at the facility in the calendar month of June. However, while there were many firsts, Kurt Busch's trip to Victory Lane was familiar to "The Magic Mile." It was Busch's third win at the track. The race was shortened to 284 laps, of which Busch only led the final 10.

Sept. 14, 2008 - In the opening race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Greg Biffle took the checkered flag in the SYLVANIA 300. The win moved him up six spots in the standings to third-place, where he sat just 30 points back of co-leaders Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards. He would eventually finish the season in third place behind the same two drivers.

June 28, 2010 - The June 28 race date was the earliest Cup race in the history of NHMS*, and it provided the youngest race winner in the history of the Sprint Cup Series. At the age of just 19, Connecticut native Joey Logano won the rain-shortended event. Interestingly, he's the second Cup driver in history (Ryan Newman, 2002) to have gotten his first career win in a shortened race at NHMS. *NOTE - In 2010, NHMS would host a Cup race on June 27.

Sept. 20, 2009 - Mark Martin's resurgence continued into the Chase for the Sprint Cup, as he won the Chase opening SYLVANIA 300. Martin claimed the first ever Cup pole at NHMS in 1993, but had never visited Victory Lane.

June 27, 2010 - Four-time reigning Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson won the LENOX Industrial Tools 301, his third career NSCS win at NHMS. He went on to win his fifth straight Sprint Cup later that season.

Sept. 19, 2010 - After winning the SYLVANIA 300, Clint Bowyer kissed the Granite Stripe. It was the first Sprint Cup Series race over the start/finish line made out of the state's nickname. The stripe had been unveiled earlier in the week. Ironically, Bowyer was the second driver to record his first career Cup win in the fall race at NHMS (2007) and win the same race three years later. (Ryan Newman did it in the fall of 2002 and 2005.)

July 17, 2011 - Ryan Newman started on the pole for the fifth time at NHMS and went on to take the checkered flag in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. His teammate (and team owner), Tony Stewart, started second and finished second, as well.

Sept. 25, 2011 - Tony Stewart won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' SYLVANIA 300, the second race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Stewart went on to win a total of five races in the Chase and win the Sprint Cup Championship.

July 15, 2012 - Kasey Kahne ran a fast car all day and took advantage of pit road gaffes by Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch to jump to the front on the LENOX Industrial Tools 301's final restart. He went on to lead the final 66 laps and take the checkered flag.