Ground-breaking is underway on the major repave and renovation phase of New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt Circuit enhancement project.
In its 16 seasons of motorsports activities – beginning in August 2008 with the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Supercar Life 250 race – New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt circuit has been enjoyed by professional automobile and motorcycle drivers and riders, by grassroots racing clubs with national and regional events, by NJMP Drivers and Riders Club members, and it has played a role in driver and rider education through the many schools and development days held there.
“Over a year of planning has gone into this project,” commented Brad Scott, President and COO of New Jersey Motorsports Park. “To reach this milestone with ground-breaking and the physical work underway is exciting for us and the motorsports community, and the culmination of a lot of planning and effort by many people.”
Phase 1 of the two-phase multi-year project starts October 10th 2023, beginning with the milling and removal of the existing track surface, followed by the base paving and surface paving of the original Thunderbolt circuit layout, pit lane, and chicanes. Portions of the curbing will be removed and renovated. The profile of Turn 1 will be altered slightly with the apex curbing placed further inside, taking advantage of the unused space and pavement at that point of the turn.
The asphalt and concrete work will be completed by Thanksgiving. The new track base and surface will be allowed to cure from December through February.
The final touches and line painting will be done late in February, and Thunderbolt will reopen for normal business operations in early March, 2024.
Phase 2 – the addition of two new alternative course configurations inside the classic Thunderbolt circuit – has been rescheduled for after the 2024 season.
“Our track designers and engineers continue to work with state officials and the DEP to accommodate their requirements for modifications to off-track areas such as basins and run-off in the areas of the proposed new layouts, but doing so in a way appropriate for a racetrack project,” Scott explained, “It was important that we be able to move forward with the renovation and repaving of the core facility beginning October 2023, so we’re now approaching the project in two phases to accommodate the time it will take for the DEP processes relating to the new configurations.”
For those who would like a memento of the original track, display souvenirs with millings from the original surface will be available as a keepsake. More information is available here where you can reserve your piece of Thunderbolt history.
A time-lapsed camera has been installed so people can follow the progress on Facebook.
This multi-faceted project includes industry experts such as Brian Prowell of Advanced Materials Services, Bryce Engelhart of Technical Track Design, major local construction contractors South State and Shaw Masonry, services from financial partner TD Bank, and the input of professional drivers and riders, NJMP Drivers and Riders Club members, and NJMP track partners.
“We’ll celebrate when the project is done,” Scott concluded, “but reaching this milestone with work underway is definitely a moment to take a deep breath and reflect on the massive effort it has taken to get us to this point.”
About New Jersey Motorsports Park
New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) is a 500-acre multi-purpose event and entertainment destination located in Millville, NJ. NJMP has a rich history dating back to 2008, and is home to over 300 full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees.
NJMP’s diverse events include something for everyone from car and motorcycle races both modern and vintage, to concerts, comedy, food truck festivals, 5K obstacle runs, monster trucks and Motorless Nights for biking and hiking. In addition, NJMP’s daily operations feature karting, axe-throwing, airsoft, lodging, as well as a restaurant, pub, and full event catering facilities. NJMP hosts an average of 600,000 people per year including fans, customers, drivers, riders, crew, and visitors to this premier one-of-a-kind South Jersey venue.
The park includes two world-class road courses, Thunderbolt and Lightning Raceway, two motorsports country club membership programs for cars and motorcycles, and one of the top outdoor karting complexes in the U.S. – Tempest Raceway. NJMP continues to develop commercial and private real estate opportunities including its Exotic Car Garage private garage condominiums and the NJMP Speedplex featuring performance/automotive services and more.
Stay up to speed with NJMP by calling (856) 327-8000, visiting www.njmp.com or following on Twitter: @NJMP, Instagram: @njmotorsportspark, and Facebook: New Jersey Motorsports Park – NJMP.
Sponsored By
Article: "Ground-Breaking begins for NJMP’s Thunderbolt Renovation" appeared first on Gran Touring Motorsports (GTM). This content appears on The Distributor with expressed permission from the owner/originator or their proxy in partnership with GTM. All rights remain with the content originator.
Article: "Ground-Breaking begins for NJMP’s Thunderbolt Renovation" appeared first on Break/Fix Podcast. This content appears on The Distributor with expressed permission from the owner/originator or their proxy in partnership with GTM. All rights remain with the content originator.
