New Jersey Motorsports Park Making Improvements To First, Last Turns
Millville, N.J. (August 14, 2009) -
New Jersey Motorsports Park today announced improvements to the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt raceway designed to increase the track’s safety features for both professional races and track rentals at the South Jersey facility.
The changes focus on two of the fastest corners of the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway, Turns 1 and 12. A 5,000 square foot gravel trap is being added to the end of the paved runoff area extending from the right-handed Turn 1. In the track’s final turn, plans include moving the barrier to increase the runoff area an additional 30 to 50 feet.
The improvements were put in motion following a productive meeting with AMA Pro Racing riders and officials in late July.
“Since this facility opened a year ago, we’ve consistently met with participants and sanctioning body representatives to gather input,” said Kevin Wittman, General Manager of New Jersey Motorsports Park. “Our meeting in July led to some suggestions that we felt we could implement before our September events, including the AMA Superbike Championships. These adjustments should benefit all of the motorcycles and cars that use Thunderbolt Raceway, not just professional racers.”
The gravel trap will include 300 tons of 3/8-inch round pea gravel contributed by locally-based Ricci Brothers Sand Company and delivered by Foundry Services Corporation.
“We continue to be impressed with the great lengths our promoter partners go to in preparation for AMA Pro Road Racing events,” said AMA Pro President Roger Edmondson. “As one of the newest permanent road courses in the United States, New Jersey Motorsport Park already features a top-rate racing circuit with an up-to-date safety system. The pending changes will only make it better for premier motorcycle road racing and we appreciate how closely our partners in New Jersey are working with our competitors and AMA Pro in implementing these enhancements. We are looking forward to a great race on Labor Day weekend.”
The project will be completed in time for September, which is the facilities busiest month for spectator events. The September calendar includes the AMA Superbike Championships, September 4-6; the ARCA RE/MAX Series, September 11-13; and the Ferrari Challenge, September 18-20.
The AMA Superbike Championship weekend includes the National Guard American Superbike and Daytona SportBike season finales and the AMA Pro SuperSport and SunTrust Moto-GT classes.
For more information on tickets, including the all-inclusive Superbike Club and Sportbike Club ticket packages for the AMA Superbike Championships, visit www.njmp.com or call New Jersey Motorsports Park at (856) 327-7217.
Children 12 and under are admitted free to all events at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Sitting on over 500 acres in Millville, N.J., New Jersey Motorsports Park is conveniently located to Philadelphia, the Jersey Shore, New York and Baltimore, and offers diverse and dynamic motorsports attractions. The facility includes two world-class road courses (Thunderbolt and Lightning), an exclusive motorsports country club known as the Drivers Club, the Breighton Room Restaurant open to the general public, and F1 New Jersey, one of the top karting facilities in America. Opened in July 2008, New Jersey Motorsports Park hosts eight major motorsports events in 2009. The 2009 spectator schedule opened with the Verizon Wireless 250 presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 in May, and also includes the Formula X weekend featuring the Atlantic Championship powered by Mazda and a host of Mazda-powered race series, as well as All Revved Up; the debut of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Pro Road Race Series, including the American Superbike class and the new Daytona Sportbike program; the return of the ARCA/ReMax Series as the only road course visit on the series schedule; a Ferrari Challenge event and the excitement of two separate Vintage race weekends.