New Jersey Motorsports Park – Thunderbolt Raceway

[Nick]

I drove past this afternoon.  There was nothing happening.  Weather permitting, I believe ground breaking is scheduled for the end of February.

[Tony356993]

thanx nick for the update

[Nick]

This Friday, February 16th, Governor Corzine and Local Legislators will conduct a ceremonial signing of the Motorsports Entertainment District enabling legislation. Assemblyman Jeff Van Drew has worked closely with the Governor's staff to arrange for the Governor to take time away from his Trenton schedule.
 
Where:  Wheaton Arts and Culture Center
Time:    2:30 PM, Plus or minus 15-20 minutes
 
We hope you can work this event into your schedule and come out and show your appreciation to all the elected officials for their "endurance" in attaining the Green Flag to establish the sports entertainment district for Project Thunderbolt.
 
Please pass this information along to your colleagues at your businesses and organizations, as we hope they will join you as we welcome Governor Corzine to Cumberland County.
 
 

[Nick]

I just returned from the ceremonial signing of the Motorsports legislation.  Our governor along with several high ranking state and local politicians were present. The current schedule calls for ground breaking on 3/15/07 and pavement this fall.  In conversations with the folks responsible for performing the work, a 4/15/07 ground breaking with pavement in spring of ’08 is the safe bet.  Anyone involved in a project of this magnitude realizes that scope creep and date slippage is near inevitable.  There will be speed bumps along the way but this track Will happen.  

[Tony356993]

I'm ready - think spring. Thanks Nick.

 

[catchacab]

Nick wrote:

I just returned from the ceremonial signing of the Motorsports legislation. Our governor along with several high ranking state and local politicians were present. The current schedule calls for ground breaking on 3/15/07 and pavement this fall. In conversations with the folks responsible for performing the work, a 4/15/07 ground breaking with pavement in spring of ’08 is the safe bet. Anyone involved in a project of this magnitude realizes that scope creep and date slippage is near inevitable. There will be speed bumps along the way but this track Will happen.

Just remember what happened with Shenandoah!

[Phokaioglaukos]

What happened with Shendandoah? It opened the year I started and my first event ever was there.

Pavement like this needs to "cure," right? If they pave in spring 2008 will there be wheels on the track by summer?

[Nick]

Great question. 

This is out of my realm but here is what I heard. They will be using polymer asphalt which has a very short cure time, but needs at least 50 degrees F.  When it is used for highways, it is ready for heavy traffic within hours.  There is no hard data available for race tracks or if additional cure time allows it to withstand more lateral g-force.

[catchacab]

Shenandoah was scheduled to open more than a year earlier than it did.  In fact the 3rd annual  MAW was scheduled there, and we gave up our 2nd (October) Watkins Glen date for it.  Then Shenandoah wasn't close to being ready and the club made the 2nd Pocono event the MAW date.

[Tony356993]

Whenever it is ready, we will be ready. The key is that it will be built. If I have an extra year to save for my membership, that will be ok.