Argonaut

Visited the brand new NJMSP today. http://www.njmotorsportspark.com/ They actually have two tracks, I drove on the Lightning course with HookedOnDriving.com. These guys put on a nice show, 5 sessions of about 25 min each.

The facility is nice, first rate. They have a large "Clubhouse" for lunch, dinner and drinks that looks like a country club. The track is Smoooooth, no bumps, a nice switch from Summit Point. The grass has not grown yet and if you go off its a dusty experience.

Its funny how the cars change from one venue to the next. Whenever I drive in the Northeast the cars are primo. We had an R8, about 20 C5s and C6s and just as many 911s, GT3s and even a Panoz. When I drive further west, like around Pittsburgh its all ricers, my car is the nicest out there. There are a lot of big $ dudes in the NY/Philly region and the cars definetly show it.

Another thing I've noticed, Corvette drivers don't like being passed by a Mustang :-0 I know a guy who has a 87 911 Turbo, we are about the same speed (ok, his car is a little faster but I can hang with him). Several sessions we tried to hang together but it always seemed a Vette driver would let him by but then would step on the gas in every straight, not wanting me to get buy and then I'd reel them back in. I'd really need to push their butts throught the corners to get them to give way. Not all mind you - LOL, some of them absolutely blew me away - 200 HP more and 200 lbs less will do that. And that R8? Holly s**t! That car is FAST. It has a row of LED lights below the headlights, kind of looks evil coming up behind you.

There was a guy in the novice group with a Roush 427 Track Pack. Nice car - it has a wing on the rear and some hugh *** rotors and calipers. "Rouschcharged" also.

The Lightning track is small (1.9 mile) and fast. It really suits high HP cars. Easy to learn but has some interesting turn sequences that each have a couple different lines. It also has a little elevation change - turn one is a blind right hander. Lots of run off room makes it pretty safe, I don't think anyone damaged a car.

All in all a great day - weather was perfect, facility super and the car worked really well. The season is winding down - I'll do one, maybe two more events and that will close out 2008 :-(

Moonset over New Jersey:

jayel579

Brad- Did you try the go-kart track out?

+1 to everything Brad says, I ran the Thunderbolt course back in August with NJ-BMWCCA and had a blast. It was a 3 day event!! They are still working on the facilities but overall this is going to be a class A track.

Argonaut

No - I did not try out the Kart Track. It looks great though, really big area. Every year my family vacations in Avalon, NJ, not far from Millville. Next summer I'll get a few of them to drive up there for some laps in the Karts.

So Jason, I take it you really liked Tunderbolt. Talking to one of the guys yesterday, who has driven both tracks, he said Tunderbolt is kind of weird. Half of the track has really good, high speed flow and the other half (the "octopus" he called it) was too tight and choppy. Your opinion?

Sleeper_08

First off - I really appreciate you sharing your experiences.

Your comment about Corvettes is a confirmation I guess of a 'pecking order'. It is OK for a Corvette to be passed by a Porsche but not a Mustang. In my case that was one incentive to add the SC - now I can also out drag them down the straights. Great fun!

Import_Slaya

Thanks for the write-up, Argonaut. Sounds like a great track and one on my list of semi-locals to try.

jayel579

I really liked Thunderbolt. Front half of the track is more wide open then it gets tight after turn 5. The "Octopus" or "Reach Around" or "Carousel", everyone had a nick name for it, turn is a long left hander. It is a test of patience but depending on the racing line going into that turn is can be choppy kind of a long 3 apex right hand turn. While the high Hp cars use the 3 apex line, the low Hp cars can kind of cut out the middle apex and ride the outside line of that right hander preserving there momentum so you really cant run away from the lower Hp cars. It makes the track a very equal track for high or low Hp cars, unless you're comparing a spec E30 BMW vs a Z06 Corvette. Either way I think it makes it a drivers and learners course but fun no matter what you are driving.

I want to get onto the Lighting course, I hope to next season. What did you think of that banked light bulb turn? They carved that run into the hill so nice it looks very fast. Some of the opinions have been that the Lighting course might be better suited for bikes more then cars.

Argonaut

Thats exactly what I heard - its an equalizer between high and low HP cars.


The 'light bulb' is pretty cool. Pocono has the real banked turns, they are easy, just put your foot in it. The Light Bulb has just a degree or two of bank and is thus a little tricky. I had two 911 (older models) drivers tell me their cars felt un-stable in it, a little wiggle in the rear. Its an exercise in patience - I went in high, maintained throttle, then about 1/3 of the way thru started diving for the apex and squeezing the throttle on, very gradually. By exit I would be doing about 90, flat on the floor and rocket down the long straight. Fun, fun, fun.

Argonaut

Thanks. I enjoy your write-ups also. I'd like to get up to Mosport sometime. I have family in the Hamilton area, how far are you from there?

Yep, thats for sure. It would be fun to have 150 more HP and surprise the heck out of those guys. As it is though, my low HP, low torque pony has surprised its share of Vettes (just as many blow right by though).

During the last session yesterday I asked an instructor to ride with me. Nice guy named Rich, drives a mid-eighties 911. He was cracking me up the whole ride with his "lets get that Vette" attitude. Going into a 90 degree left hander I had a Vette in front. Rich yells at me "lets get him". I completely out braked the Vette and then turned in. "Steady, steady, ok now power, Power, POWER!...YEA, look at that. Now stay on his ***. <go to the next corner>Ok, we'll get him here. Squeeze the throttle, more, More, FLOOR IT! There's the point by, way to go!...now see that next Vette, lets go get him" Dude was funny.

Sleeper_08

I live in Toronto, Google Map M2N 5X8, and am about an hour from Mosport.

When I was up at the Mosport DDT (Driver Training Track) two weeks ago I heard about a lapping day on Saturday Oct 4. It is part of the SoloSprint weekend and they run the Solosprint event on Sunday Oct 5. The price for the lapping day is $250 CDN and after debating with myself for two weeks just decided to register for the lapping day.

If you are interested in the Mosport GP cicuit one of the local Mustang clubs runs a lapping day in June every year and it was $195 last year. I would have been able to run 6 20 minute sessions but 5 was enough for me. The only problem with this date is that it is mid week.

The Mosport GP circuit has to be one of the best places to run and is really suited to the Mustangs as it is a high speed course. It is also a little scary as there are places where if you loose it you get very intimate with concrete and steel.

Let me know if you decide to come up for an event.