Palmer Motorsports Park

[tkmkbkjk]

Attached below is the latest news article concerning the Palmer Motorsports Park. also the link to their website is http://www.palmermotorsportspark.com/

[sttp199]

Paving on track completed 10/16/14

[jeffa711]

here is a link for a lap turn by an electric racecar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Fu-hM8FNUI&sns=fb

[RobLav]

It looks a lot tighter in a vehicle than on paper.

[Peter Olivola]

Wonder what the plans are for barrier protection involving those rock walls.

[FVRacer21]

I thought this would be our Nurburgring, now I think it is our Bathurst.

Chris Z

[RobLav]

When I last walked the property a year ago, it looked so big. The camera in the car makes it seem smaller and tighter... and more than a couple blind crests. It also looks like they changed the downhill front "straight" a bit by adding a couple slight bends. It'll still be flat out.

On edit, it looks like they added T14 kink, something I tried to talk Freddie out of. It's going to cause some trouble.

T7 was originally much straighter, until someone found a fern or two growing where the pavement was supposed to go.

T5 and T10 originally had "connectors" to be able to split the track. It was a tough thing to do given the elevation changes and keeping it under the 10% max grade. Freddie simplified it a bit.

The cornerworker on T8 will have one heckuva view.

You FV guys will especially need to keep momentum up before going up the incline.

Agree Bathurst is more like it.

[dragonbill]

OK,guys here are some personal observations from standing on the track: It is wide everywhere (much bigger than NHMP and Thompson), the uphill section is long, but not very different from Watkins Glen in terms of pull length. The corners have very good flow, there are no 1st or 2nd gear corners on the track. Yes, barriers and walls will be added, but that does nothing to change the track.
The camera on the electric car has a very short focal distance and does not give an accurate impression of how much room there is. Everything is "larger than it appears". The corners are definitely Not tight.
This is a great track and definitely right behind the Glen in terms of NE tracks. It is head and shoulders above LRP, NHMS, Summit Point, Beaver Run and a little better than NJMP to my eye. Depending on your car, it may even be more fun than the Glen.

[jim murphy]

Any issues with the neighbors requiring unusual restrictions like stiffer sound control than GCR, etc.?

Jim

[dragonbill]

Jim, the sound estimates say it should be very good and there are not currently a batch of restrictions on sound. Everyone will know more when a non electric car hits the track, but given the location and how far the track is from neighbors and the road I expect there will be no issues.

BG

[jim murphy]

Good to hear as the recently opened Atlanta Motorsports Park suffered terribly due to the multiple lawsuits filed by the neighbors. Due to all the money paid to the lawyers there were several cost-cutting's that really hurt it. I will leave it at this - the track is only good (safe) for the lower speed cars and anything that you damage, you, the driver, pay for its repair. So sad.

Jim

[Blair Robertshaw]

Well Done! run off areas seem short but I am sure in real life and after ARMCO or similar is up should be fantastic.

and the electric SR is very cool...

[Pi_guy]

Well Done! run off areas seem short but I am sure in real life and after ARMCO or similar is up should be fantastic.

.

I doubt anybody wants to see Armco at the end of a short runoff area.

[Blair Robertshaw]

I doubt anybody wants to see Armco at the end of a short runoff area.

Forgive me. How about a suitable run off protection barrier.

[Pi_guy]

It looks like a motorcycle track or a track day type of track.
Have any sanctioning bodies like the SCCA planned any events there?

[jeffa711]

there was talk that NER scca would run there the end of 2015. there is still a lot of work to do there.

[glenn cooper]

...

It looks like a motorcycle track if you wanted to hurt/maim or kill a lot of knee draggers.
Have any sanctioning bodies like the SCCA planned any events there?

[Pi_guy]

...

I did not write that.
Please do not modify my posts or put in words I did not use.

thanks

[craigs]

Just did about 15-20 laps there yesterday in my street car - S2000 as fast as I had the balls for.

I can't wait to race there next year. For us in New England and I would bet many in the northeast it will be a destination type track.

[jim murphy]

there was talk that NER scca would run there the end of 2015. there is still a lot of work to do there.

Be sure to have the SCCA track inspector look over your track WAY BEFORE any SCCA events in case there are any issues that will take time to fix. One hint - no armco barrier without a tire wall in front of it or, even better, just the tire wall by itself a good distance away from track edge. The more runoff room everywhere the better. This is based on the SCCA inspection of Atlanta Motorsports Park and what was NOT done by the owners due to the money running out. Sad situation.

Jim

[Bruce Allen FSCCA #82]

I ran the track in both directions with my Corvette yesterday with Craig with COM Sports Car Board. Curbs, walls and many other things yet to be done before opening next season. videos and comments here http://www.comscc.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4886 Be sure to look at Wizzman's video at the end.

COM has booked several weekends as have other clubs and SCCA New England Region will soon. It will be one of the best sports car tracks in North America (not just me saying)

[RobLav]

Cool Bruce. I'm heading there tomorrow. All that work we did and time spent... finally get to see it in reality.

[jeffa711]

new video with lap data elevation and track location https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7VmLvAVBrI

[dick patullo]

well the GPS says 181 feet of difference in elevation. i though it was going to be 185. i feel cheated.

i hope you all understand how much Rob Laverty was critical to the design of the track. He did some damn fine work.

[Parker]

WOW! That looks awesome!

What a monumental effort!

How many tons of rock blasted and moved?

[RobLav]

Thank You Dick. Of course there were so many other critical people behind it - like you and Bruce and a host of others during and before my time (and of course NER SCCA). We never lost the vision. I am thrilled.

[Swift17]

.... but it appears to me that this layout lends itself to a track where it appears your driving somewhere i.e. Spa, Nordschleife, Brands Hatch, [yes, Bathurst] etc. - I understand it is new and alot of ideas to be "floated" but I hope/respectfully suggest they lose the "#" designation for at least some of the turns/sections and use "names" like, and for example, "Loring's Leap" "Sharp's" sweeper, "Barber's" bowl "Newman's .... etc. A fine tribute to some of New England renowned racers ..........

[Bruce Allen FSCCA #82]

.... but it appears to me that this layout lends itself to a track where it appears your driving somewhere i.e. Spa, Nordschleife, Brands Hatch, [yes, Bathurst] etc. - I understand it is new and alot of ideas to be "floated" but I hope/respectfully suggest they lose the "#" designation for at least some of the turns/sections and use "names" like, and for example, "Loring's Leap" "Sharp's" sweeper, "Barber's" bowl "Newman's .... etc. A fine tribute to some of New England renowned racers ..........

the downhill after the last 180 turn at the top of the hill was designed after the Laguna Seca Corkscrew.

[RobLav]

I'm calling that "Fred's Corkscrew", which, after driving there today, I'm going to ask him to add about 20 feet of pavement to the right side of that.

[craigs]

I asked for 10, but would rather have 20.

[RobLav]

The track flows so well... but I concluded that the decreasing radius Turn 13 is difficult enough without having a corkscrew right after it, which disturbs the natural flow. By lap 3, I had all apexes down except Turn 13. By lap 4, I had 13 down OK - not great but OK. Each time, my inclination was to drive the inside of 14 where there is no pavement. It's hard to see that too, even in my father's Ford Fusion. So I got out of the car at 14 and roughly measured with my feet and figured 20 feet was about right.

BTW, Turn 8 is by far the coolest turn I've ever experienced on a track. Not a corkscrew, it's an Archimedes screw.

Also BTW, Dick and Kathy and Jerry's replacement (sorry, I forget his name!) are going there tomorrow.

[craigs]

JB?

[RobLav]

Yes... that's him! Thanks.

[Bruce Allen FSCCA #82]

I'm calling that "Fred's Corkscrew", which, after driving there today, I'm going to ask him to add about 20 feet of pavement to the right side of that.

there are several corners in which the pavement is planned to increase from 40 to 65 feet. That is one of them. Pavers could not do more than 40 in first go.

[RobLav]

Thanks Bruce... I heard you went a little too fast there the other day!

[Bruce Allen FSCCA #82]

Says who? Never went over 120 in my Stingray with stock tires. Probably could do 140 on that downhill straight. Traction control still on.

[NPalacioM3]

Doesn't look like a race track to me, looks like a hill climb route instead. Are those or are those not cliffs and rock formations everywhere? But maybe the video is misleading? Otherwise, looks VERY unsafe for road racing.

[Bruce Allen FSCCA #82]

no curbs, runoff pavement or barriers in place yet. On a clear day, 100 mile views but don't gaze too long!

[Rick Kean]

Old school!

[swiftdrivr]

Fabulous course, but I hope someone has a big budget for safety improvements. Walls close to the track, cliffs at track edge, even distracting views, [but I'm not complaining about that!] Can't wait to see the end product. If they can make it safe, I can see a long distance race-trip in my future!