The worst kept secret in New England auto racing was that Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway was close to announcing plans for a major improvement to the facility - namely, the restoration of its old road course.
On Wednesday, word began to leak out about the layout of the course, which prompted the speedway to release a map and some preliminary details via its Facebook page.
The comment accompanying the map included the following information:
"The info that is being passed around (is) in fact true and did come from us. It was distributed to all the clubs, groups and schools that have worked with us to develop this plan and go through feasibility over the past two years."
Last year, Thompson owner Donald Hoenig announced he was putting his grandson, Jonathan, in charge of looking into the feasibility of restoring the historic road course. That talk intensified last fall when rumors began to swirl regarding the future of weekly racing at the 5/8-mile Thompson oval.
However, racing will return to the oval in 2013 and for the foreseeable future, and the road course is set for a spring 2014 opening.
According to the Facebook post:
"The venue, when used as a road course, will be primarily for club events, i.e., PCA, BMW, SCCA, etc, high performance driving schools, corporate outings, testing, etc. Our primary goal is to re-pave the historic course, upgrade degraded asphalt, safety barriers and overall facilities and amenities."
That would not preclude Thompson from trying to host, for instance, a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race on the road course, but that is not the primary function. This will be similar to the proposed road course in Palmer, which was approved in 2007 but ran into funding issues before it could be completed and opened. That venue was to be used strictly for hobbyists.
The speedway will release further information next month, according to RaceDayCT.com. Anyone with questions about the project is encouraged to leave a comment on the track's Facebook page, and someone from the speedway will answer you personally.
On Wednesday, word began to leak out about the layout of the course, which prompted the speedway to release a map and some preliminary details via its Facebook page.
The comment accompanying the map included the following information:
"The info that is being passed around (is) in fact true and did come from us. It was distributed to all the clubs, groups and schools that have worked with us to develop this plan and go through feasibility over the past two years."
Last year, Thompson owner Donald Hoenig announced he was putting his grandson, Jonathan, in charge of looking into the feasibility of restoring the historic road course. That talk intensified last fall when rumors began to swirl regarding the future of weekly racing at the 5/8-mile Thompson oval.
However, racing will return to the oval in 2013 and for the foreseeable future, and the road course is set for a spring 2014 opening.
According to the Facebook post:
"The venue, when used as a road course, will be primarily for club events, i.e., PCA, BMW, SCCA, etc, high performance driving schools, corporate outings, testing, etc. Our primary goal is to re-pave the historic course, upgrade degraded asphalt, safety barriers and overall facilities and amenities."
That would not preclude Thompson from trying to host, for instance, a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race on the road course, but that is not the primary function. This will be similar to the proposed road course in Palmer, which was approved in 2007 but ran into funding issues before it could be completed and opened. That venue was to be used strictly for hobbyists.
The speedway will release further information next month, according to RaceDayCT.com. Anyone with questions about the project is encouraged to leave a comment on the track's Facebook page, and someone from the speedway will answer you personally.
Comment