Ground-breaking is underway on the major repave and renovation phase of New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt Circuit enhancement project.
With 16 seasons of motorsports activities in the books, the New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt circuit has been enjoyed by professional drivers and riders, grassroots racing clubs, and NJMP Drivers and Riders Club members. Additionally, the track has played a role in driver and rider education through various schools and development days held there.
“Over a year of planning has gone into this project,” commented Brad Scott, President and COO of New Jersey Motorsports Park. “To reach this milestone with ground-breaking and the physical work underway is exciting for us and the motorsports community, and the culmination of a lot of planning and effort by many people.”
Phase 1 of the two-phase multi-year project starts October 10, 2023, beginning with the milling and removal of the existing track surface, followed by the base paving and surface paving of the original Thunderbolt circuit layout, pit lane, and chicanes. Portions of the curbing will be removed and renovated. The profile of Turn 1 will be altered slightly with the apex curbing placed further inside, taking advantage of the unused space and pavement at that point of the turn.
The asphalt and concrete work will be completed by Thanksgiving. The new track base and surface will be allowed to cure from December through February. The final touches and line painting will be done late in February, and Thunderbolt will reopen for normal business operations in early March 2024.
Following the 2024 season, the track will begin Phase 2 of the project which will include the addition of two new alternative course configurations inside the classic Thunderbolt circuit.
For more information about the project and to learn how to get a memento of the original track, visit the Thunderbolt announcement here.
