It's time to Ride the Lightning!
I'm just back home from opening day at New Jersey Motorsports Park and I
couldn't be happier about this place unless it was even closer to home.
The early morning trip there took me less than two hours, from 6:00 AM to
about 7:45 AM and the trip home in traffic ended up being 2.5 hours, including
some traffic around the Rt. 55 to Rt. 42 merge and a 10 minute stop for coffee.
You just have to love having a good track that close to home.
As for the track, being that it is brand spanking new you would expect that it
be pretty smooth, and it is. The only bumps that I noticed are not even worth mentioning.
As has been discussed here and elsewhere, Lightning doesn't look all that
impressive "on paper" so to speak. The information that is available online
such as the track maps and pictures from
www.njmotorsportspark.com as well
as the videos that have made it to YouTube simply do not do the place any justice.
IF YOU LIKE FAST, YOU MUST RIDE THE LIGHTNING.
That's all there is to it really, you have to go there and ride it for yourself.
Turn one is after a long, fast straight, and it is a blind turn cresting over a hill
which had several riders carrying a wheelie almost all the way to turn two,
which is a fast right leading into a right-left combination for turns three and four.
Turn five is a little right hand kink leading to turn six, another blind right cresting
over a hill where you can carry much more speed than you may think, at least
until you get used to the idea of not being able to see exactly what awaits you
just over the crest of the hill, much like turn one.
Exiting turn six puts you in turn seven, a long fast right hand sweeper which leads
you under the Paddock Bridge and into the slowest turn on the course,
#8, a 90° left. Another turn that I'm sure can be taken faster than I'm willing to try.
Leaving eight you set yourself up for nine, a sweeping over a slight crest left that
leads you to Lightning's signature turn ten, the 15° banked right hand "Light Bulb Turn"
Can you say full lean at 100+ MPH? C'mon, Sure you can....
Exiting ten leads you to a slight right "turn" and back out onto the front straight.
There you have it, the Lightning Course at NJMP. Go there. As soon as you can.
You will like it, ALOT. It'll put a BIG GRIN on your face.
And if you don't think it's challenging enough, GO FASTER!
As I do not have an Official Track Map to reference, I'm going by my recollection
of the days riding to provide the numbers to go along with the turns; so my
information may not exactly match up with other information that you find.
As for the amenities, there is a large paved paddock, concession stand, go karts,
decent bathrooms, and electricity available for your tire warmers.
We had a pretty safe day as far as I am aware, no major incidents and only two
minor ones if I remember correctly, so all in all TWO THUMBS UP for all concerned.
Thanks to the staff of NJMP for making this dream a reality.
See You at the track!
Rob
EDIT - Turn numbers corrected.....DOH!
If you like FAST......
Linear Mode
