Get to Know the Twists and Turns of New Jersey Motorsports Park
HOW TO BE A FAN AT NJMP
EAT HERE OR BRING YOUR COOLER
Coolers are permitted on NJMP grounds with no size restrictions. Several concession stands are also open on a weekly basis. The Finish Line Pub in the Clubhouse is also open to the public during major spectator events and weekends.
EVERY TICKET IS A PIT PASS
New Jersey Motorsports Park welcomes race fans to tour the pit and garage areas during major event weekends. The purchase of a ticket also includes access to the cars, bikes, racers and teams in the garage area – the access fans want
most that they can’t get at most racetracks. NJMP offers fans the opportunity to tour the garage bays as the teams ready for the racing events. Fans are also encouraged to walk the grid on pit lane during designated Fan Walk times prior to the start of the racing events. These up-close, all access-type opportunities are staples of experiencing a major racing series event at NJMP.
SEATING
Bleachers at Thunderbolt Raceway
Bleachers are available in strategic sections of the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway, including Turns 1, 3, 5, 7, 11 and near the start-finish line. All seating is open on a first-come, first-served basis. Spectators are also encouraged to bring their own seating (lawn chairs, popup chairs) and enjoy the action from wherever permissible. Fans may also park along the fence line and tailgate from their own vehicles and watch the action – a unique way to watch the races.
PARKING
Spectator parking is available in the paddock area inside Thunderbolt Raceway and also outside of the paddock on the opposite side of the Subaru Bridge near Turn 12. Prices vary.
STAY CONNECTED
Radio – 105.5 FM, includes PA broadcast
Join the Discussion – follow NJMP on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates.
NJMP Mobile Site – go to www.NJMP.com on your mobile device.
ROAD RACING 101
FLAGS
Green – Waved at the start of the race
Red – Waved to stop the race for safety reasons or because of weather conditions
Yellow – Waved at any of the flag stations around the track and means to slow down and keep your track position in that part of the track due to an incident in the area
Double Yellow – A full course caution and cars must slow and maintain their position in line behind the pace car
Yellow Flag with Red Stripes – Waved when there is debris or oil on the track
Blue – Alerts drivers that faster traffic is approaching
Black – A black flag indicates that a driver must report to the pits immediately due to a rule infraction
Black with Orange Disk – Drivers must report to the pits due to a mechanical problem
White – Waved with one lap to go
CHECKERED – Waved at the finish of the race
KEY RACING/NJMP TERMS
Air Pressure – Measurement of a tire’s internal pressure.
Alternator – Device mounted on the front of an engine used to recharge a car’s battery while the engine is running.
Bite – Racing tire adhesion. Also slang for grip.
Block – 1. Basic structure of internal combustion engine. 2. Intentional interruption of a competitor’s line by another competitor.
Caster – The fore/aft inclination of the kingpins in the front suspension.
Camber – The outward/inward inclination, measured in positive or negative degrees, of the wheels in relation to the track’s surface.
Change gears – Gears located in car’s rear end which can be easily changed to alter final drive gear ratio.
Chassis – Tubular steel structure of the car.
Clubhouse – Building that houses the Finish Line Pub at NJMP. Located between the Tunderbolt and Lightning Raceways.
Coil – Circular wound spring suspension device.
Combustion – The sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species.
Compound – A formula or “recipe” of rubber composing a particular tire. Different tracks require different tire compounds.
Constructor – Person and/or company responsible for the building of a chassis, engine, tire, etc.
Contact patch – Functioning surface area of a racing tire, i.e., where the tire actually touches the track’s surface.
Countersteer – Correction of the steering to compensate for a car’s sliding.
Cubic inch – Displacement of internal combustion piston engine
Cylinder – A device which converts fluid power into linear mechanical force and motion.
Downforce – Aerodynamic and centrifugal forces, which keep a car glued to the ground and from air getting underneath,which causes the car to lift. While downforce keeps the car stuck to the track, it also creates drag, thus limiting speed.
Draft – Process of closing on or keeping close to another car by allowing the lead car(s) to push through the air, thus pulling the following car(s) along. The trailing car(s) can essentially conserve fuel or let off throttle slightly and still attain the same speed as the lead car(s).
Drag – The resistance exerted on vehicle moving through the air at high speeds.
Drive train – Component which connects engine to car’s rear end, producing power.
Engine – A machine, in this case a power plant, that produces mechanical force and motion from another form of energy, such as a fuel source, compressed air, or electricity.
Esses – Slang term used for a series of acute left- and right-hand turns on a road course, one turn immediately following another.
Fabricator – Person and/or company responsible for the creation and/or assembly of a chassis or another component.
Fuel Cell – Durable container holding race fuel in car which is capable of withstanding heavy impact and preventing leakage.
Fishtail – Left and/or right side slide during wheel spin or lack of traction.
Frame – Basic tubular chassis in which all components are attached.
Flat out – Slang for a car at 100 percent acceleration.
Gear ratio – Ratio of rotation between the powered gears in the gear train, which can assist in finding additional speed.
Handling – The performance or reaction of a car, determined by a car’s setup and tires as well as outside forces and other factors, when on the racing surface at speed.
Horsepower – Measurement of mechanical or engine power. Measured in the amount of power it takes to move 33,000 pounds one foot in a minute.
Ignition – A process which initiates the combustion of the compressed air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber.
Lapped traffic – Traffic that has already or is in the process of being passed by the race leader.
Lift – 1. Opposite of downforce. Upward motion experienced by a car caused by trapped air under a car’s panel. 2. To let off the throttle.
Line – Preferred line of entry and exit on track, usually marked by laid down rubber.
Lineup – Rundown of cars and drivers and their positions prior to or during the race.
Motor – Slang for engine.
Oversteer – A cornering condition where the rear tires lose more traction than the front tires. Also known as loose.
Pace Car – Passenger car used to keep racing cars at lower speeds during caution periods; Also leads racing cars to the green flag at the start of the race as well as race restarts.
Piston – Round aluminum object – located inside engine – which moves up and down and forms the bottom part of the combustion chamber. Object propelled by combustion.
Pit – 1. Location on one’s crew – off the actual racing surface – to make additions, changes or adjustments to one’s car. 2. The act of making the additions, changes or adjustments to one’s car.
Qualifying – Session in which cars are timed to determine where they will start for the event.
Radials – Tire construction where the body plies are more or less perpendicular to the bead of the tire.
Restart – Period of which racing resumes following a caution period.
RPM – Acronym for Revolutions Per Minute.
Scuffs – Slang term for tires that have been used at least once and saved for further racing. A lap or two is enough to “scuff” them in. Most often used in qualifying.
Setup – Combination of various adjustments, determined by the crew chief and/or driver, to make a car handle better, maximize its fuel capacity, make the driver more comfortable in a seat, etc.
Shock – Compression and rebound device for designated corners of a car.
Sidewall – The side(s) of a tire.
Slick – 1. A track condition where, for a number of reasons, it’s hard for a car’s tires to adhere to the surface or get a good “bite.” A slick racetrack is not necessarily wet or slippery because of oil, water, etc. 2. A tire that has no tread elements, just a smooth rubber contact surface.
Spin – The incidental turning of a moving car by more than 90 degrees.
Spoiler – A metal blade attached to the rear deck lid of the car. It helps restrict airflow over the rear of the car, providing downforce and traction.
Spotter – Team member designated to assist and inform a driver with what may be going on around the track during a practice, qualifications or a race. Spotters are expected to inform drivers of an accident as well as the driving of other competitors on the track.
Spring – A mechanical device which is typically used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces.
Stickers – Slang term for new tires. The name is derived from the manufacturer’s stickers that are affixed to each new tire’s contact surface.
Stop and Go – A penalty, usually assessed for speeding on pit road or for unsafe driving. The car must be brought onto pit road at the appropriate speed and stopped for one full second in the team’s pit stall before returning to the track.
Straightaway – Straight line of track connecting the track’s turns.
Suspension – The assembly of springs, shock absorbers, torsion bars, joints, arms, etc., that cushions the shock of bumps on the road and serves to keep the wheels in constant contact with the road, thereby improving control and traction.
Tie Rod – Linkage that connects the front two wheels.
Traction – The amount of adhesion between a tire’s surface and the track’s surface.
Transmission – 1. Ratio-changing device to increase/decrease momentum. 2. Conversation between team members over the radio.
Transponder – Device, temporarily attached to racing car, which transmits timing and scoring information to a computer.
Transporter – Box trailer used to carry race car and equipment. Also referred to as a hauler or rig.
Understeer – A cornering condition where the front tires lose more traction than the rear tires.
Valve – A device which opens and closes to allow the passage of air or liquids.
Wheelbase – The distance from the center of each axle.
