Motorsports Park Debuts in Millville
By Patrick Buganski
The Courier Post
Millville, N.J. (July 7, 2008) – The smell of burnt rubber and the sound of screeching tires has never been so sweet.
The New Jersey Motorsports Park officially opened Saturday, more than a decade since the start of discussions about bringing a racetrack to Cumberland County.
"It's a great feeling," General Manager Don Fauerbach said, adding he was anxious the night before the members-only weekend of races and celebration. "I don't think I slept much. I kept staring at the alarm clock, waiting for 5 o'clock."
Between 75 and 80 members of The Drivers Club at New Jersey Motorsports Park with nearly 60 cars came out Saturday and Sunday to race on the resort's 1.9-mile Lightning Raceway.
"It's pretty powerful because we've been working on this for six-and-a-half years," managing partner Lee Brahin said. "It's on time, and 98 percent complete."
Brahin said small finishing touches, such as landscaping and minor track details, are all that's left to complete for the first phase of what's envisioned as the largest economic development project in the county's history.
The go-karting track, F1 New Jersey, and Lightning Raceway are now open. The signature circuit, the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway, is scheduled to open the first weekend of August.
The public will have its first chance to check out the park this Friday through Sunday, when the Eastern Motor Racing Association brings its club for three days at Lightning Raceway. Tickets are now on sale
For drivers, the track couldn't open soon enough.
"Normally we have to (drive) four to six hours to a race," said Bill Garvey of Mullica Township, Atlantic County, a member of the Green Flag Committee that serves as a booster group. "We've needed something like this in southern New Jersey forever. Now we finally have a home track."
Garvey turned laps in his 1956 Lotus 11. He's raced vintage cars since 1991, but until now had to travel to tracks such as Watkins Glen in New York or Summit Point in West Virginia.
The weekend consisted of two days of racing. After a drivers' meeting in the morning, drivers ran the course in designated groups based on experience and type of car. On Saturday, a members' barbecue with corporate hosts Lucia's, Next Oar and Brew Pub and the Barlan Group concluded the activities.
"I love it," said Bobby Chopra, owner of a Porsche GT3 RS that took part in the festivities. "It's a fast track."
The facilities as a whole received rave reviews.
"They assembled a professional track and they were jumping through hoops today to make everyone happy and keep everyone safe," said Scott Leder, a professional driving coach and owner of a 1990 Porsche 964. "I was the second car on the track. I made history today, and in my business and my world, that's significant."
The karting facility also was running in full force. The racing gear store, CDOC, and the concession stand were open for business. Flaggers manned every corner as emergency crews stood by.
Saturday's "soft opening" went without any major glitches, just a 30-minute delay for some light rain in the morning.
"It's going better than we thought," Fauerbach said.
Reach Patrick Buganski at pbuganski@thedailyjournal.com