RickBetterley

My evil track friends have convinced me to sign up for not 1, but 2, NJMP events this fall.
The first, with Metro, is at Lightning, the 2nd, with Delaware, is at Thunderbolt.
I am curious to see how different the 2 are; for those that have experience on both tracks, can you offer a comparison?
Thanks (and thanks to my track friends for getting me to yet another event; I am easily persuaded, it seems)

Bull

I like them both, and find each different enough from the other so that it is enough of a change when you run one track on day 1 and the other on day 2. If I had to rank them, I guess I would put T-bolt first, but not by a lot.

RickBetterley

Thanks, Bob - good to hear from you.
Unlike some of the events, I believe each of these is going to just use the 1 track (which for me might be good, as learning 2 new tracks in 1 event might be a challenge!).
It will be fun to try out a new track; I like to add a new one to my portfolio each year.

Larry Herman

Funny, but most of my friends say that they like Lightning a little better. I have only run Thunderbolt though.

Bull

Hey Rick...you will enjoy the one you run I'm sure. Good burgers at the club bar also.

Bull

Actaully, I am likely saying T-bolt (by a small margin) simply because that is the one I last drove.

RickBetterley

Didn't Crosby Stills and Nash say something about this ('love the run you're with').

Todsimpson

I like Lightning a lot. The lightbulb turn is fast and it leads onto a long straight. Turns 2,3 and 4 "flow" together and require a lot of decisions...you can be fast in one of those corners, throw away the next, or try it a different way. The "elevation changes" are really just piles of dirt, but overall a fun track. Turn 1 trackout is blind, every lap you feel like you left time on the table there.

Thunderbolt is ehhh...there's no flow, it's kind of straight, corner, straight, etc. Turn 4 and the turn under the bridge are "flat", definitely 'nad testers. The octopus is a tire scrubbing headache, I still haven't figured that one out.

The Glen is in another league altogether, but both NJMP tracks are still worth a visit.

fhp911

I have a bunch of days at each of them.

I think that Todsimpson, just above, says it best.

BUT, you should do them both.

Gary R.

I agree, I prefer Lightning. The Octopus at T-Bolt turns a high speed track into too much of a bottleneck. Just opening that one corner up, say mimic the carousel's radius, would make it a lot more fun IMO.

buckwheat987

From a novice driver; who has a few days on each...

lightening is easier to start to learn to drive well; and seems to have less debris on it.

Thunderbolt requires alot of concentration; has less reference points and the "jersey devil" (as the flaggers prefer to call it) is a pain but thrilling for a novice to try and run.

A nice facilty and the people who work there are excellent.

bobt993

Lightning is properly put together. Thunderbolt while fun, reminds me more of Shenandoah Circuit as the turns produce no logical succession. Both track are hard on tires, brakes, and CV joints though. Two days is more than enough on either track. One day on each would be perfect.

RickBetterley

Interesting - we have 3 days on each.

Mike R.

Rick - Great meeting at the Glen last weekend. You'll have fun on both tracks. I'll be at Lightning with Metro on 09/11. Hope to see you there.

RickBetterley

Hi Mike
That was fun; great dinner at the Harbor Hotel.
See you at the track; I will have a lot to learn, but I really enjoy new tracks.
Did you enjoy that new car?