Course News

Despite significant challenges from the weather this spring and summer, we have completed most of the safety system. Apex and exit curbing are completed. The grass verge has been graded and hydro-seeded. Six miles of guard rail installed. The massive pit lane barrier has been installed. Approximately 16,000 tires (out of 23,000) have been assembled and placed on the course. We have installed two sections of catch fence with three more areas remaining.

One area that needs to be completed is the striping/painting. That will really be the icing on the cake and help define the course. Unfortunately, with the delay in completing the curbing and grading, we could not paint the striping in August. We will complete that work later in September once the curbing has cured.

As the saying goes - Nothing ever comes to one, that is worth having, except as a result of hard work.

We are very proud of our efforts and to officially open the course to our members over Labor Day Weekend. Here are some details.

On Friday, September 1st, we will officially open for our members. The gates will open at 7:00 AM with the course opening at 9:00 AM and will shut down at 5:00 PM with the facility staying open until 7:00 PM. The same schedule will run on Saturday and Monday with the exception being Sunday.

On Sunday, the facility will be open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM with the course being open from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

BUT BEFORE WE START OUR ENGINES...

We need to have our members assigned to their initial run groups and this will include a check-out drive prior to participating in any lapping sessions. We will have three run groups broken down as follows:

NOVICE: This will be someone who has little to no prior experience or would prefer to start with the performance driving fundamentals.

INTERMEDIATE: This is for someone who has some prior experience, has a basic understanding of performance driving on a road course and can demonstrate that ability. This group has a bit more freedom on course in terms of passing and has been able to demonstrate their ability in a safe, respectful manner.

ADVANCED: This group is for the more seasoned, very experienced drivers. It builds upon the what was learned prior in the intermediate group and brings it to the next level. Drivers with years of experience, who are professional performance drivers, professional and/or heavy amateur drivers and instructors fall into this category.

We plan on starting the vetting process on Friday, August 25th and Saturday August 26th. We will be doing this from 9am-5pm each day with a lunch break from 12pm-1pm.

To make things easy, people without prior experience will automatically start in the Novice group. If you prefer to start in the Novice group, please let us know ahead of time. People that will be in the Novice group will not need to go through the vetting process. This will help expedite things and help everyone get on course in a more timely and safe manner.

Rather than set specific times for people to come on Friday and Saturday we will just ask people to come during 9am and 5pm. It should not take more than a few laps per person to help assign you to a specific run group. We will have people check in once they arrive and you will be given an approximate time table as to when you will be going on course.

Vehicles should be in proper condition for driving on the road course and must have passed a safety inspection this year. This is solely the responsibility of the driver to make sure that the vehicle is fit. We will have a check sheet for reference upon request. Helmets will be required for this vetting process. At a minimum, they should meet SA2010 safety requirements.

More details on the specifics for our Official Opening on Labor Day Weekend will follow this email. Of course, this is not the only chance to drive the course this summer and fall. We will be adding a calendar to our website so you can call and schedule your road course sessions.

Anyone with questions or that cannot make it these specific days for the check-out rides, please contact us to make other arrangements or we can default you to the Novice run group.

Here is a recent lap around the course giving you a sense of the layout and what we have installed so far for safety. Enjoy!

Here is a video showing the progress made so far with our safety systems installation as well as what you can expect moving forward. Enjoy!

Armco installtion is moving right along. We now have Armco in place on the hardest parts to install the fencing. Meaning the bedrock down below. This was thought to be some of the most time consuming areas due to the rock and ledge and the fencing company has made great progress in these areas. The picture above is drivers left on Turn 12 and 13. This armco is now in place from Turn 10 all the way down to the entrance of the Main paddocks along Pit Lane. 

We actually have two seperate crews working at opposite ends of the course for fencing. The other crew was armco stretching from Turn 1 just about up to Turn 5. They should be connected later today (June 19th, 2017). From there they have all of Driver's Left armco in place along the back straght. 

Apex curbing is in on Turns 1,2,3,4,5, part of 6, 7,12,13,14 and 15. We have the rest of Turn 6 to pour then, Turn 8, 9a, 9b and 10. After that we will be pourng the exit curbing and all of the karting course curbing. 

To some it might seem odd that we have the curbing poured in an seemingly random order but we can assure you that there is a method to our madness. We have some aprons we want to pave to help with erosion and watershed, so we had these curbing areas done first. There are also some areas where we have a slotted drain running along the curbing to help catch and control waterflow to the correct areas during rainfall. We have since had some showers and we are happy to report that it work better than intended. 

Here are a few shots of the curbing besides what you saw above in some of the aerials. More photos to come in the near future. We are hoping to pave the aprons later this week.

We still have a fair amount of work to do but things are progressing very well. We are slotted to offically open later this August. 

Despite the poor weather and long winter, we have finally begun our safety installation. We started with the Armco goin along driver's left on Pit Lane going around the outer edge of the Turn 1 runoff area. 

With the Rain drying up tomorrow, we will pick back up and go full steam ahead! Curbing will resume on Thursday (June 8th, 2017) and should be finished by the end of the month. Plan on many more photos and videos of the progress now that things are underway. 

It has been a long winter and spring but things are finally working out and the weather is cooperating (sort of )well enough for us to get underway with our safety installation. We will be offically opening later this summer. As we get closer and can give a more definitive date, you can be sure we will let everyone know.

Thank you for all your support! Here are a couple more photos. Enjoy.

The day started like any other. I woke up, checked my emails, and went about my morning. This particular morning though, I had a pleasant surprise. Dodge was looking to host a winter driving event here at Club Motorsports with their new AWD Challenger GT.

As you can imagine, this peaked my interest. After some back and forth with emails, we finally had a face to face meeting with Dodge. We showed them the course and got an idea of what they were looking for. They wanted to showcase their new rear biased AWD system for journalists by driving in various winter scenarios.

Being in the White Mountains of New Hampshire at the end of January, we could definitely fulfill their requirements. When talking with the engineers about whether they planned on putting snow tires on the cars for these tests, they said they would not be. They would come with the all season tires that they were designed with. Being a native to the northeast, I had my reservations, but hey, it’s their show and we will do as they request!

I had a bit of a different perspective on the car itself. For one, I am used to driving in the snow, unlike some of the journalists coming to test the car. Two, I helped set up and drive the course.

Let the testing begin!

Now, coming from a AWD background with Audi and Subaru, I had a certain expectation set in mind going into this. This was a bit of a double edged sword. On one hand, I was happy to hear the system that Dodge has in place on the Challenger (as well as the Charger) is predominately rear wheel biased in the power application. So, in the turns, it carries the driving characteristics of a rear wheel drive car, but with the stability of an AWD car. I first went off driving it like I would and Audi or Subaru and this left me slightly disappointed. It tended to understeer, then with too much throttle input you could quickly induce snap oversteer.

With that said, I changed tactics. I started to treat it as a rear wheel drive vehicle and the handling fell right into place while driving on course. When you reached a certain steering angle, as well as applied an adequate amount of throttle input, you could consistently and predictably drive this car with the throttle. The more I drove the Challenger, the more I grew to like it.

Now, let me circle back around to the driving conditions and tires. My fear was as we continued to chew up the snowy surface, drivability would be an issue. The freshly packed snow from the daily groomer had a chance to sit overnight and become a decently hard surface. But after many laps of drifting a 2 ton vehicle around the course, you will inevitably get some ruts and powder build up on the edges. To my surprise, the all season tires in combination with the AWD system on the Challenger did really, really well. Did some of them get stuck? Of course, but usually it was because there was an extreme off course event and the car was high centered on a snowbank. (car was stuck on the chassis on the snowbank). In this case, snow tires would not help anyways.

We had two competitor cars at the track for comparison as well: a new Mustang and Camaro. Both rear wheel drive and both with all season tires. To say that traction was dismal is an understatement. These cars were getting stuck quite often. I think even if they had snow tires, people would still be able to see the differences between the Challenger’s all wheel drive capabilities and driving dynamics. We just wouldn't have had to dig them out from being stuck nearly as often. They got stuck so often that we ended up just leaving them in the paddock area towards the end of the week.

Over the course of the week, the new Challenger GT got to see quite a bit in varying winter driving conditions. We went from a Nor’Easter on the first day with snow and poor visibility to ice, cold, wind, and sun. Each day brought something new for the journalists to experience.

As the week progressed, the winter courses took the toll of being driven hard on repeatedly. This resulted in a loose top coat of granulated snow anywhere from 6” to over 12” on some areas of the courses. While it occasionally slowed the cars down when hitting these areas, I was impressed to see the Challenger power through. All season tires to boot.

Another thing that I personally found impressive was the lack of squeaks or rattles from the interior, especially once the courses got some use. The main paddock area is not paved yet, and towards the end of the week the vehicles had gotten down to the base gravel in some of the turns. Enough so, that we had to reroute part of the course to unused snowy areas. Additionally, some of the transitional areas were rough and getting a little rutted. These cars went over these areas with no flexing or unpleasant sounds. The suspension is stiff, yet not unforgiving. The cabin on these vehicles is not a bad place to be. Good materials, infotainment system, and build quality are evident. If I had one criticism, it is the lack of auto up feature on the windows (it has auto down, but no auto up feature). That seems like a bit of an oversight on Dodge’s part, but if that is all I have for complaints, I’d say they are doing very well. I’m far from a brand loyalist, and when I see a good car, I recognize it for that fact.

At the end of the day, I’d say the new Challenger GT has earned its stripes. In a seemingly endless sea of mediocre AWD systems out there, they seemed to have really done their homework. Hat tip to you Dodge, keep up the good work. Now, lets see about fitting a V8 under that hood.

On hundreds of rolling wooded acres with breathtaking views, we’ve built a heart-pounding ribbon through the woods: 15turns over 2.5 miles with an elevation change of 250 feet. The road course is over 40 feet wide with a mix of long straightaways and left and right turns both uphill and downhill. It is designed to provide a thrilling driving experience, yet built with safety as the top priority.

We may have the most dramatic and scenic performance course in the country — a perfect blend of technology, art, and adrenaline. The combination of vistas and elevation change will set the site apart from all other courses in the United States.

Not only do we feel this way but so does Jason Cammisa, Senior Features Editor for Motor Trend Magazine. Jason has made two visits to Club Motorsports. The first visit was roughly this time last year, where he and the folks from the Team O'Neil Rally School drove rally prepped E30 BMWs on the unpaved surface. He instantly fell in love the course and was anxious to return once it was paved. He stated, “If Club Motorsports is HALF as good once it’s paved, it’ll easily be the best track in America. I mean it — can't wait to come back!”

True to his word, Jason and team came back out to film a new Ignition episode for Motor Trend featuring the Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2. True to his word, Jason and team came back out to film a new Ignition episode for Motor Trend featuring the Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2. This time however it would be on the newly paved surface. Watch the video below to get his first impressions.

Starting on 11/14/2016 we poured a sample curb on the first turn of our karting course. 

Keep in mind that this curbing, while the same profile, is on a smaller scale for the karting course. The road course will have a 24" positive curb that flattens out to a 18" flat back section. The overall rise will be 4" over the 24" postive section. 

We have approximately 4000' of curbing to install plus the karting area. We have estimated about 400' a day depending on weather conditions. Right now they are setting up the forms on some of the key turns. We will be concentrating on Turn 2, 7, 12, 13 and 15 first and foremost as we are hoping to pave the apron behind these curbing areas to help with erosion control. We added the brushed finish to the curbing for added grip and texture. 

Here are a couple more photos.

Here is a recent article written by Dom Miliano of Motorsports Marketing Resources and their visit to Club Motorsports. Enjoy.

My friend, Bob Green, Lime Rock pace car driver, professional driving instructor and founder of Survive the Drive, called recently with a invitation to visit a new private race track, Club Motorsports, being finished in Tamworth, NH. In the fall, New Hampshire is one of the most scenic areas of the country so I packed the Porsche and headed north.

Tamworth is a small berg located between the White Mountains and Lake Winnipesaukee and only a short drive from North Conway - an outlet-shopping mecca! When we arrived, we were given a short tour of the facility, followed by an explanation of their plans for the future. Right now, things are moving quickly with 100% of their 2.5-mile track paved in grippy asphalt smoother than my driveway. Their web site says that over the summer they laid over 12,500 tons of black top. While it cures, they are working on installing curbs, catch fences, three-level Armco, wide (and I do mean wide) run-off areas at all high-speed, downhill corners along with properly connected tire barriers. We saw several construction vehicles moving dirt around while we were on site as the drainage work was being completed.

But country club tracks can't lure members with just a fun roadway to drive, you need amenities and these too are in the works. They will have member garages and a banquet hall sized clubhouse for parties and other car-club events - think Ferrari Club of America Annual Meets, BMW O'Fests and Porsche Parades. Their brochure describes their planned facilities as offering: ... all of the amenities of a private resort: "... clubhouse with lounge/bar, restaurant, overnight accommodations, plus locker and workout rooms, classrooms, repair shops, secure and climate-controlled garages and private garages, garage-mahal condos, 0.4-mile karting track, and five acres of paddocks for parking and driver training."

The Club Motorsports' management turned Bob Green and me loose on the track to experience first hand what they had built. Accelerating down the long, 40 foot wide, main straightaway, (using caution as we were wearing neither helmets nor Nomex) we reached triple digit speeds before throwing down the anchor. Off to our left we noticed a huge, paved run-off area - sweet!

We next went down hill and then quickly uphill through a series of fast kinks to a wide right-hander "light bulb" of a turn - again, lots of run-off on the left. We exited and started to go back up hill - steep enough that you can't see what's next! Then you go quickly back down, through a Laguna Seca like right / left corkscrew - there's beautiful scenery at the top but I don't recommend you look!

Dom Miliano Image

This exits onto a short chute that ends with a wide, FAST, downhill section, all the while, gaining speed. It ends with a heavy downhill braking zone and fast right-hand carousel. Exiting the carousel, you climb again toward an exciting and very fast left / right complex (blessed, once again, with lots of paved runoff). It exits onto another short chute and then the 90-degree right onto that long straight. Two and a half miles of fun just went under your wheels! You can see a low-speed, lead-follow video by clicking here.

Club Motorsports has the potential for greatness. The elevation changes (said to be 250 feet) coupled with 2.5 miles (and more is planned) of safe, fast corners and the promised country-club-style amenities should attract lots of new members. Having attended eleven Porsche Parades and several Ferrari Annual Meets, I see this facility as an ideal location for these type events.

MMR wishes them luck as they finalize their facility for the 2017 season.

for more information on MMR, please visit Motorsports Marketing Resources

We have some upcoming Open House dates scheduled and if you havent heard from us via email then I either have an old, out of date email on file for you, or it is going into your spam folder. So please contact me at jason@clubmotorsports.com to make sure your information is up to date. We want to stay in touch and make sure you all know what is going on here at the course. 

Looking forward to hearing back from you all!