First time at Palmer Motorsports Park

[tang-o]

Brand new track in the heart of Massachusetts. http://www.palmermotorsportspark.com/

This track is a lot of fun! I have a lot of work to do. Not the best time trial performance. Breaking early, accelerating late, and too much steering inputs. Tires probably overinflated. But hey a blast to drive!

I should've requested a re-run after the catch. Instead I decided to bag the 2 "good laps" I had, and then experiment at the open track time that was left at the end of the TT.

 

[jayel579]

It's very technical, I drove it about a month ago and I haven't made my mind up yet on whether I like the track or not. If I was to put that track into one phrase, I was say its like Watkins Glen with less run off. It has its good points, wide, picturesque, elevation changes. It has its bad points too, zero run off, where ever you run off it is a very hard ending (solid rock), not a lot to the town outside of the track.

 

[claudermilk]

not a lot to the town outside of the track.

I would posit that is a feature, not a bug. It seems when there is a lot of town outside of a track, the track doesn't survive for very much longer in general.

 

[jayel579]

I would posit that is a feature, not a bug. It seems when there is a lot of town outside of a track, the track doesn't survive for very much longer in general.

Agreed but in order for the local community to get on board with the race community they will want to see the benefits from the track as well; i.e. money spent by more patrons at the bars/restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, gas stations. There is already a noise protest has been submitted in the last week or two that is now public which isn't going to go over well from what it looks like. >link<

 

[SoundGuyDave]

Aaannnnddd the tree-huggers are heard from:

"A Warren resident, Virginia Miner, has filed a complaint with the board, asking that the racetrack be shut down. "While sitting on my porch or working in the garden, there are times that I feel like I'm sitting in the stands at a NASCAR race. I can't even enjoy walking in the woods next to my apartment now without becoming very annoyed. I can even hear the noise through my open windows in the house," she wrote.
"I am asking the town of Palmer to immediately close the racetrack down and either begin returning the land to its former natural state or embark on a search for a new, less intrusive and less invasive use for the property."


Bold emphasis is mine, but I think is the heart of her position. And I'd bet the search for a "new, less intrusive and invasive use" would reject anything but a conversion to parkland.

 

[tang-o]

I talked to a few area residents and the take from these folks was that the vast majority of people did not mind it. Of course there will always be folks opposed to it but it seems they are the minority. There was Db measuring during the weekend and we all were below 90Db. Frankly I don't mind Db checks if it saves the track and makes local residents tolerate the track. Time will tell the destiny of this track. I hope it survives.

As for the run-off areas. Yes, there aren't many so a mistake could be costly, but it did not subtract from the fun factor I had driving this thing

 

[tang-o]

It's very technical, I drove it about a month ago and I haven't made my mind up yet on whether I like the track or not. If I was to put that track into one phrase, I was say its like Watkins Glen with less run off. It has its good points, wide, picturesque, elevation changes. It has its bad points too, zero run off, where ever you run off it is a very hard ending (solid rock), not a lot to the town outside of the track.

nice car! do you track both the mustang and the BMW?
What club?

 

[jayel579]

I talked to a few area residents and the take from these folks was that the vast majority of people did not mind it. Of course there will always be folks opposed to it but it seems they are the minority.

The people that will complain always show up to these hearings, the people that are ok about it usually don't or will be outnumbered.

nice car! do you track both the mustang and the BMW?
What club?

Not my car, my brother's E30 that I have mentioned in the past. I snarfed a wheel stud the during my pre-tech check out and couldn't get a replacement in time to drive my mustang at Palmer so my brother graciously offered me a seat in his car. It is a terribly well setup car that I need a ton more seat time in to learn, it is a workout but an absolute blast to drive!