That's right, a 3.3 mile road course, Valley Motorsports Park, is in the final stages of permitting in Tamworth, NH. Ground breaking is expected within a month. The facility owned by Club Motorsports, Inc. (CMI) is being established as a motorsports country club with memberships. The track is being designed by Alan Wilson to comply with SCCA standards. Track rental will be available to outside groups as well (PCA, BMWCCA, VSCCA, etc). Scheduled opening was to have been the Fall of 2004, but delays for re-designs to meet the political bureaucracy will make the facility's opening Spring/Summer of 2005.

Information can be found on the CMI's website.
http://www.clubmotorsports.com

Alan Wilson's Site
http://www.wilsonmotorsport.com/default.htm

Here is the rub for SCCA racing at the facility. No SCCA dates have been reserved. CMI has contacted the New England Region of SCCA (NER) about booking dates for track rental. The NER Road Racing Board has adopted a wait and see attitude before making any commitment or deposit to secure any dates at an un-built facility. NER wants to see the facility fully operational before committing to dates.

Generally, the regional Board of Directors and /or regional Road Racing Boards make the actual contracts with the tracks and set schedules. These Boards need driver input as to what facilities we want to race at and how frequently. These Boards need and generally do not receive input until something goes horribly wrong.

I'm concerned that NER-SCCA's wait and see approach is horribly wrong. CMI is booking dates for a facility that has yet to be constructed for a $500 refundable deposit. These dates are being renewed for the 2005 season. These are preferred dates and if NER-SCCA waits until the facility is 100% operational these preferred dates will be spoken for.

SCCA has NO dates reserved as of this date. If you race in the Northeast and want to see a new date at a new track, please express your concerns and contact:

NER's RRB Chairman, Brian Mushnick at [email protected] or 508-954-8110
NER Regional Executive, Kathy Barnes at [email protected] or 860-875-0254

If dates are not secured now, I fear only early Spring and late Fall dates will be available. It is not very warm in Northern New Hampshire at that time of year.


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Dave Patten
Dunbarton, NH