Calabogie Rocked!

[dinoracer]

Re; Mosport. Is there consideration being given to dropping this venue?

Speaking "unofficially":

Every winter we consider the past year's events, considering attendence, total event costs and profits (if any), consider the expected costs to run each event again next year, then put together our "wish list" of tracks to run the next year.

Mosport is a cheap track to run, and while it's not as well attended as we like it to be, compared to the other away events the loss is usually small.

Based on the fact that NHIS dates getting difficult to keep (more NASCAR demands on track time), Calabogie is getting good reviews, and Mosport is a good deal, we'll likely try to keep both for next year.

[alisonnic]

I want to second the positive sentiments about Calabogie. It'a s great track! Very challenging and quite different from anywhere else we run.

I also strongly agree that we should keep going to Mosport. It's only two hours farther from Boston than Calabogie, and it's such a unique and uniquely challenging track that I would really hate to give it up.

I would think that more promotion - particularly through other organizations based in the Toronto/Buffalo area - would help our attendance at Mosport. I mean, COM events at Watkins Glen and Summit are filled with people who live near the tracks; why not Mosport? But we don't want to get too many; those long sessions of open track time are great!

Also, a thousand thanks to Mark Bradshaw for letting me drive his BMW at Calabogie! It's a sweet-handling car and it was great for learning a challenging new track like Calabogie.

And congratulations to Bruce Allen for taking the absolute track record!

[denndy]

Thought Calabogie was great, fast and technical at the same time. Those combination turns began to flow for me on Day 2, and it felt really good when I did it right - or at least it felt sort of right.

I was at Mosport last year and agree that it was a very different challenge, and a little scary, which isn't a bad thing. However, it is tough to do 2 long-distance events only a couple of weeks apart. The Sunday drive day does make for an easy trip, even thru Montreal.

I also agree that we should keep as many track options as possible on the schedule with no duplications except for NHIS. Would like to see Summit Point back on the agenda if we can get back on the main track. This year's schedule is spread out nicely without the summer dead spot we had last year.

See you all at NHIS,
Dennis

[alisonnic]

Given the way NASCAR and its hangers-on seem to be slowly eroding the track time available to COM at NHIS, maybe we should be keeping an eye out for more alternatives, in case we lose another event there.

I was looking at Trackpedia.com and noticed that there are several tracks, some new, within the radius that COM has been operating in (i.e. no farther than Mosport and closer than Summit Point):

Toronto Motorsports Park - new Alan Wilson designed track, opened in 2006

Dunnville Autodrome - also near Toronto; not sure about history. Looks like rental rates are pretty reasonable

Alpine Motorsports Club - in PA near Pocono; another Alan Wilson design, supposedly to be completed in 2008

Old Bridge Township Park - a new road course on the site of Englishtown dragway in New Jersey; supposed to be completed this year

Thunderbolt Raceway - in Millville in southern New Jersey; nearly 4 miles in length with many different configurations. Scheduled to be completed in 2008.


In addition, there are some older tracks we have never run on, including Sanair and Shannonville in Canada, and Pocono, where COM hasn't run for many years. None of these look to be as exciting as Mosport, Mont Tremblant, or Calabogie, but I'd rather go to one of them than lose an event entirely.

Anyone know the status of the Club Motorsports project in Tamworth, NH, or the proposed SCCA track in Palmer, MA?

[BrakeL8r]

Anyone know the status of the Club Motorsports project in Tamworth, NH, or the proposed SCCA track in Palmer, MA?

From Subday's Nashua Telegraph:

Court: Track owner will need permit.

TAMWORTH (AP) - The state Supreme Court has ordered that racetrack builder Club Motorsports Inc. must earn a local wetlands permit before breaking ground on Mount Whittier to build a road course.

The ruling came despite the developer's having earned state and federal approvals.

The order upheld a 2005 superior court decision that CMI appealed on several grounds, including that the company already had numerous environmental permits it said were based on stricter criteria.

[grovefromnh]

Years ago I went to Sanair to check it out for COM. It consists of a drag 1/4 mi. straight with a 1 car wide return road that has a couple of bends in it. TOTALLY unsuitable for COM. Great location, being East of Montreal, but that's the only good thing.

[StephanAlfa]

There's also Shannonville: http://www.shannonville.com/

But then again, are we going as an "all Canadian series"?

[brucesallen]

Anyone that wants the JPEG of all the trophy winners taken at Calabogie, email me.
bruce at brucesallen dot com

[enjoythemusic]

Anyone that wants the JPEG of all the trophy winners taken at Calabogie, email me.
bruce at brucesallen dot com

Got a scan of the time sheets? Still waiting to see the results of the time trials.

[rajito]

The results will be posted as soon as they get reviewed.

Raj

[enjoythemusic]

The results will be posted as soon as they get reviewed.
Raj

Thanks Raj