Palmer Motorsports Park in central New England

Yes, track fans, there is a Santa Claus.

The proposed Palmer Motorsports Park has been given the "green light" by the town of Palmer.

Track to be located in Palmer, MA (between Worcester and Springfield) with easy access from the Mass Pike.

Unconfirmed rumor is that the track is designed in a manner that allows for running in both the clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. Again, unconfirmed rumor.

Official web site is www.palmermotorsportspark.com

News story on local approval http://www.masslive.com/republican/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1196761858231780.xml&coll=1

Hopefully after Christmas '09 we can cross a new motorsports facility off of our wish lists and add a couple of sets of track tires to the new list.

 

Cool! ALthough not having spectators allowed kinda sucks.....

 

Good news. No mention of the length of the tarck?

 

David, from the FAQ's on the site.

"The facility would include a road course (a paved surface simulating a winding road) approximately 2 miles in length and 40 feet in width, with large grassy aprons for safety.

For driver education, motor vehicle testing, and low-speed contests called “autocrosses,” there would also be an asphalt pad approximately 500 feet by 1,000 feet.

Additionally, support vehicles and cars that are not competing would park in a paddock area approximately 600 feet by 1,300 feet. The paddock area would be grass with paved access roads and some minor support buildings, and would be securely fenced. The road course and asphalt pad would be fenced, except where natural topography already limits access.
Less than 4% of the 658-acre site would be paved, and buildings would cover less than 0.25% of the site. In all, any paving, buildings, and grass areas would cover about 15% of the site; the balance would remain natural and wooded.
Except for the driveway, none of the facility would be visible from neighboring properties. The entire track would be hidden by the natural topography of the site, and the size of the parcel would allow the entire track to be at least half a mile from the nearest road. Not only would the vast majority of the site remain undeveloped – it could still be used for hiking, hunting, and other outdoor recreation."

-Peter
www.peterkrause.net

 

Track is virtually a full go. SCCA will have part ownership and they are seeking additional investors. Like all investments, DYOD. Contact Bruce Allen for details [email protected]

 

Finally an excuse for me to get an Ariel Atom!

 

my understanding from back when was that they would not permit motorcycles on this track - anybody know if that has changed?

i repeatedly tried to contact them about it but never got any response.

doody

 

You just HAD to sell the F-cars off, didn't you???

 

Get it anyway, as you can join SDCA, COMSCC and many other clubs to enjoy track time.


Doddy, contact laverty_robert AT bah DOT com

 

Found this link which has a "dated???" plan of the track at post #30.

"This plan is a bit old, but it is the only small file I have right now. There are connector link so it can be cut into two small courses for schools. 2.14 miles, run in either direction, 185 feet of elevation change."

Posting by Richard E. Patullo, president and director of NER Investments LLC.


http://itforum.improvedtouring.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13778&st=20
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Cool!

There will be a track named after me


Looks like a cool track!

 

"bighead" is correct

Following was posted on the website for SCCA's New England Region on June 21st

"We are finishing up the state environmental paperwork, no bad news just time consuming.
The design has been reviewed by SCCA track certification consultant Martyn Thake and pronounced sound. Computer simulations have determined a Pro Atlantic will do a 79 second lap.
The club has also made huge strides on the investor front."
Dick Patullo

 

A friend of mine spoke to Mr. Patullo late last fall in respect to track construction and was advised that this project is still a go and is also on schedule.

I'm very interested as I live only 6-7 miles from the approved location.
I'll probably start searching for some sort of track car if this project is moving forward.

Any FChatters have more definitive information that they can share??

 

Why not take a drive by and report on the construction progress if there is any?

 

I shall endeavour to perform a reconnaissance drive this weekend.
Haven't been to that side of town since Oct/Nov. There was no visible sign of activity at that time.
Guessing that there won't be any work started until after mud season.
I shall report my findings here.

- Ed -

 

That would be great Ed. I think that we all know how difficult and time consuming it is to get a new track approved through all the myriad of local and state permitting process and to actually get something built. With the Tamworth track in NH apparently still stalled but with positive developments of the new (brownfield) track at Thunder something at Englishtown in NJ, it will be interesting to see progress on Palmer Motorsports.

 

I took a drive by on 29 January and I did not see any sign of past or current construction.
Guessing, or hoping, that construction will commence when Spring arrives.
I shall continue to monitor the situation and report findings on this thread.

- Ed -

 

Are they permitted yet? Did they get the funding in place? If they were "working on it" last September just before the storm hit, I wonder if the investor interest just dried up.

 

The only information that I've been able to obtain comes from a conversation that my friend had with Mr. Patullo. My friend races a Formula Ford with the SCCA and had occasion to speak to Mr Patullo last fall.

My understanding of that conversation is that at that time:
1. Permits - had been obtained
2. Funding - there was a single investor who expressed an interest in providing all of the funding on the investor side of the project. There were several other persons, including my friend, who were also interested in the opportunity.
3. Schedule - advised that the project is on schedule.

CAUTION - Due to the indirect nature through which this information was obtained and the vast change in the financial climate since last fall the above should be considered unconfirmed and subject to change.

My posting of 19 January was prompted by my desire to get more definitive information.

Hope an Fchatter can provide more current information.

- Ed -

 

PALMER - An amateur sports car racetrack is moving forward more slowly than originally planned, but the developer said he hopes it will open in 2011.

Richard E. Patullo, of Hampden, project developer for the New England Region of the Sports Car Club of America, said that minor changes made in the plans will make the racetrack one of only two of its kind in this country, with the other in California.

The track is intended for use by amateur racers and by companies that develop race cars, so it is not expected to draw large crowds, Patullo said.

"My analogy on this is Tiger Woods plays golf and people pay to watch it. If I was to play golf, no one wants to pay to watch me," Patullo said.

The project, to be situated on more than 650 acres off West Ware Road, was approved by the Planning Board in December 2007. The track, which now has a price tag of $12 million, is not allowed to have more than 1,000 people present, including racers, families, staff and spectators, he said.

Patullo said that he attended a racing event at a track in Loudon, N.H., last weekend and only 500 people attended with 130 cars racing. The nearest track to this area is in Lime Rock, Conn., he said.

"Palmer is at the crossroads of New England. It's a reasonable site to get to," he said.

The permit has not expired because the project is moving forward, Town Planner Linda G. Leduc said. In November, the developer came with a modification to the plans, which calls for paving the aprons around the track, and that was approved by the board, she said.

Originally, plans called for having grass around the track and then a wall, but the decision was made to use asphalt because when a car goes off the track, it slows down 60 percent faster on pavement, Patullo said.

Now, engineers are working on designing the storm water management system which is required by state regulations, and it must be presented to the Planning Board and Conservation Commission, he said. That could happen this summer or in the fall, he said.

This year, "if we're lucky," some site clearing and installation of the access road could happen, Patullo said.

"Our pace has slowed because of the economy, but I'd rather be in the position of building a facility in the downturn and getting it ready in time for the turn-around," he said.

The Sports Car Club of America has 65,000 members nationwide and 3,000 in the New England Region.

- Ed -

 

Thank you for the update!

 

It appears that this project, pardon the pun, is back on track. Google search indicates that a new developer has taken over this project. I did a drive by - logging of trees has commenced and excavation equipment is currently on site.

Perhaps 2015 will be the year to obtain a track type car.

- Ed -

 

Earth moving is well under way. Workers are currently engaged 40 hours per week during the winter months. My understanding is that hours will be greatly increased when spring finally arrives.

Lots of updates with photos on Facebook under "Palmer Citizens for Palmer Motorsports".

Nice animation of the track at youtube.com/watch?v=6dD5eRhX748

- Ed -

 

Wow this is cool!
I see a new location for Ed's fall jamboree.

 

Peter

The track is only six or seven miles from my house. The mountaintop location has incredible views in all compass directions. I'm giving serious consideration to getting some sort of track car. I could use our dually for a tow vehicle or just might put a trailer hitch on the Cayenne S.

So maybe day at the track followed by hosting an apres track event at AVF.

- Ed -