Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

Track Records

1.7 Mile Road Course

Tucked away in the beautiful countryside of Northeastern Connecticut, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) is the home of a historic raceway and a classic 18-hole golf course.

The historic 5/8 mile high banked oval hosts a number of annual NASCAR stock car and open wheel racing events, including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen All American Series.

The 1.7 mile road course is the rebirth of the first purpose-built closed-circuit road racing track in the United States. It offers elements to challenge amateur and professional drivers alike – and includes the nostalgia inherent in its history.

Summary

Safety first – before proceeding with any pace, identify the location and occupancy of all flagging stations; additionally, scout possible run-off/escape areas and identify potential hazards and risks
Lots of little bumps, grooves, transitions, etc. – each of them matters
Choose a single point to apply throttle in each corner – off/on will ruin lap times; with the tight, long corners, understeer may be a problem – make sure to allow the nose to settle and point “up” the track before beginning acceleration
Stay tight through u-turns – big mistake is to square off corners >90 degrees with deep braking and late turn-in with goal of early power application (this ruins rotation through the apex, and too much time is lost early in corners which is not nearly made up for on the
short straights)
Apexes are more important than anything else, hit them all at the right time
Timing braking zones is critical – with few opportunities to shave even a tenth in some of Thompson’s “pinch-y” corners, braking needs to be at the last possible moment, applied as smoothly yet quickly as possible, and threshold maintained through gearshifts while leaving just enough slowing left for trail braking through turn-in to rotate the car
Choreograph your vision – with many complex sections/corners, each leading into the next, it’s easy to get behind; instead, consciously work your way through the course to stay ahead

Quick Tips

T1 is a slow and frustrating right-hander where just the right amount of initial trail brake is needed to allow at-apex WOT and proper track-out onto exit curbing
T2 is a continuation of T1 (consecutive right-hand corners with increasing radius), important not to get lazy with apex and line up T3 properly
T3 is a left-handed kink that increases grip and real estate past an early apex; get off the brakes very early without overslowing for smooth, fast, and on-limit entry
T4 is a u-turn where rotating the vehicle around the inside of the turn is crucial – maintain a “long” apex while gently touching apex curb
T5/6 is “lazy” double apex blind left hander under a bridge where maximum speed should be rolled through the middle of the corner while lining up a tight and smooth apex onto a slippery off-camber exit
T7/8 is half of the oval, but clockwise, and on the inside of the banking, where it’s important to maintain a long trail brake to hug the inside with a mid-corner apex and 80% track-out
T9 is lined up by continuing the track-out from T8 by bringing the car from track-left to near mid track; finally, cut across the transition from oval to road course while aiming for the blue porta potties beyond the corner (if they are still there)
T10 should be smooth and fast with a mid-corner apex, gentle on the apex curb
T11 is just a tick early on the apex with an easy lift in most cars – use all the additional track “early” in the exit of the corner (i.e., before the final crest)
Don’t accidentally drive off the track while exiting T11 – cross the final crest around mid-track

Turn 1

Safety first: Brake failure? Go straight – there’s an access road that might help. Losing it mid-corner? Lock-it-up and drift to the outside because there’s plenty of runoff so you can spin safely to a stop (hopefully). Drop a wheel on exit? Relax, stick with it – keep the wheel straight, gently back off the throttle, stay off the brake, and guide the car gently back on track. However, if someone is near you, get the hell off the track and don’t mess around with coming back on in a hurry.
Begin lap at WOT while crossing start/finish line ~mid-track
Upon approach, entry to T1 is obscured by left dogleg in straight with tall, thick treeline (use mental visualization to “see” T1)
After start/finish, gently bring the car from mid-track to track-left and around the dogleg, hugging the left side of the track
Note the bumpiness of the track due to gradual undulations on the straight – these continue into the braking zone
Spot the T1 braking zone as soon as it is physically visible, and once lined up, pick-up the tall white apex curbing on the right with your vision
Use the marked 5-4-3-2-1 signs on the left as visual brake markers for consistency
T1 brake zone is an exercise in threshold braking – engage full threshold braking as quickly as possible while properly shifting weight onto the nose; maintain constant pedal pressure while working through multiple downshifts
Note that while the braking zone begins to slope uphill, especially towards the end of the braking zone, it then flattens at turn-in – with the corner tighter than it looks, braking can be later than expected (due to the uphill braking zone), but the car must be slowed more than expected (to properly set-up the corner)
Turn-in is from track-left, across from where the white apex curbing begins on the right side of the track
Spot the apex, which is on the back side of the curbing, just past the geometric apex of the corner
Trail braking is a must, but it must be brief – only used for initial turn-in; the car must be settled as the track flattens out, even tipping just a bit downhill, mid-corner
Immediately spot the exit (white curbing on the left) with your vision
If release of the brake upon turn-in is done properly and with sufficient speed, WOT should be attainable immediately prior to the apex and held through track-out
Avoid taking much of the apex curbing as it is steep and jarring
Track-out should bring the car all the way onto the white curbs on the left
Vision should already be “up” and spotting the apex for T2

Turn 2

For vehicles with Grip>Power, this is not actually a “real” turn – it is a continuation of the track-out of T1 on the left side of the track, through the apex of T2 on the right side of the track, and sticking to the right side of the track while approaching the braking zone of T3.
Maintain nearly constant steering input from the exit of T1 to braking zone of T3 while connecting the 3 marks: curbing at exit of T1, mid-point in curbing at apex of T2 (without hitting it), and track-right for braking zone of T3
For vehicles with Power>Grip, T2 is a “compromise” with T3. Technically speaking, the straight that follows T3 is a “real” straight where all cars may enjoy full acceleration; it is also slightly uphill and is longer than the straight between T2 and T3, although it is still quite short – accordingly, favoring T3 over T2 is recommended, but not necessarily 100%
When approaching T2 from the exit of T1, the arc should be a smooth, continuous arc with the wheel; however, the apex is critical and should be well past the geometric apex of T2, i.e., towards the end of the white apex curbing on the right side of the track
Hug the right side of the track when exiting T2
Immediately spot the braking zone and apex for T3 because you’re already there…

Turn 3

Safety first – if anything happens, it’s better to go long than try to hook and save it. The wall is a lot closer to the track on the left compared to the right.
T3 is deceiving – it is longer, faster, and earlier than most people think. This is, in part, due to the fact that it both gains camber from a bend uphill in addition to a slightly increasing radius due to increased track width on exit.
There are few visual references available for a brake point or turn-in point, while on approach to T3, but only a touch of brake is required for most vehicles – spotting the apex early and “feeling” for the right brake zone is recommended
As discussed above, there may be a compromise between T2 and T3; this means that the vehicle may not be 100% track-right before braking; that’s OK – it’s better to get the car settled ~80% track-right as opposed to forcing the car towards the right while risking overloading the weight transition from left rear to right front.
Braking should be gentle, brief, very early, and with minimal trailing – again, it should be early; the key is to be off the brakes with enough time for the front springs to expand before turn-in
With the vehicle balance as flat as possible, smoothly roll as much speed as possible into a very early apex – a few feet before the beginning of the apex curbing on the left
Find the exit with your vision – see below for just how far away track-out really is
WOT should be achieved well before the apex while the arc towards the apex should be on a larger radius than anticipated as the corner “opens up” as it turns uphill and the radius increases.
Note – there is a “groove” with additional camber on the inside of the track between turn-in and apex; if this groove is missed, the car may behave erratically – worst case is overcooking the corner and attempting to crank the wheel for a hot, late apex over unnerving transitions in track camber
The track-out point for T3 is where the access roads meets the track – keep going earlier, smoother, and faster until WOT forces the vehicle in a smooth arc on the limit all the way from early apex to the exit
Immediately get ready for T4 by continuing the arc out of T3 and towards the left side of the track

Turn 4

Safety first – overcooked it? Aim inside and try to scrub speed, use extra pavement to the outside, if needed. Apexed too early? Ease up on the throttle and try again next lap.
Do not overcook this corner – easily the slowest corner on the entire COMSCC schedule
T4 is a u-turn with a slightly uphill approach and flat, almost downhill, mid-corner and exit
Spot the apex and look through the corner to find the apex ASAP
Upon approach, brake hard and late, timing the brake so that sufficient pedal pressure is both required and appropriate to initiate as much trail brake as the front tires can handle (or rears, depending on setup)
Turn-in should feel slightly early for the purposes of maintaining a tight arc around the entire corner – the goal is to initiate enough slip angle with the use of trail brake so proper car positioning for a maximum speed exit can be achieved without “squaring off” the corner (costs significant time in corners >90 degrees)
Actual turn-in point is somewhere immediately before the end of the grass on the right side of the track
By mid-corner, the vehicle should be absolutely no more than 1 car width from the inside of the track – do not go wide (cars with Power>Grip will need to go a little wider for a decent exit, but not too far as significant time cannot be made up on short straight between T4 and T5)
Gently touch the apex curbing with the unloaded inside tire while feeding throttle, achieving WOT as soon as the nose “bites” and the vehicle is pointed “up” the track – too early and the nose will push/wash-out or the rear will be overloaded, requiring a lift/correction
Track-out fully, using all the white exit curbing – but no further without broken suspension parts and bent rims
Again, continue the arc from the exit of T4 towards the braking zone of T5

Turn 5/6 (The Bridge)

Safety first – there’s no good place to make a mistake at the limit; stupid dangerous corner. If you can make it safely to the exit, it’s always better to go long onto the grass on the infield as opposed to snapping into the wall on the left.
Approach T5 while crossing the track from left-to-right; try to get all the way track-right, roughly where the access road on the right meets the track
The bridge turn is completely blind, long, and tricky – the key is to roll in as much speed as possible while rotating the car for the ideal application of WOT; bonus for the tightest/shortest possible line
Upon approach, again employ mental visualization to “see” through the corner and imagine the correct arc
Brake into T5/6 while angling the car just slightly towards the inside of the track, and maintain medium trailbrake pressure to roll maximum speed without overrotating or scrubbing
The apex for T5 should be ignored, leaving about 1-2 car widths, i.e., about 1/3 from track-left
After coming off the trail brake, let the car settle mid-corner (about the center of the track) before applying power through the exit – if done properly, the vehicle should continue slight rotation, finally beginning to point the nose up the track, with neutral inputs (application of maintenance throttle generally indicates overslowing)
As soon as is visible, pick-up the apex for T6 with your vision, looking up and towards the exit as it also enters your field of view
Find the tightest possible point mid-corner where the vehicle can be positioned for maximum WOT acceleration onto the oval straight – tighter is better, to a point
Apex of T6 is very tricky, involving a transition from the new pavement onto the slippery old oval surface, with an off-camber slope – the actual apex itself is a little late, immediately after the kink in the apex curbing
Through the apex, maintain control of the rear end with a very smooth unwinding of the wheel; be mindful of the grip in the right tires on exit
Allow the car to track-out to where the inside of the track meets grass – if you drop a wheel, consider straightening the wheel and staying in it to maintain control
No resting – continue the arc towards the left side of the track and visually survey the oval

Turn 7/8 (The Oval)

Safety first – just relax in the oval; if you’re near the right line there’s plenty of asphalt all around for you to catch a small mistake. Don’t do anything stupid and drastic and end up hitting a wall.
Do not drive past the oval – the single, slightly late apex is around the corner and blind; the tendency is to turn-in too wide and late
Upon approach, line-up the braking zone from mostly track-left (getting to the wall is not particularly important) and visualize the tight apex just around the corner and out of sight
Brake and immediately begin sweeping the car down the initial banking of the oval and onto the darker, flat pavement (less camber but grippier surface and less distance) inside lane 1 – by mid-corner the car should be no more than 1 car width from the first white curb on the inside of the track
Maintain heavy trail brake to keep the car pinned to the inside; goal is a tight line, and patience, as the car settles and the nose begins to come back – as soon as it catches, transition to WOT
The actual apex is around the beginning of the 2nd inside white curb (just after the break in the curbing)
Once the apex is spotted and the vehicle is on a trajectory to actually hit it, feed in throttle smoothly as to not upset the balance/rotation achieved by the long trail brake
Immediately begin letting the car unwind off of the apex while applying WOT
Track-out most of the way, ~10% from track-left – avoid marbles, debris, and such near the wall
Again, continue the arc from the exit of T8 (10% track-left) towards the braking zone of T9 (40% track right)

Turn 9

Safety first – there’s not much buffer beyond the asphalt, but there is some extra pavement to allow for corrections of minor mistakes. Be mindful of the extra space and use it if needed.
T9 is unlike any other corner on the schedule – the approach weaves from left (exit of T8) to right (to line up T9 entry) then left again (initial turn off the oval and towards the road course) straight (over the transition and then on the brakes) and finally a left turn (while releasing brake) through the apex; it crosses over from the old oval paving to the recent road course paving, and the transition drops off into a “cup” (bowl seems too strong) of a corner where maximum grip is found around the inside of the apex at the bottom of the hill
Reach track-out after exiting the oval ~10% from track-left and continue the arc towards the right side of the track until the car is ~40% from the right side of the track
Getting the car straight over the transition and into the “groove” on the inside of the T9 road course surface is critical as there is significantly more grip
Equally important to lining up the transition is getting the car fully settled – unless weight is evenly distributed, going WOT over the transition into T9 can be a mess; if this is not possible, try not bringing the car as far to track-right before cutting across the transition
Immediately sight the porta potties (if they are still there) beyond the transition and on the far side of T9 – aim the vehicle in a straight line that cuts across the left side of the track at the point of transition and head on a straight line just to the left of the porta potties
If you can, maintain WOT over the transition until the car settles (car position should be 10-20% from track-left at point of transition)
Don’t stare at the barriers as you cross over the transition – instead, pick-up the apex with your vision
While braking, let the car drift to ~1/3 from track-left before “final” turn-in
Brake hard, taking advantage of the fresh pavement and camber, while trailing the car hard towards the apex
Do not let the car drift more than 1 car width from track-left after the apex
Wrap the car around the apex curbing, with an initial turn-in likely before the start of the curbing
You know you’ve done T9 fast enough when trail braking is no longer sufficient to keep the car stuck to the left side of the track – any more than a quick throttle application generally indicates overslowing
Make sure to spot the apex for T10 immediately after the car bites towards the apex of T9
Coming off the apex of T9, the only goal is to regain balance and proper weight transition for entry to T10

Turn 10

Safety first – don’t try to be a hero and you’ll probably be OK. If you’re going too hot, try to keep the car straight and go long – there’s some extra grass on the outside once you get past the tire barrier
T10 begins at the apex of T9 – the tighter the vehicle is at the apex of T9, the wider T10 will be; just like T2/3, T9/10 is a compromise
Even though T9 is immediately succeeded by another corner, T10 does not lead onto a particularly long straight (unless in a vehicle with a lot of Grip>Power – if this is the case, be as neat and tight as possible exiting T9 as to maintain WOT from the as early as possible before apex of T10 all the way onto the main straight)
You should already have spotted the apex of T10 before exiting T9 – look through the corner towards the exit as much as possible
Let the car settle as you quickly bring the vehicle into the apex with a lift or quick brake at/immediately after turn-in
Nail a mid-to-late apex, using some of the curb in softer cars
Continue a smooth arc to the track-out curbing, using them as needed
Stay to the left side of the track and immediately get ready for the final corner

Turn 11

Safety first – particularly dangerous corner; proceed at your own risk. Most people don’t even bother approaching the limit, and that’s probably a good thing – this corner sucks for safety. Best bet is to try to keep the car straight and ease onto the grass (get ready for a long ride).
T11 is a ridiculously important corner due to it’s high speed, uphill exit, and succession by a long straight – good laps can be trashed here in an instant
Pick-up the apex with your vision ASAP – it is obscured slightly while exiting T10, but the beginning of the alternating black/grey lego blocks reveal its approximate location
Entry should be fast and smooth – barely a lift is required in most cars; focus on timing the lift just before/during/after turn-in to determine the best approach
Immediately search for the early, wide exit with your vision – the track swings wide to the left, offering additional pavement in the case of an “early exit” off of the T11 apex
The car should be balanced, knifing towards an early apex
Gently roll in throttle (too abrupt and the nose will pop up, causing understeer – or the rear may break loose) towards the apex which is approx. 1/3 of the way around the white apex curb on the left side of the track
Continue a wide radius through the apex and towards an early exit – continue turning “through” the exit as it bends uphill and gains grip
You’ve completed T11 fast enough when you are “forced” to use the additional early exit pavement on the very left side of the track while continuing the turning arc – don’t hurt yourself
Bring the car to 1/3 from track-left while cresting the final hill and descending on the main straight
Aim for about mid-track at start-finish

Credit: Nick Fontana