Thunderbolt Raceway, NJ

Tim Williams · Post by **Tim Williams** » Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:08 pm

Thunderbolt Raceway gets the green flag for construction. Check out http://www.njmotorsportspark.com

Sue Salsburg · Post by **Sue Salsburg** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 7:51 am

We were at the final board meeting & several of the boring ones before. The final went easily; the town is very much in support of the project. If you're not familiar with the track, it is being built by Harvey Seigal the owner of VIR. Multiple track layouts, easy to get to, great facilities for drivers/ meetings/ race oriented businesses. Now South Jersey Region has to come up with enough workers! Sue

JekylandHyde · Post by **JekylandHyde** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:40 am

Approval was also made for a track somewhere between Allentown & the Poconos, but part of that agreement was that there would be no competition.

This track is from the same fellow that had initiated a private track/club near Morgantown, PA, but was kaboshed when there were issues with old mines under the ground.

On another front, it appears that Libery Bell Motorsports Park (about 15 minutes East of Reading (toward Pottstown) is about 7-8 hearings away from getting approval. Hopefully ground will be breaking on that one in a year or so .... we'll see.

emwavey · Post by **emwavey** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 12:24 pm

Sue Salsburg wrote:We were at the final board meeting & several of the boring ones before. The final went easily; the town is very much in support of the project. If you're not familiar with the track, it is being built by Harvey Seigal the owner of VIR. Multiple track layouts, easy to get to, great facilities for drivers/ meetings/ race oriented businesses. Now South Jersey Region has to come up with enough workers! Sue

Hi Sue,

It was great to have had the opportunity to talke with you and Dave at the Millville Christmas parade. Hope to see you at an event in '06.

-dave

Sue Salsburg · Post by **Sue Salsburg** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 12:46 pm

Dave - welcome to PHA -we'll get you to a hill yet!! The 2006 schedule should be posted soon. Sue

jmullins · Post by **jmullins** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 2:03 pm

Any one hear anything on Rausch Creek in Schuylkill County? Tower City area?

There is an MX and ATV park there. They held an off road rally recently according to their website. I havent heard anything about the road course that was under construction. Seams like a natural area. No neighbors. Old mining area. Very easy to get to via I-81.

Post by **Matt Rowe** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 2:50 pm

I just heard some rumors about Rausch Creek a few weeks ago. The track was stalled for a very long time due to a variety of factors that eventually depleted funding. I have heard that in the last few weeks a new investor has taken over (bought?) the whole thing and is bringing in new money. Also, a new track manager has been hired, supposedly he is experienced and a good choice and things are moving forward again. This is all third hand information though so take it with a shaker of salt. I do know that as of this summer only 3/4 of the track had been final graded and there was some significant repairs to the grading needed before any asphalt can be laid. So if they can get the ball rolling again the site will still need a years worth of work minimum. But, the other improvements for site access are complete so that's a positive. I'm still hoping because after walking the "track" it would be a blast to drive.

jmullins · Post by **jmullins** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:03 pm

We can hope it goes well.
I will have to take a peak when I am up that way and see how things are going.

Mel Horn · Post by **Mel Horn** » Wed Nov 30, 2005 6:54 pm

Stopped by Rausch Creek a few weeks ago. Unless something has happened in the interim, the property is as it was in 2001.

I take any "new" track construction with a grain of salt(no, make it a barrel!). As Sue is fond of saying, "I'll believe it when the FIVE MIN board goes up..."

Matt Green · Post by **Matt Green** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 8:26 am

Mel Horn wrote:Stopped by Rausch Creek a few weeks ago. Unless something has happened in the interim, the property is as it was in 2001.

Oh, c'mon Mel, there's a LOT more holes in the office trailer windows than there were in 2001, not to mention all the water-jet grading (or degrading) that's been going on...

I think NAPA should buy it and build it as a test facility, and rent it to us on the weekends...

jmullins · Post by **jmullins** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 5:13 pm

Is this the first dirt track road course?

Matt Green · Post by **Matt Green** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 8:28 am

jmullins wrote:Is this the first dirt track road course?

If you try it in current condition, you'd definately need *at least* a Pre-runner or CORR prepped truck... There's ruts and gullies in there that'd swallow most Rally cars...

Mel Horn · Post by **Mel Horn** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 11:35 pm

Matt Green wrote:
Mel Horn wrote:Stopped by Rausch Creek a few weeks ago. Unless something has happened in the interim, the property is as it was in 2001.
Oh, c'mon Mel, there's a LOT more holes in the office trailer windows than there were in 2001, not to mention all the water-jet grading (or degrading) that's been going on...

I think NAPA should buy it and build it as a test facility, and rent it to us on the weekends...

Surely you jest. I can't even get them to pony up for a hillclimb...but we ARE sponsoring the Mexican National Soccer Team (I am not making this up...)!

jmullins · Post by **jmullins** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:09 pm

I was just up in Tower City Monday. They have been thinning out the woods along Rt 209. Cut out alot of underbrush but still woodland. They might just be selling off lumber, but there is definately activity. I will take a better look next time. I was under the assumption that the road course was going in next to the ATV park on the East side of I81.
I checked the courthouse records. The company owns alot of land up there. Rausch Creek LP is listed owner.

It would also be a fun place for a hill climb. Give it a try if your up that way. Its the road from Joilet down into Ravine.

Mel Horn · Post by **Mel Horn** » Tue Dec 06, 2005 10:56 pm

jmullins wrote: It would also be a fun place for a hill climb. Give it a try if your up that way. Its the road from Joilet down into Ravine.

We had looked it over back in the late '80s and then in the mid '90s when we revived Pine Grove. The one sticking point is the little group of houses in the middle. If not for them you'd almost be as long as Duryea...The hillclimb route would pass the entrance for Rausch Creek road course*.

For that matter in the mid-'70s we ran the road from Ravine on the east side of 81. The billboards you see going up 81 past Ravine was the pit area. The road was allegedly deemed dangerous due to mine workings underneath. The road now ends in the parking lot for the Big Mother Warehouse across the street from Rausch Creek ATV Park*...

Could it be done again? Could we find a fire company sponsor? Remember Pine Grove?

*(Remember, Rausch Creek Road Course and Rausch Creek ATV Park are two separate entities across I-81 from each other...)

f1racer77 · Post by **f1racer77** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 12:31 am

Right near me (shamokin, PA) theres a nice hill on PA 125 maybe 2 or 3 mi out of town. I know the area is really hurting for some kind of event. Only problem is where would the pits be. If you guys want I could get some pictures of the hill over christmas break for fun. It would be pretty quick because its all tight esses (about 75mph in my 1994 325is). The nice thing is traffic is very light, and there are banks on both sides of the road to keep the cars out of the trees. Its just a suggestion, but what do I know I'm new here.

Tim Royer · Post by **Tim Royer** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:56 am

Hi,

I'd like to see them.

JekylandHyde · Post by **JekylandHyde** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:22 am

PA Route 125 is the best sports car road in PA (at least that I have seen).
I'm not sure if all of it is "uphill" though.

I heard about this route and went out and drove it once.

It's really nice

Mel Horn · Post by **Mel Horn** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 6:45 pm

f1racer77 wrote:Right near me (shamokin, PA) theres a nice hill on PA 125 maybe 2 or 3 mi out of town. I know the area is really hurting for some kind of event. Only problem is where would the pits be. If you guys want I could get some pictures of the hill over christmas break for fun. It would be pretty quick because its all tight esses (about 75mph in my 1994 325is). The nice thing is traffic is very light, and there are banks on both sides of the road to keep the cars out of the trees. Its just a suggestion, but what do I know I'm new here.

We were all new once. Even me.

Might this be Locust Gap? There was a Hillclimb there in '71 or '72

Mel Horn · Post by **Mel Horn** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:06 pm

Mel Horn wrote:
jmullins wrote: It would also be a fun place for a hill climb. Give it a try if your up that way. Its the road from Joilet down into Ravine.
We had looked it over back in the late '80s and then in the mid '90s when we revived Pine Grove. The one sticking point is the little group of houses in the middle. If not for them you'd almost be as long as Duryea...The hillclimb route would pass the entrance for Rausch Creek road course*.

For that matter in the mid-'70s we ran the road from Ravine on the east side of 81. The billboards you see going up 81 past Ravine was the pit area. The road was allegedly deemed dangerous due to mine workings underneath. The road now ends in the parking lot for the Big Mother Warehouse across the street from Rausch Creek ATV Park*...

Could it be done again? Could we find a fire company sponsor? Remember Pine Grove?

*(Remember, Rausch Creek Road Course and Rausch Creek ATV Park are two separate entities across I-81 from each other...)

For a better look, get to Google Maps and search "Pine Grove PA". Then walk it up Rt 81 and zoom in to approx the third level from the top. When you see where Rt 125 heads east from I-81, there is a road (Rausch Creek Rd) that hugs I-81 on the east side. This was Ravine Hillclimb.
The other road heads west and turns north, kinda. It's Twp Rd 634. That's what jmullins is describing.

At the closer levels, only the map works, but out a bit on Photo you can see what seems to be the alleged outline of the Alleged Sports Car Track That Will Never See The Light Of Day(hope I'm wrong, of course...).