Massachusetts Track?

Michael Taksa · Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2001 1:23 pm Post subject: Massachusetts Track?

Does anybody know anything about a track "supposedly" being built in Bridgewater MA by the same person that owns "F1-Bosotn"?
Related question. Other then OVRP and Batavia are there any other Sprint tracks that have club sprint races (NO OVALS) including shifters close to Boston? (NHIS excluded).
Thanks

Scott Minehart · Joined: 22 Jul 2001 Posts: 67 Location: Raleigh, NC, USA

Well i am sorry to say but sprint racing is no an east coast thing at all. The only tracks i know about are in flordia, maybe georgia, OVRP, maryland, virginia (but it is an oval with 2 infeild turns). Those are the only ones i know about.

scott

Mike Murphy · Joined: 22 Aug 2001 Posts: 1 Location: Vermont

I just got an update from the owner of the Bridgewater race track. Quote-Brigewater is still under construction, Hopefully to open in the spring.-End Quote

I have seen the track, it does exist and will be a welcome addition to racing in the Northeast when it is up and running.

Chuck Skowron · Joined: 19 Jul 2001 Posts: 1152

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Murphy:
I just got an update from the owner of the Bridgewater race track. Quote-Brigewater is still under construction, Hopefully to open in the spring.-End Quote

I have seen the track, it does exist and will be a welcome addition to racing in the Northeast when it is up and running.

Unfortunetly, this might be a track where you can't bring your own kart.
The people involved in this project are the same people who gave us the indoor kart track F1 Boston. From what I have heard from their announcements, it will be a facility where you rent the karts they have supplied at the location. All efforts to contact anyone with more info. (such as if there will be track time for people w/ their own karts) have been, so far, unsuccessful.

I hope I am wrong, because we really do need a sprint track around here. And with the population sprawl in the Northeast, it is simply going to get tougher and tougher to try to build a new kart facility.

Mike, do you know anything more about the track you can tell us?

[ September 05, 2001: Message edited by: Chuck Skowron ]

Michael Taksa · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2001 1:47 pm Post subject: Massachusetts Track?

Here is an e-mail that I got from Todd Pickard TPICARD@F1BOSTON.com
"HELLO
WE ARE BUILDING AN OUTDOOR TRACK IN EAST BRIDGEWATER AND IT SHOULD BE
OPEN NEXT SPRING. WE DON'T REALLY KNOW TO MUCH ABOUT IT YET SO I CAN'T GIVE
YOU ANY INFO ON IT. IF YOU E-MAIL ME BACK AS SPRING NEARS I SHOULD KNOW
MORE.
THANKS TODD"

I actually went racing with a bunch of friends to f1boston few days ago, they all loved it, I probably would too if I did not have a shifter sitting in a garage. f1 is too small, karts are not powerfull (compared to shifter of course) I asked everybody I could find there about outdoor track... The standard answer was "It is under consruction, to open in spring." They did have a sign there about the track, and their website says that the track is suitable for shifters. I actually got a reply from one person that you would be able to bring your own kart there, but that person was not the one involved in deciding that. From other sources I heard that the track is pretty large, larger then OVRP. Other then the quoted e-mail it's all rumors. I would suggest that we write to Todd Pickard and show him that there is enough interest here to hold club races in the new track, but my personal feeling is that he would make more money using it as a "rental only" place, as he has a good "promotion" mechanism. It could work for a year or so, then when people realize that they can't afford to spend that much money it could open for club races. This is my opinion.

Paul Ciannavei · Joined: 26 Jul 2001 Posts: 5 Location: Connecticut

Several months ago I had heard that the town had approved and issued permits for the track, but that the number of karts to be allowed on site was to be limited to a number (I can't remember specifically what it was) that would be sufficient for a rental-type operation, but would make holding races impractical.

Another potential issue to be faced in Massachusetts: when the last sprint track in the state was still operating (Lashaway in No. Brookfield in 1979) there was a state law prohibiting racing on Sundays before 1 p.m. I don't know if this is still in effect or not.

Chuck Skowron · Joined: 19 Jul 2001 Posts: 1152

quote:
Originally posted by Paul Ciannavei:

...Another potential issue to be faced in Massachusetts: when the last sprint track in the state was still operating (Lashaway in No. Brookfield in 1979) there was a state law prohibiting racing on Sundays before 1 p.m. I don't know if this is still in effect or not...

There was once a go-kart track in tiny, nearby North Brookfield? Oh, how I wish it were still open.

1 p.m.? That might explain why there aren't any roadcourses in MA.