Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park: Difference between revisions

Oval race track

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park

Location	Thompson, Connecticut
Time zone	UTC−5 (UTC−4 DST)
Coordinates	41°58′54.65″N 71°49′31.79″W / 41.9818472°N 71.8254972°W / 41.9818472; -71.8254972
Owner	Donald and D.R. Hoenig
Operator	Donald and D.R. Hoenig
Broke ground	21 September 1938; 85 years ago (1938-09-21)
Opened	26 May 1940; 83 years ago (1940-05-26)
Former names	Thompson Raceway (1940–1971) Thompson Speedway (1972–1979, 1998–1999) Big Thompson Speedway (1980–1982) Thompson International Speedway (1983–1997, 2000–2012)
Major events	Current: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Former: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East King Cadillac GMC Throwback 100 (1988–1991, 1993–2009, 2017–2018) Atlantic Championship (2014) NASCAR Grand National (1951, 1969–1970) F5000 (1968–1969) SCCA (1948–1972)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	0.625 miles (1.006 km)
Turns	4
Banking	2° Straights 26° Turns
Surface	Asphalt
Length	1.700 miles (2.736 km)
Turns	11
Race lap record	0:59.400[1] ( David Hobbs, Surtees TS5, 1969, F5000)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	2.000 miles (3.219 km)
Turns	12
Race lap record	1:36.000[2] ( Sherman Decker, Cooper Monaco T61, 1964, Sports car racing)
Surface	Asphalt
Length	1.500 miles (2.414 km)
Race lap record	1:10.000[3] ( Walt Hansgen, Jaguar D-Type, 1956, Sports car racing)

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP), formerly Thompson Speedway and Thompson International Speedway, is a motorsports park in Thompson, Connecticut, featuring a 5⁄8 mi (1.0 km) high-banked paved oval racetrack and a 1.7 mi (2.7 km) road racing course.^[4] Once known as the “Indianapolis of the East”, it was the first asphalt-paved racing oval track in the United States and is now under the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Star Series (PASS) banners. These sanctioning bodies are the current operators of the oval, which was leased by them in late 2020. Each year, Thompson hosts one of the great fall variety events “The World Series of Speedway Racing” highlighted by the New England Supermodified Series (NESS), and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. This event frequently draws over 350 race cars in 16 separate divisions over three days. Thompson currently hosts the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour three times a year, and has also hosted various SCCA sports car races between 1957 and 1972, NASCAR Grand National series races between 1951 and 1970, and two SCCA F5000 events in 1968 and 1969.^[5]

History[edit]

Following cleanup from the hurricane of 1938, John Hoenig built a combined 0.625 mi (1.006 km) paved oval and 1.700 mi (2.736 km) road racing course on his farmland in the northeast corner of Connecticut.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Thompson’s Sunday night program was a who’s who of modified greats such as Carl “Bugs” Stevens, Fred DeSarro, Fred Schulz, Ron Bouchard, Ed Flemke, Leo Cleary, Smoky Boutwell, and Geoff Bodine. During this period the track hosted memorable special events which drew legendary Southern drivers like Ray Hendrick in the famous “Fireball” #11 to battle the locals. Other surprise stars included Long Island’s Fred Harbach and Rene Charland from Massachusetts.

In the late 1970s, the track drew 55 winged Super Modifieds to their World Series race. By owner’s choice, all 55 started. During the energy crisis of the 1970s, Thompson hosted a unique division called the “Open Competitive” division which merged the Super Modifieds with the Modifieds. Later, Thompson tried a lower-cost stock-cylinder-head modified division, which chased away some of the tracks regulars. Until the 1980s the track had a unique barrier outside turns 1–2 and 3–4 made of dirt fill.

Hoenig’s grandson D.R. and great-grandson Jonathan continue to operate the family-owned facility. As of June 1, 2013, the Hoenig family began work to reconstruct the 1.700 mi (2.736 km) road course with and accompanying paddock and staging areas, and the website reflected the renaming of the facility to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. The newly rebuilt road course celebrated its “soft opening” with the New England Region of SCCA on the weekend of June 6–8, 2014.^[6] Thompson created a private club for individual use of the road course, the website notes that “The Club” will be limited to 200 members.

Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park continues to run ACT/PASS sanctioned races on the oval track, with 8-10 oval events expected for 2024. The two largest events, The Icebreaker and The Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing…