New Jersey Motorsports Park, Racing Circuit

New Jersey Motorsports Park is a modern racing complex in Millville, New Jersey, built on 700 acres next to the historic Millville Municipal Airport, a former USAF base regarded as 'America's First Defense' in World War Two. The project was the brainchild of developer Lee Brahin and a consortium that included Virginia International Raceway owner Harvey Siegel and sportscar racer RJ Valentine, who set out to replicate VIR's country-club model in an under-served region. Construction of the $150 million facility began in 2007, and the race control and media centre was named for the legendary journalist Chris Economaki. Its defining feature is a pair of completely separate road courses that can run events simultaneously: the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt and the technical 1.9-mile Lightning. The venue opened in 2008 hosting the Grand-Am Rolex Sportscar Series and ARCA, though that first weekend is best remembered for Scott Pruett's violent practice crash, which split his car in two and prompted an overnight extension of the pit wall. Financial strain forced a Chapter 11 reorganisation in 2011, after which a restructured operating company steadied the business. Thunderbolt handles most professional racing while Lightning is popular for track days and testing, and the park is also home to several driving and riding schools including the Skip Barber and Bertil Roos academies. Current racing includes MotoAmerica Superbikes, Formula Regional Americas, Formula 4 US, SCCA events and endurance series such as the 24 Hours of Lemons. The complex rounds out its offering with karting, skid pads, trackside villas and a clubhouse.