Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
Oval race track / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP), formerly Thompson Speedway and Thompson International Speedway, is a motorsports park in Thompson, Connecticut, featuring a 0.625 mi (1.006 km) high-banked paved oval racetrack and a 1.700 mi (2.736 km) road racing course.[2] 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 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series banner. Each year Thompson hosts one of the great fall variety events "The World Series of Auto Racing" highlighted by the International Supermodified Association and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. This event frequently draws over 350 race cars in 16 separate divisions over three days. Besides that, it currently hosts NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and 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.[3]
Location | Thompson, Connecticut |
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Time zone | UTC−5 (UTC−4 DST) |
Coordinates | 41°58′54.65″N 71°49′31.79″W |
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 (1957–1972) |
Oval (1940–present) | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 0.625 miles (1.006 km) |
Turns | 4 |
Banking | (TURNS) 11° (low lane) 15° (high lane) |
Road Course (1968–1972, 2014–present) | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 1.700 miles (2.736 km) |
Turns | 11 |
Race lap record | 0:59.400[1] ( David Hobbs, Surtees TS5, 1969, F5000) |
Original Road Course (1957-1967) | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 2.000 miles (3.219 km) |
Turns | 12 |