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Millville, NJ
No public description is available for this track.
“In a long braking zone, threshold braking from top speed down to the maximum speed the car will take at the turn-in point is the fastest way. Once you have identified the right level of force, you raise the speed at the turn-in point by moving the brake point closer to the corner — a little at a time.”
Going Faster! — Carl Lopez (Skip Barber)
Thunderbolt's longer back straight builds more speed than Lightning, creating genuine threshold braking zones. Lopez's incremental approach — identify the braking force first, then move the brake point closer — is the disciplined way to develop speed here. The smooth, flat surface gives consistent feedback for calibrating your braking performance.
“Weight transfer, g forces and momentum all work together. If you are not accomplishing these transitions in one fluid motion, then you might be one of those that I refer to as the "stab-n-steer" group. Their theory is simply to go as fast as the car can go, brake as hard and late as possible, then drive around any given corner as fast as they can.”
Bob Bondurant on High Performance Driving — Bob Bondurant
Thunderbolt's good mix of corners at higher speeds than Lightning demands Bondurant's fluid approach. The "stab-n-steer" drivers are visually spectacular but slow — at Thunderbolt, the time is made in the quality of transitions between braking, cornering, and acceleration. Smooth, connected driving produces lower lap times than aggressive, disconnected inputs.
“Corner-entry speed is more important than late braking. Instead of simply using the strategy of braking later, change your mental picture of the corner-entry speed and you will naturally brake later and carry more speed into the corner.”
Ultimate Speed Secrets — Ross Bentley
Thunderbolt's longer back straight tempts drivers to focus on late braking as the primary time-gain strategy. Bentley's insight redirects the focus: carrying 2 mph more into the corners after the straight yields more time than braking 10 feet later at the same entry speed. On the flat, smooth surface, the car can handle the additional entry speed — update your mental picture of the speed at turn-in rather than fixating on the brake marker.
Find HPDE organizers, car clubs, and sanctioning bodies that run events at New Jersey Motorsports Park - Thunderbolt.