Prepare for your drive at New Jersey Motorsports Park

Sitting on more than 500 acres in Millville, NJ, New Jersey Motorsports Park is the premier motorsports entertainment complex in the Northeast. The 1.9-mile northern circuit, known as Lightning Raceway, is a fast and challenging course that features some of the most interesting and dramatic corners and elevation changes in the park. The course features 10 turns exciting for enthusiasts of any skill level.

Being said there are some strict rules that we must follow while hosting events in NJ, and if you plan to attend, it’s in your greatest interest to read the information below. Especially if you’re under the age of 18, and are not familiar with the dress code for the track. 

How to speed your way from the parking lot through the finish line.

How to Conquer NJMP’s Lightning Raceway Like a Pro 

NJMP Lightning Raceway Track Map

NJMP has several tracks at their facility, ranging from multiple racetracks to karting tracks. It’s one of the reasons why we really enjoy visiting the track. The configuration we use for our event here is Lightning Raceway. This 1.9-mile track has everything from long straights, to blind corners, to long sweeping turns to really feel all of what it is like driving a supercar on a racetrack. To get the most out of this track, we are going to cover each turn and go into detail for 3 of the most important sections of this track.

• Let’s start as we exit pit lane. You will enter the track from the right side and merge to your left as you approach a series of esses. The initial turns you get to, Turn 2 and 3 (T2 and T3), are both right-hand turns and should be treated like one continuous corner. You then give a slight brake before turning left for T4. As you exit the turn to your right, you approach your first challenge.
• Turn 5 is very difficult the first time you are on track because it is a blind turn. You will approach the turn along the right side of the track. As you clip past this first apex cone on your right side, you will release from that side and begin your straight line braking out to the outer left side of the track.
  • Here you will find a turn-in cone which should be used as your reference point under braking to head towards. Remember, look where you want to go and the car will follow. As you release the brake and turn toward the crest of the hill on your right side, you will see an apex cone on the top of the hill. Be easy as you roll on the throttle over the hill as this is an easy place for the back end to step out due to the sudden drop off on the other side of the hill. From there, finish the turn by tracking all the way out to your left.
• Following T5, you will accelerate around T6, under the bridge and into a hard braking zone for T7.
• Following this hard left-hand turn, you will accelerate through the mild left-hander, T8, and begin your braking into T9.
• Turn 9 is a tough turn to get perfect and is the turn that will dictate your speed down the front straight. To get it right, begin your braking zone on the left side of the track. As you see the turn getting closer and closer, you will need to fight your instinct to turn early and instead wait until the turn-in cone on your left side.
  • Once you begin your turn, hang around mid-track at the beginning before dropping all the way to the bottom as you fly past the green apex cone on your inside right. At this point, release the inside and let the car begin to drift outwards toward the track out cone on your left. This is a very long turn, so do not rush any part of it, and remember, slow in is fast out!
• After you track out of T9, keep the wheel slightly turned as you will be closing in on the blind crest that is T10. Keep the car right of center as you track out of this slight right-hand bend until you start to feel comfortable with where the edge of the track is and how quickly it comes up. This is a high-speed section and dropping a tire here can spell trouble.
• As you crest the hill leading onto the front straight, your pit in is on the right. Keep that in mind for when you finish your session. As you pass start/finish, you are hard on the brakes. This will be the heaviest braking zone on the course and leads you into your final challenging section. Turn 1.
• Turn 1 is an uphill right-hand turn that has a blind exit. Tracking out too far left is a common mistake and can be avoided by taking your first lap through this section a little slower to learn where to place the car. Another tip for nailing this turn is to have as late of a turn in as possible. This will set you up with a later apex and a straighter exit onto the short straight as you head back down towards the braking zone for T2.

Watch: Here’s how you put it all together on track.

This completes a full lap around Lightning Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park. To summarize the 3 hardest parts of this track (in order of which you will see them):

1. Be careful with turn 5, as the sudden elevation change at the end can upset the car.
2. Turn 9 will take some patience as it is very long and requires acceleration while turning, something we normally do not recommend.
3. Turn 1, the fast uphill right-hand turn that can trick you into thinking there is more room on the outside than you have due to the blind exit.

Ready to Drive a Supercar at NJMP?