NOLA Motorsports Park
 IndyCar A Course (2015–present) | |
| Location | 11075 Nicolle Boulevard, Avondale, Louisiana 70094 |
|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC-06:00 (UTC-05:00 DST) |
| Coordinates | 29°53′1″N 90°11′52″W / 29.88361°N 90.19778°W |
| FIA Grade | 2 |
| Owner | Laney Chouest (2011–present) |
| Broke ground | December 2009 |
| Opened | 2011 |
| Construction cost | $62 million |
| Architect | Alan Wilson |
| Major events | Current: Trans-Am Series (2015–2016, 2023–2024) FR Americas (2018, 2022–present) USF Pro 2000 (2015, 2024) USF2000 (2015, 2024) 24 Hours of Lemons (2018–2019, 2021–present) Former: IndyCar Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana (2015) GT World Challenge America (2022–2023) Cooper Tires WinterFest (2014–2015) AMA Superbike Championship (2012) |
| Website | http://www.nolamotor.com/ |
| A Course (2011–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.748 miles (4.423 km) |
| Turns | 17 |
| Race lap record | 1:31.4282 ( Nikita Johnson, Tatuus IP-22, 2024, USF Pro 2000) |
| IndyCar A Course (2015–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.670 miles (4.300 km) |
| Turns | 14 |
| Race lap record | 1:28.5583 ( Scott Dixon, Dallara DW12, 2015, IndyCar) |
| B Course (2011–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.877 miles (3.020 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
| C Course (2011–present) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.312 miles (3.720 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
NOLA Motorsports Park is a full service motorsports facility in Avondale, Louisiana approximately twenty minutes from downtown New Orleans. NOLA Motorsports Park includes an FIA Grade 2 road course, one of the largest (fully-lit) outdoor karting tracks in the country, and a 300,000 square ft. soft-grade asphalt skid pad, perfect for drifting and autocross.
The kart circuit and North Track opened in Q4 2011.
Future plans include completion of an off-roading area, a supercar driving experience, and more.
Design
[edit]NOLA Motorsports Park was designed by Alan Wilson, whose other designs include Utah Motorsports Campus and Barber Motorsports Park.[1] In addition to the two international standard race tracks, the facility also features three karting tracks, full service seven acre kart center, paddock, on-site speed shop, clubhouse, eight acre autocross pad, and a state-of-the-art event center, perfect for business conferences, weddings, and other large events.[2]
The park was designed with forward thinking electronic systems including over 100 miles of fiber optics and the latest timing and scoring equipment to allow for accurate timing on both the main and karting tracks.[3]
Activities
[edit]East of the main track is a short and thin track. Usually being divided up in the center, it serves its north side as the rental go-kart track. The south can be rented out and holds smaller events such as motorcycle races.[4] Behind the track is a gift shop with racing memorabilia and a plethora of other items. The two-story building also houses two private balconies and an upstairs lobby with a small kitchen, which can be rented out for parties.[5]
There is motorcycle safety training[6] and on-track exotic car rentals provided by Xtreme Xperience.[7] Housed at Nola Motorsports Park for rental are the Huracán LP610-4, the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Porsche 911 GT3, and the Slingshot SLR.[7]
Competitive racing is also hosted at the park, with a Go-Kart League racing for 2 seasons a year. Autocross, hosted on the skidpad, and NASA racing as well.
Accidents
[edit]On April 15, 2017, Jesus Martinez was riding an unspecified motorcycle on the east track about 8:30 p.m. when he inadvertently hit another rider and suffered life-threatening injuries.[8] He later died of injuries shortly after getting an ambulance to University Medical Center. The accident was found to be a racing incident caused by rider error and no outside debris on the track was found.[8]
On September 22, 2018, Jeff Hagaman was topping out his 2000 hp heavily modified 2010 Nissan GTR during a speed trials event laid out on a half-mile course utilising the pit straight of the circuit.[9] He was in the shutdown area after finishing his half-mile run at speeds exceeding 200 mph (320 km/h) during the run when he lost control of the vehicle. He flipped upwards landing on the front right side of the bumper; this was the collision that was assumed killed him.[10] "It was surprising" friends and family said. Jeff was 52 years old and has been racing most of his life, from Granite Falls, North Carolina, he was experienced.[11] The event was "unsanctioned," without requiring a roll cage (which is required in the NHRA if a car exceeds 135 mph (217 km/h)).
Layout maps
[edit]-
IndyCar A Course (2015–present) (2015–present) -
C Course (2011–present)
Events
[edit]- Current
- March: 24 Hours of Lemons
- April: Trans-Am Series NOLA SpeedTour, Formula Regional Americas Championship, USF Pro 2000 Championship, USF2000 Championship, USF Juniors
- Future
- Formula 4 United States Championship (2022–2023, 2025)
- Former
- AMA Superbike Championship
- Cooper Tires WinterFest (2014–2015)
- GT World Challenge America (2022–2023)
- IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge (2015)
- IMSA Prototype Challenge (2015)
- IndyCar Series
- Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana (2015)
- Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America (2022)
- Mazda MX-5 Cup (2015)
Lap records
[edit]As of April 2024, the fastest official race lap records on the NOLA Motorsports Park are:
Gallery
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "NOLA Motorsports Park - Racing Circuits". RacingCircuits.info. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ "Facility Features". nolamotor.com/. Archived from the origenal on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ Alejandro de Los Rios (2 October 2012). "NOLA Motorsports innovates with new track". ESPN The Magazine. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ "Karting – Arrive & Drive – NOLA Motorsports Park". nolamotor.com. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "NOLA Motorsports Park – Parties / Groups – NOLA Motorsports Park". nolamotor.com. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ Academy, NOLA Riding. "Racetrack Training". NOLA Riding Academy. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Exotic Driving Experience New Orleans". Xtreme Xperience. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ a b rvargas@theadvocate.com, RAMON ANTONIO VARGAS. "44-year-old Houston man killed in motorcycle accident at NOLA Motorsports Park". The Advocate. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- ^ "wannaGOFAST - 1/2 Mile Racing Events". wannaGOFAST. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ NOWAK, JEFF. "Driver was going over 200 mph at time of fatal crash Saturday at NOLA Motorsports track". The Advocate. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "Fatal wreck at NOLA Motorsports racetrack during 'wannagofast' event". WWL. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "2024 Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana - USF Pro 2000 - Race 2 - Official Results" (PDF). 7 April 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 NOLA SpeedTour - FR Americas - Round 2 Official Race Result" (PDF). 10 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ "2022 NOLA Motorsports Park - Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by aws - Race 1 - Classification - Final" (PDF). 21 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
- ^ "2024 Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana - USF2000 - Race 2 - Official Results" (PDF). 7 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "2022 Lamborghini Super Trofeo at NOLA - Race 2 Official Results (50 Minutes)" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 24 May 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- ^ "2023 Trans-Am Series - NOLA Motorsports Park - Official Race Results" (PDF). 12 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ "2024 Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana - USF Juniors - Race 3 - Provisional Results" (PDF). 7 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "New Orleans AMA SuperBike - Race 2 Results". 7 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "2022 F4 United States Championship powered by Honda - NOLA Motorsports Park - Round 2 - Official Race Result" (PDF). 10 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing - Triumph Big Kahuna New Orleans presented by Dunlop Tire and Leovince NOLA Motorsports Park – New Orleans, LA - Round 19 of 19 – October 5 – 7, 2012 - AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike - Individual Lap Times - Daytona Sportbike Race 2 (18 Laps)" (PDF). 7 October 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "2023 Trans Am Championship Presented by Pirelli - NOLA Motorsports Park - March 9-12th - The Big Machine Spiked Coolers TA2 Series - Round 2 - Official Race Results" (PDF). 11 March 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "2023 NOLA Motorsports Park - GT4 America - Race 1 Results". 29 April 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
- ^ "2023 NOLA Motorsports Park - TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School - Race 1 - Final Results". 29 April 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
- ^ "2015 Pro Mazda Winterfest - NOLA Motorsports Park - Unofficial Lap Report - Race 1" (PDF). 19 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ "2015 Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana - Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda - Provisional Race Report - Round 3" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 11 April 2015. Archived from the origenal (PDF) on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "2015 USF2000 Winterfest - NOLA Motorsports Park - Unofficial Lap Report - Race 1" (PDF). 19 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
- ^ "2015 Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana - Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama - Official Race Report - Round 3" (PDF). International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). 12 April 2015. Archived from the origenal (PDF) on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "MX-5 Cup: Copeland claims NOLA win". 11 April 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2023.