NOLA Motorsports Park explained

NOLA Motorsports Park
Time: (DST)
Location:11075 Nicolle Boulevard, Avondale, Louisiana 70094
Coordinates:29.8836°N -90.1978°W
Owner:Laney Chouest
Fiagrade:2
Opened:2011
Construction Cost:$62 million
Events:Current:
Trans-Am Series (2015–2016, 2023–present)
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)
Miles First:True
Layout1:A Course (2011–present)
Surface:Asphalt
Length Km:4.423
Length Mi:2.748
Turns:17
Record Time:1:31.4282
Layout2:IndyCar A Course (2015–present)
Surface2:Asphalt
Length Km2:4.300
Length Mi2:2.670
Turns2:14
Record Time2:1:28.5583
Layout3:B Course (2011–present)
Surface3:Asphalt
Length Km3:3.020
Length Mi3:1.877
Turns3:12
Layout4:C Course (2011–present)
Surface4:Asphalt
Length Km4:3.720
Length Mi4:2.312
Turns4:12

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

NOLA Motorsports Park was designed by Alan Wilson, whose other designs include Utah Motorsports Campus and Barber Motorsports Park. 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.[1]

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.[2]

Activities

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.[3] 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.[4]

There is motorcycle safety training[5] and on-track exotic car rentals provided by Xtreme Xperience.[6] Housed at Nola Motorsports Park for rental are the Huracán LP610-4, the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Porsche 911 GT3, and the Slingshot SLR.[6]

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

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.[7] 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.[7]

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.[8] He was in the shutdown area after finishing his half-mile run at speeds exceeding 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.[9] "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.[10] The event was "unsanctioned," without requiring a roll cage (which is required in the NHRA if a car exceeds).

Events

Current
Former

Lap records

As of April 2024, the fastest official race lap records on the NOLA Motorsports Park are:

CategoryTimeDriverVehicleEvent
A Course: 4.423 km (2011–present)
1:31.4282[11] 2024 USF Pro 2000 Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana
1:33.523[12] 2022 New Orleans FR Americas round
1:34.800[13] 2022 New Orleans GT World Challenge America round
1:35.6070[14] 2024 USF2000 Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana
1:36.476[15] 2022 New Orleans Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America round
1:37.029[16] 2023 New Orleans Trans-Am round
1:39.1192[17] 2024 USF Juniors Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana
1:39.487[18] 2012 Triumph Big Kahuna New Orleans
1:41.227[19] 2022 New Orleans F4 United States round
1:42.463[20] 2023 New Orleans Trans-Am round
1:44.284[21] 2023 New Orleans GT4 America round
1:48.430[22] 2023 New Orleans TC America round
IndyCar A Course: 4.300 km (2015–present)
1:28.5583 2015 Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana
1:33.7313[23] 2015 New Orleans Pro Mazda Winterfest round
1:36.012[24]
1:36.6613[25] 2015 New Orleans US F2000 Winterfest round
1:36.012[26]
1:57.302[27] 2015 New Orleans Mazda MX-5 Cup round

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Facility Features . nolamotor.com/ . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120303132516/http://www.nolamotor.com/facility-features/ . 3 March 2012 . 15 February 2012.
  2. Web site: NOLA Motorsports innovates with new track . ESPN The Magazine . Alejandro de Los Rios . 2 October 2012 . 2 October 2012.
  3. Web site: Karting – Arrive & Drive – NOLA Motorsports Park . nolamotor.com . 29 May 2019.
  4. Web site: NOLA Motorsports Park – Parties / Groups – NOLA Motorsports Park. nolamotor.com. May 29, 2019.
  5. Web site: Racetrack Training. NOLA Riding. Academy. NOLA Riding Academy. 29 May 2019.
  6. Web site: Exotic Driving Experience New Orleans. Xtreme Xperience. 29 May 2019.
  7. Web site: 44-year-old Houston man killed in motorcycle accident at NOLA Motorsports Park. RAMON ANTONIO VARGAS . rvargas@theadvocate.com. The Advocate. May 29, 2019.
  8. Web site: wannaGOFAST - 1/2 Mile Racing Events. wannaGOFAST. 29 May 2019.
  9. Web site: Driver was going over 200 mph at time of fatal crash Saturday at NOLA Motorsports track. JEFF. NOWAK. The Advocate. 29 May 2019.
  10. Web site: Fatal wreck at NOLA Motorsports racetrack during 'wannagofast' event. WWL. 24 September 2018 . 29 May 2019.
  11. Web site: 2024 Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana USF Juniors Race 2 Official Results . 7 April 2014 . 8 April 2024.
  12. Web site: 2022 NOLA SpeedTour FR Americas Round 2 Official Race Result . 10 April 2022 . 11 April 2022.
  13. Web site: 2022 NOLA Motorsports Park Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by aws Race 1 - Classification - Final . 21 May 2022 . 22 May 2022.
  14. Web site: 2024 Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana USF2000 Race 2 Official Results . 7 April 2024 . 8 April 2024.
  15. Web site: 2022 Lamborghini Super Trofeo at NOLA - Race 2 Official Results (50 Minutes) . . 24 May 2022 . 2 January 2023.
  16. Web site: 2023 Trans-Am Series NOLA Motorsports Park Official Race Results . 12 March 2023 . 14 March 2023.
  17. Web site: 2024 Continental Tire Grand Prix of Louisiana USF Juniors Race 3 Provisional Results . 7 April 2024 . 8 April 2024.
  18. Web site: New Orleans AMA SuperBike - Race 2 Results . 8 October 2012 . 1 October 2023.
  19. Web site: 2022 F4 United States Championship powered by Honda - NOLA Motorsports Park - Round 2 Official Race Result . 10 April 2022 . 7 April 2024.
  20. Web site: 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 . 11 March 2023 . 14 April 2024.
  21. Web site: 2023 NOLA Motorsports Park GT4 America Race 1 . 29 April 2023 . 26 May 2023.
  22. Web site: 2023 NOLA Motorsports Park TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School Race 1 - Final . 29 April 2023 . 26 May 2023.
  23. Web site: 2015 Pro Mazda Winterfest - NOLA Motorsports Park Unofficial Lap Report Race 1 . 19 February 2015 . 4 February 2023.
  24. Web site: 2015 Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda - Provisional Race Report - Round 3 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151002063303/http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/files/race_result_files/Lites%20NOLA%20R3%20Race%20Provisional.pdf . . 11 April 2015 . 2 October 2015 . 1 October 2023 . dead.
  25. Web site: 2015 USF2000 Winterfest - NOLA Motorsports Park Unofficial Lap Report Race 1 . 19 February 2015 . 4 February 2023.
  26. Web site: 2015 Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama - Official Race Report - Round 3 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150910083625/http://www.imsa.com/sites/default/files/race_result_files/GT3%20NOLA%20R3%20Race%20Official.pdf . . 12 April 2015 . 10 September 2015 . 1 October 2023 . dead.
  27. Web site: MX-5 Cup: Copeland claims NOLA win . 11 April 2015 . 5 August 2023.