95jersey

Has anyone run Monticello (specifically South course)? I know this track is new last year and I am thinking about going up sometime this year, but the course they rent to the public is only 1.8 miles long and from the videos, doesn't look like anything special.

I love trying new tracks, but it looks like it's going to demand a $$$ premium because of location and I am just trying to see if it is money well spent.

Wicked Weasel

I heard the small track is just that small... The long track I heard is great.

F.J.B.

I ran Monticello back in October with PDA. The course was short and tight. Also quite congested. I dont think I shifted out of 2nd or 3rd at all. Speeds were nothing to write home about. They did permit us a short session of the complete track, but they combined groups when they did that, so you were stuck in traffic again. I recommend trying the track once. ONCE. After that you will lose the desire to return. I was hoping for so much more since its only 90 minutes away. But it was a let down for me.

95jersey

Great information. I guess I will have to try it once. I am not against short and tight courses if they are fun and safe. I really enjoy the east course at Pocono, and that is probably even shorter and tighter. But if somone wanted to charge $350 for the east course, I would not pay it, and that is what I am trying to figure out with Monticello. They are charging money like it is some premium track (and that may be true of the long course).

For that price add another $100 and I get 2 days at NJMP on 2 seperate tracks. Thanks for the feedback!

F.J.B.

Its a track that caters to its Membership. At a price of at least 150K. They get to use the track 7 days a week. If they dont like the impact that an HPDE is having on "their" fun, then the HPDE suffers.
Also, the parking lot is tight , with no trailer room. Its just like parking at the local Mall.
But if they open the FULL Track to us, I would go again.

Cerulaen

Everyone above is correct...and calling the parking lot tight might be an understatement. It was definitely not designed for track day orgs.

Given the current climate I would not be surprised to see the full track opened up again. The reason it was opened at the first PDA event was to try and entice new members. With everything that is going on now they may have trouble meeting their membership goals and will be looking for new avenues to fill the holes.

Having said all that, I liked the South Course. Although I will freely admit that I was in the minority. I thought it flowed pretty well, and I definitely liked it much better than the bumpy East Course at Pocono. They also are supposedly going to change pit out, which left something to be desired.

Wicked Weasel

I heard trailers had to park away from everything is that true?

Lan.Jet

I ran both courses last October and the full coarse is good but the south course is not worth the price. It may be a little better this year after they make the small changes and put the final surface down. They only had the binder down last year. NJ lighting is better it has more flow to it so you can get into a rhythm. I would also agree on the parking very tight!

Cerulaen

Yes, for the most part. A few were in the main lot, but I wouldn't count on being able to park yours there.

Lan.Jet

Yes, the upper parking was not finished it was still dirt it will probably be finished this year.

Cerulaen

I didn't find the surface too bad, but the curbs weren't in place yet on some of the corners as well. So everyone was cutting them and putting quite a few large rocks onto the track as a consequence. At the end of the day they ended up putting many cones on these corners to stop people from cutting them.

RUN4CVR

Ask TurboMike50. He ran it last year and wasn't too impressed...also I think he blew off alot of oil because it was high RPM 3rd gear all day long.

We had an opportunity to go back and Mike told me he'd rather save the date for another NJMP date or even Lime Rock.

The full course is another story i hear....hopefully the general public will get a shot at it someday.

Dave Deerson

I felt the price was too high for just the south course,but that stems from the Monticello clubs very high rental fee.

Steve L

The fee for the south course is very high ! The fee has gone up alot(track Fee) from last year !!!!!!!!!!!!

Wicked Weasel

That's crazy talk....

Cerulaen

As I said earlier though...I wouldn't doubt it if you saw them trying to attract more track day orgs down the line. With the economy today, I think they will have a tough time filling all the membership slots they have.

ghoffman

Ok, I don't understand, where do you park? Which is the "little" track? Is the big track the outer loop?

95jersey

Especially at that price $100k+

NJMP is something like $10k + low monthly charge if you want to be a member.

I personally wouldn't buy either. There are more club dates at NJMP available then memeber days. Even if you did 20 days at $250 per day, your not even close to the downpayment fee of $10k...such a rip.

95jersey

The little track is the one on the right (next to the Helipad). And from the video's I have seen on YouTube, it runs clockwise.

F.J.B.

Parking is in the middle of the left hand side of that Map. It doesnt show the Temp structure that they have as their current clubhouse. But we were told they were building a permanent building. Not sure where the placement is.