Very sad going there and there’s zero reference to it. Just lost in time.
I had the full story on the track, but basically, Heysham had investment to build to build a tourist attraction. A leisure park type thing. They wanted a kart track and that was the only piece of land left to have it. They approached some kart clubs, maybe Felton or another one. That’s when Hesketh got involved. I think I talk about it in the video.
Back then karting was so new anything was possible. We had some many cool events. There was a big race in France which took place on top of a car park.
Here it is with the standard configuration drawn onto it + yellow is big elevation change. Top left elevation change was 40 feet if my memory is accurate.
Purple is one of my favorite turns in all of karting
Purple is basically Eau Rouge/Radillon. So much fun. One of the few corners in karting I have to mentally prepare for each time I go down that straight.
I was always a big fan of the 2nd section Paul labelled yellow - that right-hander where it swoops back up after dropping down and you feel glued to the track. It always felt like you could pull a lot of Gs right there. My neck hated it, but I loved it. I miss Shawano.
But +1 to AMP for pretty, especially around this time of year when all of the surrounding trees across the landscape are various colors. I’ll have to snap a panoramic or something next time I’m there.
I watched a drift event up there a couple weekends ago. Never had been there before! As soon as I saw that section you marked in yellow- I knew I had to try to drive that track! Luckily my g-ma lives up there and I can visit her and drive there next year. I do know for the Cheesehead they may try to get Shawano on the schedule! Either way–Awesome facility. They are in search of a new track manager right now.
Pic does this track no justice for the elevation changes. I remember my feet being pushed into the floortray in my shifter as you crest that hill near the bottom of the pic.
Sidenote: The entire facility sold for $250K some time ago (might have even been pre KP forums). Bargain! Granted it’s location isn’t fantastic, but that’s was lot of space, facilities and asphalt for the money
The bowl you’re talking about is brutal and fun. You jump the curb on the left, then it seems like you drive 90° straight down and right as you need to go right, the track levels and immediately goes back up, so you are compressed at like 3Gs down into the seat as you climb back up, and then as you crest the top, the kart gets light and wants to skate to the access road on the left.
What a track.
I realized my old on-board from 2015 had disappeared from YouTube, so I re-uploaded it:
Even the video doesn’t do justice to the Gs you feel. Wish I had some more current footage like from the USPKS race I ran there in X30 to give it a bit more intensity. We used to run WKA Manufacturer’s Cup there, Rotax Grands were there once, SKUSA Pro Tour was there in '11 as well.
I raced the SKUSA Summernats there in 2010 on a 32mm TonyKart shifter. The waist of the kart would literally bottom out and drag every lap in that compression zone. Crazy stuff. Easily my favorite track.
I was racing Senior Max, I started 25th or something after wrecking out of 5th in my heat race. Climbed through the field and got up to Gabby Chaves’ bumper before my chain fell off I think.
Couldn’t see anything down that hill on the first lap.
I’ve mentioned this before, but I was starting right behind or in-front of Corey Pollock who came to the grid shadow boxing and doing jumping jacks and I’ve never been so intimidated on a grid in my life. Guy seemed like he was ready for blood, so I tried to hang onto his back bumper as long as I could and I think he ended up on the podium.
The biggest complaint I have with the track is they call it “USAir Motorsports Raceway” now. USAIR originally stood for USA International Raceway, so now it’s technically called “USA International Raceway Motorsports Raceway”…
