I went to TMP for the first time this week. It was a different kind of track experience, so I thought I’d report on that instead of the usual aero stuff.
At this point I’ve done about 40 tracks, and I am a bit of a track-sticker collector. TMP has been on my to-do list for a while, mostly because of Speed Academy. They have great videos and track tests, most of which are at TMP. They are both good drivers, and have a well-established leaderboard.
The leaderboard has a lot to do with my interest in this track, not just because I can compare my times with theirs, but because the Grassroots Motorsports leaderboard at The FIRM has almost identical lap times to TMP across a whole range of cars.
TMP is flat, short, and slow, with only two straights where you can just get into 4th gear. Which is just how I like it. Long straights are a waste in my opinion; they just burn gas and let slow drivers in fast cars catch up.
But because the corners are slow, you have to scrub a lot of speed, and there are four heavy braking zones. There’s not much time to cool the brakes, so it’s normal to overheat the brakes. I saw over 700F on my front rotors, which is about 100F over the usual.
I generally like a track with a lot of elevation, and TMP has none. Which I found rather enjoyable for a change, because this gives uninterrupted sight lines everywhere on track. The lack of elevation and camber changes made it easy to get to the limit quickly. In just the second lap I had my tires squealing at the limit in every corner.
Safety
TMP has a reputation for being unsafe, or more accurately, having crazy drivers do unsafe things. Which, when I described the rules here, is not surprising.
In many ways, TMP is the opposite of my country club track. Pineview Run prides itself on safety, and so every process takes forever. New drivers have to go through the absolute wringer to get on track. Even advanced drivers and racers are stuck in a novice group until they test-out into a higher group. Unlike any other track I’ve been to, everyone also needs a 1-way radio in their car. It’s super annoying, but Pineview does have probably the best safety record of any track.
By comparison, TMP is the Wild West.
- No driver’s meeting – You sign in, get a wrist band, and that’s it. No discussion of flags, passing, track-in or -out procedures. Nothing.
- No corner workers – There are no flag stations or corner workers. The marshal at track-in has some flags, but I never saw him touch one.
- No run groups – Novices and experts share the track alike. So do race cars and SUVs (and people learning to drive a stick, apparently).
- No helmets – If you have a convertible, you need a helmet. I’m going to guess they don’t care what kind of helmet, what the manufacturer date is, and whether you pass a broomstick test. Anyone else doesn’t need a helmet.
- Passing – The rules are “no passing in the corners”, and you’re supposed to get either a point-by or a turn signal. There were no guidelines on how this is done, but it didn’t matter, I didn’t see anyone give passing signals the whole day. In the end, I just took passes as they came, and it worked out fine.
I can’t speak much to the facilities on site, and they don’t appear to have much shade or shelter. Bring an EZ-up, chairs, etc, just as you would for a race weekend.
The lack of amenities is acceptable considering I paid $120 Canadian, which is like $90 US. This is an incredible value for a proper race track.
Conclusion
If TMP is the Wild West, I guess I’m a cowboy; I loved it. The lack of elevation and clear sight lines means you can see traffic everywhere on track. It also makes it easy to work on skills, because there are no hills or camber oddities to work around. There’s a wall on the front straight, but otherwise this is a super safe track with nothing to hit.
This is a good training track, a great place to do drills, and the laps are short enough for a lot of reps.
I went with some new friends, Jeff, Greg, and Josh. I brought Aim Solos for everyone. I haven’t crunched the data yet, because I don’t think that’s very important. This track isn’t about getting a fast lap, it’s about open run groups and having fun with friends. It’s so different from my usual grind, that I can’t wait to go back again.
I think the best way to enjoy this track would be a two-day event with a bunch of friends. Make your own run groups, do touge runs, swap cars, and fit in a 1-hour endurance run. Camp out overnight and do it all the next day.
I had brake issues and had to cut my day short, but I managed a 1:24.9 lap on 560TW all-season tires. I ran into traffic seemingly every lap, but that’s just the nature of the game. With a clear track there was a mid-23 in it, and with actual track tires, I’d be in the teens.
I uploaded this short run because it typifies the TMP experience. In this video you’ll notice I come up on a slow car and I laugh out loud because every single time that I go for a fast lap, I get blocked. Then I come up on another slow car, who just parks it in the corners.
He’s got no excuse, he’s on Nankang CR-S to my Hankook all-seasons. But he can out-accelerate me (I was surprised by this) and so doesn’t give me a point-by. It’s hard to see, but neither he nor his passenger are wearing helmets. Welcome to the TMP experience.
Occam's Racer 